NEW YORK — Andrew Benintendi quietly played through soreness in his right hand before the All-Star break and still put up good numbers.
Since getting an injection shortly before the All-Star break, the production has picked up.
“It’s feeling better,” Benintendi said before the White Sox played the Mets Wednesday at Citi field. “Still not 100 percent strength and I don’t think it will happen until next year.”
Benintendi had a cortisone shot on the Saturday before the All-Star break. That gave him two days off before the break, then the four off days. He was 9-for-18 with seven runs scored and five RBI coming out of the break, then broke up Justin Verlander’s no hitter with a sharp single to center in the fourth inning Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
“You gotta do what you got to do and play with what you got,” he said.
Signed to a $75 million, five-year contract before the season, Benintendi entered Wednesday batting .292/.358/.380, but with one home run. Perhaps the power will pick up if the hand feels stronger.
Since moving to the leadoff spot on June 17, Benintendi was batting .362/.413/.457 with nine doubles.
“It matters not one bit where I bat in the lineup,” he said. “It’s all the same to me.”
Perez gets a look-see
Rookie Carlos Perez got his first start of the season at catcher, handling starter Touki Toussaint Wednesday.
“I want to see him catch,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Every time I put him in on both sides of the ball he’s done something that caught my eye.”
“I like the way he receives the ball, I like how he’s blocked the ball but it’s been short samples. He moves around well, he’s athletic.”
Eloy out of lineup
Eloy Jimenez did not start a second straight game due to tightness in his left groin that forced him out of a game Sunday in Atlanta but Grifol said he was available to pinch hit. Grifol said the same thing Tuesday but didn’t use him.
“Today he is available,” Grifol said. “[Tuesday] it was questionable whether he was available or not. I would have used him if he was available. He is available [Wednesday]. To pinch hit.”
Vaughn sits one out
First baseman Andrew Vaughn fouled a pitch off his left foot Tuesday and sat out in favor of Gavin Sheets. Vaughn was available to pinch hit. “He’s limping around a little bit,” Grifol said.
Clevinger, Hendriks throw sim games
Mike Clevinger (biceps) and Liam Hendriks (elbow) faced Oscar Colas, Zach Remillard and Seby Savala in sim games on the field. Clevinger
threw about 45 pitches, got up and down three times as planned and was getting swings and misses. Liam Hendriks threw 17 pitches.
The Sox will update the next steps tomorrow. Clevinger could be headed to a minor league rehab start, while Hendriks isn’t as close.
Moncada update
Third baseman Yoan Moncada played his fifth rehab game at Triple-A Charlotte and is “progressing really well,” Grifol said, although he was 1-for-13 in his first four games. “His body feels really good. We just have to get him in baseball shape. How long could that be, could be another four, five, six, seven games down there.”
