The first move they made, a few days prior to the trade deadline itself, was to move veteran starter Chris Paddack. He is an impending free agent, but they didn’t guard him from the division itself either.

Detroit came knocking and Minnesota was fine with sending The Sherriff to the Motor City. He’s already pitched against Minnesota twice, and things didn’t go well.

Chris Paddack headed to Detroit bullpen

For the Detroit Tigers, Chris Paddack has made six starts. Two of them came against the Minnesota Twins and his former team broke out the belt to the tune of 12 runs and five homers in just 9 2/3 innings. After a lackluster outing against the Kansas City Royals, manager A.J. Hinch decided he had seen enough.

The Tigers are moving Chris Paddack to the bullpen starting tonight

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) September 2, 2025

The timing is a bit interesting. While Paddack has thrown batting practice to the Twins, he was largely fine in the other four starts. His debut was a six inning outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks and he gave up just a single run.

He got lit up at home by Minnesota, but then shut down the White Sox over 5 2/3 innings. After getting bludgeoned at Target Field, he responded with a five inning outing against Kansas City. That was just a one-run start. On August 29th Paddack made his most recent start and went just 3 2/3 innings allowing three runs on five hits. He threw just 58 pitches before getting the heave ho.

Brooks Lee GRAND SLAM against Chris Paddack! The Twins have hit Paddack well both times they've faced him since trading him pic.twitter.com/6wneJD6tnW

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 17, 2025

Paddack is a competitor, and he holds himself to a high standard. The results just haven’t been there this season, and it was surprising he was a prioritized trade acquisition in the first place.

A.J. Hinch pulls the plug on former MN Twins starter

While the overall numbers are inflated by two bad starts against the Twins, he still owns a 5.40 ERA (6.16 FIP) across 30 innings. Hinch knows enough about winning big games, and where he wants the Tigers to go, that he had seen enough.

Now Paddack goes to the bullpen. It’s a place he didn’t want to be in Minnesota, and not somewhere that bodes well for his future starting contract considerations. With Detroit though, it’s the place he needs to be if he wants to compete in the postseason at all.

Related: Twins Ace Nearing Return; Veteran Catcher Trying

The Tigers are among baseball’s best teams. Tarik Skubal is going to win a second straight AL Cy Young Award, and will start the biggest games in the postseason. Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize can also be assumed for starting roles. Paddack and Charlie Morton aren’t of that caliber, and it may have been deemed time to make the change.

No matter what, it’s been a mediocre year at best, and a bad one at worst for Paddack. He’ll hit free agency this offseason, but the line of suitors shouldn’t expected to be long, or lucrative.

We are likely to see multiple deals consummated by the Twins before Thursday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline. But on Monday, they got the party started about 72 hours before the deadline.

Detroit Tigers trade for Minnesota Twins’ pitchers Chris Paddack

Chris Paddack is in the final year of his three-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. It was assumed the front office may entertain moving his $7.5 million this offseason, but he returned and has been healthy. The Detroit Tigers are now add him as an additional starting option.

Full trade, per ESPN sources:

Detroit receives: RHP Chris Paddack and RHP Randy Dobnak

Minnesota receives: C/1B Enrique Jimenez

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2025

Paddack resurrected his value in recent weeks, especially his most recent start vs the Dodgers, where he went 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits, while striking out 8.

Across 21 starts this season, Paddack has posted a 4.95 ERA (4.39 FIP) for the Twins. He has struck out a career-low 6.7 batters per nine innings but is coming off the best start of his season. Paddack had a 3.33 ERA (3.95 FIP) across 26 starts with the Padres in 2019, but he’s never returned to that form.

He gave up 11 runs in two starts during July, but he had a 17 game stretch that culminated in a 3.93 ERA, from April through the July 4. In return for Paddack and Dobnak, Minnesota gets Enrique Jimenez (more on him below), and they clear the final portion of both big league salaries too.

Details behind MN Twins + Detroit Tigers trade

Of course that last bit is exciting to the Pohlad family in conversations to sell the team. When the Minnesota Twins traded Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker to the San Diego Padres, they grabbed Emilio Pagan and Paddack, hoping for the rookie version of the starter.

Related: Houston Astros Coming for MN Twins Trade Candidate

Detroit was not the only team looking to acquire Paddack. Jon Heyman reports that the Tampa Bay Rays also were interested in his services. Again, while Paddack has been mediocre at best, there’s no reason he can’t eat innings down the stretch. Minnesota still has seven games against Detroit, so they’ll likely see their former starter.

