White Sox' Andrew Benintendi impressed by young players' level heads

GLENDALE, Ariz. — While outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Benintendi did his best to play through a tender left Achilles tendon last summer, he was impressed by a development after the All-Star break that bodes well for the White Sox’ future.

Much of the attention in 2025 centered on the breakout seasons by rookies Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, as well as American League All-Star pitcher Shane Smith.

And as the Sox attempt to take more strides toward respectability and eventual title contention in the AL Central, there has been no trace of contentment or complacency since full-squad workouts started a week ago.

Benintendi was a 21-year-old rookie on a veteran Red Sox team that won the AL East in 2016, so he knows the importance of fulfilling high expectations.

‘‘It’s a credit to those guys,’’ Benintendi said Saturday. ‘‘Last year, we had 19 rookies. It would probably be a little easier to come into that thinking, like, ‘Oh, I’m in the big leagues,’ and get a big head about it. But, no, everybody is in here to work. Everybody doesn’t take for granted where they are. Nothing’s guaranteed, and I think everybody here understands that.

‘‘Everybody here has got a level head. I think they understand, as well, that we’re not where we want to be, and I think they know what the work is going to look like and what they have to put into it. So it’s been great to be around these guys.’’

The youngsters’ eagerness to improve, such as Montgomery addressing ways to improve his contact rate, please manager Will Venable.

‘‘You get exposed to the big leagues, you understand how challenging it is,’’ Venable said. ‘‘There’s things that you’re going to have to do to not just perform well but just to survive in this league.

‘‘And those guys got a taste of it, and I think from each one of those guys, they’re just extremely competitive. They know what it takes to put in the work, build these routines and kind of the foundation that we continue to talk about on a daily basis.’’

Benintendi, meanwhile, gradually is working his way back after coping with inflammation and tendinitis in the Achilles that eventually sent him to the injured list for the final week of the regular season. He played much of the second half despite the discomfort but said he never was in danger of tearing the tendon and still managed to hit 20 home runs.

‘‘I think getting out of the box was the biggest thing,’’ Benintendi said. ‘‘You take a swing, and then your first push off is that back leg. I think we were pretty careful with it.’’

Nevertheless, the injury limited Benintendi’s range, and Venable intimated his playing time in left field might be curbed, especially with plenty of competition for outfield spots. He went 0-for-3 in DH duties in the Sox’ spring game Saturday against the Athletics.

‘‘We want to be mindful of what he’s been through physically and make sure he’s in a good spot,’’ Venable said. ‘‘He’s going to be having at-bats this year at the DH spot, so that’s something we want him to embrace. He’ll also be out in the outfield, and we value his defense out there.’’