tony&rodney

Walker Jenkins with a really good, long plate appearance that ends with another home run, well hit.

Totally agree that the decision is not simple. What we do know is that Buck is playing at well below a replacement player for two months. Yes, there have been a few wonderful dashes where he displayed the elite sprint speed and he has made a couple of decent defensive plays as well. The however has prevailed though with numerous balls dropping, throws being offline because he does not get into position to make the plays, and frequent weak plate appearances. It is very difficult to play baseball when one cannot manage fine motor skill details due to injuries. Buxton is the face of the Twins and he wants to play but he sure looks damaged most of the time since late June. We cling to the brief flashes when the reality of July and August are actually stunning. Yet, we hope .....

Really could be two runs with a defense that makes the plays. The bats have not been good but if there is a Brewers/Rays/Guardians/Padres type defense behind Bradley it is only two runs. Bradley was really good. The Twins chose offense when building the roster. We see the results every game. The biggest improvement this team made this season was shifting players around to make modest defensive changes. The biggest improvement the team could make for next season is to somehow roster much better defenders at every position. Naturally there are people who do not believe defense is that important, which is how the Twins wound up with their current roster in the first place. I'm firmly in the camp of Defense Matters.

Taj Bradley was terrific. It is a rough go for the pitchers when a fly ball falls or a base hits slip through to the wall. The pressure to throw a shutout and strike out so many hitters is not sustainable. Defense matters. Rough night at the plate for the bats. There is another game tomorrow. The Athletics currently feature a group of players very surprised to be wearing a MLB uniform, but due to the avalanche of injuries these guys are hungry to prove themselves. What will Connor Prielipp bring to the mound tomorrow night? If one wants to look at an important stretch - there are fifteen games in a row against AL Central teams starting on Friday night. There is the answer.

Well, it was fyi.

I'm game/ready for that.

No, I meant it is not a consideration by the Twins. They care about development by Riley Quick, Vahn Lackey, and others but that is not in play with Walker Jenkins. He does not need more development time and the Twins are well aware of that. The reason Jenkins is not on the 26 roster now is Keaschall, Buxton, and Larnach. Those are tough decisions.

I know the rule. That was not the point.

People can believe whatever they want. I had never met a flat earther until 2000 and have met a number since that time. It's a whatever type of thing. As far as keeping players who deserve to be called up off the roster, there are front office and management concerns that are legitimate about veterans and the clubhouse but nothing related to any potential lockout or other stuff to do with 2027. Watching Byron Buxton trying to pretend he is alright and healthy enough to play at 50% is getting old for everyone, not just the fans. Buck is respected but he needs a little self reflection. Can he play? Only Byron is going to answer that question it seems. Being unable to cut off that ball tonight should be an answer but we won't know how Buxton or the Twins view that until tomorrow.

FWIW - That's not a thing.

Andrew Morris was working on his breaking stuff and offspeed when he was called up to save the flailing bullpen. He has held up remarkably well all things considered. The generally less than adequate defense across the Twins minor league system is reflected at the major league level and has cost Morris more than most pitchers because his strikeout rates are not high. Soft contact is still contact and until the defense improves, guys who need adequate defenders to turn outs into outs will be hurt. Hopefully Morris can develop an effective change of pace to compliment his fastball and cutter. Certainly Morris has been a huge addition to the team this season and not a worry.

Maybe but you are correct. It is way too early right now to think about next year. The Twins are paying close attention to how the current players perform down the stretch. The one thing that I expect and am actually pretty sure will occur is a shift that includes better defensive players wherever it is possible.

Why would you make this comment? What do you know that could possibly make your statement anything other than slander or just lazy?

Why does the phrase, "beating a dead horse" apply here? Or maybe music ... "That was yesterday and yesterday's gone".

Coming into this season absolutely nobody expected the Twins to be anywhere near a playoff position. Now it is easy and pointless to suggest that all of the American League teams are mediocre. Perhaps the competitive level has risen and the separation between teams is less than usual. In any event, whatever take one has, the reality of the current situation is plain - the Twins have a shot at two unexpected goals, reaching .500 and qualifying for the playoffs. The schedule favors the team. The Twins are clearly a flawed roster. The starting rotation is a mess and is not getting outs in the 7th inning. The bullpen has rebounded from the disaster of March through May. The bats are so inconsistent it is often maddening how a flow of solid plate appearances are followed by hacks with no plan. The defense, much better than early in the season, is still lacking range. The thing is .... any team can get hot and go on a run. Kansas City is 9-1 in their last 10 games. Nick is right, the time is now. I'm not sure how the Twins will navigate any possible changes to their roster. It seems impossible that Walker Jenkins is not up and playing left field. His glove alone is nearly an out per game from the normal guys out there. I can respect the difficulty of the decision though and despite how much I may believe this current Twins team needs Walker Jenkins, I can accept the thought that management is sticking with Trevor Larnach and Alan Roden. Go Twins.