Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, August 17, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, August 17, 2017 Rainout sparks Twins' starter shuffle; Aaron Slegers called up to make MLB debut. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Fielding gem shows Miguel Sano's improvement at third for Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins-Indians game delayed. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Newfound selectivity seems to agree with Twins Eddie Rosario. Pioneer Press (Beradino) p. 5 Is there any throw Miguel Sano can t make? Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins looking for Gibson to slow Tribe in G1. MLB (Jackson) p. 7 Sano working to raise his game, hits off tee. MLB (Jackson) p. 8 Glen Perkins says he s ready to go with Twins on Thursday or Friday. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 9 Twins are shuffling the pitching deck, Aaron Slegers will make MLB debut. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 9 Twins home losing streak against Indians halted for at least one night because of rain. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 10 Twins-Indians postponed, doubleheader scheduled for Thursday. Associated Press p. 10 Rainout sparks Twins' starter shuffle; Aaron Slegers called up to make MLB debut La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune August 17, 2017 The Twins have two chances Thursday to beat the first-place Cleveland Indians for the first time at Target Field this season one of them involving their latest pitcher to make his major league debut. With Wednesday night s game rained out the fourth postponement at Target Field this season and the second involving the Indians the Twins called up righthander Aaron Slegers, a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft, as their 26th man for a day-night doubleheader Thursday. The 6-10 Slegers will start the second game, which is scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. With the Twins also playing a doubleheader against the White Sox on Monday in Chicago, they now have to play seven games over a five-day stretch and they will need a different starting pitcher for each game. Slegers, 24, will be the 32nd pitcher used by the Twins this season, adding to their club record, and he will be the 10th Twins player (and ninth pitcher) to make his major league debut. Slegers, who throws a good sinking fastball, was 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 21 starts for Class AAA Rochester. In 130⅓ innings, Slegers has walked 27 and struck out 97. It won t be his Target Field debut, however. Slegers pitched there for Indiana in the 2013 Big Ten tournament. In his most recent start for the Red Wings on Saturday, Slegers gave up two runs over 7⅓ innings on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster, but the Twins have some flexibility on that end, with only 38 players on it as of Wednesday. Thursday s first game will feature Wednesday s scheduled starters, Kyle Gibson for the Twins and Carlos Carrasco for the Indians. In Game 2, Slegers will face Cleveland lefthander Ryan Merritt. Merritt, whose wife is from Minnesota, also started a makeup game June 17 at Target Field, which Cleveland won 9-3; that was Merritt s only other major league start this season. The Indians are 8-0 at Target Field this season. The Twins have spent the season trying to find some continuity in their starting rotation, but injuries and ineffectiveness have forced them to scour the waiver wire and reach as far down as Class AA Chattanooga for pitching help. Even so. they have remained in the running for a playoff spot; they trail Cleveland by six games in the AL Central Division and are one game out of the AL wild-card race. Trying to hold our own here in a couple different races, Twins manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday. Give ourselves a chance. But Wednesday s postponement throws another wrench into their starting pitching plans.

