Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, September 19, 2015 Twins-Angels rained out. Two games on Saturday. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Rain gives struggling Dozier his day off. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins' Nolasco might end up getting late-season call after all. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Rain forces rare Target Field doubleheader. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Twins' Byron Buxton aims to add bunt to his arsenal. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Twinsights: Ricky Nolasco passes latest test, heads next to Fort Myers. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twinsights: A.J. Achter determined to make amends for rough outing. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Angels, Twins set for key doubleheader at Target Field. MLB.com (Hall) p. 7 Nolasco nears return to the Twins. MLB.com (Hall) p. 8 Twins game against Angels postponed. MLB.com (Hall) p. 9 Twins game vs. Angels rained out, will play doubleheader Saturday. Associated Press p. 9 Twins step in when rain washes out dad's night at ballpark with daughter. Fox Sports p. 10 Twins-Angels rained out. Two games on Saturday La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune September 18, 2015 There was a 56-minute wait before the Twins-Angels game was postponed because of rain. There will be two games on Saturday, which is supposed to be sunny. In game one, Kyle Gibson will face Andrew Heaney. First pitch is at 12:10 p.m. In game two, Mike Pelfrey will face Garrett Richards. First pitch is at 6;10 p.m. The Twins originally had Mike Pelfrey starting the first game. But the Twins flipped the two. Pelfrey's night ERA of 3.97 is a little better than his daytime ERA this year of 4.37, which might have played into their thinking. Gibson's day ERA of 3.58 is a little better than his night ERA of Maybe they just flipped a coin, who knows? The Twins announced the change after we left the clubhouse. The rainout gives the Twins bullpen an extra day of rest, which was needed after the last two games. ``I would rather play,'' Twins manager Paul Molitor said. ``I like the fluidity of it and it puts another wrinkle in the rotaiton going forward, potentially. That all right. We'll take the night off, and I do think one of the benefits is that the beleaguered bullpen gets a blow.'' This was the fourth home game affected by a weather delay this season. It's the 22nd delayed game in Target Field history and 12th postponed game. Class AA Chattanooga had Friday off. Game Three of the Southern League championship takes place on Saturday in Chattanooga with the series tied 1-1 with Biloxi. Class A Cedar Rapids is tied 1-1 with West Michigan in the Midwest League championship. Game Three is at Cedar Rapids tomorrow afternoon.

2 Rain gives struggling Dozier his day off La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune September 19, 2015 Twins manager Paul Molitor has thought about giving struggling All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier a break. I think the mental break is almost as important as the physical break, Molitor said Friday. But he has been unable to do so, opting to keep Dozier s potentially dangerous bat in the lineup. But Dozier s second-half slide can t be ignored. After a blistering run at the end of the first half which helped him reach the All-Star Game for the first time Dozier is batting.196 over his previous 47 games with six homers and 15 RBI. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage is only.615 during that span. He batted.256 before the break with 19 homers and 50 RBI. His OPS was.841. Dozier likes high fastballs, and he leads baseball in pulling the ball 61.3 percent of the time. He has struggled to hit the high ones lately, and teams swing their defenses around to left and try to get him to chase outside pitches. His strength has been to pull the best fastballs in the game, and I think that is hard to maintain that for 600-plus plate appearances, Molitor said. He s trying to make some adjustments, he s not getting on top of some balls that he was earlier. The balls he s hit the hardest have been the pitches where he s been condensing the zone a little bit. So I think he s trying to change his sights to swing at what he can handle. Dozier did have two hits Thursday, including a double on an infield pop-up that wasn t caught. Friday s rainout allowed Dozier to get the day off Molitor had debated about. Looked familiar Twins players and coaches saw replays of Pittsburgh s Jung Ho Kang suffering a broken left leg and knee damage Thursday when the Cubs Chris Coghlan slid into him at second base as Kang attempted to turn a double play. Most agreed that it looked a lot like former Twins infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who was slid into by the Yankees Nick Swisher in 2011 and also suffered a broken leg. Take-out slides have long been normal in the major leagues some believe one of toughest adjustments for middle infielders from Asian leagues is dealing with contact around the bag. But no one was saying rules should be put in place to reduce those types of collisions. I m not for anyone getting injured, said third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who was drafted as a shortstop. At the same time, a