Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Friday, August 14, 2015

Hughes will go on disabled list; May back to rotation. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1

Millennials getting married? Follow the Twins and follow the money. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 2

Twins-Cleveland series preview. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3

Thursday's Twins-Texas game recap. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4

Momentum not much of a shot in the arm for Twins. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4

Postgame: Twins rewarded, punished for taking risks on the bases. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 5

Hughes injury sends May back to Twins rotation. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 6

Ervin Santana struggles again; Twins lose lead, game. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 7

Twins turn to Tyler Duffey, not Jose Berrios, for pitching relief. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 8

Brian Murphy: Twins' Ervin Santana wilting in the heat of expectations. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 9

Twins waste four-run lead, lose series finale to Texas. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 10

Kluber seeks encore performance vs. Twins. MLB.com (Fagerstrom) p. 11

Twins place Hughes on DL with back injury. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 11

Twins rearrange rotation after Hughes injury. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 12

Twins fall in series finale to Rangers. MLB.com (Sullivan & Helfand) p. 12

Twins’ baserunning aggressiveness in 7th backfires. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 14

Miguel Sano crushing it at 22, becoming known for patience, power. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 14

Hughes will be put on DL, Twins fill rotation spots with May, Duffey. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 16

Why wouldn’t the Twins call up J.O. Berrios for a start this weekend? 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 16

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Bad Santana, gambling for the plate, shuffling. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 17

Zulgad: Sano has potential to join select group in Twins power company. 1500espn.com (Zulgad) p. 18

Santana, Twins can’t hold early lead, Rangers avoid sweep. Associated Press p. 19

Twins send Hughes to disabled list, return May to starting role. Associated Press p. 20

Twins place Phil Hughes on disabled list, shake up rotation. NBC Sports (Gleeman) p. 21

Hughes will go on disabled list; May back to rotation

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 13, 2015

Phil Hughes said he was healthy after being rocked by the Indians on Sunday, but that didn’t last long. By Tuesday, his back was sore enough to prevent him from throwing in the bullpen. He’ll have a pain-killing shot in his back to treat it, but he’ll be placed on the disabled list while he recovers.

With Hughes out of action at least until Aug. 25, the Twins finally sorted out their pitching schedule, and decided who will face the Indians this weekend: None of the usual guys.

Trevor May, shifted to the bullpen six weeks ago, will return to the starting rotation on Friday, albeit for no more than 50 pitches, and probably will start a game on next week’s road trip, too. On Saturday, Tyler Duffey will return to the majors and be given a chance to improve

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upon his two-inning debut in Toronto. And Sunday, Tommy Milone, who threw in the bullpen this morning with no problems, will be activated from the disabled list and will start the finale of the six-game homestand.

Hughes said he had nothing but normal aches after his three-inning start at Cleveland, but reported stiffness in his lower back a day later. He tried to throw his regular between-starts bullpen session on Tuesday, but threw only a few pitches. The Twins sent the right-hander for a magnetic resonance imaging test, which found severe inflammation, enough so that Hughes was given a pain-killing shot on Thursday.

It’s the same problem Hughes had occasionally while with the Yankees, and the Twins believe it’s not serious.

May has become a reliable set-up man in the bullpen, and he hasn’t allowed a run in his last eight appearances. May’s ERA is 4.37 this season as a starter and 2.51 as a reliever, but the 25-year-old said, while he didn’t seek the switch back, he welcomes the chance to start again.

May will be limited to 50 pitches on Friday, and perhaps a few more next week when he starts again in Baltimore.

The Twins’ rotation for their three games in New York next week will be Kyle Gibson, Mike Pelfrey and Ervin Santana.

As for today’s game, Miguel Sano follows up his six-RBI game with a chance to play the infield again. Joe Mauer will serve as the designated hitter, moving Trevor Plouffe to first base and Sano to third.

Millennials getting married? Follow the Twins and follow the money

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | August 13, 2015

After the official interview was over but before Trevor May was swarmed by more than 100 kids from a Best Buy Geek Squad technology camp Tuesday in St. Paul, I had the chance to just chat informally with the Twins pitcher. In the midst of that, he mentioned that he had gotten engaged over the All-Star Break. I offered sincere congratulations to the 25-year-old right-hander and then a query: How many players on the Twins are married or engaged?

Before May could answer, I guessed that it was about 50 percent. (It’s rude to answer your own question, I know). To my surprise, though, May replied that virtually everyone on the team was either married or engaged. His ballpark estimate was 90-95 percent; a subsequent check-in with the Twins puts the number a little lower than that, but a full 80 percent (20 of the players on the 25-man roster, at least as of earlier this week before roster shuffling) are confirmed to be married or engaged.

It struck me as a high number; frustratingly, I really have nothing to compare it to in terms of other data out there. A Google search of “Percentage of Major League Baseball players who are married” reveals very little (though related searches tell us that the divorce rate for pro athletes is sky-high, a subject for another time I suppose).

So instead, I started thinking about it in a different way: I could find out through research if the number of Twins players who are married or engaged is high within MLB, but what I know right now is that it’s high within their particular age group.

According to Pew Research Data about millennials, defined within the course of their particular research as those aged 18-32, only 26 percent of people in that age group are married. (Side note: It’s agonizingly frustrating how many different definitions there are of the age ranges of millennials).

On the Twins roster as of Tuesday, there were only two players who didn’t fit within that age group: Blaine Boyer (34) and Torii Hunter (40). That means 18 of the 23 millennials (again, defined as between 18 and 32 for these purposes) are married or engaged. That’s 78 percent, or three times the number of the general population in that age group who are married, per the Pew data.

It would be dangerous to draw too many hard conclusions from this because 1) 18 of 23 is such a small sample size, 2) The Twins players might not only be outliers within the millennial group but outliers within MLB and 3) It stands to reason that baseball players might be more attractive mates than the general population.

It is also worth noting that while 18-32 is the range we’re dealing with overall, nobody on the Twins is younger than 22 and that many of the married or engaged Twins players are in the 28-32 range. If the Pew survey was 22 to 32-year-olds across the country or even 28-32, the number would almost certainly be significantly higher than 26 percent. But it’s also worth noting that it wouldn’t come close to 78 percent and, for what it’s worth, the two youngest Twins players as of Tuesday (Miguel Sano, 22, and Eddie Rosario, 23) both fall into the married or engaged category per the information provided by the Twins.

Regardless of caveats, the numbers can lead us to some interesting discussion points about millennials and marriage.

It stands to reason that if I asked most Twins players why they got married or engaged, the responses would be in line with society as a whole: they fell in love, found someone they wanted to be with for the rest of their lives (including possibly starting a family) and marriage was the way they wanted to express those things in a permanent way.

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But before we go painting millennials as a whole with a broad brush and suggest they are all just Tinder hook-up machines incapable of more meaningful relationships, we need to consider one key element in all of this: money.

Per the Pew data, this passage is striking: Most unmarried Millennials (69 percent) say they would like to marry, but many, especially those with lower levels of income and education, lack what they deem to be a necessary prerequisite—a solid economic foundation.

According to data from 2010, those under the age of 35 in the U.S. had a median income of $37,600. While I would guess the gradually improving economy has inched that upward recently, I’m still confident in saying it’s still at least 10 times less than even the major league minimum salary of $507,000 in 2015.

When the average wedding – just the beginning of marriage, mind you, before we even start talking about the cost of raising a family – is over $26,000, it becomes clear how daunting getting married can be. (Yes, you can get married for far less than that … and yes, some young couples get significant help to finance their weddings, but it still must be considered part of the impediment).

To be clear, too, none of this is a suggestion that millennials or anyone SHOULD be getting married. It’s a personal decision, and it’s often an evolving mindset. Even as someone who was in a committed relationship for much of my 20s, the idea of marriage seemed unnecessary to me … until a time came that it felt right. I was married at age 30.

The Pew data also shows how this has been a downward trend for generations, with the married 18-32 age group declining from 65 percent in 1960 to 48 percent in 1980 to 36 percent in 1997 (Gen X, my people) to 26 percent with the millennials.

Young people these days might not marry for many reasons. They might not believe in the idea but still might be in committed relationships … or they might be loving the single life, with the ever-expanding freedom and choices it brings … or they simply might not have found one person they could imagine being with forever, or at least haven’t met that person under the right time/place circumstances.

But even in the small sample size offered by Twins players, it’s hard to ignore the role money plays. Some Twins players like Joe Mauer (married, with twins) are guaranteed to make enough money that it could take several lifetimes to spend it; those at the minimum scale, while not guaranteed financial security forever, are making many times more than their peers in the same age group and are at least, for now, more than able financially to make the choice to get married.

For many others in that age group: Well, maybe it’s not so much an issue of “won’t” and much more an issue of “can’t.”

