Andrew Benintendi’s bat has given Kansas City Royals a boost during their recent run
“Benny” appears to be rounding back into form, and the Kansas City Royals lineup has benefited from his resurgence.
Left fielder Andrew Benintendi delivered in a big way on Sunday with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double, two runs scored and three RBIs in a 9-1 Royals win at Wrigley Field.
He has made an undeniable impact during the club’s recent upswing, which has included six wins in the past seven games and a three-game road sweep of the Chicago Cubs.
The Royals recent run, coincidentally or not, has been accompanied by Benintendi’s eight-game hitting streak. He carries that streak into Monday’s series opener against the Houston Astros in Texas.
During this recent stretch, the left-handed hitting former Top 10 draft pick has hit 14 for 31 (.452) with eight runs scored, four RBIs, four doubles and one home run.
“He’s a guy who can just hit,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “It’s fun to watch when he can let the ball travel and he’s not compromised at all physically.
“He’s putting together some really clutch at-bats too. We get into situations where we need something to happen, and he seems to be a guy who keeps coming through for us right now.”
Benintendi, acquired from the Boston Red Sox via a three-team trade in February, had an 18-game stint on the injured list with a fractured rib from June 14 through July 3.
Earlier this month, he suffered a shoulder strain while stealing a base in Chicago. While he missed less than a week with the shoulder injury, he continued to scuffle at the plate until recently.
In a 28-game stretch after he returned from the IL through Aug. 14, Benintendi slashed .163/.210/.316 with 27 strikeouts.
“I think it’s just staying within myself and trying to just take what they give me again,” Benintendi said. “Through that bad stretch I was going through, I think I was trying to do a little too much. I’m just trying to hit the ball hard and stay up the middle. It’s going well so far.”
Sunday marked his 25th multi-hit game this season, his fifth in his last eight games.
He also registered his 10th multi-RBI game to join Salvador Perez (23), Carlos Santana (14) and Whit Merrifield (11) as the only Royals with at least 10 multi-RBI games.
Up until his rib injury, Benintendi had been arguably as productive as any player in the lineup aside from Perez.
He slashed .317/.358/.496 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and just 25 strikeouts in 38 games from May 1 until he went on the IL in June.
The superstitious Benintendi stopped short of saying he’s back to where he was in May and early June.
“Maybe,” Benintendi said. “I think time will tell. I don’t want to jinx anything right now. As long as I just stick with my approach and my plan and not try to do too much, I think things will keep going well.”
Along with being one of the offensive catalysts the past eight games, Benintendi has also produced pivotal defensive plays.
He had a signature moment in the field on Wednesday night when he threw out a Chas McCormick at the plate in the ninth inning for the final out of a one-run victory over the Houston Astros.
On Saturday, he ranged a long way into the left-center field gap to steal an extra-base hit from Jason Heyward on Saturday to help Kris Bubic take a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
He has recorded three outfield assists in the last seven games, including throwing out Aledmys Díaz at third base to end the 10th inning on Thursday.
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 7:58 AM.