2 Between the doubleheaders, the Twins play host to a three-game weekend series with Arizona. Jose Berrios, who was originally scheduled to start Thursday, has been pushed back to Saturday. Ervin Santana will start Friday vs. the Diamondbacks and Bartolo Colon on Sunday. As for Monday s doubleheader, the Twins have not announced anything. Here s where they will either dip down into the minors again or pull a magic rabbit out of their hat. Righthander Dillon Gee could be used in one of the games Monday. But it s likely that he will be needed out of the bullpen during this busy period. Rookie lefthander Dietrich Enns, who made his major league debut last Thursday at Milwaukee, had been scheduled to start Sunday against Arizona, but his status was unknown as of Wednesday night. So the Twins might have to look toward Rochester again. Lefthander Stephen Gonsalves, the organization s top pitching prospect, pitched Tuesday for the Red Wings and could be summoned to face the White Sox on an extra day of rest. He has made two starts since being promoted from Chattanooga, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA. Or the Twins might have something else up their sleeves. Stay tuned, because this could get really interesting. Fielding gem shows Miguel Sano's improvement at third for Twins La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune August 17, 2017 Miguel Sano mentioned Baltimore s Manny Machado, Colorado s Nolan Arenado and Texas Adrian Beltre as some of the top defensive third basemen in the game. I try to be one of those guys, Sano said. The Twins star made a play like one of the top defenders of the hot corner Tuesday when he went well to his right to grab an Austin Jackson grounder, hit just inside the third base bag. With his momentum carrying him well into foul territory, Sano unleashed a big throw that bounced once before Joe Mauer scooped it to complete a highlight-reel play. It was a great play because we have been working really hard, Sano said. I come every day early. I work on defense and I m happy I can make those play. Sano said he received congratulatory messages from many friends and family members, and also Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano, one of his best friends. Sano s arm he has said he can hit 94 miles per hour on the radar gun might be the best aspect of his defensive game. I think we ve seen Miguel make some impressive across-the-body throws when he s stepped on third and thrown to first on a couple of double plays, manager Paul Molitor said. That s another one where it is hard to get a lot on the ball. The defensive stats aren t kind to Sano, though. Fangraphs.com has his defensive runs saved at minus-6, which is 16th among third basemen. But Sano appears intent on putting in the work to improve. Sano worked on agility drills during spring training so he could cover as much ground at third base as possible. He comes out in the early afternoon before night games and has first base coach Gene Glynn hit him ground balls. Sano wants his glovework to be as impressive as his power at the plate. I want to play third base my whole [career], he said. It s fun there. Santiago inflammation A magnetic resonance imaging exam on Twins lefthander Hector Santiago has revealed inflammation in the cervical area, Molitor said. So Santiago will be given a cortisone shot to see if that cures the problem. It will take two to three days for the medication to work its way through the area before the Twins will be able to tell if it worked. We re hoping that s the source of some of the discomfort that he s feeling, relating to trying to throw a baseball, Molitor said. 2

3 If it works, Santiago will get back on a throwing program, then face hitters again. Santiago has not pitched in a major league game since July 2 and last pitched at Class AAA Rochester on Aug. 9. He will need a little time if all goes well to build up his arm strength. Santiago has been on the disabled list because of upper thoracic back pain. No Perkins yet The Twins weren t ready to announce their plans for lefthander Glen Perkins, who is ready to rejoin the team following a lengthy recovery from a torn labrum last season. What happens in games sometimes expedite your decision, or at least make one in a more timely fashion, Molitor said before Wednesday night s postponement. So we are going to get through [Wednesday]. I know he s anxious. He wants to be out there. Since the three-time All-Star is on the 60-day disabled list, Perkins needs to be added to the 40-man roster as well, but that s not an issue because the Twins had only 38 players on the 40-man roster as of Wednesday. If the Twins don t find a way to get him on the active roster, they might schedule a simulated game for him. He last pitched on Saturday and Sunday for Class AA Chattanooga before returning to the Twin Cities. If we decide to not get him on the roster in the next day or two here, we could consider that, Molitor said. Perkins 30-day