Red Sox Benintendi Is Biggest Challenge For Castillo

Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi continues to shine with his first home run, making it difficult for anyone to replace him, including Rusney Castillo.

It was an experiment that paid off. The 22-year-old Benintendi was called up in early August to fill the role that so many players before him couldn’t, either because of injury or poor play. Left field is a beast of a position, especially with the Green Monster in Fenway Park looming large over a player, let alone for a youngster who just was drafted in the first round in 2015.

A move like that from Double-A Portland may have been too much for another man, but Benintendi’s lefty bat has swung with the best that Major League Baseball has to offer this month.

In fact, one of the few bright spots in the Red Sox loss to the Detroit Tigers yesterday was Benintendi’s first MLB home run of his career. On a full count, he pounced on a slider by Tigers starter Shane Greene and pulled it over the right-field fence:

Red Sox Nation should be drooling while watching that blast. Benintendi has hit .322 with nine RBIs, including this two-run homer, in 59 at-bats. Combine that with a .375 on-base percentage, a .492 slugging percentage, and even a stolen base, Benintendi looks to be just what the Red Sox needed. He’s still very young, making these numbers just the beginning. Once he fills more into his adult body, Benintendi could be even quicker and more powerful on offense.

However, with every door opening there’s also a door that’s about to shut.

Benintendi’s success also means that the Red Sox outfield combination is set for the future, with only room for other players to fill in if someone is sick or injured. Mookie Betts has been an absolute force in right field and Jackie Bradley Jr. continues to impress in center. If any of the three goes out of the lineup, there’s also Brock Holt, Travis Shaw, and Chris Young as a solid set of bench players to fill the void.

So, where does that leave someone like Rusney Castillo?

Once considered the future center fielder in Boston, Castillo’s injuries and poor play last season put him in minor-league limbo in Triple-A Pawtucket. The 29-year-old was thought of as a Cuban phenom, which was why the Red Sox gave him a seven-year contract worth $72.5 million. His .253 batting average in 80 games last season, however, cast a great deal of shade over Castillo’s shining potential.

This year, Castillo has hit .262 with two home runs, 29 RBIs, and nine stolen bases in 12 attempts for the Pawtucket Red Sox. However, Castillo has been on fire in August, hitting .397 with a .463 OBP and a .569 SLG. Under different circumstances, Castillo’s work this month would dictate a possible call-up to the big club. Instead, Benintendi’s bat looks more like a brick wall in front of Castillo’s dreams of returning.

Next: Red Sox: What Is Chris Young's Role?

Castillo’s ship to the promise land may have sailed, or even sunk. The Red Sox submarined him by bringing up a younger man from underneath Castillo’s designated level. Benintendi is looking more like a battleship, ready to take on whatever comes his way and bringing aboard as much experience as he can gather. Benintendi’s first homer may have also been the final shot fired into the hull of Castillo’s career in Boston.