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Nishioka Will Play Second Base For Twins

We all knew that the Minnesota Twins' middle infield would have a new look this season, with Orlando Hudson being allowed to leave and J.J. Hardy getting shipped to Baltimore, but nobody was entirely sure who would start at which spot.

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Only a couple of weeks into Spring Training, it appears as though we have our answer.

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Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire has announced that Tsuyoshi Nishioka will play the majority of the year at second base for the Twins, while Alexi Casilla will be the primary shortstop.

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"I talked to Nishioka and got him to admit that he’s more comfortable at second, and that pretty much told me what I needed. More than any of the drills, I wanted him to say something to me, and I knew it would take time. He always says, 'Whatever you want me to do.'"

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The Twins are pretty excited about Nishioka thus far this spring, and hopefully he will continue to transition to the majors in a positive way. The Twins' primary acquisition this off-season, he was the leading hitter in the Japanese league last season with a .346 batting average. At this point, it appears as though he'll hit in the #2 slot, as well as play second base.

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Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.