shortstop coming across the bag can see everything. That s your decision to make, if you are going to go for it and stay in there or if you are going to get out of the way. It s been that way for a long time. General Manager Terry Ryan wouldn t be surprised if the issue is discussed during the offseason. That doesn t happen very often, he said. I m not sure if they want to get too carried away with it. One slight difference in the plays was that Kang tried to clear the bag when he was hit while Nishioka didn t. Etc. Both Molitor and Angels manager Mike Scioscia had quick hooks for their struggling starters Thursday, which happens in meaningful September games. You don t want to lose a chance to still come back and win the game by letting someone go too long, Molitor said. You have to make those decisions. Three-time All-Star Glen Perkins, who returned to the bullpen Friday after recovering from back problems, will be in a setup role for now. Kevin Jepsen, who blew his first save in eight attempts with the Twins on Wednesday although the defense didn t help him remains the closer. Perkins could return to closing if there s a stretch in which Jepsen makes several appearances and needs a break. Kevin still deserves that shot right now, Molitor said. Starting next week, Twins scouts will follow potential postseason opponents. Former Twins manager Tom Kelly, who was at the ballpark Thursday, has been part of the advance scouting group in the past, but he won t be part of the group this year. 2

3 Twins Nolasco might end up getting late-season call after all La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune September 19, 2015 At first, Ricky Nolasco s season appeared to be over because of right ankle surgery. Then, the Twins had the righthander working out in case they made a deep playoff run and needed another option. Now Nolasco could be coming to a mound near you in a week or so. The Twins are sending Nolasco to Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday to work out and pitch to batters during instructional league games Monday. Each major league team holds a month-long instructional league after the minor league season for a hand-picked group of prospects. The league begins Monday. These things happen when teams are in pursuit of a playoff spot in September. Nolasco s availability has become an issue as Twins manager Paul Molitor searches for a functional starting rotation and a reliable bullpen. Things change here quickly, just because of our need, the shortening of the schedule, Molitor said Friday. And whether he gets out there to get another opportunity to help us in a long role or whatever, we ll have to see how it plays out. The Twins got a little bit of a break Friday night when, following a 56-minute rain delay, their game against the Angels was postponed. It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader Saturday, with Kyle Gibson facing Andrew Heaney at 12:10 p.m., then Mike Pelfrey facing Garrett Richards at 6:10 p.m. The past two games have taken a toll on the Twins bullpen. Kevin Jepsen, with no help from his defense, blew his first save opportunity of the season on Wednesday, then the Twins lost to Detroit 7-4 in 12 innings. Then the bullpen had to pitch the final 7⅓ innings in relief of Tommy Milone during Thursday s 11-8 loss to Los Angeles. Friday s rainout gave the Twins a chance to catch their breath. I would rather play, Molitor said. I like the fluidity of it and it puts another wrinkle in the rotation going forward, potentially. That all right. We ll take the night off, and I do think one of the benefits is that the beleaguered bullpen gets a blow. All-Star lefthander Glen Perkins was available Friday after recovering from a sore back, and righthander Trevor May was available after nursing a sore hip. So the Twins will have their important setup men at Molitor s disposal. But the long-term concerns with 16 games to go in the season are the inconsistent rotation and long relief. Nolasco, 5-1 with a 5.51 ERA in seven starts, would not be scheduled to return to the club if it didn t intend to use him. He last pitched May 31, leaving a start against Toronto in the second inning because of a right ankle impingement. After various attempts to get back on the mound, he underwent surgery July 13. He wasn t expected to be a factor the rest of this season but the state of the Twins pitching staff dictates otherwise. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan was cautious about Nolasco s return. Let s take it a day at a time with him, Ryan said. If things go well, that s good. Nolasco was to throw to hitters at Target Field on Friday, but the rain forced the Twins to switch gears. They had Nolasco throw a three-inning bullpen session instead. I thought each inning he got progressively sharper, Molitor said. The Twins didn t have a long reliever available Thursday when Milone had to be lifted after walking in a run in the second inning, so they tried A.J. Achter with the bases loaded and he gave up a grand slam to Mike Trout. Logan Darnell was called up last week from Class AAA Rochester as an option, but the lefthander has been shelved by pneumonia. Phil Hughes will be available out of the bullpen this weekend after giving up three runs in three innings Tuesday. The Twins also could give him another start, but he must show significant improvement. And the Twins still intend to limit rookie Tyler Duffey because he has thrown 176⅔ innings between the minors and majors this year, even though Duffey is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his past six starts. Ryan said all it takes is one strong start to settle the staff down, but the Twins actions with Nolasco reveal how they aren t taking any chances. Since he is on the 60-day disabled list, the Twins would have to make room on their 40-man roster before they can reinstate him. He s healthy and he s working and he s ready to pitch, Ryan said of Nolasco. Now we just have to get some of that rust off, that s all. 3

4 Rain forces rare Target Field doubleheader Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 19, 2015 For the first time this year, the Twins have postponed a game at Target Field because of bad weather. Friday night's scheduled game against the Los Angeles Angels will be made up at 12:10 p.m. Saturday as part of a day-night doubleheader. The night game will remain at 6:10 as scheduled. Flip-flopping their starting pitchers, right-hander Kyle Gibson will pitch the early game, with right-hander Mike Pelfrey going in the nightcap. Pelfrey's career earned-run average is nearly a full run higher during the day (5.06) than at night (4.26). Gibson has a 4.51 ERA in 31 career daytime starts and a 4.30 mark in 39 night starts. Angels rookie left-hander Andrew Heaney, who had his Friday night start pushed back, has the third-best day ERA (1.98) in the American League. Three other games have been delayed this season at Target Field, most recently Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers (54 minutes). Before that, the only other Twins home games affected by weather took place in a four-day span in late May against the Boston Red Sox (81- minute delay) and the Toronto Blue Jays (61-minute delay). The only previous doubleheader the Twins played this season was June 3 at Boston's Fenway Park. They split with Phil Hughes taking the loss in the opener and Trevor May winning the nightcap. NOLASCO ON TRACK A light rain Friday afternoon converted Ricky Nolasco's scheduled simulated game into a 45-pitch bullpen session at Target Field. Eric Fryer caught him, and a Twins employee stood in with a bat from both sides of the plate but took no swings. "There was no point to going out there with the mound wet and what I'm coming back from," said the Twins right-hander, who is working back from July 13 surgery on his right ankle. "I wanted a little more adrenaline, obviously, but I thought it was a good effort. It was real good." Using his full arsenal and sitting down after each set of 15 pitches, Nolasco passed his latest test with no issues. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he "thought each inning got progressively sharper" and suggested Nolasco could be available out of the Twins' bullpen by the latter part of next week. Nolasco will fly to Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday, go through a full round of fielding drills Sunday and then throw 45 pitches Monday in an intrasquad game of Twins minor leaguers attending Florida instructional league. After getting in some more pitcher fielding practice on Tuesday, likely including pickoff throws and the like, Nolasco will fly back to the Twin Cities that afternoon. Nolasco, who could push his pitch count a little higher in the bullpen after Monday's outing, is up for any role the Twins might envision for him. "We'll see where he's at," Molitor said. "You never know what's going to happen. Things change here quickly." Nolasco hasn't faced opposing hitters since walking off the mound in pain on May 31 in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. "I don't want to think too far ahead," Nolasco said. "I passed today. I'm going to try to pass Monday, and then it's whatever they want to do with the reports that they get and how I feel coming out of it. As long as (the ankle) doesn't swell up, then we can talk about that." Both the Twins and Nolasco are trying to be as smart as possible while pushing the envelope as much as is practical. One could see a scenario where Nolasco is given a key start in the final week of the regular season, possibly during a four-game series at Cleveland (Sept. 28-Oct. 1). "There's no time for building up pitch counts or anything like that," Nolasco said. "I'm just trying to go home healthy and we'll see what happens. Knock on wood, everything has been good." MAY IMPROVING May said the left side of his lower back was feeling "much better" after two solid days of treatment that included massage, back adjustment and a "lot of stretching." The key, May said, was "just letting it calm down." If needed to pitch in the second game of this four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels, May said, "I think I could do it." 4

