Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 22, 2018

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 22, 2018 Offense stymied, Twins miss chance at sweep. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1 Escobar HBP, day to day with bruised elbow. MLB.com (Denney) p.2 After late scratch, Rosario expects to play Friday. MLB.com (Denney) p.3 Big Papi, Torii to manage Futures teams. MLB.com (Thosar) p.3 Rick Porcello, Red Sox shut down punchless Twins 9-2. Star Tribune (Miller) p.4 Paul Molitor on pitch that hit Eduardo Escobar: 'It didn't look right to me'. Star Tribune (Miller) p.6 Twins-Texas series preview. Star Tribune (Miller) p.6 Thursday's Twins-Boston game recap. Star Tribune (Miller) p.6 Eddie Rosario scratched from lineup as Twins go for sweep of Red Sox. Star Tribune (Miller) p.7 Brian Murphy: Twins snakebit season eroding one battered player at a time. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p.7 Boston s Rick Porcello knocks Twins best hitter out of game, cruises from there. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 8 Twins scratch Eddie Rosario with shoulder discomfort. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p.9 Here s who the Twins could call up if they decide to make a change at catcher. ESPN 1500 (Depue) p.10 Torii Hunter and David Ortiz will manage in the MLB Futures Game. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p.11 Rough day: Rosario sits with sore shoulder, Escobar suffers bruised elbow after being hit by pitch. ESPN 1500 (Staff) p.11 Escobar exits Twins loss to Red Sox with elbow contusion. Fox Sports North (Staff) p.11 Preview: Twins vs. Rangers. Fox Sports North (STATS) p.13 An All-Star in Cedar Rapids, Twins Kirilloff promoted to Fort Myers. Fox Sports North (Staff) p.14 Twins' Eduardo Escobar day-to-day after taking fastball off elbow. ESPN (Staff) p.15 Twins get a preview of life without The Eddie & Esky Show in loss to Red Sox. The Athletic (Hayes) p.16 Offense stymied, Twins miss chance at sweep Rhett Bollinger MLB.com June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS -- While the back-to-back series wins over the first-place Indians and the Red Sox are impressive, the Twins lost out on their chance for a much-needed sweep with the offense going cold in a 9-2 loss to Boston on Thursday afternoon at Target Field. Much like their weekend series in Cleveland, the Twins couldn't pull off the sweep in the final game of the series despite another strong start from right-hander Kyle Gibson, who allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings to fall to 2-5 with a 3.25 ERA. "Like we were in Cleveland, we were looking to try to find a way to take advantage when you get the first couple," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Two really good teams we couldn't finish it off against. You'll take the four out of six in the big picture, but today you're thinking about sweeping." The Red Sox scored in the fourth on a two-out RBI single from Sandy Leon after a leadoff walk from Mitch Moreland before Mookie Betts connected on a solo shot in the fifth. Gibson was able to limit the damage, working out of several jams, including a bases-loaded situation with one out in the fifth. "I battled there early on, kind of had to do a little regroup there between the first and second innings and try to find my delivery a little bit," Gibson said. "My command was off there in the first and second inning, and I kind of found it there in the third and just tried to keep battling." But the Twins' offense couldn't get anything going against right-hander Rick Porcello, who gave up just one hit and a walk over seven scoreless innings. Logan Morrison had the lone hit with a single with two outs in the first, but the Twins stranded two runners that inning, with Robbie Grossman grounding out into the shift. "He threw the ball well, he had a lot of stuff working," Molitor said of Porcello. "We saw that combination of changeup and front-door two-

2 seamer was working really well against the lefties." After Ryan LaMarre walked with one out in the second, the Red Sox retired 17 in a row until LaMarre snapped the streak with a one-out single in the eighth off reliever Hector Velazquez. But Bobby Wilson promptly grounded into a double play to end the inning. Boston scored three insurance runs in the seventh off reliever Ryan Pressly, with Xander Bogaerts connecting on a two-run double with two outs as Grossman misplayed the carom off the wall in left. Bogaerts went to third on the throw home and scored on an RBI groundout. The Red Sox put the game away with three runs in the eighth off reliever Matt Belisle, with Andrew Benintendi launching a two-run homer and J.D. Martinez and Moreland smacking back-to-back doubles. Reliever Matt Magill gave up a run in the ninth on an RBI single from Jackie Bradley Jr. Minnesota didn't score until the ninth on an RBI groundout from Taylor Motter after a single from Mitch Garver and a double from Brian Dozier. Morrison added a sacrifice fly to score Dozier, but it was too little, too late for the Twins. ESCOBAR EXITS EARLY Twins third baseman Eduardo Escobar was hit on his right elbow in the first inning on a first-pitch fastball from Porcello with two outs. Escobar tried to play through the injury, which was diagnosed as a bruise, but he struck out to end the third and was replaced by Motter at third base. Escobar, along with left fielder Eddie Rosario, who was scratched with right shoulder soreness, has been one of the club's best hitters this season, batting.299/.351/.575 with 12 homers, a Major League-leading 32 doubles and 48 RBIs in 68 games. The Twins weren't pleased with the hit by pitch after the game, as they believed it might've been a purpose pitch from Porcello after Gibson dusted Martinez with an inside fastball in the first. "I saw the ball coming to my face -- I was trying to cover my head and it hit my elbow," Escobar said. "I respect Porcello a lot. He's one of the best pitchers in the league. If he did it on purpose, I don't really know what the purpose is behind it. I've never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself and we'll just move on." More > SOUND SMART The Twins have yet to complete a three-game sweep this season, missing out on their chances against the Tigers on May 23, the Indians on Sunday and the Red Sox on Thursday. Minnesota recorded five three-game sweeps in HE SAID IT "It didn't look particularly good to me." -- Molitor, when asked if Porcello hit Escobar on purpose UP NEXT Rookie right-hander Fernando Romero will take the mound on Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT, when the Twins host the Rangers in the first game of a three-game series at Target Field. Romero (3-2, 4.17 ERA) had a 1.88 ERA through his first five career starts, but he has posted an 8.10 ERA since then in four outings. He gave up three runs in four innings against the Indians last time out. The Rangers will start lefty Mike Minor (4-4, 5.35 ERA). Escobar HBP, day to day with bruised elbow Jarrid Denney MLB.com June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS -- Eduardo Escobar left Thursday's 9-2 loss to the Red Sox in the fourth inning with a right elbow contusion and is listed as day to day. Escobar, who is batting.299 and leads the Majors with 32 doubles, collapsed to the ground and stayed down for several minutes after being drilled by a 92.1-mph fastball from Rick Porcello in the first inning. Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked if he thought the pitch that hit Escobar was intentional. "It didn't look particularly good to me," Molitor said. Molitor said he wasn't sure if the Red Sox might have targeted Escobar after Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson threw a fastball high and inside to Boston's J.D. Martinez in the top of the first. "I respect Porcello a lot," Escobar said. "He's one of the best pitchers in the league. If he did it on purpose, I don't really know what the purpose is behind it. I've never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself and we'll just move on." 2

3 The Twins' utilityman eventually got to his feet and stayed in the game for two more innings. After he struck out swinging to end the third inning, Escobar was replaced by Taylor Motter at third base. "He's sore and swollen," Molitor said of Escobar. "I think it got the bottom of the triceps more than on the elbow. We tried to see if he was able to continue, and he gave it a go, but you could tell he was having trouble swinging in that second at-bat." The Twins were also without their leading hitter, Eddie Rosario, for Thursday's game. Rosario was scratched from the lineup with soreness in his right shoulder. After late scratch, Rosario expects to play Friday Jarrid Denney MLB.com June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS -- Left fielder Eddie Rosario was scratched from the starting lineup prior to the Twins' 9-2 loss to the Red Sox due to shoulder soreness. After the game, he said he expects to play on Friday. "I'll play tomorrow percent," Rosario said. After initially being penciled in at the No. 2 spot on Thursday, Rosario met with team trainers and Minnesota ultimately made the decision that a day off could be beneficial. "Rosie's got a little bit of shoulder discomfort," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "After taking a look at him this morning, I think he really wants to play. I just think we're trying to keep the big picture in mind. So we're gonna back him off. It's just one of those things where you think what you're doing is best for the player for the long term." Rosario has carried the Twins' lineup for much of the season and has been especially crucial of late with a number of injuries hampering Minnesota's offense. Entering Thursday, the 26-year-old outfielder was ninth in the Majors in bwar among position players at 3.7. Rosario leads the Twins in hits (89), home runs (16) and stolen bases (6), and his team-best.320 batting average ranks 10th in the Majors. Rosario is 12th among outfielders in American League All-Star voting and is Minnesota's leading vote-getter. "I think it's just been accumulating little by little," Molitor said. "Going back to the spring, he had a little bit of shoulder issues and some things. But I know that he's been in there trying to keep it as game-ready as possible. Today was maybe just a little bit -- I wouldn't say worse -- just at a point where, we talked to our trainers and we thought this was best." Ryan LaMarre replaced Rosario in Thursday's lineup and slotted in at center field. Robbie Grossman shifted from right field to left, and Max Kepler moved from center to right. Molitor said Rosario was available as a pinch-hitter if a late-game opportunity presented itself. "I'm sure he'd like to be a part of today's game, and I think he's gonna be available in the game," Molitor said. "We wanna back him off of throwing possibilities that might come up. Hopefully the little break will help him going into tomorrow." Big Papi, Torii to manage Futures teams Deesha Thosar MLB.com June 21, 2018 Fan favorites David Ortiz and Torii Hunter will emerge from retirement to manage the World Team and U.S. Team, respectively, in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 15 at Nationals Park. The rosters, umpires and remainder of the coaching staffs will be announced in the coming weeks. The 20th annual All-Star Futures Game features top Minor League prospects playing in a full nine-inning contest as part of All-Star Weekend. The U.S. Team holds a 12-7 all-time advantage over the World Team. During last year's Futures Game, righty Brent Honeywell (Rays' No. 1 prospect) tossed two shutout innings for MVP honors en route to a 7-6 win for the U.S. squad at Marlins Park for its seventh victory in the past eight years. Other notable players in the 2017 Futures Game included the Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr., the Phillies' Rhys Hoskins, the Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Yankees' Estevan Florial. Big Papi will make his coaching debut looking to get the World Team back in the win column. The Dominican 10-time All-Star played 20 seasons in the Majors -- six with the Twins before completing his career with the Red Sox. Ortiz led Boston to three World Series titles and finished in the top five in the American League Most Valuable Player Award voting in each of his first five seasons with the Red Sox. Ortiz finished the 2006 season with a single-season Red Sox franchise record of 54 home runs. His 541 career homers rank 17th all-time in MLB 3