rehab window opened on July 22 and will close Sunday. The Twins have until then to add him to the roster. Etc. The Twins held a moment of silence Wednesday for Joe Boyle, who was part of the Twins broadcast team from 1975 to 78. Boyle died earlier this week. Twins-Indians game delayed La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune August 16, 2017 UPDATE: The game has been postponed. Tonight's game between the Twins and Indians has been rained out. The game will be made up tomorrow as part of a day-night doubleheader. Game One, 12:10 p.m. Kyle Gibson vs. Carlos Carrasco Game Two, 6:10 p.m. Jose Berrios vs Ryan Merritt, 6:10 p.m. Merritt's wife is from Minnesota, FWIW. The Twins will call up a 26th man for the second game of the doubleheader. No word on who that will be yet. Rochester is playing as I write this. Zack Granite left yesterday's game with an injury. Word is that he could have played for the Red Wings tonight but is out as a precaution. The 26th player will likely be a pitcher, anyway. Mike Clevinger was originally scheduled to start Thursday, but it will now be Merritt. Clevinger will be available out of the bullpen. The groundscrew has just pulled the tarp over the infield. It's 6:50 p.m. The starting pitchers have not warmed up. So that means we are not starting on time tonight. 3

4 Some are worried that once the rain starts, it won't stop for a while. Stay tuned for updates. The Twins will try to keep the ball in the park - and win a game at home, for a change - against the Indians tonight. When we play. Twins manager Paul Molitor said the weather forecast has improved of late, but radar suggests otherwise. There's a tornado warning in south central Minnesota right now. The Twins are taking batting practice as I write this. I'm bracing for some sort of delay. The guess here is that they will wait to play rather than play a doubleheader. They already have a five-game series next week in Chicago they have to come up with starters for. We'll update here whenever we are filled in. Hector Santiago's MRI came back showing inflammation in the cervical area. So the Twins are going to give him a cortisone injection and hope that will solve the problem. It will take two to three days for the medication to work its magic, the Twins will see how Santiago responds. But it's safe to assume it will be at least a few more days before Santiago throws a baseball. Still no word on what the Twins will do with Glen Perkins. The closer is healthy after a long recovery from a torn labrum, but he hasn't pitched many innings and needs to face hitters before the Twins are comfortable putting him on the roster. There are no indications when that will happen. Perkins' 30-day rehab window closes on Sunday, so the Twins have to come up with a plan by then. Kyle Gibson is on the mound tonight against Cleveland, and the Twins sure could use a strong outing from him. Gibson has posted a 5.29 ERA since his return from the minors on July 22. But it was 8.20 before that, to give you an idea of how his season has gone. This Cleveland team is starting to roll, having won five straight games while outscoring opponents Once again, check back later for any weather updates. Indians Francisco Lindor, SS Jason Kipnis, 2B Jose Berrios, 3B Edwin Encarnacion, DH Jay Bruce, RF Carlos Santana, 1B Brandon Guyer, LF Bradley Zimmer, CF Yan Gomes, C Carlos Carrasco, RHP Twins Brian Dozier, 2B Max Kepler, RF Joe Mauer, 1B Miguel Sano, 3B Eddie Rosario, LF Eduardo Escobar, DH Byron Buxton, CF Jorge Polanco, SS Jason Castro, C Kyle Gibson, RHP 4

5 Newfound selectivity seems to agree with Twins Eddie Rosario Mike Berardino Pioneer Press August 16, 2017 Eddie Rosario isn t sure what it is that makes him hit so well against the Cleveland Indians. Maybe it s the chance for the Twins left fielder to show off in front of Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, his World Baseball Classic teammate from Team Rubio. He s a friend, Rosario said before Wednesday s rainout forced a doubleheader Thursday at Target Field. He s Puerto Rican. When I do well, he s happy for me. When he does a good job, I m happy for him too. Maybe it s the fact Rosario spends his winters playing back home for Los Indios de Mayaguez and the mere association reminds him of a time when hits flow easily from his potent bat. More likely, it s the annual importance of this matchup with the class of the division and the reigning champions of the American League. It s exciting, he said through a translator. Now is when games get real intense, get very fun. It s what we play for, to be able to be in contention for the playoffs. This is what we live for. This should be fun. Fresh off his first AL Player of the Week award, the 25-year-old Rosario just smiles mischievously when his career success against the Indians is mentioned. Of all foes that have faced him for more than 50 plate appearances, Rosario has done the most damage against the Indians. Tuesday night s ringing