Twins-Cleveland series preview

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 14, 2015

THREE-GAME SERIES AT TARGET FIELD

Friday, 7:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM

RHP Trevor May (8-7, 4.09 ERA) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (7-12, 3.46)

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM

RHP Tyler Duffey (0-1, 27.00) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (0-0, 0.00)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM

LHP Tommy Milone (5-3, 3.76) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 3.68)

TWINS UPDATE

They are only 3½ games ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central. They are 24-24 against division opponents this season, including 5-4 against Cleveland. The Twins won two of three when the Indians visited in April, but they lost two of three in Cleveland last weekend, getting drubbed 17-4 and 8-1 after a 10-9 victory Friday. … All three Twins starters gave up at least seven runs in Cleveland last weekend; none will be pitching this weekend. May, making his first start since July 1, has started four games against Cleveland and owns a 7.32 ERA. Duffey will make his second major league start after lasting only two innings in Toronto last week, and Milone, coming off the disabled list, will start for the first time since July 31. … Indians DH/1B Carlos Santana is 6-for-11 (.545) with three home runs in his career against Twins closer Glen Perkins. … Trevor Plouffe is 9-for-31 (.290) against Kluber, but Brian Dozier is 3-for-28 (.107) and Eduardo Escobar is 2-for-15 (.133).

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INDIANS UPDATE

The Indians rode their weekend momentum against the Twins to two close wins over the Yankees, 5-4 in 16 innings on Tuesday and 2-1 Wednesday, before losing the series finale 8-6 Thursday. … This is the first stop on an 11-game road trip that also takes them to Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field. … The Indians are 29-26 on the road, the second best road record in the AL behind Texas. … Kluber, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, no-hit the Twins into the seventh inning Sunday and limited them to three hits for the game. … Carrasco has given up a total of seven hits and three runs over his past three starts, totaling 26 innings. He has a 1.04 ERA in that span, holding hitters to an .085 average. … Cody Allen has converted 23 of 26 save opportunities but has two blown saves and two losses in his past 10 appearances. … Cleveland is without All-Star 2B Jason Kipnis (shoulder) and RHP Cody Anderson (oblique).

Thursday’s Twins-Texas game recap

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 13, 2015 GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Mitch Moreland, Texas

His first career 4-for-4 day included a home run, a double and four RBI.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Hits, in their past 20 plate appearances with bases loaded, by Twins batters.

9 Home runs given up by Ervin Santana in eight starts with the Twins.

6 Consecutive series finales lost by the Twins.

Momentum not much of a shot in the arm for Twins

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | August 14, 2015

Fans and media members have a tendency to make too much of the notion of momentum in sports. It’s a convenient crutch to help us try to achieve order within the disorder of things.

That’s not to say there’s no such thing as momentum because these are humans who play the games. But it is to say there is a tendency to overstate its impact — particularly in baseball’s 162-game regular-season marathon.

I’m as guilty as anyone of forgetting this at times. The Twins will lose in soul-crushing fashion and I will think, “Wow, tough one to bounce back from.” Or they’ll pull a rabbit from a hat in the ninth inning, and the thought will be that this could be the start of a winning streak.

There was some of this going on Monday, when the Twins rallied late to steal a 3-2 win at Target Field. The sentiment was buoyed by an 11-1 blowout Wednesday, punctuated by tape-measure home runs from Miguel Sano. With a four-run lead Thursday, the theory was really taking shape … until, of course, the Rangers rallied for a 6-5 win.

Then the emotion swung the other way. Fans wondered if it would foreshadow more bad games to come.

And again: Momentum can be a thing. But in baseball in general — and in this Twins season specifically — it is not.

To test this hypothesis, I went through all 114 games the Twins have played so far this year. The goal was to identify as many “momentum-turning” games as possible — defined as games won or lost in walk-off fashion, in extra innings or a few, such as the 8-5 loss to the Yankees a few weeks back in which the Twins lost a 5-0 lead — and see how the Twins fared the next day.

This is an imperfect science, and you can accuse me of picking games to fit my narrative if you want (I promise I didn’t, but that’s all I can do). Quite by accident, I found nine games on each side of the ledger that a fan inclined to think in such a way could define as momentum-turning.

Following the nine wins, the Twins went a combined 4-5 in the games immediately thereafter. Following the nine losses, the Twins went a combined 5-4 afterward.

Sorry. At least with this year’s Twins, momentum is not a thing. The old cliché that momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher is closer to the

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truth.

And fortune — Grantland.com had a great piece Thursday about the luck of the MLB-leading St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff this season — has far more to do with wins and losses than most of us would care to admit.

Postgame: Twins rewarded, punished for taking risks on the bases

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 13, 2015

Three extras from Texas’ 6-5 win over the Twins:

The Twins’ daring on the bases produced one run out of sheer audacity on Thursday. But when they tried it again, it cost them a potentially critical run.

Eddie Rosario was rewarded for some aggressive baserunning but Shane Robinson was punished for it. Rosario scored from first base on a single by dashing home and avoiding a tag after Eduardo Escobar got caught in a rundown. But Robinson, trying to score from first and put the Twins ahead in the sixth inning, was thrown out at the plate.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said he supported both risks, but added that Rosario had little choice. Rosario was on first base after a second-inning single, when Escobar singled to right. Rosario went to third, but when Escobar rounded first base too far, mistakenly believing right fielder Shin-Soo Choo would throw to the plate, the rookie hesitated, then broke for home.

“Esko kind of put Rosario in a tough spot,” Molitor said. “Once you get in that rundown situation, you get out there in no-mans land, you might as well take a shot and try to score the run, because you’re going to end up with a man in scoring position with two outs even if it doesn’t work. So it was the right play to try, and he made a nice slide to get the run.”

Rosario slid head-first, well wide of the plate, and avoided catcher Chris Gimenez’s sweep tag as he went by. Rosario jumped up and touched the plate before Gimenez could recover and tag him.

“I’m talking to him there, but with reaction time, movement time, it’s more up to him,” said third base coach Gene Glynn. “I don’t know if [he] hears me or not. It was just him reacting, him making a good slide, and he was aware enough to realize the guy didn’t tag him.”

Robinson isn’t sure he was tagged, either. In the sixth inning, Robinson was also on first base, this time with two outs, and was running on a 3-2 pitch when Aaron Hicks singled to center. Robinson sped up and reached third, then seemed to hesitate a split second before breaking for the plate. The relay from shortstop Elvis Andrus easily beat Robinson home, and Gimenez once again made a sweep tag that the Twins weren’t sure had touched Robinson.

“I went and tried to watch it on the replay. There wasn’t really anything decisive,” Robinson said. “I didn’t feel it. I don’t know if when I hit the ground, he got me, but I didn’t think so. That’s why I went back and tagged home plate.”

Molitor didn’t challenge the call, though. He credited Andrus for making a strong throw after Delino DeShields just lobbed the ball back to the infield.

“I think we made a good attempt to try to steal a run there. The thing that worked in their favor was the center fielder [DeShields], although he didn’t fire the ball, he led the shortstop, so he had some momentum with his throw to home,” Molitor said. “It’s a good risk play, two outs, trying to score back door, especially when you’ve got the running start over there at first.”

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Molitor said rookie Miguel Sano’s has adjusted well to not having a regular defensive position.

“He’s found a little bit of a niche,” Molitor said of his designated hitter, though he pointed out that Sano “hasn’t had to go through any kind of droughts, for the most part. I think the DH for a young player is more difficult — you go through that first 0-for-15 and you’ve got to start dealing with the mental side of sitting around for your next at-bat when you know things aren’t going particularly well.”

That hasn’t been a problem; Sano is batting .284 and has 25 RBIs in just six weeks. “I watch him in between [at-bats]. He keeps the bat. I know he goes up and gets loose, I know he takes a few swings in between,” the manager said. “But you’ve got to tinker with that and see what works for you. So far he doesn’t seem to have any problems adjusting to that role.”

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Ricky Nolasco is able to run without the help of a cart he’s been using while wearing a boot on his surgically repaired right ankle. But Molitor said he can’t predict whether the righthander will pitch again in 2015.

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“It’s a long process coming back from that surgery. … Everything from conditioning to arm strength, to seeing what he can tolerate on that foot,” Molitor said. “I’m sure he’s going to try to find his way back into an active role before the season ends, but I couldn’t tell you how that’s going to play out.”

Hughes injury sends May back to Twins rotation

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 13, 2015

Trevor May is no longer in the bullpen, Phil Hughes is no longer on the active roster, and Tyler Duffey is no longer a one-and-done major league pitcher.

The Twins rotation will definitely have a new look this weekend.

May will make his first start in six weeks Friday vs. Cleveland, Duffey will be recalled from Class AAA Rochester for Saturday’s game and Tommy Milone will be activated from the disabled list Sunday for the series finale.

Hughes triggered the sudden shuffle by reporting back pain while throwing in the bullpen Tuesday, a recurrence, he said, of an old injury he suffered with the Yankees. A magnetic resonance imaging test was administered, General Manager Terry Ryan said, and inflammation was found in Hughes’ lower back, landing him on the 15-day disabled list.

