Danny Valencia brushes up on his defense

KANSAS CITY -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was able to fulfill a two-pronged mission when he moved third baseman Danny Valencia into the designated hitter slot on Monday.

Gardenhire wanted to give Valencia a break in the field, but not before a thorough pregame defensive workout.

"We wanted him to work on staying down and not standing up on ground balls," Gardenhire said. "Overall, he has played great defense. But he got a little sloppy there, and whether it's because he's leg weary, I don't know. There has been a lot going on over the last week."

Valencia, who entered Monday's game hitting .324, has been one of the many heroes for the Twins in their runaway march to the American League Central title. Valencia said he's taking Gardenhire's words to heart.

"He played infield, so he can pick up on those things," Valencia said. "I take his advice seriously."



(mlb.com)