4 history and fourth all-time among Dominican-born players. The feared slugger retired after the 2016 season. Hunter was an offensive and defensive star for the Twins, Angels and Tigers over the course of his 19-year career. The nine-time Gold Glove Award winner made five All-Star appearances. In 2002, Hunter became the first Twins outfielder to draw an All-Star start since Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett seven years earlier. Hunter led Minnesota to AL Central titles four times in five years from '02-06, and he was part of divisionwinning teams with the Angels and Tigers. He was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in '16, a year after he retired. Ortiz and Hunter were teammates in the Minor Leagues and with the Twins from MLB.com will live stream and MLB Network will exclusively televise the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at 4 p.m. ET, with Greg Amsinger, Harold Reynolds, Lauren Shehadi and Jim Callis calling the contest live from Nationals Park. The game will also be available to SiriusXM subscribers. Rick Porcello, Red Sox shut down punchless Twins 9-2 Phil Miller Star Tribune June 22, 2018 Baseball is full of complex statistics, but the math on this one is fairly simple: 2-2=0. Take an offense with only two dynamic hitters, subtract both of them because of injury, and the result is exactly what you would expect: zero chance of winning. Eddie Rosario s sore shoulder kept him out of the lineup, Eduardo Escobar s elbow after being bruised by a first-inning Rick Porcello fastball knocked him out of the game, and the rest of the Twins managed only four hits Thursday in a 9-2 loss to the Red Sox at Target Field. Porcello threw the ball well. He had a lot of stuff working, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. But you know, the guys who go out there have to try to find a way to get it done. None of them could, at least not until the game had turned from mismatch to farce. Logan Morrison pushed a single into left field in the first inning, and Ryan LaMarre beat out an infield hit in the eighth. In between? Plenty of peace and quiet while the 32,631 in attendance wondered where the Twins offense went. Mostly, it was in the trainer s room. Molitor scratched Rosario from the lineup 90 minutes before first pitch, when he was informed that his hottest hitter was nursing a sore throwing shoulder, a minor injury that the Twins are determined not to allow to become major. And when Escobar used his right forearm to block a pitch he feared was headed for his head, the major league extra-base-hit leader was able to remain in the game only two more innings. He s sore and swollen. It got the bottom of the triceps more than the elbow, Molitor said of Escobar, who after the game displayed a dark bruise with the baseball s stitching visible. He gave it a go, but you could tell he was having trouble swinging in that second at-bat. It was worse than that, actually, Escobar said. I wanted to stay in there for my teammates, he said, but I couldn t throw the ball when we went out the next inning to warm up. Without that duo atop the batting order, the Twins offense worked like a flashlight without batteries. Porcello overpowered the Twins with two-seam fastballs to retire the last 16 hitters he faced. He struck out five over seven innings to record his seventh career victory at Target Field. That ties Porcello with his former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander for most wins by a visiting pitcher in the stadium s nine-year history. We tried our best, Kyle Gibson said, and unfortunately we just couldn t get anything going. His day was the biggest casualty of that short-circuit, because Gibson asked to fight with virtually no ammunition somehow manage to make the Twins competitive while he was in the game. Working with virtually no margin for error, the righthander had only one inning among his six without a baserunner and he walked three Red Sox, but he continually worked out of trouble. A two-out single off Joe Mauer s glove in the fourth inning by Sandy Leon scored a run, and Mookie Betts belted his 19th home run to lead off the fifth inning. Betts likes to take a lot of first pitches, and then once in awhile he ambushes, Molitor said. He got [Gibson] that time. Despite it all, Gibson still lowered his ERA to 3.25 and turned in his fifth quality start in his past six games. The fact that the Twins have won only two of them is directly attributable to this fact: The Twins have scored one or two runs in the other four. And once he departed, Boston took out two days worth of frustration on the Twins bullpen, scoring in every Gibson-less inning. Andrew Benintendi homered, Xander Bogaerts had a two-run double, and the Red Sox took a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Mitch Garver 4

5 and Brian Dozier combined to produce two way-too-late runs (which scored on a groundout and a flyout, naturally), but the Twins finished with fewer than a half-dozen hits for the fourth time this month. Paul Molitor on pitch that hit Eduardo Escobar: 'It didn't look right to me' Phil Miller Star Tribune June 22, 2018 Kyle Gibson s first pitch to J.D. Martinez, the third batter in Boston s lineup, came in armpit-high and way inside during the first inning Thursday. The Red Sox slugger tumbled backward to the ground to avoid getting hit. Rick Porcello s first pitch to Eduardo Escobar, the third batter in Minnesota s lineup, came in neck-high and way inside. The Twins hottest hitter took evasive action as best he could. I saw the ball coming to my face, Escobar said. I was trying to cover my head, and it hit my elbow. Escobar laid on the ground in pain for about 90 seconds, as Twins manager Paul Molitor and assistant trainer Matt Biancuzzo tended to him. The hit batter was Porcello s 10th of the season, tying him for the major league lead, and the coincidence seemed a little fishy to Molitor. Was Porcello retaliating for his teammate being knocked down? It didn t look too good to me, Molitor said tersely. Porcello has walked only 22 batters in 99 innings. The effect of the two pitches was one-sided in Boston s favor. Martinez got up and, with Gibson distracted by Mookie Betts on first base, drew a four-pitch walk. Escobar got a deep bruise just above his elbow the Twins were relieved when no fracture was found with the stitching marks visible on his skin. After Escobar winced through a strikeout in the third inning, Molitor removed him from the game. Did Escobar believe there was intent behind the plunking? I respect Porcello a lot. He s one of the best pitchers in the league, Escobar said through interpreter Elvis Martinez. If he did it on purpose, I don t really know what the purpose is behind it. I ve never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself, and we ll just move on. Escobar iced his elbow, and planned to do so again after his Dinner With Esky charity event for local Spanish-speaking kids later Thursday night. We ll see what happens [Friday], he said. And next month, too: The Twins visit Fenway Park on July Rosario sits out