stringer bell

Kirilloff hit the exact same grounder yesterday. This time it snuck through.

Except maybe better testing.

Buxton is the DH and Wallner rides the pine. Castro in center field, with Farmer getting a start at third. While I was disappointed with the output against Junis yesterday, if the Twins struggle against the journeyman Ross today, it tells me they are in a real hitting funk. It is crucial to get to the starter because Milwaukee has a really good bullpen.

HITTERS H-AB HR RBI SB AVG E. Julien2B 2-13 0 0 0 .154 A. KirilloffLF 4-14 0 1 0 .286 B. BuxtonDH 4-14 0 3 0 .286 M. KeplerRF 1-8 0 0 0 .125 C. CorreaSS 3-12 0 2 0 .250 C. Santana1B 3-15 0 0 0 .200 W. CastroCF 1-11 0 0 0 .091 R. JeffersC 0-11 0 0 0 .000 K. Farmer3B 0-6 0 0 1 J. ChourioRF 6-16 0 3 1 .375 W. ContrerasC 5-15 0 2 0 .333 C. YelichLF 6-15 2 3 2 .400 W. AdamesSS 5-16 0 2 1 .313 R. Hoskins1B 4-14 1 4 0 .286 S. FrelickCF 1-13 0 0 1 .077 G. SanchezDH 0-3 0 0 0 .000 J. Ortiz3B 1-8 0 0 0 .125 B. Turang2B 7-14 0 1 6 .500 Both starters making their season debuts. Ross hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021.

With the exception of making adjustments around the All-Star break, that is what they do. Either you're in the rotation or you aren't. Piggybacking makes for more problems than it solves, which is why it is so seldom done in any kind of long-term setting. No one in the AL started more than 33 games, so skipping starts for back-end rotation guys to get the #1s and #2s more starts really doesn't happen much.

From what I can see, the players on the '23 Twins hit 68 homers in 1668 plate appearances (4.01%), The team homered at a rate of 3.75%, a very negligible difference. Santana, who is so far a regular, homered at a 3.7% clip last year, while Margot was well below with 1.2%. If the Twins give the guys with high home run frequency more plate appearances (Julien, Wallner, Buxton, Lewis), they may equal or beat their homer total this year, if more PAs go to Martin and Margot, they probably won't.

Santana hit 23 homers by himself last year, Margot only hit four.

If it is a hitter's count, they won't chase as readily. Varland's stuff is good enough, but not good enough to be 2-0, 3-1 and 3-2 all the time. It is the same for all but the most dominant pitchers, throw strikes and make them swing at your pitches.

The Twins have a lot of good position players. They’ll score enough runs. I am much more concerned about their pitching. Hitters are much more predictable and reliable.

The bullpen isn’t depleted with all the off days. Bouncing pitchers around in the first week of the season seems very much shortsighted to me.

It’s really immaterial at this point. No one will get skipped or anything. I think the Twins will try to limit Paddack’s innings whether he’s fourth or fifth in line.

No, I mean making two outs on three pitches before Julien came up. It was a virtual certainty that Julien would take the first pitch after Varland had thrown 25 pitches in the previous inning.

It's a lot easier to challenge hitters when ahead in the count.

And swinging early in the count in the third has only limited Junis' pitches. Mostly it isn't the approach, it is the type of hitter.

Limited the damage. Great pitch on 1-2.

If he didn't stumble, he might have had a chance to throw Hoskins out.

I do like the way Varland just gets the sign and throws. If he goes six or seven the game won't go two and a half hours.

No piggyback. The Twins will try to limit Paddack's innings though.

Louie has a scoreless first. Worst fears averted.

It's the Brewers' Home Opener. Maybe the Twins can spoil two home openers in a week. Also, I usually don't check stats versus a starting pitcher, but Junis has been batting practice for the starting lineup for the Twins. 31 for 78 with six homers and eight strikeouts.

While looking through all thirty major league 40-man rosters, I also compiled the number of players on Injured Lists. There are 179 players on Injured Lists, an average of six per team. 57 players have been placed on the 60-day Injured List, averaging about two per team. The Twins have eight on the IL with two of them on the 60-day list, so slightly more than average. The team with the least usage of Injured Lists is Detroit, with only one player on the IL, next is Atlanta with two and San Diego with three. Five teams have nine on the Injured List--San Francisco, Texas, Houston, Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees.

Here is my list of former Twins active in the major leagues about a week into the season: LaMonte Wade Jr., Taylor Rogers, Jake Cave, Tyler Kinley, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Martín Pérez, Michael A. Taylor, Trevor Megill, Gary Sanchez, Emilio Pagán, Dylan Floro, Derek Law, Ildemaro Vargas, Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario, Jorge López, Michael Tonkin, Luis Arraez, Nick Gordon, Jorge Polanco, Mitch Garver, Brent Rooker, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Sanó, Ryan Pressly, Kenta Maeda, Gio Urshela, Jose Berríos, Zack Littell, Ben Rortvedt, Ian Hamilton, Yennier Canó, Danny Coulombe. There are also eight former Twins on major league Injured Lists--Brustar Graterol, Sonny Gray, JT Chargois, Ian Gibault, Tyler Mahle, Oliver Ortega, Rob Refsnyder and Liam Hendriks.

Rocco said that Max Kepler was out yesterday as he was unable to run after fouling a ball off his knee. X-rays were negative, but if he can’t run on Tuesday, the Twins will probably make an IL move. Kirilloff has moved to the outfield with Max’s absence. The Twins could recall Miranda or Severino off the 40-man list, but the admirable depth is almost used up and it’s only 4/1.

But he was good in Spring Training!

DeSclafani is done for the season, $4M risk that netted zero. He had flexor-tendon surgery.