“I don’t think it’s something that’s been ongoing for a long time. He hasn’t said anything to the trainers about it, it’s just something that flared up,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. But it comes just days after a subpar, three-inning start for Hughes, which prompted questions about his health.

Hughes had an epidural injection in his back Thursday, the same treatment that provided relief the last time he experienced back pain, and Ryan said the Twins expect he will be healthy enough to return from the DL Aug. 25.

Milone, sidelined by an elbow strain, is healthy now, and he proved it with a full bullpen session Thursday morning. “He’s fit and ready to go,” Molitor said.

So is Duffey, who was battered at Toronto for six runs and two homers in his major league debut Aug. 5. He bounced back with a one-hit, six-inning performance vs. Buffalo when he returned to Rochester.

“I don’t know how much nerves played into how that start went,” Molitor said. “For him to bounce back and pitch as well as he did the other day, as far as location and stuff, you want to see him get another shot at it. He’s not going to be in the buzz saw of facing the Blue Jays in that difficult environment.”

It’s only one start, however; Duffey, who will be starting on three days’ rest (though after throwing only 69 pitches Monday) will almost certainly be returned to Rochester after the game so the Twins can activate Milone.

That’s one reason, Ryan said, the Twins chose not to summon top prospect Jose Berrios.

“He’s highly thought of,” Ryan said, “but given that it’s going to be one [game] and a turnaround, it’s not the right time.”

Long-term role for May?

May has a 4.37 ERA in 15 starts this year, and a roughly 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 13 relief appearances, his ERA is 2.51, and his K/W ratio is 7-to-1.

All of which makes his future — and his present — a bit of a mystery.

“I’m more than happy to do it,” May said. “Routine-wise, you’re in a little different shape, so it’s an adjustment I’ll have to make. I’ve switched one way, I can switch the other, I guess.”

May will get at least two starts, Friday and next week in Baltimore, but even Molitor, who grew to rely on May’s eighth-inning effectiveness, sounds uncertain about what role he will ultimately occupy.

“I would have preferred to keep him out there. I brought him in to tell him he was probably going to get a start this weekend, and I told him, ‘I don’t know what your future is going to be,’ ” Molitor said.

Ryan, though, was blunt. “I think we all want to see him be a future starter,” he said.

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Wimmers struggling

Righthander Alex Wimmers, a Twins first-round draft pick in 2010, has been moved to the bullpen at Class AA Chattanooga “in order to get his confidence up. He’s been struggling to get outs as a starter,” said Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president for player personnel.

A two-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Year at Ohio State who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012, Wimmers had a 4.90 ERA in 18 starts despite a changeup that Radcliff said “is major league quality right now.”

Ervin Santana struggles again; Twins lose lead, game

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 14, 2015

Should the Twins turn their slump around and charge back into a playoff spot, Ervin Santana won’t be eligible to take part. But lately, his pitching is making that scenario less likely.

Handed a four-run lead after two innings Thursday, the veteran righthander gave it all back by the fifth. Mitch Moreland drove in four runs with a home run and a double, and the Twins fell back to .500 with a deflating 6-5 loss to the Rangers.

“It was a winnable game,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said with a shrug. “Kind of disappointing when you have a chance to complete a three-game sweep. We kind of let this one slip away.”

The optimism that Santana supplied when he joined the team last month has slipped away, too. Banned for 80 games after failing a steroid test (a penalty that extends to the postseason, too), Santana charged into the 2015 season with three Cy Young quality starts once he was finally allowed to pitch again. With a 2.60 ERA and a 17-inning scoreless streak after his first four starts, Santana reminded fans of another hard-to-hit former ace, Johan Santana, and expectations, for the righthander and his new team, soared.

The Twins have lost a lot of altitude lately — and 13 of their last 18 games, after missing their chance to sweep Texas — and so has Santana.

In his last four starts, all Twins losses, Santana has posted an ERA of 9.90. He’s surrendered five home runs in those games — Moreland’s shot, a two-run blast into the upper deck in right field, came on a high fastball in the middle of the plate — and his strikeouts have all but ceased. Santana struck out one batter in six innings Thursday, giving him seven in his last four starts.

In Target Field, Santana’s ERA actually fell to 9.77, and the Twins have lost all three of his starts here.

What’s wrong? Nothing physically, Santana said. “I feel good. I’m just having trouble keeping the ball down,” Santana said.

Molitor has another theory: Santana feels guilty about missing three months of the season and is trying to live up to his $55 million contract — largest the Twins have ever given a free agent — with every pitch.

“It’s natural when you go through the circumstances he endured that you might try to do too much,” Molitor said. “You know, you can’t make up for lost time. Just continue to be yourself, don’t try to be Superman. I think he’s trying a little bit too hard out there, and sometimes it’s getting away from him.”

That early Twins lead — built on Trevor Plouffe’s power, Chris Herrmann and Shane Robinson’s gap doubles and some precocious baserunning by Eddie Rosario — got away from Santana fast. Perhaps the lead could have been bigger; Miguel Sano, one day after driving in six runs to tie a Twins rookie record, flew out with the bases loaded to end the second inning. And Robinson was thrown out at the plate in the sixth inning.

But four runs was more than enough for Santana last month. This time? Texas, rebounding from Wednesday night’s 11-1 crushing, scored two on Moreland’s homer, then strung together four hits, three of them with two outs including Moreland’s two-run double, to regain the lead.

The Twins played well, with Rosario sliding around a tag at home plate to score after Eduardo Escobar was caught in a rundown. And the rookie later gunned down Texas leadoff hitter Delino DeShields at third base with a tremendous throw from right field.

The Twins tied the score on an Aaron Hicks RBI single, but Texas went ahead for good on a sacrifice fly by Elvis Andrus off Casey Fien in the eighth.

None of that should have mattered, had August Santana resembled July Santana.

“It’s mentally trying to grind out pitches,” Molitor said of his errant starter. “You realize, like in the inning today where they scored three, it was [him] trying so hard to make a pitch. And you have to let it be more natural.”

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Twins turn to Tyler Duffey, not Jose Berrios, for pitching relief

John Shipley | Pioneer Press | August 13, 2015

With the Twins performing triage on a suddenly thin pitching staff, the call went out to Tyler Duffey, not Jose Berrios.

Berrios, the Twins' top pitching prospect, is 3-1 with a 3.02 earned-run average in seven starts at Triple-A Rochester. He has 43 strikeouts in 44 2/3innings pitched since being promoted and has a fastball that reaches into the high-90s.

Fans, understandably, want to see him, but it appears that won't happen until September at the earliest.

"We thought about (Berrios), certainly, and gave that a lot of thought," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "It's probably going to be a one-start opportunity. Duffey's got a lot more of that Triple-A experience than Berrios, and we think now that he's got a little bit of the jitters out, he'll give us a chance to win this game."

Duffey has a 2.53 ERA in 85 1/3 innings at Rochester. He will be recalled Friday and start Saturday's game against Cleveland at Target Field. Phil Hughes, the Twins' wins leader at 10-8, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back pain. He was scheduled to have a cortisone shot Thursday.

Duffey was torched in his major league debut, a 9-7 loss at Toronto on Aug. 5. He gave up six earned runs on five hits, including two home runs, and two walks in two innings.

"When we brought Tyler up to pitch in Toronto, all the opinions down there of who could give us the best chance to win fell into his hands," manager Paul Molitor said. "I don't know how much nerves went into how that start went.”

On Tuesday in Rochester, Duffey gave up one hit and fanned five in six innings. He threw 69 pitches and will start Saturday on short rest. "He pitched a gem," Ryan said. "That's a very good thing."

HUGHES HURTING

Hughes had to cut short a bullpen session Tuesday when his back tightened up on him. He gave up seven earned runs on nine hits in just three innings Saturday, but Molitor said there was no indication he was injured.

"In all transparency, I knew nothing, and I don't think anybody knew anything was going on until we got out there on Tuesday," Molitor said.

"I felt it a little in Cleveland, and it got worse during my bullpen (session) Tuesday," Hughes said. "I will rest for a few days before getting back to baseball activities as soon as possible."

Ryan said Hughes had a similar back problem when he was with the New York Yankees and that a cortisone shot helped.

"When he has had that (issue) in the past, it's been fairly successful at alleviating some of the symptoms that are problematic for him," Molitor said. "We're hoping he can get back out there and maybe keep it to 15 days."

MAY READY TO GO

Trevor May, moved to the bullpen earlier this season, will essentially take Hughes' spot in the rotation, starting Friday against Cleveland and then again during an Aug. 20-22 series in Baltimore.

May hasn't started a game since July 1, a 2-1 loss at Cincinnati that was one of his better starts -- one earned run on six hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. Since then, he is 4-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 13 relief appearances.

"He has done a heck of a job where he has landed, and he showed us a lot of things that we were hoping to see," Ryan said. "He was pretty reliable out there. He threw pitches over the plate; he's got a four-pitch mix; he didn't unravel when things started to get a little dicey."