It wasn t the huge windup-and-fall-forward throw that Eddie Rosario tried to make Saturday in Cleveland, or the throw from the warning track Wednesday night in Target Field. Rosario s right shoulder has been a minor nagging issue since spring training. And while it probably wasn t too sore to prevent him from playing Thursday, Molitor said, the Twins have good reason for being careful. We re trying to keep the big picture in mind. So we re going to back him off, the Twins manager said before the game. It s one of those things where you think what you re doing is best for the player for the long term. I m sure he would like to be part of the game. A guy who has had hits in 20 of his past 24 games definitely wanted to be in the lineup, but after hearing that the soreness had flared up again, Molitor decided a day game after two night games was the right time to give him an extra day off. The Twins have games scheduled on 24 of the next 25 games, after all. Rosario said he objected, but it s not my decision. The soreness is different from his spring training problem, but it s not serious, he said. Will he play Friday? Yeah, play tomorrow, Rosario said. One hundred percent. Etc. Shortstop Jorge Polanco s injured finger has become infected, further delaying his preparation to return from suspension. Polanco jammed the 5

6 finger in a door 10 days ago, and was unable to begin playing with Class AAA Rochester last Sunday as originally planned. The Twins hope Polanco will be able to report to Rochester by the start of next week, but he must be placed on the 25-man roster (or on the disabled list) when his 80-game steroids suspension expires July 2. Outfielder Alex Kirilloff, the Twins first-round pick in 2016, batted third for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday, his first game since being promoted from low-a Cedar Rapids. Miguel Sano was not in the Miracle lineup. By agreeing to terms with their picks from rounds 12 (Jon Olsen), 17 (Erik Cha) and 28 (Austin Hale) on Wednesday, the Twins have now signed 24 of their 39 draft picks, the team announced. Twins-Texas series preview Phil Miller Star Tribune June 22, 2018 THREE-GAME SERIES AT Target Field Friday, 7:10 p.m. FSN, 830-AM: RHP Fernando Romero (3-2, 4.17 ERA) vs. LHP Mike Minor (4-4, 5.35) Saturday, 1:10 p.m. FSN, 830-AM: RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-4, 4.38) vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 15.95) Sunday, 1:10 p.m. FSN, 830-AM: RHP Jose Berrios (7-5, 3.38 ERA) vs. RHP Bartolo Colon (4-4, 4.91) Twins update The Twins are at Target Field this season. They are 6-10 against AL West teams. The Twins, who took four of seven games from Texas in 2017, have lost the season series to the Rangers only twice in the past 11 years. They are against Texas in Target Field. C Bobby Wilson played for the Rangers in , batting.239 in 73 games. 3B Eduardo Escobar leads the AL in hits (27), extra-base hits (19), doubles (13) and slugging (. 812), and is second in batting average (. 389) and RBI (22) this month. Brian Dozier needs two home runs to tie Tom Brunansky for ninth most in Twins history (193). Fernando Rodney, baseball s second-oldest player after Colon, has converted 14 save opportunities in a row and needs two more to tie Rick Aguilera for 20th on the career saves list with 318. RANGERS update Texas has won five consecutive games, but remains buried in last place in the AL West, 18 games behind first-place Houston and seven behind fourth-place Oakland. Its 32 victories are the fewest after 76 games since 2007 (31). The Rangers have lost 16 games by five or more runs, second most in the majors behind Kansas City (17). They are on the road. LF Joey Gallo, the MVP of the 2014 Futures Game at Target Field, ranks tied for seventh in the AL in home runs with 18. But Gallo is also batting only.195 with a.296 on-base percentage. 3B Adrian Beltre, in his 21st major league season, missed most of a month because of a hamstring injury, but has batted.281 since returning on May 31. Colon, at 45, is 19 years, 3 days older than his Sunday opponent, Jose Berrios. Thursday's Twins-Boston game recap Phil Miller Star Tribune June 21, 2018 GAME RECAP IMPACT PLAYER Rick Porcello, Red Sox Allowed a single and a walk but no other baserunners in seven innings, giving Red Sox time to build a lead BY THE NUMBERS 7 Career victories by Porcello in Target Field, tying him with Justin Verlander for most ever by a visitor 310 Red Sox victories over Twins since team moved to Minnesota, exactly matching the Twins 310 wins 16 Twins batters hit by pitches this season, nine fewer than any other AL team 6

7 Eddie Rosario scratched from lineup as Twins go for sweep of Red Sox Phil Miller Star Tribune June 21, 2018 It wasn t the huge-windup-and-fall-forward throw that Eddie Rosario tried to make on Saturday in Cleveland, or the throw from the warning track last night in Target Field. Eddie Rosario s right shoulder has been a minor, nagging issue since spring training. And while it s probably not too sore to prevent him from playing today, Paul Molitor said, the Twins have good reason for being careful. We re trying to keep the big picture in mind. So we re going to back him off, the Twins manager said. It s one of those things where you think what you re doing is best for the player for the long term. I m sure he would like to be part of today s game. Yeah, a guy who has had hits in 20 of his last 24 games probably wants to be in the lineup again, but after hearing that the soreness had flared up again this morning, Molitor decided that a day game after two night games was the right time to give him an extra day off. The Twins have games scheduled on 24 of the next 25 games, after all. With Rosario out, Robbie Grossman will play left field, Ryan LaMarre center and Max Kepler moves to right. Kyle Gibson is on the mound today, facing Rick Porcello, who is making his 13th career start at Target Field. That s the most by any visiting player in stadium history. Porcello is 6-3 in this park he can tie Justin Verlander (7) for most victories by a visitor here and allowed one run over seven innings when the Red Sox were here last season. Brian Murphy: Twins snakebit season eroding one battered player at a time Brian Murphy Pioneer Press June 21, 2018 Eduardo Escobar was down in the dirt writhing in pain in the first inning Thursday after being drilled in the right elbow by a pitch from Boston s Rick Porcello, a direct hit that probably kept the Twins third baseman from being decapitated. Manager Paul Molitor bolted from the