double, one of just three hits the Twins managed off Cleveland right-hander Danny Salazar, pushed Rosario s career average against the Indians to.329. He is slugging.557 against them, thanks to 17 extra-base hits in 164 trips. The boys tell me, You love to play against the Indians, Rosario said. They have good pitchers. I don t know why, but I feel good when I play against the Indians. Since the middle of June, the third-year talent has been feeling good at the plate against pretty much everybody. Over his past 200 plate appearances and 52 games, starting on June 13, Rosario is hitting.344 with a.390 on-base percentage and.617 slugging mark. He has 11 home runs, 17 doubles and 31 runs batted in across that stretch. Just as importantly, in some ways, his strikeout/walk rate is just 35/15. For a hitter who spent 2 1/2 seasons with roughly an 8/1 split in those areas, that s positively revolutionary. So is a season walk rate that he s pushed to 6 percent, nearly double his career rate. He deserves all the credit in the world, first-year Twins hitting coach James Rowson said. He s been incredibly consistent about his work routine all year long. He made a point that he wanted to be an all-around hitter. He s got some power, as we can see, but he also has the ability to use the whole field. He s putting that whole thing together. Along with assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez, who Rowson says has been incredibly instrumental in the process with Eddie, the Twins have finally been able to convince Rosario to move beyond his well-earned reputation as one of the game s premier bad-ball hitters. After ranking among the game s four least selective hitters over his first two big-league seasons, chasing 46 percent (2015) and 44 percent (2016) of pitches out of the strike zone, respectively, Rosario has slashed that number to 38 percent. That puts him 20th from the bottom, but at least he s trending in the right direction. He s very aware of the strike zone now, Rowson said. He ll come back to the dugout and a lot of times he s asking on a pitch: That ball was a little high, right? It s becoming very important to him that he stays within the zone. He knows when he swings at balls in the zone, he s got a chance to do damage every at-bat. And on the junk pitches with no chance of being called a strike? There s not much good happening on those balls that are outside the zone, Rowson said. The tricky part, especially for a hitter who once famously homered off a neck-high fastball, is honing this newfound approach without losing the 5

6 very trait that helped him reach the big leagues in the first place. The beauty of Eddie is you never want to take away his aggressiveness, Rowson said. He s learned to be selective yet maintain aggressiveness at the plate. Every once in a while we ll still see him take a swing at a ball that may not be there, but for the most part he s aware of it and that s the way we d like him to stay. Is there any throw Miguel Sano can t make? Mike Berardino Pioneer Press August 16, 2017 Twins third baseman Miguel Sano hears from Seattle Mariners star second baseman Robinson Cano, his mentor from back home in the Dominican Republic, from time to time during the season. Tuesday night was definitely one of those times. The reason: a stunning defensive play in the fifth inning that saw Sano range several steps into foul ground to throw out Austin Jackson with a one-hop laser across the diamond. Cano called me, my family called me, Sano said Wednesday. Everybody said, Wow, that s a great play. Keep doing it like that. You can be one of the best third basemen. Sano, who credited first baseman Joe Mauer with yet another deft scoop of a throw in the dirt, smiled when asked if he could go all the way to the tarp and still make that throw. Yeah, it s easy to throw, he said with a smile. It s like when I threw from the outfield. Remember those two months he spent in right field last season? Most Twins fans would rather forget, but there s no denying the arm strength and accuracy Sano continues developing in early defensive sessions with Twins third-base coach Gene Glynn. When I take groundballs, I do that, Sano said. Every day I work on (moving to) both sides. That play I work on a lot. I m working really hard every day, trying to a good job. I m trying to do something different, something good and positive to help the team win. Twins manager Paul Molitor said the play reminded him of hall of fame third baseman Brooks Robinson s defensive gems from the 1970 World Series, when he single-handedly stymied the Cincinnati Reds and was named series MVP. For us old schoolers, Brooks would have been proud, Molitor said. We all know (Sano) works at it religiously. It was one of the better plays I ve seen him make. I see him practice that play almost every day. The impressive part is the transition and the arm strength, from the catch to the throw, and still keeping it accurate with something on it. GAME POSTPONED