DETROIT — White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi exited Sunday’s 4-3 loss against the Tigers with left adductor tightness.
He appeared to come up lame when he was running on the bases in the first inning. Losing Benintendi for any stretch of time would be a significant hit to an already thin Sox lineup. Nick Maton replaced Benintendi at the DH spot in the lineup.
Benintendi was in a good stretch, batting .290/.333/.484 with a .817 OPS.
Last year, the Sox lost former third baseman Yoan Moncada and designated hitter Eloy Jimenez to adductor tightness. How long Benintendi is out depends on the severity of the tightness.
Manager Will Venable said he thinks part of Benintendi’s injury happened Saturday when he made a leaping catch into the left-field wall in the first inning.
“He felt OK today,” Venable said. “And then that first at-bat, [it] started flaring up on him a little bit, and we just want to do the right thing, get him out of there.”
Tacuhman returns
Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman returned on Sunday following a stint on the injured list with a hamstring injury during spring training. Tauchman, who’d been on the IL since March 27 (retroactive to March 23), said it had been 10 years since he had a hamstring injury but that he was fortunate the injury was mild and that he missed just the first two weeks of the season.
Though spring training numbers are largely meaningless, hitters use that time to get their swing and timing ready. That last week, Tauchman said, is when reps more closely resemble game-like situations.
“A goal was to see a lot of pitches and get my eyes where I want them,” Tauchman said. “I thought the last couple [of]days [in Triple-A Charlotte] were pretty good. Whether you’re rehabbing or not, it all starts with fastball timing.”
Tauchman’s return to right field likely ends the Brooks Baldwin experiment in right field. Tauchman provided a spark to the lineup, drawing a walk and a hit as the leadoff hitter.
“Love his consistency, his approach, his professionalism,” Venable said. “He gives us an edge. Brings great energy to the clubhouse, to the dugout.”
Minor-league roundup
Sox top prospect Braden Montgomery — acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade — knocked his first professional homer for Single-A Kannapolis on Saturday. Montgomery, 21, was drafted with the No. 13 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
He looks to be fully recovered from a right ankle injury sustained during the College World Series.
Left-hand Hagen Smith, drafted with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, hurled four innings of one-run baseball, striking out 10 hitters in 12 at-bats at Double-A Birmingham on Saturday.
“Even in his bullpens, what really struck me is if he threw a pitch he didn’t like, it bothered him and he did what he had to do to correct,” Venable said of interacting with Smith in spring. “Just [an] ultra competitor. Great to see him have a good outing. Looking forward to him continuing to progress.”
• Infielder Chase Meidroth launched his third homer of the season on Sunday.
Roster moves
• To make room for Tauchman, the team designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment.