'A' is for Adrianza

The 2019 default infield for the Twins has been C.J. Cron at first base, Jonathan Schoop at second, Marwin Gonzalez at third and Jorge Polanco at short.

None of them were at those positions Monday night in Anaheim. The first three were on the bench and Polanco was the designated hitter. Monday's infield was Willians Astudillo at first, Luis Arraez at second, Miguel Sano at third and Ehrie Adrianza at short.

The initials of three of those four notwithstanding, that is not the Twins' A-team infield. And yet ... Sano hit a two-run homer, Adrianza drove in the Twins' other run, Arraez had three hits and Astudillo had another.

Sano, of course, was always supposed to be a foundation piece of this team. Arraez is only up because Mitch Garver and Nelson Cruz are on the injured list. And it very well may be that, if and when everybody is healthy, either Astudillo or Adrianza loses his roster berth.

My assumption has been that Adrianza, despite being out of options, is the more likely to be bounced. But he has certainly been playing a lot lately, and all over the field.

Which is nothing new; he has, in his time with the Twins, played everywhere but center and catcher. I don't call him a superutility player because I reserve that term for somebody who is a regular without a constant position, a la Gonzalez or Ben Zobrist. He doesn't hit well enough for that kind of role. But his versatility gives him value. especially on a roster with 13 pitchers.