Michael Young has done it all in his time with the Texas Rangers. He's played second base, shortstop, third base, first base and been a designated hitter, as well as hitting anywhere from No. 2 in the batting order to No. 6, including a long stretch in 2011 when he was the team's cleanup hitter en route to posting a career-high RBI total.
But when manager Ron Washington gave shortstop and No. 2 hitter Elvis Andrus the day off on Thursday, Young took full advantage, taking Andrus' place in the order while playing second base. Young has most of his career at-bats from the No. 2 spot in the order (over 3,000) but hasn't hit there much over the past two seasons. Thursday was his first time this year to hit there, and he obviously enjoyed it.
Young went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to give him the club lead in RBIs on the young season with seven.
Washington will undoubtedly return Andrus to the second spot in the order, because he doesn't like changing things up. But Andrus has struggled this season so far at the plate after a great spring, so why not move him back to the No. 9 spot, where he was when he came up two years ago. Washington obviously loves Andrus' speed in the 2-hole, and understandably so, but it'd also be nice to have him hitting ninth and setting the table for leadoff man Ian Kinsler.
It probably won't happen, but Young moving back to the 2-hole is at least something to think about.