It will be interesting to see how the Tigers use him in the postseason if he makes the roster. Paddack was scheduled to pitch for Minnesota on Tuesday against Boston. They will now need another arm to fill that opening.

Randy Dobnak included in trade

Randy Dobnak being included in the trade also helps the Twins bottom line. He was signed to a five-year, $9.25 million deal prior to the 2021 season. The Tigers are now on the hook for the final amount of his $3 million this season and $1 million buyout next year.

Dobnak made the Opening Day roster this season for Minnesota, but his career was dramatically altered due to the finger injury he suffered in 2022. He had a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3 innings with the Twins, but a 7.12 ERA across 60 2/3 innings with Triple-A St. Paul this season.

March 2019: Randy Dobnak drives for Uber during Spring Training.

October 2019: Randy Dobnak starts Game 2 of the ALDS for the Twins at Yankee Stadium.

Life's crazy, man. pic.twitter.com/kG2G12rAWt

— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 5, 2019

His success story will go down as one of the best in recent Twins memory. Undrafted out of now-defunct Alderson-Broaddus, he went from independent baseball to pitching in a postseason game at Yankee Stadium for the Twins. He will forever be among the best people to don a Twins uniform.

Enrique Jimenez becomes newest Minnesota Twin

Paddack will join the Detroit Tigers big league roster immediately. The minor league prospect acquired for him won’t be with the Twins for some time. Enrique Jimenez is just 19 years old and played in the Complex League this year for Detroit.

Full trade: The Tigers are acquiring right-hander Chris Paddack from the Twins for catcher/first baseman Enrique Jimenez, source said. Deal is done.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 28, 2025

It was his second season in the Complex League. Last year Jimenez posted a .242/.366/.376 slash line across 43 games. In 48 games this year he owned a .250/.339/.440 slash line. Jimenez splits time behind the plate and at catcher while hoping to develop into a big league option.

Enrique Jiménez launches a 2-run homer to left. It’s his 4th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/A6yThduSJz

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 5, 2025

Jimenez ranked 14th in the Tigers system according to MLB Pipeline. Realistically this is about the Twins clearing salary, and the addition of potential flier is just icing on the cake. With the Twins catching depth changing in recent weeks, maybe Jimenez can be an option years down the road.

Even more, the last couple days have provided positive updates on injured stars Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner. If Minnesota can keep the 2025 train on the tracks over the weekend against the Kansas City Royals, the next 50 games of the MLB season hope to provide more stability for our favorite nine.

Minnesota Twins crack top ten in latest MLB power rankings

For a team that was among the worst in baseball through the season’s first three weeks, this sort of a turnaround brings welcomed change.

Not only are the Minnesota Twins now second in the AL Central Division, chasing Major League Baseball’s best team, the Detroit Tigers, but they’ve also climbed all the way to 10th in ESPN’s latest MLB power rankings.

10. Minnesota Twins

“The Twins won 13 straight games — the longest winning streak in the majors in 2025 — to erase a dismal start and plant themselves in the postseason picture before Memorial Day. But even that blistering stretch was accompanied by injury woes. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton landed on the seven-day concussion injured list Friday after the two collided while pursuing a shallow fly ball. Pitching has fueled the Twins’ turnaround — their staff is tied for fifth across the majors in ERA — but the club will need its stars healthy and productive to stay within striking distance of the Tigers in the competitive AL Central.”

Jorge Castillo – ESPN

Last week, Minnesota stood 16th in ESPN’s power rankings. The six-spot boost is the result of a stretch in which they went 5-2. The Twins finished a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles before taking a series each against Milwaukee and Cleveland.

Other outlets view Minnesota’s climb a bit less excitably. The Athletic, although publishing a couple of days earlier, has the Twins at 13th (up from 16th). USA Today has the Twins at 11th (from 18th), MLB has them 9th (from 18th) which is where CBS Sports and NBC Sports have them as well (from 14th and 16th respectively).

Only ESPN published their recent update on May 22nd, so they have accounted for the latest schedule developments.

It’s obviously still early, but the Twins haven’t seen postseason odds this high at any point during the season thus far. They are very clearly trending in the right direction, and now must avoid another sustained downfall.

