Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians series preview
By Chris Schad
About the Twins
There were few teams that needed the All-Star break as much as the Twins did as they had several players resting on the injured list. With Eddie Rosario, Jake Odorizzi and C.J. Cron winding up on the shelf just before the break, Minnesota was in survival mode during a series against the Texas Rangers, but wound up taking two out of three games to enter the break with some sort of momentum.
With four days off to heal, the Twins should be ready to go at least in the form of Rosario and Odorizzi’s injuries. Rosario took the time through the All-Star break to heal his sprained ankle while Odorizzi should be recovered from a blister on his pitching hand. Getting both players should be a huge boost in the lineup and on the mound as they head into this important series.
While the Twins will be getting a pair of regulars back, they still will be without the services of Cron, who went on the shelf after last Friday’s game against the Rangers. In his absence, the Twins have used Miguel Sano at first base and he’s responded with a strong stretch hitting .400 with four home runs and nine RBI in his past nine games. The whiff rate (eight strikeouts in 30 at-bats) is still strong, but Sano can make more contact, they can bide their time until Cron’s return.
Other than that, the Twins should be well-rested for a crucial series, but will also need all hands on deck to keep the Indians at bay.