dugout with assistant trainer Matt Biancuzzo to check on his two-base hit machine, who climbed to his feet grasping his limp throwing arm like it belonged to someone else. Molitor draped his left arm around Escobar s shoulders for several minutes out of obvious concern, though it looked like he desperately was trying to maintain his grip on a snakebitten season that is eroding one battered player at a time. Escobar valiantly stayed in the game for another inning of field duty. But he tentatively struck out swinging in the third and was sent to the clubhouse for treatment. Diagnosed with a bruise, the Twins top run producer sported a nasty welt with the impression of seams carved out just below his triceps. It was the best outcome of a potential disaster, but questions about his availability raise more alarms about a churning roster that is fraying nerves. With a chance to sweep the potent Red Sox at Target Field, the Twins were forced to deploy a left-side defense of Taylor Motter, Robbie Grossman and Ehire Adrianza, with Ryan LaMarre shading over from center field. If Molitor had scripted that lineup coming out of spring training he would have been fitted for a straightjacket. Yet here they are, the incognito Twins trying to hide their vulnerabilities in plain sight after a meek 9-2 loss. Take Escobar out and (Eddie Rosario) not playing today, we all know who s not here, Molitor lamented afterward. But the guys that go out there have got to find a way to get it done. Kyle Gibson was not nearly as sharp as he had been in his latest unproductive outings. He had to scramble out of trouble several times, but the bedeviled right-hander deserved better than the lonely single Minnesota mustered through seven innings. Meanwhile, Porcello was magnificent, retiring 16 straight Twins after a two-out, second-inning walk, throttling another makeshift lineup. Seventy-one games into the 2018 struggle, the Twins have yet to field their everyday team. They are playing with a mostly junior varsity lineup as regulars fall like timber from various ailments and self-inflicted wounds. Word came before the game that left fielder and leading hitter Rosario is nursing a sore shoulder that might require his right arm be amputated given Minnesota s rotten luck. Shortstop Jorge Polanco is still 11 days from seeing a major-league field after being suspended half the season for testing positive for steroids, a reckless transgression that proves more costly every time the disabled list expands. 7

8 Miguel Sano is trying to reboot his once-promising career after being banished to Single-A Fort Myers to learn how to hit again and melt away some of that generous undercarriage under the hot Florida sun. Byron Buxton, his fractured toe and broken swing are dragging through another rehab assignment. Ervin Santana is scheduled to pitch again some day, somewhere in the organization, his projected early May return from February finger surgery relegated to a punch line after suffering setbacks. Jason Castro was lost to season-ending knee surgery. Joe Mauer missed 25 games because of concussion symptoms. Someone better check on the health of the grounds crew lest a wayward roll of the tarp takes out another Twins player. This is no way to maintain an offense or stay in contention, but what can the Twins to do short of voodoo? Hoping to string together a few runs each game to keep their rotation from staging a mutiny, they grind away behind journeymen and castoffs like LaMarre, Adrianza and Bobby Wilson. Rumor has it erstwhile slugger Logan Morrison is on the club. The Twins are only five wins from reaching.500, but it feels like 25. Taking two of three games from Boston earned them a gold star for valor after Rosario and Escobar checked into the infirmary. The parts keep moving but they are not meshing. The first day of summer foretells another long one in Twins Territory. Boston s Rick Porcello knocks Twins best hitter out of game, cruises from there John Shipley Pioneer Press June 21, 2018 Eduardo Escobar was mostly smiles Thursday after a high, inside fastball knocked him out of a 9-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He showed off the welt he got from Rick Porcello s first-inning pitch and said it wouldn t keep him from treating dozens of local kids to dinner that night. Twins manager Paul Molitor was less sanguine. Asked if the Porcello 92-mph pitch that hit his best hitter just above the right elbow seemed to be delivered with a purpose, Molitor paused before answering. It didn t look particularly good to me, he said. If the pitch was intended to send a message, or worse, Porcello picked the right guy. Escobar has been the Twins best hitter this season, leading the team with 48 RBIs, the majors with 32 doubles and batting.300 heading into Thursday s game. ADVERTISING Without Escobar and left fielder Eddie Rosario, a late scratch because of shoulder soreness, the Twins lineup was no match for Porcello (9-3), who allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out five, to foil Minnesota s attempt to sweep one of the best teams in baseball. The Twins scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a double by Brian Dozier and sacrifice fly by Logan Morrison but were for all intents and purposes hopeless against Porcello, who improved to 9-3 and lowered his earned-run average to After Morrison s first-inning single, the Twins didn t get another hit until Ryan LaMarre s infield single off Hector Velazquez in the eighth. Before that, Porcello had set down 16 straight batters. He threw the ball well, Molitor said. He had a lot of stuff working. Escobar had a solid welt above his right elbow that in all likelihood will look even worse on Friday, and he seems likely to miss the opener of a three-game series against visiting Texas. Rosario, who has a team-high 16 homers and 46 RBIs, vowed to play, but Escobar is questionable, officially day to day with a contusion. 8

