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BOSTON -- It seems Andrew Benintendi's knee injury looked worse than it actually is. Two days after twisting his left knee while falling into second base and needing to be helped from the field, Benintendi underwent a battery of tests that left the Boston Red Sox "optimistic" that the rookie left fielder will play again before the end of the regular season. "When you think back and look at the video, this could've been much, much worse," manager John Farrell said. "Lucky that the ACL is not involved. He'll be back as soon as first available, and optimistically, we're thinking that could still be the regular season." The tests -- another MRI exam, an X-ray and a CT scan, according to Farrell -- confirmed what the Red Sox already believed: that there isn't structural damage to the ligaments in Benintendi's knee. The injury has been classified as a sprain, and Benintendi described himself as "fortunate" and "pretty lucky" that it isn't more severe. "At the time I was nervous and didn't know what to expect," said Benintendi, who is wearing a brace but has been walking without the assistance of crutches. "But after evaluating it and all that, I got pretty good news. I'm pretty positive about how it's coming so far."  Benintendi has made a strong impression since the Red Sox called him up Aug. 1 -- 15 months after they drafted him in the first round out of the University of Arkansas. He's batting .324 (22-for-68) with six doubles, one triple, one homer, 10 RBIs and an .850 OPS. He also made a highlight-reel catch Tuesday night to steal a home run from Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Steven Souza Jr. The Red Sox placed Benintendi on the disabled list Thursday, leaving him ineligible to play until Sept. 8. It will take at least that long, and probably a few weeks more, for him to be ready. "He has been quickly embraced by this team. That's obvious," Farrell said. "His production has been apparent. On both sides of the baseball, he has made an impact. So we're going to miss him. But today was some good news, despite what could've been."
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