Molitor said he doesn't want to make May "a yo-yo man" hopping between spot starts and bullpen work.

"It might turn out that way, but I don't think it's very fair to do that," Molitor said. "Right now we need him to start at least a couple of games, and we'll see where we go from there."

May, who will be on a short leash of about 50 pitches, says he'll be ready to start.

"I'm more than happy to do it and step right back in that role," he said. "I've switched once, I can switch back, I guess."

The Twins still see May, acquired from Philadelphia in the Ben Revere trade, as a starter. In 24 career major league starts, May, 25, is 7-13 with a 5.60 ERA.

"I think we would like to see him be a future starter," Ryan said. "He's a big, strong kid who's shown the ability that he can start. He's going to get his opportunity, obviously, to be a starter in the future."

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BRIEFLY

Left-hander Tommy Milone, on the 15-day DL with a flexor strain, threw a bullpen session Thursday and was cleared to start Sunday, the first day he's eligible to return.

Brian Murphy: Twins’ Ervin Santana wilting in the heat of expectations

Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | August 14, 2015

Days like this were why the Twins cracked the vault and signed Ervin Santana to the richest free-agent contract in club history, a $55 million investment that has produced two victories and the infamy of a steroids suspension.

A three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers and further wild-card credibility should have been seized Thursday on a sultry afternoon at Target Field.

But that opportunity melted fast.

Santana conveniently was spotted to a 4-0 lead after two innings. Texas halved it in the fourth, leapfrogged Minnesota in the fifth and chased the veteran right-hander before he could record an out in the seventh.

Reliever Casey Fien ultimately was tagged with the 6-5 defeat, but this was Santana's failure. He certainly seems lost, unable to explain his plunging strikeout totals and unwilling to concede any stress to deliver immediate returns on Minnesota's suspect four-year investment.

"No pressure at all," he said afterward. "I know I'm only going to be here for half the season, but at the same time I'm just trying to come here and help our team win ballgames. I don't have any pressure."

Zero wins and a 9.90 earned-run average over his past four starts indicate Santana is feeling the heat. His manager can sense it.

"I think it's natural when you go through some of the circumstances he endured that you might try to do too much," Paul Molitor said. "You can't make up for lost time. Just continue to try to be yourself. Don't try to be Superman.

I think he's just trying a little too hard, and it's getting away from him."

Santana returned from his 80-game suspension July 5 at Kansas City and stood tall against the defending American League champions, holding the Royals to two runs and three hits over eight innings of a no-decision.

He went on to throw consecutive road gems against the Athletics and Angels, his former team. But he has been in a funk the past three weeks and still is seeking his first Twins win at Target Field.

Against the Rangers, Santana lost command of his fastball.

Mitch Moreland tagged a belt-high heater for a two-run homer in the fourth. An inning later, Santana got two outs and had a chance to strand a runner at second. However, he yielded consecutive RBI singles to Prince Fielder -- a laser beam off the right-field wall -- and Adrian Beltre.

Then Moreland bashed a run-scoring double to right, lacing another high fastball to the fence.

"It was one inning," Santana insisted. "Everything was up in that inning. That's why they did the damage."

Rangers hitters did most of their damage with two strikes. Santana was unable to get himself out of trouble with a timely strikeout, what had been his defining trait.

In 10-plus seasons, Santana has averaged 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings. This year he's down to 5.3.

"I strike out one today," Santana glibly countered. "My slider's not been working like it's been working before. I need to locate my fastball down and in."

Command aside, the Twins needed a finisher on the mound Thursday, a bulldog who would hound the Rangers out of town and further away from the second wild-card spot.

Now the Twins' rotation is a mess heading into a weekend series against the suddenly streaking Cleveland Indians, with a daunting 10-game road trip looming against the Yankees, Orioles and Rays that figures to determine their dubious playoff chances.

Tommy Milone has recovered from a strained elbow and will be activated for Sunday's series finale against Cleveland, but Phil Hughes has landed on the disabled list with a back injury.

Saturday's open spot will be filled by rookie Tyler Duffey, who gets a second chance to make a first impression.

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Last week, Duffey wandered into a chopper blade during his MLB debut at Toronto's Rogers Centre, surrendering six runs in just two innings against the surging Blue Jays.

And Trevor May gets the spot start out of the bullpen Friday, derailing his successful stint as a set-up man.

Even if Santana stabilizes and helps Minnesota return to the postseason for the first time in five years, his steroids bust makes him ineligible to participate. The Twins would have to retool their rotation yet again in October because of his transgression.

Perhaps Ricky Nolasco will have recovered from ankle surgery to contribute. The club's vague assessments about his comeback chances make it sound as if he has the plague.

Nowhere does $104 million worth of starting pitching feel so cheap.

Twins waste four-run lead, lose series finale to Texas

John Shipley | Pioneer Press | August 14, 2015

The Twins continued to lose ground in the race for a playoff spot Thursday, dropping the finale of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers 6-5 at Target Field.

One of five teams within spitting distance of the second American League wild-card spot when play began, the Twins lost for the eighth time in 11 games but will start Friday's three-game series against the Cleveland Indians no worse than three games out of a playoff spot with a month and a half to play.

And the team isn't buying the "they're done" narrative.

"Hell, yes, we're in contention," all-star second baseman Brian Dozier said after the Rangers rallied from a 4-0, second-inning deficit to avoid the sweep in front of 30,357.

This is the first meaningful August for Dozier and several of his teammates.

"I wouldn't say it affects anybody," Dozier said. "We don't put any more pressure on ourselves or anything like that, by any means. If anything, it's a lot more fun. I'm not saying you don't go about the year as if every single pitch matters, but you kind of lock in a little bit more."

That's good news for a team that has lost at least 92 games each of the past four seasons. The bad news is that Minnesota, once 11 games over .500 and leading the AL Central, is now 57-57. Once holding a four-game lead on that last wild-card spot, the Twins are now in fifth place, 2-1/2 games back.

These are facts that fans have clung to more fiercely than the team.

It hasn't helped that since winning their first game out of the all-star break, the Twins are 6-17. Or that their trade deadline move was relatively modest, adding short reliever Kyle Jepsen. Or that they just finished a 1-5 road trip and surrendered 34 runs to the also-ran Indians last weekend.

The Twins rebounded to take the first two games against the Rangers, and they led 4-0 in the second inning Thursday. But starter Ervin Santana couldn't make it stick, giving up five earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Since returning from an 81-game steroid suspension, he is 2-3 with a 5.66 earned-run average in eight starts.

The Twins tied the score 5-5 on Aaron Hicks RBI single in the seventh, setting themselves up to sweep -- and perhaps demoralize -- one of their closest wild-card competitors. But reliever Casey Fien started the eighth by surrendering back-to-back singles to Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland, and Elvis Andrus drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

"Look, we were 1-6 at the beginning of the year. Everyone was mad at us," said Plouffe, who started the four-run second with a solo home run, his 16th, and team-leading 62nd run batted in. "We said, 'Look, that's going to happen during the year.' It just seems bad right now because it happened the first series of the year.

"Same thing coming out of the all-star break ... so slow, it looks bad. It looks like we're, you know ... we just haven't looked great. But that's going to happen throughout a baseball season with 162 games."

The Twins have internal issues as well, without No. 1 starter Phil Hughes (injured lower back) for at least the next two weeks, forcing in the rotation reliever Trevor May, who hasn't started a game since July 1, in Friday's opener against Cleveland.

"One thing we know about this game is you have to adjust," said bullpen coach and former Twins closer Eddie Guardado, who was on the mound the last time the Twins earned a berth in the American League Championship Series, in 2002. "If you don't make adjustments in this

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game, you're not going to be around very long."

So the Twins look ahead.

"We constantly remind ourselves that yesterday doesn't matter," Plouffe said.

The Twins aren't dead, but they are running low on yesterdays.

Kluber seeks encore performance vs. Twins

August Fagerstrom | MLB.com | August 14, 2015

The Indians head to Minnesota to kick off an 11-game, four-city road trip on Friday against the Twins. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will face off against Twins rookie right-hander Trevor May.

May is making his first start since July 1, as he's pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since then. Manager Paul Molitor had recently indicated that May would remain in the bullpen this season, but Phil Hughes' trip to the disabled list changed that. May will be limited to around 50 pitches.

Kluber will face the Twins for the second consecutive start, with his last outing being one of his finest of the year. In that outing, he threw a complete game and struck out 10, allowing just four baserunners and one earned run.

Three things to know about this game

• Last week, the Twins and Indians played a three-game set in Cleveland in which the Tribe outscored Minnesota, 34-15, winning two games. Twins pitchers said following the series finale that the Indians' hitters were aggressive early in counts, and that they needed to make an adjustment.

• The Twins have faced Kluber twice this year and struggled both times. Two hitters in the top of their order have had some career success against him, though, as Trevor Plouffe has an .806 OPS with two home runs and a double in 31 at-bats, and Joe Mauer owns a .752 OPS with three extra-base hits in 31 at-bats.

