Twins manager Paul Molitor is in have-we-found-something-here mode, playing rookie Jorge Polanco at shortstop in recent games.
Polanco's range has been solid. His arm strength has been … enough. Most of all, the rookie from the Dominican Republic has hit.
"I'm going to keep running him out there," Molitor said.
But Molitor and the Twins have to live with the good and bad — and see how Polanco responds after mistakes — as part of the evaluation process. He had a couple of challenging moments Friday night as the Twins lost 7-3 to Kansas City, their fourth loss in a row.
Polanco was involved in plays in the fifth and sixth innings, when the Royals turned the game around.
Miguel Sano hit a solo home run in the second and Brian Dozier clubbed a two-run home run in the third that gave the Twins a 3-2 lead, but the Royals came back against Kyle Gibson in the fifth.
Paulo Orlando led off the inning with a grounder to Polanco's right that bounced off the heel of his glove but was ruled a hit. Orlando's speed would have made it tough to throw him out.
"He's really fast," Polanco said, "but if I catch the ball I was going to make the throw."
Kansas City ended up loading the bases with two out. With a 2-2 count to Salvador Perez, Gibson (4-7) busted a fastball on his hands, and Perez's bat turned into toothpicks and sawdust. The problem was that Perez got enough of the ball to bloop a two-run single to left, over third baseman Trevor Plouffe and just past a diving Polanco, giving Kansas City a 4-3 lead.
"He hit it into no-man's land," Gibson said.
Alcides Escobar led off the sixth with a sinking fly to left. Polanco raced out after the ball but peeled off at the last second. The ball fell in front of Robbie Grossman for a single. That began another two-run inning for the Royals. Molitor felt that the ball should have been caught, more Grossman than Polanco.
"I thought even Polanco might have had a chance," Molitor said, "but too much room."
Yordano Ventura (8-9) went seven innings for the Royals, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts.
At the plate, Polanco went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts as his 13-game hitting streak came to an end. He's still hitting .321.
Polanco was in the lineup for the 13th time in 14 games since being recalled from Class AAA Rochester. And he played shortstop for the sixth game in a row. Some in the organization believe second base is his best spot, but the 23-year-old is getting a shot to stick at short, a position he did not play in the minors this year.
"I love that he's giving me a chance," Polanco said. "It gives me confidence."
Arm strength in one area of concern. But Molitor has said that Polanco's arm looks stronger than a couple years ago.
Polanco was charged with an error Thursday when he was in a hurry to throw a runner out and missed a grounder. He didn't make any major mistakes on Friday, but Molitor is interested in how consistent Polanco can be.
"I think when I watch his physical approach to defense, he's cleaned some things in terms of footwork," Molitor said. "His throwing mechanics have gotten a little more efficient.
"I think his philosophy is that he's trying to keep it simple, try to make that accurate throw."