Rain caused postponement of Wednesday night s game against the Cleveland Indians. It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday as the team s complete this year s slate of games with each other at Target Field. The first game will be played as scheduled at 12:10 p.m., with a makeup game set for 6:10 p.m. Right-handers Kyle Gibson and Carlos Carrasco will oppose each other in the early game, followed by right-hander Jose Berrios against lefty Ryan Merritt in the nightcap. This will give the Twins two doubleheaders in a five-day span as they also must open a five-game series at the Chicago White Sox with a doubleheader on Monday. A rainout wouldn t help our cause in trying to line up our pitching moving forward, Molitor said before the game was called. PERKINS PLAN Rehabbing reliever Glen Perkins remains in limbo as the Twins try to find a 25-man roster spot for him with his 30-day rehab window set to expire Sunday. We re open-minded, even in the short term, Molitor said. I know he s anxious. I know he s ready. He wants to be out there. There was some thinking among Twins staffers that Perkins would benefit from a ninth rehab outing, this time at Triple-A Rochester, which is on 6

7 the road this week in Columbus, Ohio and Louisville. The veteran lefty, nearly 14 months removed from major shoulder surgery, had said his final minor-league hurdle would be back-to-back outings Sunday and Monday at Double-A Chattanooga. Molitor suggested Wednesday s bullpen usage could impact Perkins return, which could be as soon as Thursday s series finale against the Indians. A simulated game later in the homestand would be a consideration, Molitor said, if the Twins decide not to get him on the roster the next day or two. The Twins have two openings on their 40-man roster. Perkins, currently on the 60-day disabled list, would take up one of them once he s activated. SHOT FOR SANTIAGO Ailing lefty Hector Santiago was scheduled for a cortisone injection in his cervical spine after Monday s magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed inflammation in his neck area. Santiago, recalled from his rehab assignment after posting a 5.14 earned run average in 14 Triple-A innings, could resume throwing in a few days if the injection works. The timeline on his eventual return to the big leagues remains murky as he sat mostly in the mph range last week in Rochester. We ll try to get that thing to calm down a little bit, Molitor said. We re hoping that s the source of some of the discomfort he s feeling relating to trying to throw a baseball. Perkins had multiple injections in his neck in 2015, including one in August that saw him return to the big-league mound four days later. I think Perkins battled his on and off for awhile, Molitor said. The degree of inflammation and all those things probably influence how long it s going to take you and how much relief you re going to get. BRIEFLY Former Twins lefty Andrew Albers, who has bounced through Triple-A and the Korea Baseball Organization for much of the past four seasons, won his Seattle Mariners debut on Tuesday night. That marked his first big-league win in just over four years, dating to a complete-game, twohit shutout of the Indians on Aug. 12, With Monday s doubleheader looming in Chicago, Molitor said long reliever Dillon Gee joined multiple minor leaguers as potential starting candidates. Lefty Adalberto Mejia, who still hasn t resumed a throwing program since landing on the 10-day DL (upper arm soreness) after his Aug. 8 start, hopes to play catch as soon as Friday. Twins looking for Gibson to slow Tribe in G1 Shane Jackson MLB August 17, 2017 Following Wednesday's rainout, the Indians and Twins will wrap up a three-game set with a split doubleheader on Thursday at Target Field. Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco will square off against righty Kyle Gibson in Game 1, while both teams will employ a 26th man in the nightcap when Twins right-hander Aaron Slegers makes his MLB debut against lefty Ryan Merritt. Cleveland leads the American League Central by 5 1/2 games over the Royals and has a six-game lead over third-place Minnesota. Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) flirted with a no-hitter in his most recent outing against the Rays at Tropicana Field. In fact, Logan Morrison ended the no-hit bid with two out in the seventh inning. Carrasco allowed just two hits across a season-best eight scoreless innings, while recording 10 strikeouts. Carrasco has faced the Twins 15 times (12 starts) over his career, going 3-6 with a 4.43 ERA. Gibson (6-9, 6.02) was unable to get out of the fifth inning in his last start against the Tigers, allowing three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. Gibson hasn't lasted more than 5 1/3 frames in two starts since returning to the big league club. In 12 career starts against the Tribe, Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA. 7