• The Indians have fared better on the road this season, owning a 29-26 record away from home, opposed to 24-34 in Cleveland. The Twins are 36-23 at home.

Twins place Hughes on DL with back injury

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota right-hander Phil Hughes is headed to the disabled list with a back injury, a tough break for the Twins, who are in the thick of the American League Wild Card hunt.

Hughes is 10-8 this season with a 4.49 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP -- a significant dropoff from his revelatory first season in Minnesota. On Sunday in Cleveland, Hughes lasted only three innings, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits.

Manager Paul Molitor was asked about Hughes' health after that start, but said Thursday they didn't know anything was wrong with Hughes' back until Tuesday. Molitor said Hughes' bullpen was shut down "rather rapidly." The Twins had an MRI done, and it revealed inflammation in his lower back.

Hughes was given an epidural on Thursday and the Twins said that it went fine. Hughes dealt with the same issue in 2011 when he was with the Yankees, and Molitor said the shot had been fairly successful in alleviating symptoms in the past.

"I felt it a little in Cleveland and it got worse during my bullpen on Tuesday," said Hughes. "I will rest for a few days before getting back to baseball activities as soon as possible."

General manager Terry Ryan said the Twins think they will have Hughes back in 15 days. In the meantime, Trevor May, who was bumped from the rotation when Ervin Santana came back from serving an 80-game performance enhancing drug suspension, will make at least two starts. May, who hasn't started a game in the second half of the season, will start on Friday on a limited pitch count.

Tyler Duffey will start Saturday after being sent to Triple-A Rochester last week, and Tommy Milone, who will be activated from the disabled list, will get the ball on Sunday.

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In nine big league seasons, Hughes is 82-68 with a 4.34 ERA.

Twins rearrange rotation after Hughes injury

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Just as the Twins were primed to regain one starter from the disabled list, they were dealt another setback.

Phil Hughes will head to the disabled list with lower back inflammation. As a result, Trevor May will start on Friday. The Twins will call up Tyler Duffey from Triple-A Rochester to pitch Saturday and Tommy Milone will be activated from the disabled list for Sunday's start.

Hughes felt his back flare up during a Tuesday bullpen session, which manager Paul Molitor said was shut down "rather rapidly." Hughes has dealt with the issue in the past and has had success with a cortisone shot. General manager Terry Ryan said the Twins think he could be back when the 15 days are up.

Hughes gave up seven runs in three innings his last start out, but Molitor said the issue didn't present itself until Tuesday.

In his place, May will slide into the rotation on Friday against the Indians and make at least two starts. May started 15 games to begin the year, but was shifted into the bullpen to make way for Ervin Santana. Though the Twins see May as a starter in the long term, he has excelled in the bullpen since being moved there in early July.

Molitor said he would have preferred to keep May out there if he wasn't "compounded by other circumstances."

"I don't really want to turn him into a yo-yo man so to speak," Molitor said. "I don't want him to start two games and go back. We're going to just how to see how it plays out. It might turn out that way, but I don't think it's very fair to him to do that."

Since he has been in the bullpen for so long, he will be held to a strict pitch count and Molitor said he thought getting May out there for more than 50 pitches would be unrealistic.

"I'm just kind of staying even about it," May said. "Starting's just pitching, I guess, but fortunately it's against a team we just saw. I was able to get in against them a couple times so it's a good way to start."

May had been considered an option to start a bullpen game on Saturday. Instead, the Twins will turn to Duffey, who started Aug. 5 in place of Milone. Duffey gave up two runs in six innings against the Blue Jays, but the Twins liked how he responded on Tuesday at Triple-A Rochester.

Duffey threw six innings of one-hit ball, and the Twins believe he is more ready for the start than No. 3 prospect Jose Berrios -- No. 25 overall according to MLBpipeline.com.

"We thought about that certainly," Ryan said of Berrios. "This is probably going to be a one-start opportunity and Duffey's got a lot more of that Triple-A experience than Berrios. We think Duffey, now that he's got a little bit of the jitters out of his approach here, I hope, after that appearance up in Toronto, that he'll give us a chance to win this game."

Duffey is expected to be sent back after his start to make way for Milone, who has been sidelined with a mild flexor strain in his left elbow. Milone threw a bullpen prior to Thursday's game.

"Overall, I didn't feel anything so that's obviously a good sign," Milone said.

The rotation will stabilize after the weekend as the Twins will turn to Kyle Gibson, Mike Pelfrey and Santana against the Yankees.

Twins fall in series finale to Rangers

T.R. Sullivan and Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Elvis Andrus hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Mitch Moreland drove in four runs to help the Rangers beat the Twins, 6-5, on Thursday at Target Field.

"It was a big win, especially after yesterday's game," Andrus said. "We were able to bounce back and have a great game. Now we have to go home, take that momentum with us and get back on a winning streak."

The Twins jumped out to a four-run lead in the second inning, but Moreland helped stage a comeback, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a two-run double in the fifth. Minnesota tied the game in the sixth with an Aaron Hicks single, but left fielder Shane Robinson was thrown out trying to score the go-ahead run and the score remained tied until the eighth.

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"It was a winnable game and kind of disappointing when you have a chance to complete a three-game sweep," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We kind of let this one slip away."

Rangers starter Chi Chi Gonzalez, who was called up to fill in for Cole Hamels, rebounded from the second inning relatively well, breezing through the middle innings before getting into trouble in the sixth. Gonzalez lasted 5 2/3 and gave up five runs while walking five.

Twins starter Ervin Santana, who has been inconsistent this year, got into trouble in the middle innings, coughing up five runs between the fourth and fifth innings. He has given up five runs or more in his three starts at home this season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Beltre's big day: Moreland had a career high with four hits, but Adrian Beltre was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. It's the first time Beltre has scored three runs in a game since May 4, 2014.

"I did alright," Beltre said. "Just call me the table-setter."

Robinson thrown out: The Twins had runners on first and second when Hicks hit a single to center. Eduardo Escobar scored, but Robinson was thrown out after a relay throw from Andrus to catcher Chris Gimenez beat him handily. Instead of having runners on first and third with one of their top run producers, Brian Dozier, at the plate, the play ended the inning.

"The thing that worked in their favor was the center fielder," Molitor said. "Although he didn't fire the ball in, he led the shortstop where he had some momentum with his throw home. It's a good risk play with two outs trying to score backdoor, especially when you've got a running start over there at first."

Walks hurt Gonzalez: Gonzalez did a great job recovering from a four-run second inning. When Eddie Rosario flied out to lead off the sixth, Gonzalez had retired 11 of 12 batters while his teammates rallied for a 5-4 lead. But he walked two of the next three batters before Keone Kela took over and allowed a game-tying single to Hicks.

Rosario stunts Rangers' threat: Rosario showed off his arm in right field in the seventh after Shin-Soo Choo singled, throwing out Delino DeShields, who was trying to go from first to third on the play. The Rangers would have had runners on the corners with no outs. Instead, Rosario eliminated the threat and the next batter, Prince Fielder, grounded into a double play to end the inning.

"Rosario has shown time and time again that he can throw the ball hard and accurately," Molitor said. "That was a huge play to cut that guy going first to third at the time. Kept the game in check for us."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This is the sixth time that a Rangers player has had four hits in a season. The Rangers have won all six games.

RUNDOWN GOES AWRY

The Rangers failed to get an out on a Twins baserunning error in the second and it helped set up the big inning. The Twins, leading 1-0, had Rosario on first with one out when Escobar singled to right. Rosario went to third on the play and Escobar was caught off first after Andrus cut off the throw. As the Rangers worked the rundown, Rosario broke for home. Moreland's throw was in plenty of time, but Rosario slid wide of the plate and avoided Gimenez's tag. He then scrambled to get to the plate quicker than Gimenez to score the run.

"Nice throw by Moreland," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "It was a situation where the baserunner had already made his lane and he got around the tag. We stayed in control, our guys did what they are trained to do. Everybody did what they were supposed to do. He just got under the tag."

WHAT'S NEXT

Rangers: The Rangers open a three-game series against the Rays with Colby Lewis on the mound at 7:05 p.m. CT on Friday in Arlington. Lewis is 4-1 with a 4.11 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break.

Twins: Trevor May will make the start for the Twins as they kick off a three-game series with the Indians starting at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday in Minneapolis. May was moved to the bullpen in early July, and is starting in place of Phil Hughes, who is sidelined with back inflammation. He is expected to be held to a pitch count of around 50.

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Twins baserunning aggressiveness in 7th backfires

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins have been an aggressive baserunning team since manager Paul Molitor took over at the helm, but aggression on the basepaths might have cost the team a run on Thursday in its 6-5 loss to the Rangers.

The Twins had built up a four-run lead in the second inning, but starter Ervin Santana gave up five runs between the fourth and fifth innings, and the Twins found their lead turn into a deficit.

