New York Yankees outfielder Andrew Benintendi played his first 485 career games at the major league level with the Boston Red Sox, calling Fenway Park his home.
Benintendi, who spent five seasons in Boston after being drafted seventh overall in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, offered his reaction to taking the field at Fenway for the first time since Aug. 3, 2020.
“It’s a little strange, obviously,” Benintendi said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “It’s the first time being back in over a year. I’m just taking it all in again.”
Benintendi added: “Obviously, the connections I have with all those guys over there go beyond baseball. To come back, be able to see a lot of familiar faces I’ve seen in the past and play against some old teammates, I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”
The 28-year-old veteran was dealt from the Red Sox to the Kansas City Royals in February of 2021, then traded again this year to the Yankees just ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora also spoke with reporters before Friday’s matchup, acknowledging the return of one of his former outfielders and expressing his best wishes for the Fenway crowd’s reaction to seeing Benintendi step into the batter’s box with a Yankees uniform on.
Entering Friday’s game, Benintendi has hit .279 with 22 home runs, 77 doubles, and 130 RBIs in 238 previous games played at Fenway Park.
