Before today’s game, the White Sox placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list due to left Achilles tendinitis. Oscar Colas was called up from Triple-A to take Benintendi’s roster spot, as first reported by Francys Romero yesterday.
Benintendi’s move to the IL was expected after he was removed early from yesterday’s game. White Sox manager Pedro Grifol disclosed to reporters that Benintendi had been playing through the injury for some time. Despite hitting a home run prior to his early exit on Saturday, the discomfort became too severe for Benintendi to continue.
This IL placement adds to the challenges in Benintendi’s tenure with the White Sox. After signing a five-year, $75 million free agent deal in the 2022-23 offseason, he posted a disappointing .262/.326/.356 slash line over 621 plate appearances last year. His performance in 2024 has been even worse, with a .195/.230/.284 slash line and a league-low fWAR (-1.6) among qualified players. With over three and a half years left on his contract, Benintendi’s deal is already proving to be a burden for the White Sox, especially as they aim to rebuild with younger talent.
Colas was in today’s starting lineup against the Brewers and has appeared in one other MLB game this season as a pinch hitter in a loss to Cleveland on April 10. He has spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he has hit .244/.358/.406 with five home runs over 193 plate appearances. Colas’s promotion could be temporary, as Luis Robert Jr. is expected to be activated from the injured list this week, possibly as early as Tuesday.
However, Colas’s stint in the majors could be extended depending on Andrew Vaughn’s status. Vaughn has missed Chicago’s last three games since spraining his left ring finger while sliding into a base on Wednesday. Manager Pedro Grifol indicated that Vaughn’s progress would be reassessed after 3-5 days of rest. If Vaughn shows no improvement by Tuesday, he might also be placed on the IL, backdated three days, if Robert is ready to return.
Unfortunately, Vaughn’s season has also been challenging, with a -0.8 fWAR, the fourth-lowest among qualified players. Despite showing promise with a 107 wRC+ and a .264/.317/.429 slash line over 1170 plate appearances in the 2022-23 seasons, Vaughn has struggled this year with a .199/.264/.313 slash line and four home runs in his first 220 plate appearances. Gavin Sheets has been filling in at first base during Vaughn’s absence.
