(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Chicago White Sox infielder Elvis Andrus has always been regarded as a glove-first shortstop.
Even now that he is playing mostly second base, people recognize him for his defensive work.
It might be true: a .696 career OPS is not particularly special.
However, 2,000 hits is not something that every player can achieve.
You need at least some offensive talent and a knack for contact, and you also need to be healthy and durable.
Andrus has checked all those boxes and, on Wednesday, he became just the 287th player in the history of the game to reach 2,000 hits.
That’s number 2,000 for Elvis.
(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/UgP1kMYtuO
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2023
The milestone hit came in the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants.
It was a hard-hit line drive to second base that found its way to the outfield.
The crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field gave him a deserved round of applause.
Andrus had one of his finest seasons last year sharing time with the Oakland Athletics and the White Sox.
He hit 17 homers and stole 18 bases.
He hadn’t produced much this season in the first five games, but hopefully the 2,000th hit can take some pressure off him and he starts hitting like he did last year.
The White Sox need him to be at the top of his game at second base.
At 34 years old, he has an outside chance to reach 2,500 hits a few years from now, but he has to keep himself healthy and productive to find enough playing time to give himself a chance.
2,000 career hits is not something you see every day, so Andrus deserves a lot of credit.
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