Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Twins' Hector Santiago baffles former teammates; White Sox's Mike Pelfrey misses same chance. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 After suspension upheld, Miguel Sano says, 'I was defending myself'. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas can hit a ball hard, other notes. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 After that awful start, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is on a roll. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4 Emma Charlesworth-Seiler second woman in 10 years hired to umpire pro baseball. Star Tribune (Gonzalez) p. 4 Twins have had decent starts in 4 of last 5 seasons; how will they finish? Star Tribune (Rand) p. 5 If Twins make Louisville s Brendan McKay their No. 1 pick, they ll have another decision to make. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 6 Playing short-handed for Twins no problem in 7-2 win over White Sox. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8 Miguel Sano loses appeal, serves one-game suspension in Chicago. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9 Power ball: Vargas' blast helps pick up Twins. MLB (Bollinger) p. 10 Vargas' HR, 4-run 6th power Twins past Sox. MLB (Bollinger & Jackson) p. 11 Sano serves suspension in opener vs. Sox. MLB (Bollinger) p. 12 Hughes aiming to build on success vs. Sox. MLB (Bollinger) p. 13 Could the Twins really be buyers at this year s trade deadline? ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 13 Santiago, Vargas team up to take down White Sox. Associated Press p. 14 Brandon Kintzler s Journey To Twins Included Stint With St. Paul Saints. CBS Minnesota (Max) p. 15 Twins' Hector Santiago baffles former teammates; White Sox's Mike Pelfrey misses same chance La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune May 10, 2017 CHICAGO Hector Santiago was a 30th-round draft pick by the White Sox in 2006, and he ll never forget his original team. I respect this organization and love them, Santiago said, but if I can go out there and beat them every time, that is my goal. No kidding. Santiago continues to dominate his former team after it traded him to the Angels after the 2013 season. On Tuesday, he pitched into the seventh inning for the fourth time in seven starts to help the Twins beat the White Sox 7-2. While doing so, the Twins knocked out former teammate Mike Pelfrey, who left the game in the fifth inning after surrendering a 2-0 lead. Fielding a lineup without Miguel Sano and Brian Dozier, the Twins forced Pelfrey to throw 95 pitches over 4 ⅔ innings then jumped on Chicago s bullpen with a four-run six inning. Pelfrey, known for his candor when he doesn t pitch well, delivered again after the game. These guys gave me a lead, and I gave it right back, he said. That can be demoralizing, and that s my fault. The Twins won despite their two most important hitters missing the game. Sano served a one-game suspension for his involvement in a benchclearing incident with Detroit on April 22. Dozier was not available because his sprained left ankle is not quite healed. Their timing couldn t have been worse: Righthanded hitters entered Tuesday batting.333 against Pelfrey, while lefties were hitting.207. Twins manager Paul Molitor crafted a lineup that included eight lefthanded hitters, including Joe Mauer in the leadoff spot.

2 I was kind of questioning my lineup after the first few innings, Molitor said. Pelfrey, busting his sinker in on the lefties, retired the first eight batters he faced while throwing three shutout innings. Santiago retired the first seven White Sox batters he faced, running his scoreless inning streak against them to 15. But RBI singles by Tyler Saladino and Jose Abreu in the third inning gave Chicago a 2-0 lead. One of Pelfrey s issues is that he struggles with runners on base. That proved to be true again as Jorge Polanco led off the fourth with a single and stole second. Max Kepler followed with an RBI single. Then Kennys Vargas belted a two-run homer to right that left his bat at 114 miles per hour. Once we got the leadoff guy on with Polanco on, and made him pitch out of the stretch, it seemed like we were able to take advantage of that a bit, Molitor said. The Twins then put Chicago away with four runs on six hits in the sixth inning. The hits were one shy of their season high for an inning. Byron Buxton went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored and pushed his batting average to.188. Mauer and Polanco each added two hits. The production enabled Santiago to last 6 ⅔ innings, giving up two runs on three hits and five walks while striking out six. He did it to the White Sox again, and was waiting for his phone to blow up with messages from his former teammates. Santiago is 5-1 in seven starts against the White Sox with a 1.59 ERA. I ll have some texts here in a few minutes from those guys, he said, saying Stop killing us or Stop putting it on us. After suspension upheld, Miguel Sano says, 'I was defending myself' La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune May 10, 2017 CHICAGO Miguel Sano worked out before Tuesday s game against the White Sox but left the clubhouse before the first pitch was thrown. Sano became a spectator because he had to serve the one-game suspension Major League Baseball handed him for his involvement in an incident during a game against the Tigers on April 22. It wasn t a surprise to me, said Sano, who was informed of the decision by his agent Tuesday morning, but it is frustrating because I want to be with my team and I can t be with my team [Tuesday]. MLB heard Sano s appeal Friday before announcing its decision. The incident began when Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd threw a pitch behind Sano, and the Twins third baseman responded by pointing and yelling at Boyd. Things got heated when catcher James McCann stepped in to make sure Sano didn t go after Boyd. But when McCann put his glove in Sano s face, Sano responded by shoving him. Umpires working the game viewed Sano s shove as more of a punch. I did not punch him, Sano said. I was defending myself. Boyd was fined. McCann went unpunished. Sano was the only one suspended. I was hoping for the best. I really don t care for the ruling, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I m disappointed in it. I ll respect it, and we will abide by it. They cited a lot of different reasons why they upheld it, and I disagree. Molitor s argument is that Sano was provoked twice, once by Boyd s pitch and again by McCann s glove. And he pointed out Sano was tossed in the fifth inning and already has missed part of a game. I don t think his reactions are surprising, given the fact he didn t initiate either one of those, Molitor said. He had to miss a half-game already. You can cite whatever you want, but I don t think it added up to what he did. Dozier not quite ready Second baseman Brian Dozier hit, took grounders and ran the bases early, showing the left ankle sprain he suffered Friday has improved. 2

