KANSAS CITY, MO. — White Sox utility player Brooks Baldwin ’s best ability is versatility. He’s logged 86 innings in left field, 46 at second base, 43 in right field, 43 at shortstop and 10 in center field. After being called up in 2024, he played second base and shortstop, though he played the outfield at UNC Wilmington.

Bouncing around allows Baldwin to stay in the lineup, but there are also plays that Brooks doesn’t make that are routine for more seasoned outfielders, which showed in Tuesday’s 4-3 walk-off loss to the Royals.

In the fourth, the Royals’ Vinnie Pasquantino hit a leadoff single to left field and got greedy. Pasquintino tried to stretch out the single into a double, but Baldwin tracked down the ball and threw a strike to second for the first out of the frame.

But in the eighth, Baldwin didn’t get the right read on a fly ball and couldn’t grab the pitch for an out, which would’ve ended the inning. Instead, a run scored to make it 3-2.

One stellar play and one mistake. Adjusting back to the outfield was going to take time for Baldwin, particularly when he’s splitting time and constantly changing positions. But he knows the routine plays have to be converted into outs.

“Just one of those plays,” Baldwin said Wednesday. “Haven’t had a lot of those hard-hit line drives at me yet. It’s one of those where I’ve got to get behind the ball there and keep it in front of me instead of trying to drift too much.”

Despite the mistake, Baldwin still has the trust of his teammates and coaching staff because of how much they’ve thrown on his plate defensively.

“He looks better and better every day,” manager Will Venable said. “[Baldwin] looks more comfortable. [The Sox are] happy with his performance out there and he’s still growing out there. There’s going to be plays you wish he would make that he’s going to learn in time, specifically that one last night. But those are the types of plays you’ll see him making as he gets more comfortable out there.”

Baldwin has been pleased with his outfield defense. Entering play Wednesday, Baldwin had a -1 outs above average — which measures range — in left field.

He’s performing adequately for the Sox, but there’s more room for improvement. Reps are beneficial for Baldwin, and with left fielder Andrew Benintendi sidelined with a left calf strain and placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, he’ll get plenty. Baldwin said the key for him has been watching videos with coaches.

“We look at my first step, how are my angles,” Brooks told the Sun-Times. “And then you can run back through those plays and see, ‘What was I thinking there?’ Video is a big key for guys playing new positions.

The Sox placed Bentinedi on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 5) prior to Wednesday’s game with a left calf strain he injured in Sunday’s win against Houston.

“Not expecting it to be deep in the summer that we get [Benintendi] back, but we got to give him a week or so and reevaluate,” Venable said.

First baseman Andrew Vaughn entered Wednesday with a 13-game on-base streak, going 13-50 (.260).