Minnesota looked like it might be primed for a comeback in the sixth with runners on first and second with two outs as Aaron Hicks stepped to the plate. Hicks singled to center on a 3-2 pitch to drive in Eduardo Escobar and tie the game.

The ball wasn't hit particularly hard and Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields tossed it back to shortstop Elvis Andrus. Meanwhile, third base coach Gene Glynn sent left fielder Shane Robinson home.

The throw beat Robinson, who was trying to score from first, handily. Molitor said he didn't get the sense that Robinson slowed down or was surprised by the waving arm.

"[On a] 3-2 count, we're getting a good jump over at first base. I think we made a good attempt to try to steal a run there," Molitor said. "The thing that worked in their favor was the center fielder. Although he didn't fire the ball in, he led the shortstop where he had some momentum with his throw to home."

An aggressive baserunning play earlier worked to the Twins' advantage in the game. After an Escobar single in the second, he got caught in a rundown and left fielder Eddie Rosario broke for home. The Rangers threw home, but the tag missed Rosario.

"Once you get in that rundown situation and you kind of get out there in no man's land, you might as well take a shot to try to score the run because you're going to end up with a man in scoring position with two outs even if it doesn't work so it was the right play to try," Molitor said. "He made a nice slide to go ahead and get the run."

So even though the Twins went 1-for-2 in aggressive baserunning plays, Molitor seemed to like both of the risks. Had Robinson held up, the Twins would have had runners on first and third for Brian Dozier, one of the team's top run producers. And had he scored, they would have regained the lead in a tightly-contested game.

"It's a good risk play with two outs trying to score backdoor especially when you've got a running start over there at first," Molitor said.

Miguel Sano crushing it at 22, becoming known for patience, power

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Miguel Sano is not supposed to be this good. Not this early in his career, anyway.

The hype that has followed the top prospect to every baseball field predated when he signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. Now, the 22-year-old leviathan built like an NFL defensive end is a fixture in the middle of Minnesota's order.

It's rare to see players at his age reach the Majors. It's rarer still to see them hold their own at the plate against the best pitchers in the world. So to see Sano perform so incredibly well is the kind of treat for teams and fan bases that comes around only so often.

In three months in the minors this season, Sano hit .274/.374/.544 with 15 home runs and showed strike zone discipline, walking 38 times compared with 68 strikeouts. His monster night at the plate Wednesday raised his Major League batting stats considerably, and he's now hitting .295/.409/.571 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs while spending most of his six weeks in the big leagues as the Twins' DH and cleanup hitter.

It's early still, but with the way he approaches his plate appearances and with how regularly he scalds the baseball on the barrel of the bat, it's becoming time to wonder if this is more than a hot start and perhaps indicative of who he really is. That's a scary thought for the rest of the American League.

In a sport in which every player, coach and manager sprints in the other direction when asked to compare players, Sano has drawn at least one comparison to a young Miguel Cabrera. That's also the first hitter Sano mentions when asked if there's anyone he's trying to emulate.

He hit a home run on Wednesday that traveled an estimated 437 feet out to left-center field and put the Twins up 4-0. He's made a habit of crushing baseball's and the home run was no exception. When Sano made contact, the ball left his bat at 108 miles per hour, according to MLB Advanced Media's exit velocity data.

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Later, Sano blasted a ball into the third deck in left field, another moonshot that put the Twins up 7-0.

That power mixed with his great patience - he's drawing walks in nearly 17 percent of his plate appearances, 5th in the Majors among players with at least 100 plate appearances - has impressed a three-time batting champ.

"I think everybody talks about his power and how strong he is, but I think I'm mostly impressed with his eye at the plate," Joe Mauer said. "Laying off of tough pitches. He's got a pretty good idea of what he wants to do and needs to do."

Sano made a bold prediction in 2009 that he'd hit between Joe Mauer and the team's former slugger Justin Morneau. Sano told Mauer that was his plan. He was 16.

"I've heard about him when he was 16 years old. I saw him early and to see the progress he's made has been a lot of fun to see," Mauer said.

Not just power

The home runs are a nice treat, and scouts and talent evaluators agree he has top-of-the-charts raw power. And while he's striking out in 1 of 3 trips to the plate right now, he's not just the customary swing-hard-in-case-you-hit-it slugger. People with the Twins believe he's more complete than that.

"I don't know if he realizes ... that he's a better hitter than maybe even being a power hitter," manager Paul Molitor said. "I think that the more he learns to just be a good hitter, his home runs are going to be aplenty. Every once in a while he might try to lose one [over the fence] intentionally, but I think generally his approach is to stay inside the ball, try to hit line drives - his line drives go a lot farther than most people's."

Watching batting practice consistently at Target Field since Sano's call-up, that's true. In fact, Sano pelted the right-field limestone wall with a double on Tuesday night that drove home the tying run. Sano got a two-seam fastball on the outside corner and calmly crushed it on a line to his opposite field.

"He's going to get his home runs by being a good hitter," Molitor said. "When he gets a little greedy at times he's going to pay the price for that. Not that I would blame him with that skillset to try to take a shot now and then. But just being a good hitter is what's making him valuable right now."

What has Molitor liked most about the young hitter's emergence?

"Man, I don't know if you can pick out one thing. I think 'most' refers to a single adjective or attribute," Molitor said, probably hiding a grin. "It's been a pleasure to have him here. I've been around him enough to know that he's really hungered to get here. ... Strikeouts are up there but you're getting enough return between the walks, the on-base percentage, the runs, the big hits.

"It's been a nice constant for us, the way he goes about his at-bats every day. I think if anything: the consistency, the patience, strike-zone knowledge, those things kind of all work together and that's probably been the best for me."

Who will he be?

The first coach to teach Sano that opposite field approach was Moreno Tejeda, his instructor in the Dominican Republic. He told Sano that if he could hit line drives both ways he'd be able to hit .300. A 15-year-old Sano was delighted to hear that, and it's stuck.

"You look at the numbers and all that and they're there," Brian Dozier said. "He's doing really well - drawing walks, getting on base, driving people in, he has a good approach. He's done all that you could ask."

"I hope he continues to always do this. Obviously I'm a realist and you see a lot of people do a lot of good when they first come up. And you start seeing the league starting to adjust to him and all that kind of stuff," Dozier said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's driving people in. He wows people in [batting practice] but at the same time he's got a good approach and he's drawing his walks and stuff, and that's what you kind of want to see."

"You don't want to compare him to anybody but he's got a really good swing as far as really staying through the ball and he can drive the ball, he's got power to all fields," Dozier said.

Dozier was asked if he had someone in particular in mind when he mentioned he didn't want to compare Sano.

"I was kind of just thinking with the Miggy swing," Dozier said, as in Miggy Cabrera, one of the best hitters of his generation. "Being a big guy, Miggy's swing works when it's [powerful to] right-center... [Sano's] got a good swing, good mindset and knows what pitchers are trying to do to him.

Molitor, who's predominant traits as a manager seem to be his even-handedness and his pragmatism, couldn't help himself before Thursday's game.

"I'm not going to be the guy to tell you who he's going to end up being. Can he hit .300 and hit 35, 40 home runs? I wouldn't put it outside the realm of possibility. But it's going to be a process for him to evolve to find out exactly what kind of offensive player he's going to be," Molitor

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said.

Hughes will be put on DL, Twins fill rotation spots with May, Duffey

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Phil Hughes experienced pain during a normal bullpen session between starts and will need to be shut down and placed on the disabled list, manager Paul Molitor said Thursday.

Hughes is coming off his worst start since joining the Twins, when he gave up seven earned runs in 3 innings against the Indians. An MRI taken after his bullpen session revealed inflammation in his low back, and he'll receive a cortisone shot as treatment.

That throws a wrench in the plans for the starting rotation, which was already short without Tommy Milone.

Here's how the Twins intend to solve that problem:

Friday's start will go to Trevor May, who pitched well in the rotation early this season before being moved to the bullpen. He'll be limited to approximately 50 pitches, after which the rest of the relievers will be tasked with finishing the game. May will remain in the rotation for at least one more start after that.

Saturday's start will go to Tyler Duffey, who made his MLB debut last week against the Blue Jays and it didn't go so well. Duffey survived just 2 innings and allowed six earned runs against the red-hot Blue Jays in Toronto. He showed life on his pitches, but served up home runs to Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. Duffey, who must be recalled for the start, is expected to be returned to the minors after his start Saturday.

Sunday's start will go to Tommy Milone, who will be activated from the 15-day disabled list in time to rejoin the rotation.

Why wouldn’t the Twins call up J.O. Berrios for a start this weekend?

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins had a wrench thrown into their starting rotation plans this weekend. The team already had just four healthy starters, and then Phil Hughes needed an injection to calm inflammation in his back and will miss at least two weeks on the disabled list. The upshot is that they needed two more starters, and they responded by making plans to recall Tyler Duffey and to move Trevor May back to the rotation from the bullpen.