3 But Molitor wasn t quite ready to write his name in the lineup. He s worried how running the bases will affect Dozier s injury. Dozier, however, was an option to pinch hit if needed. The new 10-day disabled list replaced the previous 15-day DL, encouraging teams to use it for players who didn t need that long to recover from an injury. But the Twins appear to be willing to play four or five games shorthanded if Dozier will be ready by the end of the week and won t need a stint on the DL. It s still kind of a high risk, Molitor said. Maybe he could play and get away with it. I just thought [Tuesday], having him available is probably the better decision in the short term. If he keeps improving day to day as he has to this point, hopefully we will see him sooner than later. Gibson s first AAA start Kyle Gibson made his first start since being demoted to Class AAA Rochester. He allowed three runs and six hits in six innings in the Red Wings 4-1 loss to Lehigh Valley. He struck out eight. After allowing two runs and three hits in the first, he allowed only one run and five hits over his last five innings. Chapman for depth Derek Falvey, the Twins chief baseball officer, sees lefthander Kevin Chapman as someone who can provide relief depth at Class AAA Rochester. Chapman came to the Twins on Monday from Atlanta in exchange for infielder Danny Santana, who was designated for assignment Friday. Chapman, 29, has 58 games of major league experience with Houston but had given up 10 earned runs in nine innings for Class AAA Gwinnett of the Braves system when the trade was made. He s handled lefthanders pretty well, Falvey said. We got some ideas of how to help him, make some adjustments and see how it goes. Etc. Lefthander Glen Perkins bullpen session on Tuesday went well. If he can have another session or two like it, the Twins will discuss when he can face hitters. Perkins is recovering from a torn labrum in his shoulder. Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas can hit a ball hard, other notes La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune May 9, 2017 Here are three quick thoughts following the Twins win over the White Sox BIG KENNYS: Kennys Vargas was asked does he try to hit the ball in the air. "I don't try to hit the ball in the air," he said. "I just try to hit line drives and I get that power." It showed in the fourth inning, when he got all of a 92.2 miles per hour fastball from Mike Pelfrey and sent it 409 feet for a two-run homer. The exit velocity of mph was the hardest hit home run of his career. The launch angle of 19.3 degrees means it was a rope that got out of the park quickly. This STATCAST stuff is interesting. HE'S GETTING CLOSER: Byron Buxton was 3-for-4 on Tuesday and he continues to trend upward. He's now batting.188 and is closing in on.200. Yes, is still a bad batting average, but keep this in mind: His.188 average is his high point of the season. That's how far this man had fallen before finally making adjustments during the previous road trip. "I was really impressed with the two-strike changeup that he took to right field in his last at-bat," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. EHIRE: Ehrie Adrianza isn't known for his bat, but he came through with a two-run single in the sixth when he slapped a pitch down the right field line. It was his first American League hit. WEATHER ALERT: The forecast is not favorable for Wednesday's game to start on time. Rain is expected to start falling around 4 p.m. and intensify at 7 p.m. Not good. But check here for weather updates as they become available. I'm worried, because the White Sox already have the tarp over the infield. 3

4 After that awful start, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is on a roll Michael Rand Star Tribune May 10, 2017 By every objective measure, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton had a miserable first 15 games of the 2017 season at the plate. He went 4 for 49 in that opening stretch, walking just twice and striking out a ghastly 24 times. It added justifiable fuel to everyone who wondered if his strong September in 2016 was for real or if it was just a function of beating up on minor league call-ups and checked out teams. But while those first 15 games still count sorry, Byron, they can t be erased the great news for Buxton and everyone connected to the Twins organization is that his last 10 games have been remarkably better. One might even say Buxton has been beyond functional and is, in fact, hot at the plate. Since his tutorial with Torii Hunter, Buxton is 10 for his last 30 (.333) and has a.459 on-base percentage. Included in that stretch is a double, triple and home run as well as seven walks to go with just six strikeouts. He s scored nine runs in that span, getting a chance (finally) to show off his game-changing speed on a more consistent basis. He s been spraying the ball to all fields while also hitting with authority, with Tuesday s 7-2 victory over Chicago providing a good example. Buxton had three hits a well-struck double down the left field line, a looping line drive to left-center that drove in a run and a sharp single to right on a tough pitch. So which one is the real Buxton the guy who had a pitiful.257 OPS through 15 games or the one who has a.993 OPS in his last 10 games and looks completely different at the plate? He s still just 23, so it s hard to draw hard conclusions particularly since we ve seen hot and cold stretches from Buxton in the past. What I think we could attempt to conclude at this point is that batting Buxton high in the order to start the season he was the No. 3 hitter in his first four games, going a combined 1 for 18 with 11 strikeouts threw him off his approach a little. He was trying to pull everything early on, perhaps feeling the burden of being in that run-producing slot in the order. If we think of that as a natural tendency and evolution for a young player instead of a sign that Buxton has some sort or deficiency when handling pressure, there s no reason to think he couldn t move up in the order if he keeps hitting well. That said, he s done all of his recent damage from the No. 8 or 9 spot, and it seems to suit him and the Twins lineup just fine. For now, there s no reason to mess with a good thing especially when