The Chicago White Sox have signed outfielder Patrick Kivlehan and left-hander Wes Benjamin to minor league deals. The White Sox also signed pitchers Will Carter, Matthew McGarry and Bowen Plagge to minor league contracts. Kivlehan played in just five games for the San Diego Padres in 2021 and had one hit in eight plate appearances. In parts of four big league seasons with the Padres, Reds and Diamondbacks, he's hit .208/.308/.398 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in 250 plate appearances. Benjamin spent the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers, recording a 6.80 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 40 strikeouts and 24 walks in 45 innings over 21 appearances (three starts). Both Kivlehan and Benjamin will give the White Sox some organizational depth.
Texas Rangers pitcher Wes Benjamin received the spot start on Saturday versus the Oakland Athletics. Lefty Kolby Allard (illness) was scratched before the game, so Benjamin was given a chance. He went 3 1/3 innings, six hits, six earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts in the 8-6 win. Benjamin gave up three home runs before exiting this game. He was awful on the mound, but the Rangers offense came alive late. He is posting a horrendous 8.59 ERA and 2.05 WHIP across 12 appearances with the Rangers this season. Fantasy managers can stay far away from Benjamin.
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Wes Benjamin has been a slow riser since being drafted in the fifth round in 2014, and he wasn't all that impressive in 22 1/3 innings last season. Benjamin had a 93.4 mph four-seamer in his season debut on Sunday against the Royals after averaging 90.9 mph on the same pitch in 2020. The left-hander had top-20 rise on his fastball last year as well, which makes him a potential elite relief arm. The 27-year-old southpaw has also shown increased movement with his curveball early this season. Benjamin shouldn't be on anyone's fantasy radar just yet, but he's one to continue watching as the season unfolds.
Taylor Hearn, Wes Benjamin, John King Make Rangers Roster
Texas Rangers pitchers Taylor Hearn, Wes Benjamin, and John King have successfully made the club's opening day roster. Roles for the three pitchers were not announced but all three have started games in recent seasons. Hearn appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for the Rangers in 2020 with a 3.63 ERA. Benjamin, a lefty, appeared in eight games (one start) for the club last season with a 4.84 ERA. King pitched at the A-ball level in 2019 but was promoted to the majors from the alternate training site in 2020. The southpaw appeared in six games in relief for the Rangers and posted a 6.10 ERA. All three have limited fantasy value at least until their roles are fully known.
Texas Rangers pitcher Wes Benjamin hit his first rough patch of the spring on Saturday. The 27-year-old left-hander allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk over 3.1 innings. Prior to Saturday, he had allowed just one run in six innings over three appearances. Benjamin is coming off a 2020 season that saw him make his MLB debut and produced a K-BB of 21-7 with a 4.84 ERA in 22.1 innings. A minor league starter, Benjamin is in the hunt for either a starting role or a spot as a long-man in the bullpen. With a fastball that averages just 91 mph, the southpaw relies on mixing his four pitches to mess up hitters' timings and throwing quality strikes.