Rocco Baldelli’s teams have gotten off to slow starts previously. The Detroit Tigers haven’t been the best team in baseball for quite some time. There is still a gap to make up between the two teams, but that is what the Minnesota Twins must be striving for.

Related: Royce Lewis is Back and Better Than Ever… on Defense

After a weekend series with Kansas City that starts tomorrow, the Twins don’t play another divisional opponent for a month. They’ll close out June with a three-game road set against the Tigers. Where the teams are then should be fascinating to watch.

Most of the same faces will be in the starting lineup later this week. Barring any unforeseen injuries or circumstances in the next three days, Carlos Correa will be at shortstop, Byron Buxton in center field and Pablo Lopez on the bump. But the final roster will have some new faces too.

Manuel Margot’s no good, very bad year with the Minnesota Twins…

One player from the 2024 team that Minnesota Twins fans don’t have to worry about in 2025 is failed outfield experiment Manuel Margot. Last offseason, then 29-year-old Margot signed with the Twins as their fourth outfielder.

The Twins were forced to play Margot in 129 games last season, and it did not go well. He finished the season with a .238 batting average and .626 OPS, both by far the worst numbers of his career, as was his -0.9 bWAR.

Related: MN Twins Opening Day Roster Starting to Take Shape

Not only was Margot’s offensive performance underwhelming, but so was his defense, which was particularly disappointing. To add some nightmare fuel, Margot set a new MLB record, going 0-for-35 in pinch hit appearances in 2024.

F it here’s every Manuel Margot pinch hit plate appearance in 2024 https://t.co/qK8uOojBzA pic.twitter.com/1HWSvnq5ev

— Greggory (@greggtmasterson) September 6, 2024

Thus, it was no surprise when the Minnesota Twins showed zero interest in bringing Manuel Margot back for 2025. Instead, he had to settle for a spring training camp invite with the Milwaukee Brewers. On Sunday, the Brewers cut Margot. Fortunately for the nine-year MLB veteran, the American League Central came calling yet again.

Margot finds new AL Central team — the Detroit Tigers

According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic), Manuel Margot packed his stuff up down in Phoenix, AZ, where the Brewers hold the spring training, and boarded a plane due for Lakeland, FL, where Detroit Tigers facilities are located. Per Cody Stavenhagen (The Athletic), Margot is signing an MLB contract with the Tigers, meaning he’ll be on their Opening Day roster.

Outfielder Manuel Margot, released by the Brewers, is headed to the Tigers, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 23, 2025

Manuel Margot's contract with the Tigers is a major-league deal, per source

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) March 23, 2025

Margot was brought last offseason, to take the place of Michael A. Taylor, who proved to be the perfect outfield addition for a 2023 MN Twins team that won its first playoff series in nearly 20 years. Unfortunately, Margot’s signing did not produce (.238/.289/.337) anywhere near the results that Taylor’s one season at Target Field did.

Taylor ended up playing 129 games for that 2023 squad, including 123 appearances in center field, due to Buxton’s poor physical health that summer. Taylor responded with one of the best seasons of his career, producing a .720 OPS while playing a high-caliber center field. In 2023, Michael A. Taylor produced a total 1.9 bWAR, good for eighth-best on the team.

Related: Minnesota Twins Pitcher to Begin Season on Injured List

In 2025, the Minnesota Twins have moved onto their third extra outfielder in three years, 30-year-old veteran Harrison Bader, who profiles much like the other two did. He has a career .242 batting average and .698 OPS. He’s coming off a down year (.236/.284/.373) with the Mets in which he played more than ever before (143 games).

It’s not verifiable as to how quickly Derek Falvey hung up on teams around the division. Conversations couldn’t have lasted long, though. Now that we know what those teams were asking.

Minnesota Twins division rivals proposed crazy trade requests

Despite the Chicago White Sox being one of the worst teams ever assembled. And despite the Detroit Tigers fading fast, neither division rival would entertain trading their rental pitching assets to the Twins for anything less than Minnesota best three prospects, Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins or Emmanuel Rodriguez (which they knew wouldn’t happen). The Athletic’s Dan Hayes touched on the discussions Minnesota had at the deadline.

Another issue facing the Twins, team sources said, was the lofty asks of in-division foes. The Twins engaged the Tigers for Flaherty and the White Sox on Fedde. But both rival clubs centered their demands on packages that began with one of prospects Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, a price point that the Twins considered a non-starter.