that good thing was a mess just a couple weeks ago. Buxton s overall average is still just.188, and even with his speed his.391 batting average on balls in play during this recent 10-game surge is bound to level off. Just as the Twins didn t panic after his awful start, they shouldn t relax and assume everything is fixed now. But should everyone be encouraged? Absolutely. Emma Charlesworth-Seiler second woman in 10 years hired to umpire pro baseball Jason Gonzalez Star Tribune May 9, 2017 Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, a Minnesota native and Hamline University graduate, became just the second woman hired to umpire professional baseball since 2007 after signing a minor league contract last week. Charlesworth-Seiler will be assigned to the Gulf Coast League in Florida, home of the Twins Rookie affiliate. She will be just the second woman to umpire in the league since 1978, however, this is the second consecutive year a woman has been hired to ump affiliated baseball. Charlesworth-Seiler earned the opportunity after standing out at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., at Historic Dodgertown in January. She was the only woman among more than 80 men enrolled at the academy for aspiring professional umpires. Only seven other women have umpired in an affiliated league. Jen Pawol debuted in the Gulf Coast League last summer and will climb to shortseason Class A this season. Pam Postema ( ) advanced to umpire Triple-A and was the first woman to umpire a big league spring training game. Perry Barber, a longtime female umpire and instructor, celebrated the hire on her Facebook page calling it a historic move. 4

5 Minor League Baseball has hired Emma Charlesworth-Seiler to umpire in the Gulf Coast League in Florida this summer, the second consecutive year in which a woman has been promoted into the ranks of professional umpires, Barber wrote. THAT has never happened before in the history of pro ball in this country, and it's a promising omen of good things to come. Congratulations to Emma, who has worked so hard, been such a great addition to my Baseball For All umpiring crews the last few years, and been such an apt student, for her assignment to the GCL, which has been the birthplace and proving ground of many a major league umpire's career. Emma, make it one more! We are rooting for you!!!! Congratulations to Emma, Minor League Baseball, and her loving family, especially proud dad Scott Charlesworth-Seiler. Charlesworth-Seiler has umpired in leagues throughout the Twin Cities since 2014, according to her LinkedIn page. Last year, she umpired in Australia for the New South Wales Baseball Umpire Association. She also was a scorer for the St. Paul Saints, a community outreach intern for Baseball For All, and is a member of The Halsey Hall Chapter of The Society for American Baseball Research. In October 2015, Charlesworth-Seiler pitched two games in the Peach Orchard Classic for the Great Lakes Lightning, a women's baseball team that competes in tournaments across the United States. The team won both games she pitched. Charlesworth-Seiler has been a fan of baseball since she was in second grade, according to the Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida. The article featuring the MiLB umpiring academy wrote Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, from Minnesota, became interested in baseball by writing a secondgrade report on Dodger Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Her love of baseball was immediate. She played in an international tournament in South Korea, and recently played in a women s baseball league in Australia, on the Penrith Panthers Baseball Club team. Scott Charlesworth-Seiler, Emma s father, wrote on Facebook Saturday, IT IS NOW OFFICIAL! Emma has signed the papers to be an employee of Minor League Baseball! After all her training, she begins umpiring the games of professional athletes! Her assignment is to the Gulf Coast League in Florida. The Gulf Coast League is where many major league umpires careers have begun! Twins have had decent starts in 4 of last 5 seasons; how will they finish? Michael Rand Star Tribune May 9, 2017 In case you ve forgotten in the midst of the general misery from 2011-present, the Twins have actually gotten off to decent starts more than once. In fact, this year s record which most people would agree is at least decent marks the fourth time in the past five seasons the Twins have had a winning record at some point in May. In 2013, the Twins were after a victory on May 13. In 2014, the Twins were after a victory on May 21. In 2015, the Twins were 20-7 during May and finished the month with a overall record. In 2016 yeah, let s not talk about that. But yes, with the Twins in recent years it s more often been a question of how they finished, not how they started. Fans have been cautiously optimistic before, only to see those hopes dashed quickly. So the question after another reasonable start in 2017 is: that s nice, but where is it all leading? Again, let s look at the comparisons: In 2013, the Twins were from April-June and afterwards and ended up In 2014, the Twins were through the end of June and after for a finish. In 2015, the Twins were through the end of June and the rest of the way for a finish. Basically there is one season (2013) that turned from optimism into a hot mess. There was one season (2014) that never felt truly hopeless but evolved into a slow fade. And there was one season when the Twins managed to sustain their decent play for a full 162 games (even if their 20-7 month of May was a big factor). When the Twins have faded after an OK start, pitching has tended to be a culprit. That s worrisome considering the cracks shown recently in both the rotation and the bullpen. 5