9 I ve got a feeling Esco s going to be pretty sore, Molitor said. He s going to try, or lobby to get in there, but we ll have to see how he feels when he gets in here. Escobar was protecting himself from a fastball moving toward his face when he was hit in the first inning. In the top half, Twins starter Kyle Gibson (2-5) had knocked down Boston designated hitter J.D. Martinez with an inside fastball that was considerably less inside. I respect Porcello a lot. He s one of the best pitchers in the league, Escobar said. If he did it on purpose, I don t really know what the purpose is behind it. I ve never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself, and we ll just move on. Asked if he thought Escobar was retaliation, Molitor said, I have no idea. Mitch Garver, who replaced Joe Mauer at first base in the ninth, led off the final inning with the Twins third hit, a looping single to center, and moved to third on Brian Dozier s double to the right-field gap before scoring on Motter s groundout. Dozier moved to third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Morrison. Seven Red Sox hitters drove in at least one run, and Mookie Betts (19) and Andrew Benintendi (13) homered for Boston, which won its 50th game, tied for best in the majors with the New York Yankees, who hold a two-game lead in the AL East. Gibson gave up two earned runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings, but relievers Ryan Pressly and Matt Belisle were each tagged for three earned runs and the Twins lost for the second time in six games, just missing three-game sweeps of the first-place Indians in Cleveland and Red Sox on Thursday. Two really good teams we couldn t finish it off against, Molitor said. You ll take the four out of six in the big picture, but today you re thinking about sweeping. Twins scratch Eddie Rosario with shoulder discomfort John Shipley Pioneer Press June 21, 2018 With a fractious lineup decimated by injuries to key players, the Twins have ridden the bats of Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario to stay in contention in the wide-open American League Central. They could ill afford to lose either of them. Maybe that s why the Twins scratched Rosario because of discomfort in his throwing shoulder ahead of Thursday s series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field. After missing Thursday s 9-2 loss to the Red Sox, the left fielder vowed to return for Friday s series opener against the Texas Rangers. I ll play tomorrow, he said. One hundred percent. Escobar, batting.300 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs as the primary fill-in for Miguel Sano at third base, left Thursday s game after being hit in the right elbow by a Rick Porcello fastball in the first inning. He initially stayed in the game, but Molitor pulled him after he struck out in the third inning. He is day to day. Rosario is hitting.320 with a team-high 16 homers, and his 46 RBIs rank second only to Escobar. He has been playing through a shoulder issue more or less since spring training, Molitor said, and as of Wednesday had appeared in a team-high 70 games as the Twins everyday left fielder. I was ready to play today, Rosario said, but sometimes people take care of you. Molitor said Rosario did not aggravate the shoulder on one particular play. I think it s just been accumulating a bit, little by little, he said. We go back to spring and he had a little shoulder issue and things. I know he s been in there trying to keep it as game-ready as possible, and today maybe it s to the point where we talked to the trainers and we thought it was the best thing. The Twins have been without Sano, first baseman Joe Mauer and center fielder Byron Buxton for large portions of the season. Sano, on whom the Twins were counting for big offensive production this season, has been demoted to Class A Fort Myers to reboot a moribund season. Buxton, arguably baseball s best, and fastest, center fielder, is on the disabled list with an injury to his left big toe. Ryan LaMarre was added to the lineup in center field for Thursday s game; Robbie Grossman played left 9

10 SANO UPDATE Sano has played in two games since being demoted to the Miracle last week, going a combined 2 for 8 with two runs scored, one walk and one strikeout. Molitor said he texted his erstwhile third baseman on Thursday morning. Still monitoring his schedule as far as the days that are more heavy workload, as opposed to the days that are just playing, the manager said. Sano, 25, was an all-star last season, hitting.264 with a team-high 28 home runs and 77 RBIs in 114 games as the Twins won an AL wild-card spot. Before being demoted this season, he was batting.203 with seven homers and 27 RBIs in 37 games. He also had 66 strikeouts. The Miracle were scheduled to play four games at Bradenton, Fla., starting Thursday night, and it was unclear when he would play next. The reports are that he s working his tail off in the gym in the mornings, and when appropriate, we re getting him into games, Molitor said. Here s who the Twins could call up if they decide to make a change at catcher Jake Depue ESPN 1500 June 21, 2018 The Twins have struggled to fill a void at catcher since Jason Castro went down with a season-ending knee injury in May. Castro has his flaws, and wasn t hitting at the time of the injury, but gave the Twins a stable presence behind the plate who worked well with the pitching staff and has a track record of being a major league caliber starter. In his place, the Twins have looked to Mitch Garver and Bobby Wilson. Garver is a bat-first catcher who s struggled defensively this season with blocking balls and pitch framing. In Wednesday s game against Boston, Garver drew criticism from the Twins broadcast booth for his inability to frame pitches in the zone, and the stats back it up. Garver currently ranks 87th out of 95 catchers in Baseball Prospectus Fielding Runs Above Average Adjusted (FRAA_ADJ), which attempts to quantify a catcher s overall defensive value, including pitch framing, blocking and throwing. Garver s thrown out just 4 of 21 attempted base stealers, and has 4 passed balls and 16 wild pitches on his ledger. Wild pitches, of course, are technically classified as a pitcher s mistake, but strong defensive catchers can help mitigate those. Garver hit well through the minors, but that success hasn t translated to the big leagues yet. In 198 career plate appearances, the 27-year-old is slashing.218/.288/.330 with 14 extra base hits. That s still a small sample size, but Garver needs to hit to earn playing time behind the plate, and to this point, he hasn t done that in the majors. Based on what he did in the minors, Garver should be given more time to prove he can hit major league pitching, and the Twins have to hope his production picks up soon. If not, it s possible his roster spot could be in jeopardy. Garver s backup, Bobby Wilson, is much better defensively. Although he hasn t seen a ton of time in the big leagues this season, he ranks 26th among catchers in Fielding Runs Above Average Adjusted, and he s been a strong defensive catcher throughout his career. The 35-year-old is pretty limited in what he provides