stringer bell

An old fashioned slugfest.

Wallner is a better (on offense) Joey Gallo.

Mr. Bremer is exaggerating the error call on Correa (now changed to Lewis). If Correa just comes down, he gets the force, but he tried to do too much. Lewis made a bad throw and we've seen Correa be very adroit on double play pivots, but he got greedy.

Charge Correa with a bunch of errors. They always get a double play on the next play.

Yuck. Had an easy out at home and get......nothing.

I think they feel like they can be patient with guys like Correa, Gallo, Buxton and Luplow with a six-game lead. Especially with promising reports on Kirilloff, Buxton and the rest. Specifically, we've seen Gallo hit a bunch of homers in a short time and Luplow has had success in the past against left handed pitching. If they were up or down by a game, they might not be as patient.

Stats are one thing, but not the only thing. We've seen guys with great numbers in AAA struggle when they get to the majors. The coaching staffs in the minors get paid to recommend the right guys for promotion.

Yes, it isn't fair to Ober, but the team will get a chance to save innings from him. If he pitches at all for the Saints, I would guess it would be 3-4 innings in each game. If someone gets hurt they can recall him and he could be added back to the roster any time in mid-September. The Ortega move isn't a screw-up, it is just that the bullpen is short due to having one less member and they've been used a lot due to short starts and extra inning games. This is probably the end of the line for Ortega as a Twin. I doubt they will keep him on the 40-man this winter. The fact is that his chances of pitching after a 15 day stint on the IL were pretty small with all the other pitchers ready to return from injuries. As mentioned, Cleveland is vulnerable to lefties and has been for years. I would not be surprised to see him pitch tonight. If I'm going to be critical, the usage of Winder and Sands is puzzling really puts more pressure on everyone else in the bullpen. Edit to add: They can't add Balazovic back right now unless there was someone placed on the IL. Before Ober struggled again and Keuchel put up two straight good (to great) outings, they could have gone other ways.

In addition, Ortega was moved to the 60-day IL to create space for Funderburk.

I buy the arguments that say Martin should stay in St. Paul for now. I hope/expect he will be on the roster next April and it will be interesting to see how having Martin will effect roster decisions on Willi Castro, Michael A. Taylor, Kyle Farmer, Nick Gordon and Donovan Solano, to name a few. I can't see a roster in '24 with all of those guys. The Twins need more contact and speed and Martin provides that plus versatility. He hasn't played that much outfield until this season. I don't know how good he is as an outfielder, but he certainly seems fast enough to cover a lot of ground.

It is possible that Arraez may not win the NL batting championship after winning the AL crown last year. Freddie Freeman is only nine points behind him. I'm kind of pulling for the ex-Twin, but still like the trade especially if Pablo can get a win tomorrow.

I wonder if Castro would already be on the active roster if he weren't going to be absent very soon for paternity leave.

Am I wrong about this? "Beaned" when referring to a hit by pitch is supposed to mean being hit in the head. Jeffers took a pitch on the arm. Beaning is very serious and can end careers. Getting hit in the wallet or the arm hurts and leaves a mark, but usually the batter walks away from the plate.

Best possible lineup except I might want Edouard DHing and Jorge at second base.

Another way to look at this is from the perspective of the veteran right handed hitters--when are the depth guys better utilized than batting against a left handed pitcher, especially when the left handed hitters have not produced as of yet. Solano and Farmer, based on their records, should be playing when a left hander is on the mound. This year's ineffectiveness against left handers is due to both the reduced production of guys with a history of clubbing lefties (Buxton, Farmer and to a lesser extent Correa and Solano) and with the lack of success from the young guys--Kirilloff, Julien, Wallner and Larnach when he was here. Baldelli has started Wallner against two lefties lately (yesterday and the Keuchel Pittsburgh game) instead of Kepler. I know Kirilloff started against a couple of lefties (in the outfield) and Julien has maybe one or two starts against same sided throwers. I agree with Brian about the pinch hitting, particularly when it makes the defense worse and I don't know how it can be quantified that having viable pinch-hitting options late in a game may be more valuable than in early or middle innings. Do we know who was on the bench as a result of Willi Castro being in the lineup. It is my recollection that this was when the club was at least a player short (Miranda or maybe Polanco injured but not on the IL). I'll also state that Willi Castro has value not reflected in his hitting stats. Having the flexibility provided by his versatility is a plus, as is his base running and his fielding, hence his relatively high WAR despite pedestrian offensive numbers. Left handed starters probably only face a team's very best left handed hitters. Guys like Freddie Freeman and Cory Seager hit no matter what hand pitchers throw with. It may be why guys like Sears look like they are vulnerable to same sided hitters

Do remember that the Twins can add two players on September 1. Only one can be a pitcher, but adding all of Castro, Kirilloff and Buxton could require only removing one position player. Of course, injuries can also occur and are likely. I do believe Luplow is on thin ice and if all three players come back healthy that Gallo could be DFAed.