How can they pass on J.O. Berrios?

Berrios is the team's top pitching prospects and is having success in Triple-A Rochester before his 22nd birthday. In his first taste of Triple-A, Berrios is 3-1 with a 3.02 ERA and a 43:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 2/3 innings. And if you throw out his first two starts the numbers get even better: 1.59 ERA with 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 34 innings.

Was he in consideration for the call-up this time around?

"Well, we thought about that certainly and I gave that a lot of thought," Twins GM Terry Ryan said. "This is probably going to be a one-start opportunity. Duffey's got a lot more of that Triple-A experience than Berrios, and now that he's got a little bit of the jitters out, I hope, after that appearance in Toronto that he'll give us a chance to win this game."

"The other kid [Berrios], obviously he's highly thought of. Knowing the circumstances that it's probably going to be a one and a turnaround, it's not the right time."

Manager Paul Molitor said before the game that the people evaluating Berrios in Rochester - manager Mike Quade and pitching coach Marty Mason - don't believe the timing is right for Berrios.

Personally, I believe Berrios has a higher future upside than Duffey. But the decision here appears to be Trevor May over Berrios, and not Duffey over Berrios, since May likely will stay in the rotation in place of Hughes. That's a decision I can get on board with.

Berrios would need to be added to the 40-man roster, so that's a consideration. If he's called up for one start, sending him back to the minors would require using an option.

The Twins might be content to use options for a short-term demotion on Byron Buxton, but pitching could be different. Young pitchers traditionally have taken longer to climb through the Twins' system, and they've shown a lot of restraint when it comes to promoting those

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pitchers.

I spoke with one pitcher before the news came out Thursday who said he understands why the outside perception is that the Twins are too patient with pitching prospects. But he said that from his perspective, the organization actually handles pitching promotions really well.

These pitchers took different tracks under different circumstances, but it's worked for Kyle Gibson, it's worked for Trevor May. The jury hasn't returned its verdict on Alex Meyer.

One fair criticism is that the Twins haven't drafted and developed a top flight starter since... Matt Garza?

Berrios could enter into that conversation.

But despite striking out a batter an inning in the International League, the Twins didn't feel that the time was right to call up Berrios for one start, send him back, use an option and hope he sticks in the big leagues by the end of 2017. He may never need all those options, but this gives them flexibility in the event that he does.

"Frankly we're trying to win games," Ryan said. "And Berrios is certainly on a good track here and doing a nice job, but I think the other kid probably is a little bit more prepared for this arena right now than Berrios."

Ryan said the Twins will still give some thought to Berrios as a possible Setpember call-up when rosters expand.

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Bad Santana, gambling for the plate, shuffling

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | August 13, 2015

The Twins finally won a series, but lost the final game of the three-game set to the Texas Rangers, 6-5, on Sunday after Ervin Santana gave back an early lead.

This column presents 5 thoughts on Thursday's game.

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1. Ervin Santana has now had more bad starts than good starts since his return to the rotation following his 80-game suspension for steroid use.

Santana was strong in three of his first four starts back, but he's reversed that trend in his last four starts, including his bad outing Thursday.

Santana served up a two-run home run in the 4th inning to Mitch Moreland. His 5th inning was more concerning. Santana was working with a lead and after a leadoff single, he got the next two batters out. But then three consecutive hits, including a double from Moreland scored three Rangers runs and suddenly the Twins had lost every inch of their 4-0 early lead.

"He's really worked hard to get back in the groove since he's been back. I think it's natural when you go through the circumstances that he endured that you might try to do too much," manager Paul Molitor said. "You can't make up for lost time, you can only do what you can on that given day. Just continue to be yourself, don't try to be Superman. I think he's trying a little bit too hard out there and sometimes it's getting away from him."

Santana said there's no concern, because he's had difficult stretches before in his career. But even looking past the runs allowed, Santana has only struck out seven batters total in his past four starts and he's walked eight. That's not the pitcher Santana has been in his career, so the Twins should have some level of concern.

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2. The Twins made two calculated gambles for home plate and only one of them worked out.

First, in the 2nd inning, Eduardo Escobar singled with Eddie Rosario on first base. Rosario made it to third base easily, but when the throw toward third was cut off near the shortstop position, Escobar found himself too far off first base and got caught in a run down. He was able to stay in a game of pickle for long enough to let Rosario have a crack at the plate.

That attempt was only successful because of some crafty sliding by Rosario. You could call Escobar's rounding of first base aggressive, but I see it as an unwise risk.

According to Molitor, Rosario made the right gamble to go for it once the rundown ensued.

"Esco kind of put Rosario in a tough spot," Molitor said. "Once you get in that rundown situation and you kind of get out there into no-man's land, you might as well take a shot to try to score the run because you're going to end up with a runner in scoring position with two outs even if

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it doesn't work. So it was the right play to try, he made a nice slide to try to get the run."

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2b. The second one didn't work out in the Twins' favor.

Aaron Hicks drove in a run with runners on first and second base on a hit to center field on a full-count pitch. Because the count was full, Shane Robinson had been running on the pitch and had an idea to try to score all the way from first base on the single.

The Rangers executed a good relay and got Robinson out fairly easily.

"With a 3-2 count we're getting a good jump over at first base. I think we made a good attempt to try to steal a run there," Molitor said. "The thing that worked out in their favor was the center fielder, although he didn't fire the ball in, he led the shortstop where he had some momentum with his throw to home. It's a good risk play, trying to score backdoor, especially when you've got the running start over there at first [base]."

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3. Eddie Rosario made an important assist in the 7th inning, gunning down Delino DeShields Jr. as he attempted to go from first to third base on a hit to Rosario in right field.

DeShields had singled and then No. 2 hitter Shin-Soo Choo hit a ball in front of Rosario in right field. (Rosario typically plays left but he switched corners Thursday because Torii Hunter had the day off.) Rosario, from my perspective, has played a good left field this year. He made another good throw to a base, coming up firing to Miguel Sano at third, who applied the tag on DeShields.

It was an important out, because it effectively changed the situation in a 5-5 ballgame from runners on first and third base with nobody out to a runner on first and one out. That's an important swing. A double play ended the inning.

"Rosario has shown time and time again that he can throw the ball hard and accurately," manager Paul Molitor said. "That was a huge play to cut that guy down going first to third, at the time it kept the game in check for us."

Texas eventually broke through Minnesota's bullpen and scored a run in the next inning, but it might have happened sooner if not for Rosario's throw.

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4. The Twins batted around and scored four runs in the 2nd inning and appeared poised to take control of the game and earn a three-game sweep. But as it turned out the four runs against Chi Chi Gonzalez were not enough.

Trevor Plouffe started the scoring with a solo home run, and Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Escobar followed with singles. Chris Herrmann and Shane Robinson chipped in RBI doubles and the Twins sent 10 men to the plate in the inning. Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer both walked to fill the bases for Miguel Sano, but he popped out to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.

Gonzalez escaped that danger and went on to pitch 5 2/3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts.

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5. Phil Hughes got an epidural (cortisone shot) Thursday and will be placed on the disabled list. That scrambled the Twins starting rotation, which was already a little unresolved with Tommy Milone on the disabled list.

Here's how they'll resolve it in the short term: Trevor May will move from the bullpen to make Friday's start and at least one more next week; Tyler Duffey will be recalled and pitch Saturday before likely being sent back down to the minors; Tommy Milone will be activated from the disabled list in time to make Sunday's start. After that, the rotation should be back on track with Kyle Gibson, Mike Pelfrey and Ervin Santana.

Zulgad: Sano has potential to join select group in Twins power company

Judd Zulgad | 1500espn.com | August 13, 2015

Miguel Sano had a 1-1 count in his second at-bat on Wednesday night at Target Field when Nick Martinez's pitch arrived. The Twins designated hitter drove the ball 437 feet into the second deck over the bullpens in left-center field causing oohs and aahs from those in attendance.

The two-run blast gave the Twins a 4-0 lead over the Texas Rangers. An inning later, Sano returned to the plate and worked the count full against Martinez with two men on base. Sano then turned on the 3-2 pitch and launched a towering blast into the third deck in left field, an estimated 421 feet from home plate.

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Two homers that traveled a combined 858 feet caused a long-time Twins observer to ask this question: How many sluggers in franchise history have kept you glued to your seat for their at-bats because of the potential you would miss a home run that would have everyone talking the next day?

Guys like Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer, in his prime, have been worth the price of admission because of their ability to handle the bat. But the desire to see them hit wasn't necessarily driven by the fact you thought they might send a ball into orbit.

The 22-year-old Sano, who has been in the leagues for just over a month and has hit seven home runs in that time, is different. He possesses the type of brute strength in his 6-foot-3, 262-pound frame that rarely has been seen in these parts.

Patrick Reusse, my radio partner on Saturday mornings on 1500 ESPN, has followed the Twins since they arrived in Minnesota in 1961. He has long told the story of how his father would wait until Killebrew's final at-bat of each game before leaving Metropolitan Stadium.

