Benintendi sustains foot contusion during at-bat

BOSTON -- Andrew Benintendi was originally supposed to be out of the lineup on Sunday against the Orioles. That changed -- but not for long.

Benintendi, who led off and started in left field for the Red Sox after Jackie Bradley Jr. was scratched with the flu, suffered a right foot contusion after fouling a ball hard off the lower part of his leg in the bottom of the third inning.

X-rays were negative, and the Red Sox have listed him as day to day.

Initially, Benintendi was able to stay in the game and finished his at-bat by belting a double to left.

“At that point, I just figured I would try to flick something and just try to get on base and see where it goes from there,” Benintendi said. “I hit it down the left-field line, and I was thinking two out of the box still, so I was trying to get there and get into scoring position.”

But when the Red Sox went out for defense in the top of the fourth, Benintendi was replaced in left field by Blake Swihart.

“It didn’t feel good. I think once I got to second, the pain kind of came back,” Benintendi said following the Red Sox's 4-0 win. “It feels a little better now, and we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

With an 11:05 a.m. ET first pitch set for Patriots’ Day, it might be tough for Benintendi to bounce back by then. Tuesday at Yankee Stadium could be more realistic.

“I don’t see this being anything super serious,” Benintendi said. “But like I said, we’ll see how it feels and go from there.”

After hitting the ball off his foot on a 93.1-mph fastball from Orioles starter John Means, the 24-year-old Benintendi crumbled to the ground in obvious pain. Red Sox trainer Brad Pearson came out with manager Alex Cora to check on Benintendi, who stayed on the ground for a few minutes before rising and eventually walking it off.

“I hit it hard off my foot and, I don’t know, I was just trying to take my time and get the feeling back in it and try to stay in. That’s what I was thinking,” Benintendi said.