Elvis Andrus got his first taste of second base on Monday. In the White Sox’s second Cactus League game, Pedro Grifol had him penciled in as the starting second baseman. It will be the first of many times this combination is seen on a lineup card for the White Sox.
The White Sox resigned Andrus to a one-year $3 million deal to fill the hole at second base, despite the fact the 14-year veteran has never played an inning at anything other than shortstop.
“It was completely weird. The weirdest game I’ve played in a while,” Andrus told reporters after the game. “Even between innings, I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ But I’ll get used to it for sure.”
Andrus even admitted to accidentally running to shortstop a few times out of habit.
“I do it more during practice. Like when they say we break, I’ve done it a few times where I break to shortstop. I was like, ‘OK, let me go this way.’ From the game, I’ve got to put it in my head. But it’s been pretty easy.”
Andrus played four innings at second before giving way to Jose Rodriguez. He went 1-1 with a triple, walk, and a run scored on the offensive end.
He didn’t see much action on the defensive end. He tagged out Jarred Kelenic on a throw from Yasmani Grandal after a wild pitch caught a line drive off the bat of Cooper Hummel—pretty standard stuff for a seasoned veteran who is a two-time All-Star at shortstop.
Defense is something he has excelled at since entering the league. In 2009 he ranked fifth in the American League in defensive WAR with a 2.3 mark. He cracked the top five again in 2017 with a 2.1 defensive WAR. While Andrus isn’t the defender he once was, he still had an Ultimate Zone Rating of (2.6) and Outs Above Average of zero as a shortstop in Oakland last season. He also got experience fielding ground balls from the right side during shifts last year.
“I need a few more games at second, but I feel good,” Andrus admitted. “I’ve been working really hard with Eddie Rodriguez, our infield coach.
“I’m not 100 percent comfortable at second yet. But it was a pretty good first game. I wish I could have gotten a few ground balls. I was calling for them. But I feel good for the first game.”
Andrus also added that he has been working on his angles, especially when runners are on. He is adjusting his routine to get the ball to second base to make it as easy and fluid for him as possible.
While Andrus doesn’t figure to be a Gold Glove hitter anytime soon, his early offensive returns are promising. Mind you, the sample size is incredibly small. But before coming to the White Sox, his offensive production had declined with age. Andrus got struck with a pitch in the elbow midway through the 2018 season. He was never able to fully regain confidence in his swing upon his return, and the numbers reflect that.
Andrus believes he found an adjustment that helped him unlock his breakout .277/.309/.464 slash line and nine home runs in 43 games with the White Sox. If he can put up those numbers once again, it will outweigh any shortcomings he has at second base.