6 That said, these 2017 Twins do seem to have more talent and certainly better defense than some of the 90-loss teams that preceded them. The best guess, still, is that this year s team will wind up somewhere between the 70-win team of three years ago and the 83-win team of two years ago. Whichever team this year s version most closely emulates will go a long way toward determining how we end up viewing If Twins make Louisville s Brendan McKay their No. 1 pick, they ll have another decision to make Chad Graff Pioneer Press May 10, 2017 LOUISVILLE, Ky. In the shadow of the best college baseball player in the country stands a student manager during a warm afternoon practice this week at the University of Louisville. His job is simple: Protect the left arm of the best two-way player to come through the college ranks in at least two decades, perhaps ever. The Minnesota Twins, who own the No. 1 overall pick in Major League Baseball s June 12 amateur draft, would approve. During a practice this week at Jim Patterson Stadium, it was the manager s job to take the ball from first baseman McKay and throw it to the catcher the latest effort to control just how frequently McKay uses his golden arm. He hates it absolutely hates it, Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said. Such are the precautions deemed necessary with a prospect as highly regarded as McKay, the best hitter and the best pitcher on one of college baseball s best teams. In line to win the John Olerud Award as the best two-way player for a third straight year, McKay s versatility has been a luxury for Louisville. And yet, to the dozens of scouts who fill the bleachers here each game for a glimpse at McKay, it has raised a perplexing question. TWO GUYS IN ONE When McKay first met Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, the question McKay has come to dread came quickly. What position do you want to play professionally? Truth is, McKay isn t sure. After another successful Friday night start, he envisions himself on the mound full-time. After a good day at the plate like his four home run game against Eastern Kentucky on April 25 he envisions himself playing first base in the big leagues. If McKay really had his way, he d land with an innovative team open to letting him try both, perhaps as a starting pitcher who serves as a designated hitter a few times a week. But McKay knows that s unlikely. Major league teams don t invest millions of dollars and high draft picks to take extra risk injury with players on the field. But, McKay said, if you could figure out a way where guys could do both pitch and hit, it could create something new in Major League Baseball. Scouts are as conflicted as McKay. About half, McDonnell said, envision him at first base, comparing him to the Los Angeles Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez or Cincinnati Reds Joey Votto. The other halffigure you can t turn down a 6-foot-2 left-handed starting pitcher who throws in the mid- 90s and has a strong curveball. I don t know if he s the best hitter in the country or the best pitcher in the country, McDonnell said. All I know is he s two guys in one. Maybe three. This season, McKay has been No. 2-ranked Louisville s ace on Friday nights, the designated hitter on Saturdays and first baseman on Sundays. He entered this weekend with a 1.92 earned-run average and 103 strikeouts in 75 innings, and a.389 batting average with 15 home runs in 157 at-bats. 6

7 If he were just our cleanup hitter, he d be a superstar, McDonnell said. If he were just our Friday night starter, he d be a superstar. But we have him for both. And I think there s value in getting two players with one draft pick. POLISH VS. POTENTIAL In an effort to control attention McKay is getting from scouts as Louisville prepares for the postseason, the team invited interested MLB teams to town last month for sit-downs with McKay. There, the Twins told him that they envision him as a pitcher but might be open to letting him get some at-bats during fall ball or instructional leagues. It s kind of out of my control to some degree, McKay said. If somebody is going to pay you X amount of dollars, they have a say in what you re going to do. You can ask if you can do both, and they might say yes, but if they want me to play one position, I ll do it for them. McKay is one of two players the Twins are considering drafting with their first No. 1 pick since 2001, when they selected Joe Mauer out of Cretin-Derham Hall. The other is a 17-year-old touted by a Sports Illustrated cover as The star baseball needs. Few players have the potential of Hunter Greene, a high schooler from southern California who plays shortstop and pitches, but there is reason to think twice about drafting a teenager who doesn t even have a high school diploma yet. Of the past 10 No. 1 MLB draft picks, four have become all-stars, and all four of them played college baseball. We re pumping kids into pro ball, McDonnell said. Hunter Greene might become a Hall of Famer for all we know, but with the high school guy, there are going to be some unknowns and it s going to take some time. It doesn t surprise me that scouts who have seen Brendan McKay say, This guy is ready. You could drop him right now in a big-league stadium and he could hold his own. IT JUST REGISTERS Two weeks ago, During a bullpen session two weeks ago, pitching coach Roger Williams tossed out the idea of introducing a cut-fastball into McKay s repertoire. It would help McKay against lefties, he figured, so Williams showed how to grip the ball and how to throw it. McKay threw it a couple times that day, and Williams left so impressed he told McDonnell that McKay was ready to start throwing it in games. Five days later, McKay used the cutter to help record 12 strikeouts in a win over Toledo. We would never ask Brendan to bunt, but if we went out there and told him how to do it, he d be the best bunter, McDonnell said. I can tell him how to do something, and it just registers with him. McDonnell said his favorite attribute of McKay s is his poise. After McKay hit four homers and drove in nine runs against Eastern Kentucky on April 25, McDonnell said he acted the same as he does for any other game. If you looked out at first base, you d have thought he was 1-for-3 with a base hit which is not normal for a college kid, McDonnell said. You wouldn t want to play poker with this dude. You can t tell after a game if he went 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. He s very professional. One month remains before the Twins must decide between Greene and McKay. If they pick McKay, they ll have an additional decision to make, something McDonnell sees as more of a luxury than a problem. If Brendan were just a pure first baseman, I think he d be phenomenal, McDonnell said. Or if you want him to be a pure pitcher, I think he s a for-sure big leaguer. The neat thing is you can have either one. 7