This was done because there was always the feeling that Killebrew might launch a home run that you would regret having missed. So what other Twins through the years would fall into this group?

Reusse gave the question consideration on Thursday. Harmon, of course, was an automatic. Reusse mentioned that outfielder Jimmie Hall displayed this type of potential before being beaned in the face by the Angels' Bo Belinsky in May 1964. There were a few more names thrown out but all were dismissed as being worthy members of the Twins' big thumpers club. Powerful men who have not had the ability to stick on the roster were automatically dismissed.

In the end, Sano, based on potential that has shown him to be the real deal at the plate thus far, joined an elite group of two Twins whose at-bats you wouldn't want to miss because of how far they could hit the ball.

Killebrew was joined on the list by Jim Thome.

Not bad company considering Thome retired with 612 home runs, only 37 of which came in his season-plus with the Twins (2010 and part of 2011), and Killebrew finished with 573 homers in 22 big-league seasons. Of those, 559 occurred while Killebrew was playing for the franchise that was located in Washington when he joined the team and later moved to Minnesota.

Killebrew's most prodigious homer with the Twins occurred at Met Stadium on June 3, 1967, when he hammered a drive into the upper deck in left field off the Angels' Lew Burdette. It traveled an estimated 522 feet. The next day, Killebrew belted a 469-foot home run that hit the second-deck facade in left center.

Killebrew was no stranger to tape-measure shots and neither was Thome. In the brief time he called Target Field home, Thome hit three of the longest homers in the stadium. This included one that went off the flagpole and another that went over the batter's eye in center field.

Thome's longest home runs at Target Field measured 490 feet, 480 feet and 465 feet and he also returned in 2012 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and crushed a ball 466 feet that also cleared the 36-foot-tall batter's eye. Thome, like Killebrew, called it quits after a 22-year career.

The power in Killebrew and Thome's bats made their at-bats something no one wanted to miss when they were wearing a Twins uniform. Only time will tell, but Sano appears to have a chance to join them.

Santana, Twins can’t hold early lead, Rangers avoid sweep

Associated Press | August 13, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Texas Rangers have been beset by injuries this year, particularly the pitching staff. Their team ERA is the second-worst in the league.

The resolve hasn't been a problem, though. Neither has scoring runs.

Mitch Moreland had four RBI on a career-high four hits, including a two-run homer to help the Rangers stave off a sweep at Minnesota and rally past the Twins for a 6-5 victory Thursday.

"We needed that one," Moreland said. "Good to carry a little bit of momentum back home."

The Rangers have won seven of their past eight games in their own ballpark. Despite the glut of teams just ahead of them in the race, the wild-card spots are still within striking distance, as is the AL West title.

"We've just got to play with the grit every day from here on out that we showed today," said manager Jeff Banister, after his team blew a late lead Tuesday in a 3-2 loss and was overwhelmed Wednesday 11-1.

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Elvis Andrus hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning against Casey Fien (2-5) after Adrian Beltre and Moreland, who surpassed his career-best season RBI total with 61, started the inning with singles.

The Twins are a half-game ahead of the Rangers in a chase for two AL wild-card spots.

"It's a matter of turning the page," manager Paul Molitor said. "It's all you can really do."

That's what Chi Chi Gonzalez did on this sweltering Texas-like afternoon in his return to the rotation after some time in Triple-A.

Trevor Plouffe's home run and RBI doubles by Chris Herrmann and Shane Robinson got the Twins going in a four-run second inning. A slick wide slide by Eddie Rosario around catcher Chris Gimenez's tag, while teammate Eduardo Escobar was going back and forth in a rundown between first and second, gave the Twins another run.

Gonzalez got Miguel Sano, who homered twice and drove in six runs Wednesday, to end that inning with the bases loaded by reaching for a 1-0 slider and popping out to shallow right field.

"Sometimes I've got to slow myself down, embrace the game and realize what's happening," said Gonzalez, who gave up five hits, five runs and five walks in 5 2/3 innings while striking out four.

Twins starter Ervin Santana squandered his 4-0 lead, thanks to the towering two-run shot by Moreland in the fourth and a two-run, go-ahead double by the first baseman in the fifth. Prince Fielder's RBI single came right before that.

Keone Kela (6-5) got four outs for the victory after giving up a tying single to Aaron Hicks in the sixth in relief of Gonzalez. Center fielder Delino DeShields and the shortstop Andrus made sharp throws to keep Shane Robinson from sliding in with the go-ahead run and end that inning.

Shawn Tolleson pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 tries, his first action in five days.

"Just a calm, cool guy in that ninth. We feel comfortable with him out there," Banister said.

Nick Martinez, who gave up a career-high 11 hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in the 11-1 loss by the Rangers on Wednesday, was sent back to Triple-A to make room for Gonzalez, who was the team's first-round draft pick in 2013 and made seven starts earlier this season.

Gonzalez was filling in for Cole Hamels, whose scheduled start Thursday was skipped because of a sore left groin muscle. Hamels is expected to take the mound again Monday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: LF Josh Hamilton was out again with a sore left knee, and he'll have an MRI on Friday. ... RHP Jake Diekman, who pitched a perfect eighth, was hit square on the buttocks by a line drive from Rosario but recovered to throw him out.

Twins: LHP Tommy Milone will come off the DL (strained left elbow) to start Sunday. But RHP Phil Hughes (lower back inflammation) will take his place on the shelf.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 5.81 ERA) will start Friday against Tampa Bay opposite RHP Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.52 ERA) of the Rays.

Twins: RHP Trevor May (8-7, 4.09 ERA) will move up from the bullpen and start Friday against Cleveland, opposite RHP Corey Kluber (7-12, 3.46 ERA) of the Indians.

Twins send Hughes to disabled list, return May to starting role

Associated Press | August 13, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have made some progress with their starting pitching this year. The rotation is ranked 10th in the American league in ERA, after finishing last each of the previous three seasons.

This is still an area of concern, though, with the Twins trying to stay viable in the AL wild card race.

The biggest problem, currently, is health.

Right-hander Phil Hughes will be put on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, due to inflammation in his lower back. The decision was made Thursday, when Hughes was sent for a cortisone injection. The 29-year-old's last start was his worst of the season: nine hits and seven runs allowed in three innings Sunday at Cleveland.

Then came his bullpen session Tuesday. That was quickly cut short because of the discomfort.

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"Quite transparently, I knew nothing," said manager Paul Molitor, referring to Hughes' start against the Indians. "And I don't think that anybody thought anything was going on until he got out there on Tuesday."

The good news for the Twins was left-hander Tommy Milone's bullpen session went well Thursday, clearing him for reinstatement from the disabled list Sunday to start against Cleveland. He will have missed the minimum 15 days because of a strained left elbow.

Rookie right-hander Tyler Duffey will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester and start Saturday against the Indians. Duffey gave up six runs in two innings last week at Toronto in his major league debut, but the front office was willing to give him another shot rather than summon top pitching prospect Jose Berrios.

Duffey has a 2.54 ERA in 138 minor league innings this year, between Double-A and Triple-A.

"He's not going to be in the buzz saw of facing the Blue Jays in a difficult environment," Molitor said, adding: "We just hope that the results are better and he can be a little bit more composed and be himself."

The Twins also moved right-hander Trevor May from the bullpen back into the rotation to start Friday. He spent more than a month, successfully at that, as a reliever. May will be on a limit of roughly 50 pitches. Molitor said May will get a second turn, too, at Baltimore next week.

"Right now I don't really want to turn him into a yo-yo man so to speak," Molitor said. "I don't want him to start two games and go back. We just have to see how it plays out."

Ricky Nolasco remains on the disabled list following right ankle surgery.

"I'm sure he's going to try to find his way back to an active role sometime before the season ends, but I couldn't tell you how that's going to play out," Molitor said.

Twins place Phil Hughes on disabled list, shake up rotation

Aaron Gleeman | NBC Sports | August 13, 2015

Twins right-hander Phil Hughes has struggled for much of the season following a breakout 2014 campaign, allowing the most hits and homers in the league. He had a particularly rough outing Sunday, giving up seven runs in three innings, and now he’s been placed on the disabled list with a back injury.

Minnesota was already in need of a spot starter Saturday, so Hughes’ injury led the Twins to shake up the entire rotation. Trevor May, who was sent to the bullpen in early July and hasn’t thrown more than 30 pitches in a game since July 1, will start Friday on what figures to be a limited pitch count.

Tyler Duffey, who got knocked around in his MLB debut last week and was immediately demoted back to Triple-A, will be called up to start Saturday. And then veteran left-hander Tommy Milone will come off the disabled list to start Sunday.

All while the Twins’ best pitching prospect, Jose Berrios, remains at Triple-A where the 21-year-old former first-round draft pick has a 3.02 ERA and 43/12 K/BB ratio in 45 innings.