offensively, however. In 61 plate appearances, he s slashing.148/.200/.278 this season, and his track record doesn t suggest that s going to improve much. While top catchers like the Marlins J.T. Realmuto should be a target at the trade deadline and in the offseason, they ll likely have to dip into their farm system in the short term if they want to make a change. With the departure of John Ryan Murphy last year, the Twins are a bit thin at catcher in the high minors. Here s a look at the catchers who would be the most logical replacements for Garver or Wilson. Cameron Rupp Rupp spent his entire career in the Phillies organization prior to this year. In five seasons, he s a career.234/.298/.407 hitter in the big leagues. He had an OPS of.750 and.716 in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Rupp mashes lefties. In 266 plate appearances against southpaws, he has an.879 career OPS and 31 extra base hits in 235 at bats. The Phillies released Rupp late in spring training, and he signed with Texas, but opted out of his contract in early June after not being called up to the big leagues despite an.886 OPS with Triple-A Round Rock. The Twins signed him a few days later. Rupp has a very similar profile to Garver. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but he s earned playing time due to the bat. Rupp, of course, has produced consistently in the big leagues, while Garver is still trying to stick. If the Twins want another offensive-minded catcher, Rupp would be the logical choice. He has a July 15 opt-out, so if they want to call him up, they ll likely have to do so in the next three weeks. Willians Astudillo Like Garver and Rupp, Astudillo is an offensive-minded catcher whose defense remains a work in progress. 10

11 The Twins signed Astudillo in the offseason after putting up huge numbers, albeit in a limited sample size, in the hitter-friendly PCL last year. In 128 plate appearances, he hit.342/.370/.558 with 17 extra base hits for Arizona s Triple-A affiliate, Reno. The Twins surely wanted to see him replicate that success in the International League, and he s done just that. In 171 plate appearances, he s slashing.294/.324/500 with 18 extra base hits. Perhaps the most interesting part of Astudillo s offensive repertoire is his incredibly low strikeout rate. In 171 plate appearances this year, he s struck out just nine times (5.3%). His career strikeout rate is similar, making him one of the least strikeout-prone hitters in the minor leagues. The tradeoff is that he rarely walks. His 2.9% walk rate is very low, and his career walk rate is similar. At 26, and with no big league experience, Astudillo is likely more of a fill-in than long-term solution at catcher. In the interim, though, he could give the Twins a boost as they continue to search for a starting catcher. Torii Hunter and David Ortiz will manage in the MLB Futures Game Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS This year s MLB Futures Game will have a special Twins flavor to it. We don t know even know the finalized rosters yet, but we know a couple of former Twins that will have a great seat to watch some of the game s future stars gather. David Ortiz and Torii Hunter have been chosen to manage the two teams, the league announced. Ortiz will manage the World team, and Hunter is in charge of the U.S. team. I wonder which one of them will bring up Hunter s home run robbery in the Tigers-Red Sox ALCS? The Futures Game, which takes place Sunday during the all-star break, is one of the highlights of the All-Star break for a lot of baseball fans. You get a chance to see up-and-comers before they hit the big time. Here s hoping for Twins fans that one or both managers gets a chance to manage some of Minnesota s top prospects. Former Twins managing future Twins? Rough day: Rosario sits with sore shoulder, Escobar suffers bruised elbow after being hit by pitch Staff Writer ESPN 1500 June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS Eddie Rosario was scratched from the Twins 9-2 loss against Boston on Thursday because of a sore shoulder, but the left fielder told reporters afterward that he s 100 percent certain he will play Friday as the Twins open a series against the Texas Rangers at Target Field. Originally scheduled to play left field in the noon game the day after a 7 p.m. game, Molitor said that Rosario wanted to play. But after a steady accumulation of work on his throwing shoulder, today was a good day to sit, Molitor said. Rosario leads the Twins with a.320 batting average, a.359 on-base percentage and 16 home runs this season. His 46 RBIs are second on the Twins to third baseman Eduarado Escobar, who was forced to leave Thursday s game after being hit in the right forearm by a Rick Porcello pitch in the first inning. The Twins announced that Escobar had suffered a bruised right elbow and listed him as day-to-day. Escobar, who has a big-league leading 32 doubles this season, remained in the game for only two more innings after being hit. He s sore and swollen, Molitor said of Escobar. It got the bottom of the triceps more than the elbow. He gave it a go, but you could tell he was having trouble swinging in that second at-bat. Escobar told reporters that he could not throw the ball when he took the field to warm up. When asked if he thought that Porcello threw at him, Escobar Escobar: "I respect Porcello a lot. He's one of the best pitchers. If he did it on purpose, I don't really know. I've never done anything against him. I was just trying to protect myself." As for Rosario s sore shoulder, Molitor said: Rosie s got a little bit of shoulder discomfort. After taking a look at him this morning, I think he really wants to play, we re just trying to keep the big picture in mind so you back him off. We want to back off the throwing possibilities that might come up. Molitor said that it wasn t the result of any one play or throw, but instead cited that it s something Rosario has dealt with dating to spring training. 11