Dan Hayes on divisional asks from Minnesota

What Houston gave up for Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi was universally lauded as an insane haul. Had the Minnesota Twins even entertained anything proposed by Detroit or Chicago, they would have been laughed out of the league. Of course, both teams may have done better had they proposed more realistic suggestions.

White Sox and Tigers got less by avoiding Minnesota Twins

In general it makes sense to avoid trading assets to divisional opponents. However, the Minnesota Twins targeted rental arms from both Detroit and Chicago. Neither Erick Fedde or Jack Flaherty would remain around when either franchise was competitive. In fact, the prospect return for both could have been expected to burn the Twins given Derek Falvey’s track record as a buyer.

Related: We Have an Exact Number for Minnesota Twins Payroll Cuts

Instead, the White Sox sent Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals. They received Miguel Vargas as a big league talent in return, but the three-team package was seen as a head scratcher. After the Toronto Blue Jays got a haul for Kikuchi, it was nearly as laughable seeing what the Los Angeles Dodgers had to part with in acquiring Jack Flaherty.

I get more gobsmacked by the Fedde return’s lightness with each subsequent trade

— Jon Becker (@jonbecker_) July 29, 2024

Why didn't the White Sox and Astros just trade with one another…….?

Fedde probably better than Kikuchi (more team control too)

Jays return clearly better than Sox return

Make it make sense

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 30, 2024

Related: Report: Minnesota Twins Tried to Trade for Yusei Kikuchi

So Getz had no issue trading DeJong in the division, but took issue with Fedde and opted for the lesser return…

Got it.

— HBIC (@HeadBumInCharge) July 30, 2024

Minnesota has one of the best farm systems in baseball. Rather than lean into that depth and target some serious talent, the both division rivals asked for non-starters and got laughed out of the room. For Chicago, the trade deadline was reflective of a poorly run franchise with no end in sight. Detroit did a bit better, but still could have positioned themselves for another piece by working with the Twins.

Enough of the game was played for it to count as the Twins’ 49th official win, mostly thanks to an offensive explosion that included a 5-for-5 day (three doubles) from Jose Miranda.

Minnesota Twins win; Ryan Jeffers loses head helmet via fastball

But how the game finished was, in the moment, terrifying. Even once you knew Ryan Jeffers escaped unscathed, the slow motion replay of his near run in with Shelby Miller’s fastball is pretty shocking, no matter how many times you watch it.

#MNTwins vs Tigers went into a rain delay after Ryan Jeffers' h̵e̵a̵d̵ helmet was taken off by a high fastball pic.twitter.com/pFHAGS66Jw

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) July 4, 2024

Jeffers had just hit a home run in the plate appearance before this one. But he wasn’t the only hero. Minnesota was all over Tiger pitching early and often. What happened above was Miller’s attempt to disrupt the Twins’ timing with something high and tight. A pitch he was hoping would back the 27-year-old Twins catcher off the plate a little bit.

When conditions are as sopping wet as they were at Target Field today, however, those 90+ MPH heaters can be difficult to aim. Nobody knows that better than Ryan Jeffers, after his close call today.

Immediately following this HBP, the game went into a rain delay. Nothing like a near-death experience to realize things are getting dangerous. Luckily, everyone got out of Thursday’s contest healthy, that we know of. Other than the psyche of Detroit Tiger pitchers…

Have yourself a day, Jose Miranda!! #MNTwins #MLB pic.twitter.com/LnJzCnF3O7

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) July 4, 2024

Related: Royce Lewis is Tired of the Minnesota Twins ‘Babying Him’

𝗥𝗬𝗔𝗡 𝗝𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦! 🎆🎆🎆#MNTwins #MLB pic.twitter.com/5UXVJBmEEE

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) July 4, 2024

About 10 minutes after the delay began, this game went official. Miranda still gets his fifth hit, even though the inning didn’t finish. And luckily, Ryan Jeffers gets to go home with his head still in-tact. His helmet? Well… that can be fix/replaced.

Through the first quarter of the season, it has been the Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers that have all shown differing levels of competitiveness. While Stephen Vogt’s club has led the group from the get go, a Royals team that spent has remained in the thick of things, while A.J. Hinch’s Tigers have hovered around .500. Only the Chicago White Sox, which was to be expected, have been a complete disaster.

