Former first-round pick Matt Thaiss was asked to add a few more tools to his toolbox in a brief 2020, and experienced a steep learning curve.
Thaiss was drafted out of Virginia in 2016 as a catcher but played exclusively first and third base in the minors and majors through 2019. He was only active for about three weeks in total in 2020, and he started in five of his eight games.
Two of the starts came at designated hitter and another at first base. But on September 8 in Texas, Thaiss made his first professional start at second base, and made a two-run error.