8 Merritt will be recalled as the 26th man on the Indians' roster for the nightcap of the twin bill. The Tribe has won all eight meetings at Target Field this season. Slegers is 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 21 starts with Triple-A Rochester this season. He has struck out 97 and walked 27 over 130 1/3 innings. The Twins ranks 19th in batting average (.249) and 26th in slugging percentage (.385) vs. left-handers. Merritt, who has made one start this season, is an advantageous matchup for the Tribe and helps keep the rest of the rotation in order. Mike Clevinger will be available out of the bullpen, as he was originally scheduled to start on Thursday. Three things to know about this game The Twins struggle against left-handers, particularly curveballs thrown by lefties. Their.208 batting average against that pitch ranks 22nd in the Majors, while their.327 slugging percentage ranks 19th Gibson has recorded 36 double plays in 222 opportunities (16.2 percent) dating back to the start of Among qualified starters, that is the 10th-best mark in all of baseball. Minnesota first baseman Joe Mauer has a.440 batting average and four doubles in 25 at-bats against Carrasco. Edwin Encarnacion has clubbed three homers in 15 career at-bats against Gibson. Sano working to raise his game, hits off tee Shane Jackson MLB August 16, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- One day after making arguably his best defensive play of the season, Miguel Sano found himself putting in the early offensive work at Target Field. Sano was the first Twins hitter in the batting cage prior to Wednesday's game against the Indians. He began to hit off the tee, as hitting coach James Rowson watched closely from behind home plate. Sano scorched baseball after baseball into the right-center gap, before he began depositing them over the left-field wall. For Sano, it was just the latest example of the work ethic he has maintained through the highs and lows of his All-Star season. Sano's defensive gem at third base on Tuesday night, which involved a season-long 149-foot throw across the diamond, according to Statcast, was made possible by practicing that same play on a daily basis. "I told you all, I'm working really hard every day," Sano said. "I want to do something different and that can help the team win." Sano has paced the offense for much of the year, but entered Wednesday in a bit of a slump. Sano leads the team with 26 home runs, but he had clubbed just two homers in 48 previous at-bats this month. Which is why Sano felt it was necessary to put in the early work on the field, in hopes to getting back to doing what he does best. "I work every day, but today I went out to the field and hit off the tee," Sano said. "I hit a couple balls out to the field. I try to go back and hit some bombs and do my job, and be ready to play." Sano, who has been hit on the hand twice since the All-Star break, said it's easier to pull his hand inside more when hitting off the tee. As a result, he is able to get more out of his swing, which may be part of the problem. According to Statcast, Sano's average exit velocity (92.7 mph) is the fourth-best mark in the Majors. That has decreased throughout the season, however, after he leaped out to enormous advantage in that particular category in the first two months of the season. In August, Sano's exit velocity on batted balls is a mere 86.9 mph. But if his previous work ethic is any indication, Sano's work off the tee could pay dividends in the near future. After all, his defensive prowess the night before earned some lofty praise. "My family called me and said, 'Wow that's a great play. Keep going, I know you can be one of the best third basemen,'" Sano said. Worth noting Twins manager Paul Molitor said MRI results revealed that left-hander Hector Santiago has inflammation in the cervical area. Molitor said Santiago will receive an injection in an attempt to get to the source of the discomfort. If all goes well, Santiago could potentially resume throwing within the next five days. "Depending on how he responds to this, and if we hit the spot and it indeed is connected to some of the issues we've been facing, he'll be throwing the baseball here sooner than later," Molitor said. 8

9 Glen Perkins says he s ready to go with Twins on Thursday or Friday Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 August 16, 2017 Glen Perkins is nearing a return to the Major Leagues more than a year after his shoulder surgery and 16 months after he last pitched in a game for the Twins. It must have been quite a trip. The former Twins closer and three-time all-star joined the Mackey & Judd show on 1500ESPN on Wednesday morning. The expectation is that he ll be activated this week after three outings in Double-A Chattanooga concluded his rehab regiment. I m ready to go, Perkins said in the radio interview. I think I m where I would be had this been the end of spring training. Hopefully, some of the experience that I have, and the knowledge of