Minnesota Twins Facing Tough Test in AL Central

If the Minnesota Twins are going to repeat as division champions in the AL Central then they’ll need to remain substantially more consistent than they have out of the gate. While the pitching staff has largely been unphased by the departures of Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda, the lineup has missed productive stretches from Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton.

Rocco Baldelli’s club hit and pitched their way back into competitiveness, but the schedule now starts to add in multiple divisional opponents. With a three-game set kicking off in Cleveland, and a four-game home series with Kansas City not far off, the Twins can do themselves plenty of favors when trying to distance themselves from those they are most closely connected to.

3️⃣ STRAIGHT DAYS FOR SLAMTANA! pic.twitter.com/U2AjBDnai8

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 12, 2024

As of Friday, there are four teams within six games of the division leading Guardians. The only other division that currently has that many teams still competitive is the AL East, which includes four teams at or over .500. There’s nobody out there crowning the American League Central as the best division in baseball. But without a doubt, it’s far from the worst.

Offseason Narratives Are Hollow for AL Central

The talk of this offseason was about what every AL Central team failed to do, aside from the Kansas City Royals. Signing Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha never should have been viewed as organizational shifting deals, but with the Twins and Guardians failing to spend any real dollars, it was only the Kings of Kauffman that were given positive momentum.

Starting out the year, Kansas City made waves with their new acquisitions immediately showing up in the box score. Cleveland was dealt a big injury blow in the form of Shane Bieber, but the collective roster came to play just as they have always done with Jose Ramirez leading the way. It took some time for the Twins to join the party, but an ugly offseason never truly provided them with momentum out of the gate.

Now with the top three teams looking to separate themselves, it will be interesting to see who has staying power. Both Minnesota and Cleveland have been here before and are expected to remain as the best bets to make the postseason. While Kansas City seems likely to fade, it remains to be seen when, and how substantially that will happen.

The early action for most divisions across Major League Baseball is largely reflective of teams feeling each other out and trying to find their way. You really can’t win a division in the first couple of months, but the Chicago White Sox definitely lost the AL Central out of the gate. As Minnesota, Cleveland, and Kansas City settle in, it will be through the heart of the summer that they find their identities.

Related: What Does MLB’s New Statcast Bat Tracking Say About the Minnesota Twins?

As the Twins continue their ascent to the top of the AL Central, it appears likely that neither Cleveland nor Kansas City will bend over. The division might not have the top-tier talent expected from the American or National League East Divisions, but they are going to produce a team that will be a postseason force to be reckoned with.

Michael Fulmer to Twins

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 2, 2022

The Twins are acquiring LHP Michael Fulmer from the Tigers, per source. Detroit gets RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long from Minnesota.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 2, 2022

Fulmer is a rental, and is due for free agency at the end of this season. That’s why you’ve never heard of the prospect Minnesota gave up, in return. But don’t underestimate the impact Fulmer will have on the Twins’ bullpen.

Since moving to a reliever role full time in 2021, the 29-year-old has a 3.06 ERA, 1.266 WHIP, 3.37 FIP and 137 ERA+, in 109 IP. I’d expect Fulmer to slot in right next to Griffen Jax, behind Jhoan Duran and Jorge Lopez.

Twins Blowing Up Deadline, Stereotypes

That wraps up, by far, the most exciting and active trade deadline in Minnesota Twins franchise history. Not only did they add a reliever, which was the minimum expectation, but Derek Falvey and Thad Levine added one of the top starters on the market in Tyler Mahle and two back-end bullpen arms.

In reality, Falvine did exactly what was needed to secure the Twins’ place as a respectable playoff-caliber baseball team. But they’ve needed to make moves at deadlines past, and have failed every time. Until today.

So let’s go win the AL Central and see how far we can ride Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa into this postseason.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Siri, what's a "heater"? #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/kihmy0OZ3Z

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 28, 2022

I’m writing this blog just three hours before the Twins play the final game of their series vs Detroit. Naturally, Rocco & Co. are benching Byron Buxton on getaway day. But win or lose this afternoon, the heater lives on.

You cannot deny how hot this team is. The offense is recovering from their early season swoon. They’re .219 season batting average is only good for 22nd in the MLB. But the Minnesota Twins are hitting .260 during this 6-game winning streak and have posted FIVE or more runs in each of the last FOUR games.