8 Playing short-handed for Twins no problem in 7-2 win over White Sox Mike Berardino Pioneer Press May 9, 2017 CHICAGO Playing without Miguel Sano due to a one-game suspension and Brian Dozier due to a sprained left ankle, the Twins went quietly the first time through the order against old friend Mike Pelfrey. Then, as was so often the case during his three seasons with the Twins, the affable right-hander ran into trouble on his second look at the lineup. Kennys Vargas two-run blast into the visiting bullpen was the key blow in a three-run fourth inning that sent the Twins to a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. We need them, too, Vargas said of the missing duo. But it s good it s not just one guy or two guys. It s everybody that can win the game at any time. Limited to Byron Buxton s two-out double in the third, the Twins began to bother Pelfrey when Jorge Polanco sent a soft liner into shallow right to start the fourth. Polanco stole second and scored on Max Kepler s inside-out single past third. For Vargas, who also homered and delivered a sacrifice fly on Sunday, it was his fourth homer with the Twins this season and his sixth overall in 80 at-bats, including 12 games at Triple-A Rochester. I like what I m doing right now, Vargas said. I m driving in runs. That s what I m looking for. If you re playing every day, you start getting confident and comfortable and you can make adjustments because you are seeing pitching every day. When Joe Mauer, hitting leadoff for the first time in nearly a year, ripped a one-out double in the fifth, the end was near for Pelfrey. With the Detroit Tigers paying the bulk of his $8 million salary after releasing him this spring, Pelfrey has now faced the Twins four times since leaving as a free agent two winters ago. His earned-run average is 8.04, including 25 hits and five walks allowed in 15 2/3 innings. Ehire Adrianza, recalled over the weekend from a month-long rehab assignment, added a two-run single in the sixth for his first American League hit. It came against the team that once employed his father as a Latin American scout and his godfather, Ozzie Guillen, as manager of the only White Sox World Series champion (2005) in the past 100 years. Adrianza was making his second straight start at second in place of Dozier. We try to think of ourselves as a team that s fairly balanced, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. The void of Dozier and Sano are obviously big ones for us but everyone kind of had a hand in it somewhere along the way. Buxton, who has hit in nine of his past 12 games, followed with a run-scoring single en route to his fifth career three-hit night (four against the White Sox). Hitting.082 on April 20, he has raised his batting average 106 points over his past 12 games while hitting.333 with a.442 on-base percentage in his past 43 trips. Twins lefty Hector Santiago, also facing his former team in a retribution-laced matchup of starting pitchers, worked 6 2/3 solid innings on 111 pitches to improve to 4-1. In seven starts against the White Sox since they traded him to the Los Angeles Angels in December 2013, he is 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. I ll have some texts in a few minutes from those guys saying, Stop killing us or Stop putting it on us, Santiago said. This is where I grew up in baseball. I respect this organization. I love them. But if I can go out there and beat them every time, that s my goal. As for Dozier, the Twins second baseman and usual leadoff man (26 times this year) appears likely to avoid the 10-day disabled list. He was available off the bench Tuesday night but his services weren t required after making it through early work and batting practice. He s gotten incrementally better each day, which is encouraging, Molitor said. I didn t want to be influenced by Sano s absence to try to force him back in there. It s still kind of a high risk. He could play and maybe get away with it. Hopefully, we ll see him sooner than later. Because DL stints can now only be made retroactively for three days, Tuesday was the last day the Twins could have placed Dozier on the DL and not lost a day to their indecision. Depth pieces such as Adrianza and Eduardo Escobar, who filled in at third for Sano, factor in as well. 8

9 Miguel Sano loses appeal, serves one-game suspension in Chicago Mike Berardino Pioneer Press May 9, 2017 CHICAGO Miguel Sano wasn t interested in rehashing his side of the April 22 bench-clearing incident that resulted in him sitting out Tuesday night s game against the Chicago White Sox. However, the Twins young slugger made it clear in the wake of his one-game suspension, the appeal of which was rejected Tuesday, that he might not be as cautious the next time he is challenged in that manner on the field. This is a decision that the people (made), so this is the decision we ll take, Sano said. But next time I ll try to get a suspension for something that I do, because I didn t punch him. I tried to defend myself. Sano, who turns 24 on Thursday, pointed and shouted at Detroit Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd after a pitch was thrown behind him at waist level. When Tigers catcher James McCann intervened and shoved his glove in Sano s face, the Twins third baseman pushed McCann away with a shove to the chest. Sano s suspension was handed down two days later, with Joe Torre, chief baseball officer for Major League Baseball, citing his aggressive actions. Sano immediately appealed, enabling him to remain in the lineup the past two weeks. His appeal finally was heard by video conference on May 5, and Sano was among those interviewed during a 90-minute hearing before an arbitrator. Despite detailed testimony from Twins general manager Thad Levine and manager Paul Molitor, the decision was upheld. I don t really care for the ruling, Molitor said. I m disappointed in it. I ll respect it, and we ll abide by it. They cited a lot of different reasons why they upheld it, and I have the right to disagree. In addition to the fact that Sano was ejected in the fifth inning of that 5-4 loss, Molitor cited the relative restraint Sano showed in a heated situation. For me he was provoked twice, Molitor said. He was provoked by the pitcher and he was provoked by the catcher. I don t think his reactions are surprising given the fact he didn t initiate either of those. You can cite whatever you want but I don t think it matched up to what he did. For the first time this season, the Twins were forced to field a starting lineup that did not include Sano. Batting.300 with eight homers, a leagueleading 28 runs batted in and a combined on-base/slugging percentage of 1.071, Sano is off to the best start of his three-year career. He planned to take part in batting practice but was forbidden from being in the dugout or clubhouse during the game. Molitor gave Sano the option to go back to the team hotel, but Sano said he probably would watch the game from a booth upstairs, possibly with Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey. PERKINS THROWS AGAIN Rehabbing Twins reliever Glen Perkins threw a bullpen Tuesday back at Target Field at 75 percent intensity or better and reported no issues, Falvey said. Twins doctor John Steubs recently consulted with Neil ElAttrache, who surgically repaired Perkins torn labrum and rotator cuff