KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Elvis Andrus played his 36th game Monday, the same number of games the White Sox have as a team. He’s the only Sox player to have played them all, which is saying something for a player who turns 35 this season.
It’s nothing new for Andrus, who has played in 145 or more games in 12 of his 14 full seasons.
“My goal is playing every day,” he said.
It means playing many games at less than 100%. In fact, Andrus said he felt the worst he has all season Friday, when he hit his first home run of the year against the Reds. On that night, he swung less than usual, saving his bullets.
“If I tell you how many games I’ve played not being 100%, it would be more than half of my career,” Andrus said. “But my mindset is, if I’m 80, 70%, I still can help the team with something to win that day.”
Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. have missed one game, and Yasmani Grandal and Andrew Benintendi have missed three. Robert played in 98 and Grandal in 99 last season because of injuries, so this is a good early trend.
“When you’re a key guy in the lineup, you’re an every-day guy, the impact you bring every day in the lineup is huge,” Andrus said. “Sometimes we don’t realize the impact we have when we’re not in the lineup.”
Andrus collected his 2,000th hit April 5 against the Giants. He is 17 games shy of 2,000.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I keep in mind that if something hurts today, it might be that day I go 4-for-4. I love to play. I love the game, so I want to be there every day.”
More right field waiting for Eloy
When Eloy Jimenez returns from his appendectomy, manager Pedro Grifol expects his playing time to increase in right field to allow Jake Burger — when he returns from his oblique strain — to get at-bats as the designated hitter, especially against lefties.
It remains to be seen how many games the defensively challenged Jimenez gets in right. The four- to six-week expected time on the injured list will “allow him to kind of give his body a little bit of a break,” Grifol said. “He had a little bit of a leg issue at one point that he was battling with. It will give him some time to kind of regroup and not just rehab from the surgery but rehab his legs and just get back in a place where he might be able to play some outfield.”
This and that
Third baseman Yoan Moncada’s rehab stint with Triple-A Charlotte likely will continue until the Sox return home to play the Astros this weekend.
“He’s doing really good,” Grifol said.
† Closer Liam Hendriks probably has three more appearances left at Charlotte on his rehab stint, including games on back-to-back days. A return next week is possible.
† Left-hander Garrett Crochet also is working toward a return. He has made three appearances at Double-A Birmingham and likely will get work at Charlotte before joining the Sox’ bullpen.