5 Twins Byron Buxton aims to add bunt to his arsenal Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 19, 2015 Twins rookie speedster Byron Buxton was out early again this week, polishing a skill that could limit slumps and drive opponents to distraction. Bunting. With first-base coach Butch Davis feeding baseballs into a pitching machine and Twins manager Paul Molitor watching intently from a spot halfway up the first-base line, Buxton bent at the knees and dropped bunt after bunt. "That's a base hit!" Davis yelped. Molitor, arms folded, nodded and used his left foot to redirect another ball toward the growing pile near the mound. The previous night, Buxton was credited with the third bunt single of his young career. Considering one of those was a sacrifice bunt attempt at Tampa Bay that Buxton beat out when second baseman Logan Forsythe was slow to cover first, Tuesday's bunt hit off Detroit right-hander Alfredo Simon was noteworthy. "I went back and watched it," Buxton said. "It was a terrible bunt." And still, Simon had no chance to throw out Buxton as he covered the distance from home to first in a blazing 3.5 seconds and change. That only reinforced the point Molitor keeps making, that with his speed Buxton need not drop a perfect bunt to make it work. "That play just made it more obvious to me," Buxton said. "You just have to get the ball down and get it in a good spot for you and just hustle. That last part is never an issue for Buxton, who puts pressure on infielders with every routine two-hopper he hits. The key for him now, as he seeks to improve a paltry.240 on-base percentage through his first 115 big-league at-bats, is to make sure he avoids popping up his bunt attempts or sending them foul. "Buxton's bunt wasn't perfect, but I think he's learning he doesn't have to be perfect to be safe," Molitor said. "He's worked hard on it. He's not a guy to shy away from trying to find a way to get better. I also like the fact he's able to inject information rather rapidly into his game." Already a game-changing weapon with his range and arm in center field, the 21-year-old phenom is still figuring out some things on the bases (2 for 4 on stolen-base attempts) and at the plate (.200 batting average). Even as his playing time comes more sporadically with the resurgence of Torii Hunter and the emergence of Aaron Hicks, Buxton keeps grinding. "He's doing better," Molitor said. "He's getting the ball in play a little more frequently than he was earlier. He's trying to find ways to use his skill set the best way he can. When he's in there, he's making a difference." In his former role as a minor league instructor, Molitor admired Buxton's eagerness to learn from his earliest days in pro ball back in "I had a chance to be around him enough and to have enough one-on-one situations to know he's hungry," Molitor said. "I remember in (Class A) Cedar Rapids a couple years ago, going out early with him, you'd say, 'Hey, let's work on this today,' and you'd get done with that and then he'd suggest what we should work on next." Good indicators, they call those. "Just the way he liked to hang out in the clubhouse after the game and talk about the game and break it down," Molitor said. "Situations, his atbats, things that he learned, things he needs to get better at. There's always been a hunger for him. I don't think he does it to bring attention to himself. He's a guy who knows he has a pretty unique gift set and he wants to make sure he maximizes what he brings to a game." In the minors, Buxton estimates he might have had fewer than 10 bunt hits in more than 1,000 at-bats. He was credited with just three sacrifice bunts, all during his epic 2013 half-season in the Midwest League. He might have devoted extra sessions to his bunting once or twice a month. "I spent a good bit of time on it," Buxton said, "but not as much as I do now." Asked how eager he is to make small ball a reliable weapon, Buxton smiled. "Very eager," he said. "I try to get out there as much as possible, especially when we're at home. I want to keep practicing to try to get on base a little bit more." Hall of famer Rod Carew, a Twins special assistant and one of the great bunters of all time, works with young players like Buxton every spring, reminding them to see the ball hit the ground before leaving the batter's box. After a few false starts in that regard, Buxton is trying to take that mantra to heart. 5

6 "I know earlier, the ones I popped up, I tried to be too quick and go get the ball instead of just looking the ball in and seeing the ball down," Buxton said. "Mollie and Butch talked to me about that. Now it makes a lot more sense to me to just watch the ball all the way to my bat and get the ball down. I'll have a chance of beating it out." Considering nearly half of Buxton's hits so far (11 of 23) haven't left the infield, his world-class speed means he'll have more than a chance for success on even a decent bunt. "I want to be able to do my job when I'm called on to do it," he said. "I don't want to take that for granted. I know bunting can be a big weapon for me down the road. Now that I'm up here and I've got a few bunts down, it makes it that much more important to me to bunt even more. I just want to be able to have that as a weapon." Twinsights: Ricky Nolasco passes latest test, heads next to Fort Myers Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 18, 2015 A light rain Friday afternoon converted Ricky Nolasco s scheduled simulated game into a 45-pitch bullpen session at Target Field. Eric Fryer caught him, and a Twins employee stood in with a bat from both sides of the plate but took no swings. There was no point to going out there with the mound wet and what I m coming back from, said the Twins right-hander, who is working back from July 13 surgery on his right ankle. I wanted a little more adrenaline, obviously, but I thought it was a good effort. It was real good. Using his full arsenal and sitting down after each set of 15 pitches, Nolasco passed his latest test with no issues. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he thought each inning got progressively sharper and suggested Nolasco could be available out of the Twins bullpen by the latter part of next week. Nolasco will fly to Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday, go through a full round of fielding drills on Sunday and then throw 45 pitches Monday in an intrasquad game of Twins minor leaguers attending Florida instructional league. After getting in some more pitcher fielding practice on Tuesday, likely including pickoff throws and the like, Nolasco will fly back to the Twin Cities that afternoon. Nolasco, who could push his pitch count a little higher in the bullpen after Monday s outing, is up for any role the Twins might envision for him. We ll see where he s at, Molitor said. You never know what s going to happen. Things change here quickly. Nolasco hasn t faced opposing hitters since walking off the mound in pain on May 31 in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. I don t want to think too far ahead, Nolasco said. I passed today. I m going to try to pass Monday, and then it s whatever they want to do with the reports that they get and how I feel coming out of it. As long as (the ankle) doesn t swell up, then we can talk about that. Both the Twins and Nolasco are trying to be as smart as possible while pushing the envelope as much as is practical. One could see a scenario where Nolasco is given a key start in the final week of the regular season, possibly during a four-game series at Cleveland (Sept. 28-Oct. 1). There s no time for building up pitch counts or anything like that, Nolasco said. I m just trying to go home healthy and we ll see what happens. Knock on wood, everything has been good. Twinsights: A.J. Achter determined to make amends for rough outing Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 18, 2015 Twins rookie right-hander A.J. Achter smiled and shook his head Friday when told the official distance of Mike Trout s grand slam the previous night: 425 feet. Really? Achter said. That s how far Trout hit Achter s 2-0 fastball in the second inning that was up and out over the plate. Obviously falling behind 2-0 was kind of the danger zone there, Achter said. I had to come after him at that point and made a pitch out over the plate. Most guys don t do that with it. Some guys will drive it into the gap, but most guys don t hit it 400 some-odd feet. To center field, no less. Achter, 27, went back and watched multiple replays of the Trout blast, the first Achter had allowed since Aug. 7-8 at Cleveland. 6

7 You ve got to tip your hat because he hit a heck of a pitch, he said of the 88-mph sinker. If it would have been down a little more, I don t think he would have been able to drive it as far. He s a good hitter. Sent back out for the third inning, Achter allowed a two-run homer to rookie second baseman Taylor Featherston, who came in hitting.150 with one career homer. This time Featherston hit an 0-1 sinker 400 feet out to left, dropping the Twins into an 8-5 hole en route to an 11-8 loss. I got him to foul off a fastball away and went in, Achter said. It was on the inner third again. He hit a good pitch. Just kind of the way the night went for me. The two homers off Achter matched the total he had allowed in his previous 28 appearances, including his time at Triple-A Rochester. Having nailed down 14 saves for the Red Wings this season, Achter had something to draw upon when sent into a 5-2 game with the bases loaded. It s a high-leverage situation in a big game for us, he said. It comes down to pitching is pitching. You ve got to go out and get outs. No matter the situation, I have to perform better. Hopefully I can make amends for my performance (Thursday) night and do what I ve been doing my last couple outings. Since being recalled in September for the second time this season, Achter had allowed just one earned run in four innings before taking his first big-league loss Thursday. His overall ERA in the majors this year is 7.30 in 10 appearances. Now at 53 outings combined between the majors and Triple-A, Achter had never gone past 50 outings before this season. That s definitely a new challenge for my career, he said. Physically I feel great. I think all the work you put in over the offseason is what pays off right now. After throwing a career-high 83 innings last season, Achter is at just 60 1/3 innings with two-plus weeks left in the season. Angels, Twins set for key doubleheader at Target Field Brian Hall MLB.com September 18, 2015 The playoff race for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels will resume after an unexpected night off. The second game of the four-game series on Friday night was rained out and the teams will play a day-night doubleheader on Saturday at Target Field. The doubleheader comes amid a tight Wild Card race. Minnesota enters Saturday one game behind Houston for the second Wild Card spot in the American League, with Los Angeles a game behind the Twins. Right-hander Kyle Gibson (10-10, 3.71 ERA) will start the first game for Minnesota and will counter Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.32). Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.09) will face off against Los Angeles' right-hander Garrett Richards (13-11, 3.81) in the nightcap. Things to know about this game Fans with tickets to Friday's rainout can use the tickets for Saturday's first game or exchange them for a game later this season. Friday was the first postponement of the season at Target Field and the 12th in the stadium's six-year history. Minnesota manager Paul Molitor made a late change to his rotation following Friday's rainout. He originally said Pelfrey would start the first game but later switched Pelfrey to the later start. Molitor was unavailable to explain the switch, but the pitchers' splits might tell the story. Gibson owns a 3.58 ERA in day games this season as opposed to a 3.80 mark at night. Pelfrey's numbers show a more dramatic difference. Pelfrey owns a 3.97 ERA at night compared to 4.37 during the day. Los Angeles' two big bats, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, will try to break some tough luck against Pelfrey. Pujols has hit just.235 in 17 career at-bats against Pelfrey and hasn't homered against the big right-hander. Trout hasn't faced Pelfrey as much, but has been held to just one hit in seven at-bats for a.143 average. 7

8 Nolasco nears return to the Twins Brian Hall MLB.com September 18, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Once believed to be out the rest of the season, Ricky Nolasco is nearing a return to the Twins and could be available to pitch on the team's upcoming road trip, which begins next week in Detroit. Nolasco has been on the disabled list since June 4 with a right ankle impingement. His recovery went slowly, with the team considering him a longshot to help the postseason push. But Nolasco had progressed to throwing and will head to Ft. Myers on Saturday to throw to Minor Leaguers. If Nolasco proceeds as expected, he could return by the end of next week. "We'll see where he's at," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before Friday's game. "You never know what's going to happen. Things change here quickly just because of our need, the shortening of the schedule and whether he gets out there to get an opportunity to help us maybe in a long role or whatever, we'll have to see how it plays out." In seven starts this season, Nolasco is 5-1 with a 5.51 ERA. Rain altered Nolasco's throwing session on Friday. He was scheduled to throw from the mound in a simulation game, but instead had his session moved to the bullpen. "Another good day," Molitor said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't head out on the field and get him some live hitters. We had to adjust. He threw, basically, three innings of work and I thought each inning got progressively sharper." Nolasco will go to Ft. Myers to continue workouts and will face hitters on Monday as part of an instructional league game. Molitor said Nolasco could throw about 45 pitches. He'll have a couple of workouts, as well, before being re-evaluated. "He hasn't pitched in I don't know how many months," general manager Terry Ryan said. "But he's healthy and he's working, and he's ready to pitch. Now we just have to get some of that rust off, is all." Molitor wasn't sure when Nolasco would return to Minnesota, but he could re-join the team next week. "I don't know when the earliest would be, whether it's Thursday or Friday depending on how he responds from actually pitching in a game down there," Molitor said. Worth noting Molitor said All-Star closer Glen Perkins and reliever Trevor May are ready to return and are available Friday. Perkins has been out since Sept. 1 because of back spasms. May has been out the past few days with a hip injury. Kevin Jepsen has saved three games in Perkins' absence and Molitor said both players could possibly see save chances. "Kevin still deserves that shot right now, but you hope you think that you might get into a circumstance where you've got to save three or four days in a row," Molitor said. "That would be really good for us. Then you might have to give someone else a chance because someone's just not able to go on a given day." Right-hander Phil Hughes will join Minnesota's bullpen for the weekend series against Los Angeles, but Molitor hasn't ruled out Hughes returning to the rotation. Hughes will be available to help fill innings, with Molitor saying Hughes could be used in the "early to middle" innings. "We're looking for people that we feel can give us the best chance as starters from here on out," Molitor said. "We don't have a ton of games left. If Mike [Pelfrey] pitches well, I might bounce him back quickly, on regular rest. You just kind of have to see how guys perform. Phil's OK. If he can help us out there the next couple days, he's game for that and then we'll figure out next week and going forward." 8

