Red Sox 'Optimistic' Andrew Benintendi Can Return This Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox may have feared the worst when rookie sensation Andrew Benintendi went down with an injury Wednesday night in Tampa, but they were feeling much better by Friday.
John Farrell updated the media on Benintendi's condition on Friday afternoon, and the Red Sox manager painted a positive picture.
"He went through a battery of tests today -- another MRI, X-rays, CT scan," Farrell said. "[They] all concur that he's still dealing with the sprained left knee. No structural damage other than that, and when you think back and look at the video, this could've been much, much worse. Lucky that the ACL is not involved. So we're still optimistic that he can return this season."
Benintendi, 22, has hit .324 with an .850 OPS in his first 21 MLB games. The Red Sox may not have entered the 2016 season expecting to rely on the rookie, but his output in his first big league stint quickly made him an important piece of the team.
Farrell said he's looking forward to Benintendi's return.
"He's been quickly embraced by this team, that's obvious," Farrell said. "His production has been apparent -- on both sides of the baseball, he's made an impact. So we're going to miss him. But at the same time, I think we've gotten a lot of good news here today that despite the injury and the DL stint that he has here, there's optimism in this. And that his return here at some point this season."
Benintendi was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. Chris Young and Brock Holt are expected to share the playing time in left field for the time being.
"He was great for us," Holt said of Benintendi to WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jonny Miller. "Didn't know what to expect, him coming up from Double-A. I had never seen him play, obviously had heard good things, and he lived up to those. Great kid, works hard and he was a big boost for us. So we're definitely going to miss him, but me and CY and the guys are going to try and fill in and do what we were doing at the beginning of the year before he got to us. Hopefully he's not out for too long.
