Danny Valencia spends a second game on the bench

CLEVELAND - Danny Valencia was out of the starting lineup for a second straight day Tuesday.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he wanted to give Valencia another breather, then added that Valencia also "doesn't have any success off this guy, he's 0 for 7 with no quality at-bats," referring to Tuesday's opposing starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco.

Valencia was batting .219 this season - and just .179 in his past 14 games. Before sitting on Monday and Tuesday, he started each of the Twins' first 58 games of the season. He pinch hit for Rene Rivera in the eighth inning Tuesday and grounded out.

"It'll be good for him, because I know his head's going to be spinning now, and you know what, sometimes that's a good thing," Gardenhire said of Valencia's time off. "Maybe get him a little fired up and stay focused."

Asked whether, because he mentioned Valencia perhaps getting fired up, he thinks the third baseman has become complacent, Gardenhire said no.

"I like it when you can irritate people as a manager," he said. "It's good. I get irritated all the time, so sometimes a manager gets a chance to irritate people a little bit, and that kind of maybe (will) get a little extra oomph out of him. We'll see. He hasn't come in here yet, so...I dare him. Just kidding."


(twincities.com)