9 Twins game against Angels postponed Brian Hall MLB.com September 18, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins' overworked bullpen will get an unexpected night of rest. Minnesota's game on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels was postponed following an hour-long delay because of rain. One pocket of rain unexpectedly stalled out over the stadium and a second cell was following later in the evening, causing the game to be postponed. The game will be made up as part of a split day-night doubleheader on Saturday. Friday's game will be made up at 12:10 p.m. CT with the regularly-scheduled game at 6:10 p.m. CT to follow. Tickets for Friday's game can be used for Saturday's early game or toward another game this season. Target Field's gates will open at 11 a.m. for the first game and 5 p.m. for the second game. The Twins altered their rotation slightly because of the postponement. Friday's expected starter, Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.09 ERA) will start the evening game against Los Angeles' Garrett Richards (13-11, 3.81). Kyle Gibson (10-10, 3.71), scheduled to start Saturday, will move to the earlier start against Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.32). "Well, I would rather play," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "I like the fluidity of it and it puts another wrinkle in the rotation going forward, potentially, as far as options to consider. But that's all right, we'll take the night off and I do think one of the better things is a beleaguered bullpen gets a blow today. Hopefully, tomorrow we'll have all hands on deck because we'll probably need it for two games." The Twins' bullpen pitched 7 2/3 innings in Thursday's loss to the Angels after having to pitch five innings in Wednesday's extra-inning loss and six innings on Tuesday. The extra day should give Molitor a full bullpen to work with in the doubleheader, including starter Phil Hughes, who had been moved to the bullpen. "We should be in good shape as far as rest," Molitor said. "The one benefit is giving these guys an extra day as a group." Friday was the first postponement of the season at Target Field and the 12th in the stadium's six-year history. Twins game vs. Angels rained out, will play doubleheader Saturday Associated Press September 18, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Paul Molitor relied on Friday's stormy weather to accomplish what he's struggled to do this year: give Brian Dozier a rest. Friday night's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins was postponed because of rain. The teams will make it up in a split doubleheader on Saturday. Saturday's first game will start at 12:10 p.m., with the second game set for 6:10 p.m. Dozier, a late addition to the AL All-Star team, has started all but three of Minnesota's games this season. But since the All-Star break, he's batting just.209 and has one home run since Aug. 25. "His strength is being able to pull the best fastballs in the game," Molitor said. "It's hard to maintain that for 600-plus plate appearances. He's trying to make some adjustments. He's not getting on top of some of the balls he was earlier." Molitor added that he wasn't certain a day off was the right prescription for what's ailing Dozier but said he sees signs of wear-and-tear compounding on his star second baseman. "I don't know how much you can expect at this stage of the season in one day to regain a lot," Molitor said. "But the mental grind, when you're making your fair share of outs, it's tough. You can see that he knows he's in a situation he's never been in before. He's trying to be a guy that picks us up, and when it doesn't happen as regularly as you like, that's the mental grind." The Twins have lost three straight and entered Friday 1 1/2 games back of Houston in the AL wild-card race, with the Angels trailing them by another game. Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.32 ERA) was supposed to pitch for Los Angeles against Mike Pelfrey (6-9, 4.09) on Friday. Heaney will start Game 1 on Saturday, while the Twins will hold Pelfrey for Game 2, instead throwing Kyle Gibson (10-10, 3.71) in the first game. Garrett Richards (13-11, 3.81) will pitch the nightcap for Los Angeles. "Split doubleheaders are never a favorite for anybody," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "But we'll be ready to go at noon." 9

10 TRAINER'S ROOM Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (strained forearm) threw in the bullpen on Friday afternoon. Shoemaker hasn't pitched in a game since Sept. 1. The Angels had not named a starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Twins, but Scioscia confirmed Friday night that Shoemaker would get the nod if he has no further setbacks. Twins: LHP Glen Perkins (back) declared himself fit to pitch for the first time since Sept. 1. Molitor said his All-Star closer would serve as a set-up man for Kevin Jepson as he eases his way back into the mix. Twins step in when rain washes out dad s night at ballpark with daughter Fox Sports September 18, 2015 Do you need a team to root for in the race to the American League postseason? We have to remain impartial, of course, but this little tale might incline you to pull for the Minnesota Twins, who are one game behind the Houston Astros for the second wild-card berth. In nutshell, as told via Twitter, the story goes like this: Before driving three hours with his 8-year-old daughter to attend Friday's Twins-Los Angeles Angels game at Target Field, a fan reached out to Minnesota club president Dave St. Peter for advice, considering that rain was forecast. St. Peter told him to still come to the game. However, the game was rained out. St. Peter then offered to put up the two in a hotel for the night so they can attend Saturday afternoon's makeup game along with a ticket upgrade to behind home plate. 10