What To Make Of Eddie Rosario?

Rosario's quick wrists and exceptional hand-eye coordination enable him to reach out and get tough pitches, making him a dangerous two-strike hitter. Molitor commented on that trait many times in Ft. Myers, where Rosario clearly made an impression, because he was first in line for a call-up when Oswaldo Arcia landed on the disabled list earlier this month.

Rosario's first big-league at-bat summed up his offensive profile in a nutshell. He got an outside fastball and drove it over the wall to the opposite field – truly a nice piece of hitting. We've seen several such instances where he has risen to the occasion with a big knock, often when behind in the count.

But the fact that he swung at the first pitch he ever saw in the majors speaks volumes. Rosario doesn't see many pitches he doesn't like, and hacks at almost everything. Per FanGraphs, he has swung at 54 percent of pitches he's seen outside of the strike zone, a rate that would lead all MLB hitters if he qualified.

This hyper-aggressive approach has led to Rosario walking once in his first 35 plate appearances, with his 13 strikeouts representing only a portion of the times that he's gotten himself out by swinging at bad pitches. It's an issue that has been at play since he reached the high minors, and would seem to severely inhibit his offensive upside.

That's troublesome since – despite past forays at second base and center field – Rosario has been playing the outfield corners exclusively and that's where he figures to settle in. On that note, though, Rosario has been a breath of fresh air defensively in both right and left, where his speed and range have stood out in comparison to Torii Hunter and even more so Arcia.

If he didn't provide such a dramatic defensive upgrade, I'd be fully convinced that Rosario is heading back down once Arcia comes off the disabled list, and I still think that's the most likely outcome.

But with Kennys Vargas shipped to Triple-A on Sunday, the designated hitter spot is wide open, and that seems to be where Arcia – whose value is completely tied to his bat – fits best. Now that Molitor and the Twins pitchers are beginning to grow accustomed to the luxury of having both Rosario and Aaron Hicks patrolling the outfield, will the team be willing to give it up?

Arcia, who's been on the DL since May 4th with a hip flexor strain, is expected to start taking live batting practice this week so his return isn't too far off. We'll find out soon.