last June 23, and determined there was no need for Perkins to fly out to Los Angeles for another on-site exam. It s a significant injury and a significant surgery, so this is not out of the norm in his mind, Falvey said. (ElAttrache) feels like he s on an OK pace. There s no pain necessarily. We don t have any reason to think there s any reinjury of any kind. After another bullpen or two, the Twins will determine if Perkins is ready to face hitters in any fashion for the first time since a week into the 2016 season. For now, the recent medical discussion left Perkins with peace of mind, Falvey said, even as he struggles to rebuild arm strength. BRIEFLY Triple-A Rochester first baseman ByungHo Park, out since April 10 with a strained hamstring, was activated off the disabled list. Left-hander Stephen Gonsalves, the Twins minor-league pitcher of the year in 2016, pitched for the first time at extended spring training on Tuesday. Gonsalves, limited off and on by shoulder trouble since last fall, had been limited to one spring outing since March 3. Lefty reliever Tyler Jay 9

10 (biceps tendinitis) is throwing bullpens and is a few days away from returning to the mound, Falvey said. Jay was taken sixth overall in Rochester reliever J.T. Chargois (elbow impingement) was headed to Fort Myers to continue his rehab after a magnetic resonance imaging exam came back clean. Lefty reliever Kevin Chapman, acquired Monday for utility man Danny Santana, offers another depth option at Triple-A, Falvey said. Though Chapman has been plagued by poor command throughout his career, Falvey said the Twins have some ideas that could help him. Red Wings outfielder Quentin Berry was released after hitting.194 in 36 at-bats. Power ball: Vargas' blast helps pick up Twins Rhett Bollinger MLB May 10, 2017 CHICAGO -- In a lineup without sluggers Miguel Sano and Brian Dozier, Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas helped pick up the slack with a goahead two-run homer in the fourth inning to help the Twins to a 7-2 win over the White Sox on Tuesday night. Vargas kept up his hot hitting since being recalled on April 23. It was his fourth homer in 11 games, and he's batting.282/.310/.615 with 10 RBIs. The two-run blast off Mike Pelfrey was also crushed, as it had an exit velocity of mph, which was the hardest-hit homer of his career and the third-hardest hit ball of his career, per Statcast. "Obviously, when you're missing two of your key guys, you never know how it's going to play out," manager Paul Molitor said. "I was questioning my lineup the first few innings. But we bounced back with [Max Kepler] getting a big hit and Kennys' home run. He hit that ball. It was a line drive and I'm not sure how far it went, but it went out in a hurry." Vargas' homer came on a 1-1 sinker in the middle of the zone, and he deposited it into the right-field seats quickly. The ball went a projected 406 feet, hitting the Hyundai sign above the bullpen in just 3.9 seconds, per Statcast. "I was just looking for something good up in the zone," Vargas said. "I was just looking for good contact and looking for the gap. And I hit the homer. You could tell with the bat sound, it was gone. I never expect it to be that hard. I'm just trying to make contact with the ball." Pelfrey wasn't happy with the location, as the sinker was up and over the plate. It was Vargas' hardest-hit homer of the year by 8.2 mph, and topped his career-best of mph against the Royals on April 16, "Terrible pitch," Pelfrey said. "It was right down the middle and kind of flat. He's got a lot of power and he obviously hit it." Despite Robbie Grossman's impressive numbers offensively, Vargas has seen increased playing time of late as the designated hitter, giving the Twins much-needed power in the middle of the order. Vargas has started five of the club's last six games, and he has hit two homers with nine RBIs in that stretch. "I'm driving in runs and that's what I'm looking for," Vargas said. "I'm getting more comfortable. This is a tough level, but playing every day gives you confidence and you can make adjustments because they're seeing pitching every day." The switch-hitting Vargas is expected to continue to see action against right-handers, but Grossman is likely to start against lefties. "I've been pleased," Molitor said. "[Vargas] hit the ball over the fence. He's trying to work on swings on both sides, and right-handed is a little behind right now. He's been playing fairly regularly and taking advantage." 10

11 Vargas' HR, 4-run 6th power Twins past Sox Rhett Bollinger & John Jackson MLB May 9, 2017 CHICAGO -- Hector Santiago threw 6 2/3 solid innings, and he was backed by a two-run homer from Kennys Vargas and a four-run sixth, to lead the Twins to a 7-2 win over the White Sox in the series opener on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Santiago, facing his former team, allowed only three hits, but he walked five, while striking out six, and improving to 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA. Both runs came in the third on a pair of RBI singles from Tyler Saladino and Jose Abreu. "I'll take it, but the five walks is something you don't want," Santiago said. "But if I can go out there and give the team a chance to win and compete through some tough innings with walks, and get a chance to win, I'll take it every time." White Sox right-hander Mike Pelfrey, also pitching against his former club, couldn't hold the lead, allowing three runs in the fourth. Max Kepler brought home the first run on an RBI single before Vargas delivered a two-run homer that gave a Minnesota a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Pelfrey lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. "It's never good to give up three, but especially after we score two," Pelfrey said. "I'm pretty disappointed in myself for that. That kills the team. That's not good." Minnesota broke the game open with four runs in the sixth against relievers Dan Jennings and Chris Beck. The Twins had six hits in the frame, but only one went for extra bases. "We just tried to stop the bleeding as quickly as we could to keep us in the ballgame," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "I thought [Jennings] did a nice job of taking care of that. Got into a little trouble the next inning and then we just tried to patch it together the rest of the game." