DETROIT — White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi left the team’s 4-3 loss Sunday to the Tigers with tightness in his left adductor.
He appeared to come up lame while running the bases in the first inning. Losing Benintendi for any stretch of time would be a significant hit to an already-thin lineup. Nick Maton replaced him.
Benintendi was in the midst of a good stretch, batting .290/.333/.484 with an .817 OPS.
Last season, the Sox lost former third baseman Yoan Moncada and former DH Eloy Jimenez to adductor injuries.
Manager Will Venable said he thinks Benintendi initially might have hurt himself when he made a leaping catch into the left-field wall in the first inning Saturday.
‘‘He felt OK today,’’ Venable said. ‘‘And then that first at-bat, [it] started flaring up on him a little bit, and we just wanted to do the right thing [and] get him out of there.’’
Tauchman returns
Outfielder Mike Tauchman returned after a stint on the injured list with a hamstring injury suffered in spring training. Tauchman said that it had been 10 years since he had a hamstring injury but that he was fortunate it was mild and he missed only the first 10 days of the season.
Though spring-training numbers are largely meaningless, hitters use that time to get their swing and timing ready. That last week of camp, Tauchman said, is when reps more closely resemble game situations, which he missed out on.
‘‘A goal was to see a lot of pitches and get my eyes where I want them,’’ Tauchman said. ‘‘I thought the last couple of days [in Triple-A Charlotte] were pretty good. Whether you’re rehabbing or not, it all starts with fastball timing.’’
Tauchman’s return to right field likely will end the Brooks Baldwin experiment in the outfield. Tauchman provided a spark to the lineup, drawing a walk and getting a hit as the leadoff hitter.
‘‘Love his consistency, his approach, his professionalism,’’ Venable said. ‘‘He gives us an edge. Brings great energy to the clubhouse, to the dugout.’’
To make room for Tauchman, the Sox designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment.
Minor-league roundup
Prospect Braden Montgomery, who was acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade, hit his first professional home run for Single-A Kannapolis on Saturday. Montgomery, 21, was drafted with the 13th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He looks to be fully recovered from an injured right ankle suffered during the College World Series.
Left-hander Hagen Smith, whom the Sox drafted with the fifth pick in 2024, threw four innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts at Double-A Birmingham on Saturday.
‘‘Even in his bullpens, what really struck me is if he threw a pitch he didn’t like, it bothered him, and he did what he had to do to correct,’’ Venable said of interacting with Smith in camp. ‘‘Just [an] ultra-competitor. Great to see him have a good outing. Looking forward to him continuing to progress.’’
Infielder Chase Meidroth hit his third homer of the season for Charlotte on Sunday.