Max Kepler certainly isn't a favorite player of mine. Perhaps the reason for this is he seems to have the swing and the athleticism to be a .300 hitter, Gold Glove winner with 25-30 home runs a year. Somehow, that has never come to pass. As a matter of fact, Max had only had one very good year (2019) and was only average to below average every other year (COVID year excluded as SSS). Kepler has missed time with two leg injuries and might not have enough plate appearances to qualify for rate stats, but he is the Twins top hitting regular. His batting average stands at .251 and his OPS is at .805 with an OPS+ of 117, rivaling 2019 when his OPS+ was 123. Max leads the club in homers and is second in RBI. He's improved his hitting against left handed pitching (.703 OPS) and continues to be a good defensive outfielder. There was a thread on TD about a month ago discussing Kepler and picking up the club option for 2024. Kepler's performance in the last six weeks has moved me from a hard "no" to a probable yes.

Audra Martin's clubhouse report noted that Kirilloff may be going on rehab assignment next week and Buxton and Alcalá won't be far behind him. Reinforcements are on the way. Willi Castro probably will be back on or before September 1 and Kirilloff and Buxton by mid-month. I'm guessing that would eliminate Luplow and perhaps Gallo and force the mob to find a new scapegoat.

Just wanted to mention that the home plate umpire was rated very good last night. Only two missed calls all night, both benefiting the Twins. I assume that doesn’t include borderline calls, just clear misses.

Quick inning for Ober. Wondering why Kepler isn’t in the lineup. He’s had a decent season against left handers and is going good right now.

I don’t think it’s optimum to go with rookies with no major league experience. I don’t want Gallo to sniff post-season, but I doubt the team feels the same about that. It’s going to be tough to get the 60-day IL guys back without losing a player or players the Twins want to keep.

It appears everyone on Injured Lists has a chance of returning to play for the Twins in the last 30 games, except for De León and Mahle. Currently, Nick Gordon, Chris Paddack and Brock Stewart are on the 60-day Injured List and room would have to be cleared to have them return to the active roster. The Saints play until September 23rd, I believe and they might make it to post-season. Wichita has a chance to win their second half and extend their season and Cedar Rapids has already qualified, so there will be places for the players to rehab. The Twins can add two players to the active roster on September 1. The most certain to be placed on the active roster is Willi Castro, who has already started his rehab assignment. I would expect he will be back at least by September 1, if not sooner. Next would be Alex Kirilloff and/or Byron Buxton. They are both doing baseball activities, but not yet ready for rehab in St. Paul. I suspect the Twins are using Buxton's hamstring issue to get the rest of his body as right as it can be, hence the long layoff for a strained hamstring. Barring setbacks, these three players will all be on the playoff roster if the Twins prevail in the Central. Nick Gordon hasn't played since May 17th and would certainly need a rehab assignment before going on the active roster. I don't think there is a place for him unless someone gets injured, so it wouldn't surprise me if he stays on the Injured List. The same is true for Jose Miranda, who hasn't played since July 9. He could be transferred to the 60-day list to make room for someone returning from the 60-day IL. On the pitching side, the Twins have Oliver Ortega on the 15-day list. He could return on about the 10th of September, but doesn't figure to be part of the Twins post-season roster. In addition, he can be optioned, so he'll likely go back St. Paul and rehab unless he is needed with the Twins. Jorge Alcalá has thrown several bullpen sessions and could give the Twins a lift if he is finally healthy. Again, it must be near mandatory to send him to St. Paul first, both to see if he is really healthy and to see if he can be effective. Chris Paddack has been pitching in Florida and according to the Athletic, is throwing as high as 95 mph. It seems to me that it would be a long shot for either Paddack or Alcalá to be a factor for post-season. Finally, and most hopefully, Brock Stewart is throwing and feeling good. A September 10th return is the optimistic timetable for him. If he is healthy, he could step into the bullpen in high leverage situations. Again, after being out over two months, some time in St. Paul is to be expected. New injuries will most likely pop up, but here is my rough timetable for rehab assignments, activations and other transactions along with a playoff roster: September 1--Willi Castro activated and added to the active roster. Jovani Moran also added (a last chance to show he can throw strikes). Stewart sent to St. Paul for rehab. September 5--Kirilloff and Buxton to St. Paul for rehab. If Chris Paddack or Alcalá have a chance to contribute, they are also sent to St. Paul. September 10--Stewart activated, Ortega to St. Paul for rehab, Sands, Moran or Winder optioned to make room for Stewart and Miranda transferred to the 60-day list. September 12--Rehab for Gordon. Recall to the majors for Buxton, Luplow optioned. September 15--Kirilloff activated. Some random player placed on the IL. Here's my playoff roster: Jeffers, Vázquez, Kirilloff, Polanco, Correa, Lewis, Farmer, Solano, Castro, Wallner, Taylor, Buxton, Kepler, Julien, Gallo (position players). Pitchers: López, Gray, Ryan, Ober, Maeda, Paddack, Floro, Thielbar, Pagán, Jax, Stewart, Duran.

A lot to quote, but I do want to point out there are severe platoon splits for Wallner, Julien and Kirilloff, three young LH hitters. Farmer has always hit left handed pitching very well (not so much this year). Sending Farmer up in the eighth against a lefty is a move I’d make.

MAT is in the starting lineup today. Castro should be back shortly, but will go on paternity leave at some point. If Kirilloff and Buxton return by mid-September, I expect Luplow to be optioned along with a possible Gallo DFA or benching.

Luplow replaced Gallo the other night because MAT has had a tight hamstring. MAT is in the lineup today.