hitters and just how to pitch up here will help me as I continue to sand out those rough edges that I have left. It s been a trying process that tested Perkins patience at times, he s said. But now the finish line is in sight and his fastball back to at least 90 mph, according to sources with the Twins. Multiple times that I thought [I d never be back]. It was never, I m going to quit trying. It was just that I d done all this stuff and it [wasn t] working, Perkins said. I persevered, I fought through, I battled and I m thankful for all the people around me did. All the trainers I ve had at the different levels, up here [in Minnesota] and in Florida. It s been a weird month and a half just from how rehab had gone to how it s gone now. I ve felt better almost every day that I ve gone out to play catch. Not just, Oh, I can play catch, but like improvement. And every time I pitch I ve felt improvement, Perkins said. On the other side of the coin I m, like, waiting because I ve had so many setbacks, and every time I thought I was getting over the hump and I didn t, that I m waiting for it to not feel good one day. And thankfully every time I ve gone in to play catch or pitch it s been good. Perkins pitched for the Lookouts on Thursday, and then in back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday. It s not clear what his role will be, as manager Paul Molitor is playing musical chairs with the closer s role ever since all-star closer Brandon Kintzler was traded to the Washington Nationals. The role isn t the most important thing to Perkins, he said Wednesday. I just want to come in and be a part of [the postseason race]. I don t expect to come back in and be the guy. I want to help in whatever role that I can help in, he said. I hope I can influence this team in a positive way on the field, not just off the field, he said. And go out and prove some people wrong that doubted whether I was going to get back from rehab or doubted my work ethic through this, or have doubted what I can bring to this team in this moment. There ve been doubters at all of those points. Hopefully the things that I ve done and the confidence that I have in myself will allow me to help this team. Twins are shuffling the pitching deck, Aaron Slegers will make MLB debut Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 August 16, 2017 Aaron Slegers will make his MLB debut for the pitching-needy Twins as part of a day-night split doubleheader Thursday against the Indians. His start will bump back J.O. Berrios to the weekend series against the Diamondbacks. So in a pivotal spot against the division-leading Indians, the Twins are turning to Kyle Gibson and a rookie making his MLB debut. That s a pretty big test for your first big-league assignment. The Indians got to veteran Bartolo Colon to win the first game of the series, and currenlty hold a comfortable 6-game lead of the Twins in the AL Central. Gibson and Slegers will pitch Thursday. The starters in order this weekend, according to the Twins, will be Ervin Santana, J.O. Berrios and Bartolo Colon. Of course, winning any game is important the rest of the way for a Twins team that s locked in a pursuit of the second wild card spot in the American League. Facing the Indians presented an opportunity to gain ground in the division, but if that s out of reach, the Twins still have a side door they can use to sneak into the postseason. 9

10 Slegers has pitched well for Triple-A Rochester this season. He was in spring training with the Twins and caught some attention and not just because of his 6-foot-10 frame. He s pitched exclusively for the Red Wings this season and has posted a 3.18 ERA in 130 1/3 innings. he has a 97:27 strikeout-to-walk ratio, so the strikeout numbers aren t as eye-grabbing as a guy like Berrios, but it s nonetheless a strong minor league resume this season. Slegers will be the 26th man Thursday, meaning he ll be returned to Triple-A Rochester after his debut. That should help somewhat with the Twins sudden and urgent demand for starting pitching. They also have a doubleheader scheduled for Monday, which means they ll have to use 7 startings pitchers in 5 days. Talk about testing your depth. Dietrich Enns had been scheduled to start Saturday. He s one of the prospects acquired from the Yankees in the Jaime Garcia trade. Twins home losing streak against Indians halted for at least one night because of rain Judd Zulgad ESPN 1500 August 16, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The Twins got at least a one-night reprieve from their misery against the Cleveland Indians this season at Target Field. Having failed to beat the Indians in eight tries at home, the Twins game against Cleveland on Wednesday night was called because of rain. The grounds crew put the tarp on the field before the scheduled first pitch at 7:10 p.m. and it never came off as a steady rain began to fall. The teams will play a split-doubleheader on Thursday with the originally scheduled game