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Vargas smashes rocket homer: Vargas crushed his two-run homer in the fourth, as it had an exit velocity of mph and went a projected 406 feet, according to Statcast. It was the hardest-hit homer by exit velocity in Vargas' career, topping his previous best of mph against the Royals on April 16, "I was just looking for something good up in the zone," Vargas said. "I was just looking for good contact and looking for the gap. And I hit the homer. You could tell with the bat sound, it was gone." Errors help key four-run sixth: Ehire Adrianza helped give the Twins insurance runs, coming through with a two-run single with one out before advancing to second on an error from right fielder Avisail Garcia. Byron Buxton followed with an RBI single and also sent to second on an error, this one by center fielder Willy Garcia. Joe Mauer plated Buxton with a single to cap the scoring. QUOTABLE "Obviously, when you're missing two of your key guys, you never know how it's going to play out. I was questioning my lineup the first few innings. But we bounced back with Kep getting a big hit and Kennys' home run. I thought adding on was huge." -- manager Paul Molitor, on the Twins winning without Miguel Sano (suspension) and Brian Dozier (sprained ankle). SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Buxton recorded his fifth career three-hit game, and four of those have come against the White Sox. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes (4-1, 4.32 ERA) is set to start in the second game of the series against the White Sox on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Hughes is coming off his best start of the season, limiting the Red Sox to one run over 6 2/3 innings. White Sox: Left-hander Derek Holland (3-2, 2.02) has been the team's best starter so far and will look to turn in another strong outing in the middle game against the Twins on Wednesday. Holland has five quality starts in his previous six outings. 11

12 Sano serves suspension in opener vs. Sox Rhett Bollinger MLB May 9, 2017 CHICAGO -- Twins third baseman Miguel Sano's one-game suspension was upheld by Major League Baseball on Tuesday, and he served it in the 7-2 win over the White Sox. Second baseman Brian Dozier was also held out of the lineup for a third straight game with a mild left ankle sprain. Sano was suspended for shoving Tigers catcher James McCann on April 22 after left-hander Matthew Boyd threw behind Sano and McCann's glove hit Sano's face as he tried to get between Sano and Boyd. "I wasn't surprised," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I was hoping for the best. I don't really care for the ruling. I'll respect it and we'll abide by it. They cited a lot of different reasons why they upheld it and I have the right to disagree." Sano appealed the suspension, which was handed out on April 24. His hearing was on Friday and lasted 90 minutes via a video conference call, however, his appeal was denied on Tuesday. "It's frustrating because I want to be with my team," Sano said. "Next time, I'll try to get a suspension for something that I do. I didn't punch him. I was just defending myself." Molitor said MLB compared it to similar cases to uphold the ruling, but said he disagreed with those comparisons. "For me, he was provoked twice," Molitor said. "He was provoked by the pitcher and the catcher. I don't think his reaction was surprising because he didn't initiate either of those. He missed half a game already. You can cite whatever you want, but I don't think it matches up with what he did." Sano, 23, is hitting.300/.431/.640 with eight homers and an American League-best 28 RBIs in 29 games. But the Twins had to do without their No. 3 hitter and leadoff hitter in the series opener, as Dozier was held out for precautionary reasons as well. Dozier took batting practice, ran the bases and took grounders at second before the game, but Molitor said Dozier wasn't quite ready to return, although he's expected to avoid the 10-day disabled list. "He had a pretty good today," Molitor said. "He's got incrementally better each day, which is encouraging. I didn't want to be influenced by Sano's absence. The good news is that I was concerned about his landing foot when swinging the bat, but it wasn't an issue. He moved OK on grounders, but the baserunning concerns me. It's still high risk." Worth noting Right-hander Nick Tepesch will start against the White Sox on Thursday, but the Twins still need a fifth starter for Saturday's game in Cleveland. Right-hander Jose Berrios is likely to get the call. Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said he has been monitoring Berrios' starts via video, and that his command has been better. ByungHo Park (hamstring) was activated from the Minor League DL at Triple-A Rochester. Lefty Stephen Gonsalves (shoulder) returned to action at Double-A Chattanooga on Tuesday, while lefty reliever Tyler Jay (biceps tendinitis) is expected to make his debut later this week. Righthanded reliever J.T. Chargois (elbow impingement) started his rehab in Fort Myers, Fla. Left-hander Glen Perkins threw a bullpen session at about 75 percent intensity on Tuesday, and if all goes well in his next two bullpens, he could begin to face hitters, Falvey said. 12

13 Hughes aiming to build on success vs. Sox Rhett Bollinger MLB May 9, 2017 The Twins are expected to get some thump back into their lineup on Wednesday, as second baseman Brian Dozier and third baseman Miguel Sano were both held out of Tuesday's series opener against the White Sox. Both are expected to return for the second game of the series. Dozier has been slowed by a mild sprained left ankle sustained on Friday, and he participated in baseball activities before Tuesday's game, but he was held out for precautionary reasons. Sano's appeal of his one-game suspension was denied by Major League Baseball on Tuesday. White Sox left-hander Derek Holland (3-2, 2.02) will be tasked with facing Minnesota's full-strength lineup, as he opposes right-hander Phil Hughes (4-1, 4.32 ERA). This year, opponents have just one single and 13 strikeouts against Holland's slider. Their.096 weighted on-base average (woba) against it is third-lowest among pitchers with at least 20 at-bats ending in sliders. Things to know about this game Holland, who has had health-related concerns in recent years, is off to a strong start with his new club. The lefty is coming off a solid outing against the Royals, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He also yielded two earned runs over six innings in his season debut against the Twins on April 7. Hughes, coming off last year's season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome, is still looking to regain velocity, but has otherwise been solid. He's coming off his best outing of the season, limiting the Red Sox to one run over 6 2/3 innings. He started opposite Holland on April 7, and picked up the win, surrendering one run over six innings. White Sox catcher Geovany Soto was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with elbow soreness and he was replaced by Omar Narvaez. Soto could return to the lineup on Wednesday. Could the Twins really be buyers at this year s trade deadline? Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 May 9, 2017 The Twins are off to a start that may surprise a few folks around the country or even in the state of Minnesota. After a dreadful losing season last year, the Twins brought in a couple new faces atop the front office pecking order, and proceeded to have a relatively quiet offseason. That s why, at and 2nd place in the American League Central, some Twins fans are pleasantly surprised. Others are waiting for the next shoe to drop. This topic has been on my mind since the winter. What will the Twins do at the trade deadline under new leadership? Will Derek Falvey and Thad Levine look to jumpstart the rebuilding project by trading anything that s not nailed down? Will they try to capitalize on favorable contracts on their books, dealing them for prospects with a brighter future? Would they consider loading up for a run at a Wild Card spot (or a division title) if it appeared that was within striking distance? Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal suggested in his column this morning that the Twins could consider themselves buyers, in search of controllable pieces, which is to say, players that have multiple years remaining with their current club before free agency. GM Thad Levine said as much at the winter meetings, that the Twins in any trade discussion last winter would seek more years of team control than they d be giving up. That makes perfect sense, given that the Twins are more likely to be competitive in future years than in Except They are competitive. Or, they are right now anyway. They ve got a young star third baseman in Miguel Sano who is playing like an A.L. MVP candidate right now. Ervin Santana is pitching like an ace, bad location in his last start aside. Hector Santiago has posted good numbers. The Twins pulled the plug on struggling starters Adalberto Mejia and Kyle Gibson, a sign that they re not content to just get through innings and starts, but rather they see themselves as needing to compete. Phil Hughes turned in his best start of the season in his last time out, changing his pitch repertoire along the way. Brandon Kintzler has been 13

14 mostly solid in the closer role, although the rest of the bullpen comes with its fair share of question marks. Perhaps most importantly, the Twins are playing well defensively. That helps elevate a pitching staff, much like the Royals did in back-to-back years when the club reached and eventually won the World Series. A quick note on that surprising pitching. Last week the Twins boasted a top-10 pitching staff by ERA. Then they gave up all those runs to the Red Sox and their team ERA has ballooned to 4.33, which ranks 21st in the Majors as of this writing. (And things could get even worse if they don t keep up their tremendous run of defense and some of their luck runs out Minnesota s Fielding Independent Pitching, 4.76, ranks 28th in baseball. Only 5 MLB teams have a greater disparity between their staff ERA and FIP.) Rosenthal notes in his column that with several should-be-competitive teams struggling the Rangers, the Jays, the Giants the trade market could be flooded with teams looking to sell. That could hurt the Twins position as sellers, but maybe we ve rushed to conclusions by assuming the Twins will be selling. All of this is not to say that the Twins will win 100 games this year, or raise a World Series banner by the time the year s out. But Rosenthal s note makes me wonder. Would the Twins add pieces at the deadline? Many fans and readers that I ve interacted with have assumed they ll be sellers: They ll sell Brian Dozier to the highest bidder; they ll trade Ervin Santana for whatever they can get; Kintzler is as good as gone. I m not so sure about all of that. But it s worth emphasizing: We don t have much evidence to judge how Levine and Falvey will proceed at a trade deadline. And really, we only have abstract ideas about what they think of their current club. For example, if they thought of the Twins as contenders this year, I suspect they would have added more than Jason Castro and a couple middle relievers this winter. But then again, if they thought they had zero chance this year, wouldn t they have traded someone like Dozier? And if they thought they had no hope, wouldn t they let Kyle Gibson keep taking his lumps? Wouldn t they tolerate performances like Danny Santana s or Michael Tonkin s for a longer period of time, before losing patience and pushing the eject button? In short, I m not sure the Twins will be big buyers at this year s non-waiver trade deadline. But I m also not convinced they ll be hosting an estate sale, where everything must go. Santiago, Vargas team up to take down White Sox Associated Press May 10, 2017 CHICAGO Hector Santiago expected his phone to be buzzing after this one. The left-hander beat his former team once again, Byron Buxton tied a career high with three hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night. Santiago (4-1) allowed two runs, three hits and five walks over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and dropped his ERA to The left-hander is 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA against the White Sox, who drafted him in the 30th round in 2006 and traded him in 2013 to the Los Angeles Angels. I ll have some texts here in a few minutes from those guys saying, `Stop putting it on us, for sure, Santiago said. This is where I grew up in baseball and this is where I got my first chance, my first opportunity. I respect this organization, I love them. But if I can go out there and beat them every time, that s my goal. Buxton upped his average to a season-high.188 and Kennys Vargas homered for the second straight game for the Twins, who were without the injured Brian Dozier and the suspended Miguel Sano. I was kind of questioning my lineup for the first few innings, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. But everyone had a hand in the win somewhere along the way. Chicago scored twice in the third inning but did not have another hit until two outs in the ninth. Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers closed out Minnesota s four-hitter. I thought we were on track for maybe a decent game against Santiago, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. We hadn t scored a couple runs off him in a long time, maybe ever. Obviously, they did some damage and came back and answered with a few runs. 14