One thing the New York Yankees can’t afford right now is more injuries, which is exactly what happened when trade acquisition Andrew Benintendi suffered what the team called “right wrist inflammation” after whiffing on a pitch on Friday night.
Benintendi was placed on the 10-day injured list, presenting hope that he can return for the playoffs in a few weeks. However, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic stated following Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay that Benintendi broke a bone in his hand, requiring surgery.
Andrew Benintendi broke the hook of the hamate bone and needs surgery. Very unclear what the timeline for return is, but doesn’t seem like it is automatically season-ending.
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With the rest of the team struggling, Benintendi was solid for the most part in August, hitting .252 with a 30.4% on base rate. There was a lot to be desired, but he went on a small hot streak, recording two or more hits in four consecutive games in late August. Given his contacting abilities and solid defensive qualities, losing Benintendi is a significant blow to the Yankees’ batting order.
Unfortunately, breaking the hamate bone could keep him out for 6–8 weeks and would require him to wear a brace for protection as the ligaments in his wrist begin to gain their flexibility back.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB Network, Benintendi believes he could return before the regular season ends, mentioning a similar injury he has during his collegiate days.
Andrew Benintendi said he will speak with specialists in NYC, but he thinks he may be able to return before the end of the regular season. He had a similar injury as a college freshman.
On the season, Benintendi features a .302 average with a 37% on-base rate. With Kansas City, he hit .320 with a 38.7% on base rate, but his numbers have regressed significantly since joining the Yankees. He’s batting .246 with a 32.3% on-base rate, hitting two homers with 12 RBIs. His power has slightly improved, but his contact hitting with RISP is what makes brings the most value to the table.
Moving forward, we should expect to see plenty of Aaron Hicks until Harrison Bader returns, shifting Aaron Judge back to right field and potentially putting Cabrera in left.