starting at 12:10 p.m. and then the makeup being played at 6:10 p.m. Kyle Gibson, who was scheduled to start for the Twins on Wednesday, will start the first game and Jose Berrios will go for the Twins in Game 2. Righthander Carlos Carrasco and lefty Ryan Merritt will go for Cleveland. The Twins are in third place in the American League Central, six games behind first-place Cleveland, and were a game back in the wild card race entering Wednesday. The Royals were 5.5 back in the division and a half-game back of the Angels for the second wild card spot. The Twins opened this series with an 8-1 loss to the Indians on Tuesday. Wednesday s game was the fourth postponed at Target Field this season and the sixth postponement for the Twins overall. Minnesota also is scheduled to play a doubleheader on Monday against the White Sox in Chicago. The Twins and Indians also played a doubleheader at Target Field on June 17 with Cleveland winning 9-3 and 6-2. Twins-Indians postponed, doubleheader scheduled for Thursday Associated Press August 16, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Twins still haven t beaten the Cleveland Indians at home this season. They have two tries left, and now both will take place on the same day. The Twins postponed their game on Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians just 35 minutes into a rain delay, scheduling a split doubleheader to finish the series with the AL Central leaders while wet and stormy weather was predicted to persist throughout the night. The Indians and Twins have only one common off date the rest of the season, on Sept. 25, the day the before a three-game series between the two teams in Cleveland. The Indians play in Seattle on Sept. 24, when the Twins are at Detroit. So the Twins, who are 0-8 against the Indians at Target Field this year and 5-1 against them on the road, will play their fourth home doubleheader of 2017 on Thursday. The regularly scheduled game is at 12:10 p.m. local time, with Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) and Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02 ERA) each having their start pushed back one day. The makeup at 6:10 p.m. will pit Twins right-hander Aaron Slegers (major league debut) against Indians left-hander Ryan Merritt (0-0, 3.60 ERA). Slegers will be the 26th player, summoned from Triple-A Rochester. We re 0-8, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, referring to his team s home record against the Indians, and trying to hold our own here. Rather than use right-hander Mike Clevinger in the nightcap, Indians manager Terry Francona opted to keep him in the bullpen for the doubleheader and summon Merritt as the 26th player from Triple-A Columbus. That way, Clevinger can stay on turn in the rotation next week 10

11 without another shuffle necessary. The Twins won t have that luxury. They re facing another doubleheader, their second on the road this season, at Chicago on Monday. They were already going to be forced to find a spot starter, but now they ll need two over the next five days. The Twins trail the Indians by six games in the division race, with the Kansas City Royals in between at 5 games back. The Twins and Royals are also in the thick of the chase for the second AL wild-card spot, with the Royals one-half game behind the Los Angeles Angels and the Twins one game back. After a slow start to 2017 coming off their crushing loss in Game 7 of the World Series last fall to the Chicago Cubs, the Indians have caught their stride entering the home stretch. Indians starters now have a league-low 3.98 ERA, after owning the league s highest rotation ERA (4.86) as late as June 9. Indians starters have held opponents to one or zero runs in nine of their last 12 games. I don t think you get too satisfied in the middle of August. I think we re trending in the right direction, Francona said. But I think with those types of things, you just show up every day and keep plugging away or the trend can go the other way, until you re done. But it does feel better. When you show up and you feel like you re going to get a pretty well-pitched game, that helps everybody. The Indians also have the lowest relief ERA (2.95) in the major leagues. Some of it goes to our pitchers work ethic. Our pitchers don t seem to tire as you get into August, September. I think that helps a ton, Francona said. I d like to think that our clubhouse, our chemistry, however you want to say it, we don t bail on each other. We keep plugging away, and I think it s a good characteristic. TRAINER S ROOM Indians: RF Lonnie Chisenhall (strained right calf) reported no trouble after playing LF in a rehab game with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. He has not played for the Indians since July 9. Twins: LHP Hector Santiago will get a cortisone injection in his upper back, after being scratched from a scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Rochester. He has not pitched for the Twins since July 2. 11