12 Escobar exits Twins loss to Red Sox with elbow contusion Staff Writer Fox Sports North June 21, 2018 MINNEAPOLIS What Rick Porcello did six days ago carried over into an outstanding performance. Porcello allowed one hit in seven innings, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 Thursday to avoid a series sweep. Xander Bogaerts had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had a season-high 16 hits, and finished 6-4 on a road trip through Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota. We definitely needed a win today, especially to end this long road trip after dropping the first two games to these guys, Porcello said. He was dominant in a game that was 2-0 through six innings. After a first-inning single by Logan Morrison, ending a 0-for-30 stretch against Boston, Porcello (9-3) retired 19 of 20 Twins hitters, including the last 16. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out five and walked one. Porcello finished seven innings for the first time in 10 starts since April 29. His best previous start of the season was April 12 against the Yankees, when he allowed two hits and struck out six in seven innings. Last Friday in Seattle, Porcello allowed four earned runs and seven hits in six innings. But his mood was much different in the final inning. I was just pitching a lot more relaxed, the delivery was smooth and I executed, so I tried to carry that with the tempo and everything into today, he said. He was under control, said manager Alex Cora. Kyle Gibson (2-5) allowed seven hits and two earned runs in six innings for Minnesota, striking out five for his ninth quality start this season. He had only 10 in 2017 and eight in Betts hit the first pitch of the fifth inning into the front row of seats in right-center for a 2-0 lead. He finished with three hits and has reached base eight times in his last three games. He likes to take a lot of first pitches and then once in a while ambushes, and he got him that time, said Twins manager Paul Molitor. The Red Sox were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position, finishing the three-game series 7 for 36. It was a just couple tough days, Betts said. We came out ready to swing it and we just showed what we can do. Bogaerts two-run double keyed a three-run seventh against Ryan Pressly. Benintendi hit a two-run shot in the eighth. PREPARATION PAID OFF With left-handed hitting Joe Mauer up, Betts, playing right field, shifted to right-center and barely had to move to catch a fly ball. Betts then waved a card telling him where to play toward the dugout. It was an extreme one from the analytical department, Cora said.. I m glad that it happened. They believe in what we re doing, but sometimes they see something extremely out of the ordinary. I was the happiest guy, like `Thank God they hit it right there.' PORCELLO PURPOSE? Porcello moved into a tie for the American League with his 10th hit batsman in the first, when he knocked Eduardo Escobar down with a fastball that plunked the major league leader in doubles just above his right elbow. Escobar stayed in the game for two more innings, but was removed after striking out in the third, and was diagnosed with a bruise. In the top of the inning, J.D. Martinez had to hit the dirt to dodge a high-and-inside pitch from Gibson. It didn t look particularly good to me, said Molitor, pausing to choose his words carefully. 12

13 Said Escobar, through an interpreter: I respect Porcello a lot. He s one of the best pitchers in the league. If he did it on purpose, I don t really know what the purpose is behind it. I ve never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself, and we ll just move on. Gibson hit Sandy Leon with a pitch in the sixth. In the game Tuesday, Red Sox starter Chris Sale hit Mauer before Jose Berrios plunked Betts and Mauer was hit again by reliever Robby Scott. TRAINERS ROOM Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz, out since June 5 with left biceps tendinitis, is expected to get on a mound this weekend and throw a bullpen session, according to Cora. Twins: OF Eddie Rosario missed the game with a sore throwing shoulder. He is considered day to day. Since May 1, Rosario is hitting.364 with a league-best 68 hits in that span, including 16 doubles and 13 home runs. UP NEXT Red Sox: Open a six-game homestand Friday with RHP Steven Wright (2-1, 1.23) scheduled to start against Seattle LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 2.63). Twins: Welcome Texas on Friday for a three-game weekend series with RHP Fernando Romero (3-2, 4.17) to face the Rangers LHP Mike Minor ( ). Preview: Twins vs. Rangers STATS Fox Sports North June 22, 2018 The Minnesota Twins head into the weekend riding high after taking consecutive series from Cleveland and Boston but could be shorthanded Friday night when they open a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at Target Field. Eduardo Escobar left in the fourth inning of Minnesota s 9-2 loss to the Red Sox Thursday after he took a Rick Porcello fastball to the right elbow. The AL leader with 32 doubles this season, Escobar has been red-hot this month, batting.386 with an.800 slugging percentage in 70 June at-bats. Manager Paul Molitor said Escobar would be re-evaluated Friday. He s sore and swollen, Molitor said. I think it got the bottom of the triceps more than on the elbow. We tried to see if he was able to continue, and he gave it a go, but you could tell he was having trouble swinging in that second at-bat. Eddie Rosario was scratched prior to the game Thursday with soreness in his right shoulder. He leads the team with 16 homers this season and has been having a good month as well, batting.357 with a.757 slugging percentage. Rosario said he d be back in the lineup against Texas and Molitor admitted resting the 26-year-old was a precautionary move. I just think we re trying to keep the big picture in mind, Molitor said. So, we re gonna back him off. It s just one of those things where you think what you re doing is best for the player for the long term. The Twins are already without second baseman Miguel Sano, who was optioned to Class A Fort Meyers to work on hitting the slider, and center fielder Byron Buxton, whose fractured toe has shown improvement but not enough to return from a minor league rehab assignment. Missing all that firepower will leave right-hander Fernando Romero a much smaller margin for error as he takes the mound for his 10th career start. Romero has cooled off since going 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA through his first four big league outings, going 1-2 with a 6.46 ERA over his last five. That number is somewhat skewed by an eight-run disaster at Kansas City back on May 30, but Romero s strikeout rate has plummeted from 9.11 per nine innings to 5.95 over his last four starts. Gosh, there s still a lot to like, Molitor said. The way that he s been able to get the ball on the ground pretty consistently, especially the way he can get in on righties. In his first start against Texas, Romero will face a Rangers lineup that is feeling good after sweeping the Royals earlier in the week and has won 13