Chicago baseball report: White Sox feel Andrew Benintendi’s veteran presence — and Cubs call up James Triantos

A .500 homestand against the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers didn’t do much to help the Cubs’ attempt to cut in the Milwaukee Brewers’ division lead.

And the schedule is only going to get tougher the next two weeks. Sitting 7 games back of the Brewers, the Cubs head on a seven-game trip to Pittsburgh and St. Louis, then return home to welcome the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers to Wrigley Field with the Aug. 3 trade deadline also looming.

The American League Central-leading White Sox begin a seven-game homestand Friday with the first of three against the Houston Astros. The New York Yankees then come to Rate Field for four games beginning Monday. The Sox lost two of three to the Yankees in June at Yankee Stadium.

Sox benefiting from Andrew Benintendi’s experience

Benintendi reached 10 years of major-league service time on July 12.

“It was great, it was kind of a good way to get your 10 years, celebrating with your team,” Benintendi said Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “I wasn’t necessarily expecting that, nor do I feel comfortable with all that. I was hoping it would fly under the radar.

“It was cool.”

Benintendi made his major-league debut with the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 2, 2016, in Seattle. When asked if it felt like 10 years, Benintendi responded, “Not really.”

“I remember coming up, guys saying, ‘Enjoy it, because it’s going to go fast,'” he said. “Maybe the last few years haven’t felt as fast, but it’s been good overall.”

Manager Will Venable said Benintendi’s presence has meant “a lot.”

“A guy who has the experience and the wisdom of 10 years in the big leagues and playing at a high level that our players can tap into, that I can tap into and can help us all with his experience,” Venable said Tuesday. “You also have a guy that’s creating a lot of space for these young players to be leaders and supporting them to advance in their careers, both in the clubhouse and on the field.”

Benintendi has largely served as a designated hitter this season. He is hitting .245 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI in 89 games.

Benintendi had a three-run double Monday in a 10-3 victory against the Texas Rangers and had two hits and two RBI in Wednesday’s 4-2 win.

“He’s made a huge impact,” Venable said. “I feel like he’s coming through in these spots. With his experience that he has, he’s just kind of got that thing that he’s been in these spots before and you know he’s got the ability and the demeanor to deal with them.”

Cubs reportedly calling up prospect James Triantos

The Cubs are again tapping into their position-player prospect depth.

They reportedly are calling up Triantos, their seventh-ranked prospect by MLB.com. Triantos shared news of his big-league promotion to his Instagram story Thursday afternoon.

The 23-year-old infielder had a tough year with Triple-A Iowa in 2025, his first full season at that level after getting a taste in 2024. He has bounced back well this season, hitting .306 with a .344 on-base percentage and a .784 OPS while predominately playing second and third base with all three outfield spots mixed in.

A second-round pick in 2021, Triantos had a strong spring performance in big-league camp, and his 40-man roster status gave him a pathway to his first big-league call-up this season.

“Triantos’ job is to really just continue to get better,” manager Craig Counsell said during spring training. “He got to Triple-A at a really young age. Didn’t have his best season last year, but he’s been a talented offensive player since he entered professional baseball, and we’re going to get back to that. He’s off to a good start in showing that this spring.

“When you’re on the 40-man roster the message is always, look, whatever’s going on you’re a day away from being a Chicago Cub. So I always think that helps you through the season and understanding that if something happens because you’re on the roster, you get the first shot.”

Outfielder Kevin Alcántara has been optioned to Iowa, according to the affiliate’s transactions, setting him up to be the corresponding move for Triantos barring other Cubs roster moves before their series opener Friday in Pittsburgh.

Number of the week: 19

Anthony Kay has hit 19 batters, a Sox single-season record. He leads the majors in the category and is the first with 19 since the Cincinnati Reds’ Hunter Greene in 2024.

Week ahead: Cubs

The Cubs announced Thursday they agreed to terms with 12 more of their draft picks, bringing the total to 17 of their 21 selections.

With second-round outfielder Caden Sorrell, second-round comp-selection infielder Myles Bailey, fifth-round right-hander Dylan Blomker, sixth-round right-hander Isaac Morton, eighth-round right-hander Lance Williams and ninth-round right-hander Chase Meyer in the fold, the Cubs have agreed to deals with all of their picks in the top 10 rounds.

Blomker reportedly signed for more than double the value of his slot, agreeing to an $888,000 bonus rather than play college ball at LSU. Sorrell and Bailey also reportedly received above-slot bonuses, roughly $150,000 and $780,000 more that their draft slot, respectively.

The Cubs had a bonus-pool allotment of $9,644,100 to spend on their picks in the top 10 rounds plus anything over $150,000 to rounds 11-20 players that counts against the pool too. Teams can spend up to 5% over their pool allotment without penalty beyond paying a 75% tax on the overage, which the Cubs have done every year.

The four remaining unsigned players — Clemson right-hander Ariston Veasey (11th round), Puerto Rico high school catcher Emanuel Hernandez (13th), James Madison right-hander Luke McGrath (18th) and Vanderbilt right-hander Luke Guth (19th) — have until 4 p.m. Monday to come to terms with the team.

Week ahead: White Sox

Munetaka Murakami led off the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers with a single to right field. It was part of a 1-for-3 night for the All-Star first baseman, who also drew a walk.

Murakami is 5-for-30 with three doubles and one RBI in nine games since returning from the injured list on July 10. The Sox are 7-2 during that stretch. He went on the IL on May 30 with a right hamstring strain.

“I think overall, (my timing is) getting better,” Murakami said through an interpreter Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. “I’ve been seeing the ball very clearly and I’m getting good at-bats. Overall, it’s good.”

Murakami has nine walks since returning, including at least one in each of the last eight games.

Before Monday’s game, Venable said the Sox had “seen really good things” from Murakami at the plate since his return.

“No. 1, the swing decisions are there,” Venable said. “Yeah, there’s some balls that he probably has swung and missed at that he wants back that we’re used to seeing those being hit really hard. But I think he’s in a fine spot.

“Especially with left-handed hitters, when you see balls squared off to backside, to the opposite field, to me that’s a really good precursor to being able to drive the ball on the pull side and put yourself in a good spot. He’s close and even when he’s not hitting homers, he’s making an impact.”