After nine seasons of missing the postseason, the Kansas City Royals finally returned to playoff baseball last fall. Their last playoff run featured back-to-back World Series appearances, losing to the San Francisco Giants in 2014 and then defeating the New York Mets in 2015 to secure their second championship in franchise history.
While many Royals fans might jump from memories of Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain to the current stars like Cole Ragans and Bobby Witt Jr., there were numerous players who came and went during the years between playoff appearances. One of those players, a former Royals All-Star, received devastating news on Thursday that could significantly impact his 2025 season.
**Former Royals All-Star Andrew Benintendi Out With Broken Hand**
The Chicago White Sox announced on Thursday that Andrew Benintendi has suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right hand and will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Benintendi, who spent two seasons with the Royals and earned an All-Star nod in 2022, has played for the White Sox for the past two years, posting a .246/.309/.374 slash line with 25 home runs and 109 RBI.
These numbers are a far cry from his earlier career success. Benintendi, the seventh overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in the 2015 MLB Draft, was once a highly touted prospect. He ranked as a consensus top-100 prospect before his MLB debut in 2016 and was even named the No. 1 prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline heading into the 2017 season.
Benintendi started strong, hitting .273/.353/.435 with 51 home runs, 260 RBI, and 53 stolen bases in 63 attempts before being traded to the Royals ahead of the 2021 season. In his first year with Kansas City, he batted .276/.324/.442 with 17 home runs, 73 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 17 attempts. His 2022 season was one of his best, as he slashed .304/.373/.399 with five home runs, 51 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 11 attempts. His performance earned him an All-Star selection, though the Royals struggled to a 65-97 record that year. Midway through the 2022 season, Benintendi was traded to the New York Yankees and later signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the White Sox in the following offseason. Unfortunately, Chicago has yet to see a strong return on that investment.
The White Sox, who set an MLB record with 121 losses last season, are currently an afterthought in the American League Central race. However, following former players like Benintendi remains a key part of being a baseball fan.
While the Royals are dealing with their own injury concerns, Benintendi’s recovery could serve as a secondary storyline to watch as Kansas City aims for its first division title since 2015.
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