Amid good month, Carroll back at second

DETROIT -- After struggling at the plate this month, Brian Dozier was benched for a second straight game Sunday with Jamey Carroll getting the start at second base against the Tigers.

Carroll has simply outplayed Dozier this month, hitting .278 with a .339 on-base percentage in 13 games entering Sunday, while Dozier has batted just .145 with a .172 on-base percentage in 17 games in May.

"Jamey is swinging better, and Dozier is fighting his way through it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's just the way it is. We're trying to win ballgames. We did enough losing, so the guys who are playing the best are going to be in there."

Dozier, 26, won the job at second base in Spring Training but has struggled in his second season with the Twins. He's hitting just .197 with one homer and 12 RBIs in 36 games. But he has been working with hitting coach Tom Brunansky to fix his swing, as he has been hitting the ball into the air too much this year, Gardenhire said.

"He looks like he's really fighting it lately," Gardenhire said. "The thing that happens with a hitter when you're fighting it is you have a couple tough at-bats, and then when you hit one hard it's right at them. So it just adds on. And that's where he's at right now. He's just fighting through it, but he's working his tail off."