Sox promote prospect Andrew Benintendi from Double A

Andrew Benintendi played for the US team in last month’s Futures Game in San Diego.Matt York/Associated Press

SEATTLE — The Red Sox announced after Monday’s game that they were promoting 22-year-old outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Double A Portland.

Benintendi will be added to the roster on Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday night.

Benintendi is ranked as one of the top prospects in the game. He was hitting .295 with an .872 OPS, 8 home runs, and 44 RBIs in 63 games at Portland.

Benintendi was the seventh overall pick of the 2015 draft out of the University of Arkansas. The decision to promote him came after the non-waiver trade deadline passed Monday without the Red Sox being able to deal for an outfielder.

“We looked at some possible alternatives to help us in left field. We thought some of them were good choices, but we also thought the cost of some of those were quite high,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.

“Our people kept coming up and saying, ‘Well, we think [Benintendi] can play at the big league level. We think he’s ready.’ Now don’t look for him to hit in the middle of the lineup; but he will eventually. He’s a well-rounded player. He’s a good defensive player. He runs the bases well. He has a good arm.”

Benintendi has been a center fielder throughout his career, but has played four games in left field in recent weeks. The plan is for Benintendi to start against righthanded pitchers “at this point,” according to manager John Farrell.

“He’s ready. We’re going to get a first-hand look at this,” Farrell said.

Brock Holt will return to a utility role off the bench.

Andrew Benintendi's meteoric rise

Benintendi, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft, began his professional career 13 months ago in Class A Lowell.

Year	Team	G	AB	H	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG
2015	Lowell (A)	35	124	36	7	15	7	.290	.408	.540
2015	Greenville (A)	19	74	26	4	16	3	.351	.430	.581
2015	Season totals	54	198	62	11	31	10	.313	.416	.556
2016	Salem (A)	34	135	46	1	32	8	.341	.413	.563
2016	Portland (AA)	63	237	70	8	44	8	.295	.357	.515
2016	Season totals	97	372	116	9	76	16	.312	.378	.532
	Career totals	151	570	178	20	107	26	.312	.392	.540

Source: baseball-reference.com, milb.com