KANSAS CITY — Elvis Andrus played his 36th game Monday, the same number of games the White Sox have as a team. He’s the only Sox 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 Monday.
It means playing many of them at less than 100 percent. In fact, Andrus said he felt the worst he has all season the night he hit his first homer of the season Friday 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 percent it would be more than half of my career,” Andrus said. “But my mindset, if I’m 80, 70 percent 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 missed three. Robert played 98 and Grandal 99 because of injuries last season, so this is a good early trend.
“When you’re a key guy in the lineup, you’re an everyday 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 this season on April 5 against the Giants. He is 17 games shy of 2,000.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I keep in mind 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 4-6 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, which 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 will likely 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 is also working toward a return. He has made three appearances at Double-A Birmingham and will likely get work at Charlotte before joining the Sox’ bullpen.