There’s no sign of the bats slowing down as long as the best player in baseball, Byron Buxton, is in the lineup and Carlos Correa heats up in May and June, like he has throughout his career. Even Max Kepler has caught fire. The unproven part of this team, its pitching staff, has been its brightest spot through 18 games.

Joe Ryan Dominant

Twins pitching is holding up surprisingly well. They’re no longer riding at the top of the MLB in any statistic, but they’re still top-10 in ERA, OBA, WHIP, ERA+ and RA/G. If they can holdup at an above average clip for the first half of the season, pressure will be on ownership and the front office to deliver a playoff starter at the trade deadline.

Joe Ryan looked like a superstar again on Wednesday evening vs Detroit. He tossed 7 one-hit innings, allowing ZERO runs and striking out NINE. His season ERA is down to 1.17 and his ERA+ is up to an absurd 311. Ryan’s 0.696 WHIP and 3.9 H/9 both lead the league. It’s far and away the best start we’ve seen to a Twins pitching career since Francisco Liriano.

9 Ks gives Joe Ryan 57 career strikeouts.

That passes @BertBlyleven28 (50) for the most strikeouts through a pitcher’s first 9 career games in franchise history. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/cme7LVpL3x

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 28, 2022

Kings of the Central

And don’t look now, but the Minnesota Twins are 10-8 and enter Thursday with a 2.5 game lead on the Chicago White Sox for 1st place in the American League – Central. Alex Kirilloff is on his way back from his wrist injury and the division-favorite White Sox are trying to avoid an early-season free fall.

Don’t blink because everything could be different, this time next week. But life could be worse for Twins fans going into NFL Draft weekend. The summer might not be so bad, after all.

I don’t want to say the #MNTwins are running away with the AL Central but… pic.twitter.com/iMnv0A19wp

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 28, 2022

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Twins are set to play guest at Comerica Park vs the Detroit Tigers at 12:10 PM on Wednesday afternoon, as they look to take the 3-game series and move to 4-2 on the season. Kenta Maeda will take the hill for the Twins and lefty, Matthew Boyd, for the Tigers.

Because of Boyd’s wrong-handedness, Baldelli is deploying an all right-handed batting lineup today. That makes sense because Boyd gets hit at a .237 average vs lefties and a .266 average vs righties. Batters’ OPS also jumps from .710 for left-handed hitters, to .810 for righties.

But nobody is questioning the all-righty lineup. It’s how Rocco Baldelli is lining up his hitters for Wednesday that has the internet scratching its head..

Sometimes I think Rocco fills out lineup cards blindfolded. pic.twitter.com/gDZkTxIdOg

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 7, 2021

Questions

We have a struggling middle of the order hitter on this team right now and I believe injecting confidence is the right way to turn him around. But that struggling middle of the order hitter isn’t Jorge Polanco, it’s Miguel Sano. Maybe Rocco just mixed up their names…?

With Josh Donaldson on the IL and Luis Arraez not in the lineup today (lefty hitter), the Minnesota Twins needed a couple of guys to hit in the front of their order. It’s possible that Willians Astudillo never gets out again and new SS Andrelton Simmons is off to a HOT offensive start. So, throwing them at the bottom of the lineup, while we promote Mitch Garver and Kyle Garlick to the top probably makes sense (no it doesn’t).

At least we have Buxton and Cruz in the 3 and 5 holes, ready to eat up all of those RBI’s set up by 5 for 45 (.111) hitting Garver, Garlick and Polanco in the 1, 2 and 4 spots. I’m starting to believe that Baldelli makes his lineup cards out just to fuck with me.

UPDATE

Brent Rooker has been pulled from the lineup because he’s been diagnosed with an injury and placed on the 10-day injured list. Cave has been placed at the bottom of the lineup in his place. The Minnesota Twins have called up pitcher, Brandon Waddell to replace him. Waddell wasn’t on the 40-man roster so Edwar Colina was moved to the 60-day IL to make room for Brandon on the 40-man.

#MNTwins Roster Moves: Rooker placed on 10-day IL, club selects contract of LHP Waddell. pic.twitter.com/KfBDYHEKbO

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 7, 2021

#MNTwins @ #Tigers 4/7
*New lineup*

Garver C
Garlick RF
Cruz DH
Polanco 2B
Buxton CF
Sano 1B
Astudillo 3B
Simmons SS
Cave LF

Maeda P

— Ted (@tlschwerz) April 7, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan