Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Indians pound five homers, trounce Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Souhan: Buxton finally finds success by copying Molitor at the plate. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 2 Hector Santiago pulled from rehab start, returns to Twin Cities. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Twins and the playoffs: A 1 in 5 chance isn't really that bad. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Now healthy, reliever Glen Perkins, Twins weighing next steps. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4 John Shipley: Twins in no position to turn down Glen Perkins. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 5 Indians blast Bartolo Colon, Twins 8-1. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins mulling next step for rehabbing reliever Glen Perkins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton earn defensive stars. MLB (Jackson) p. 8 Indians hit five homers to power past Twins. MLB (Bastian & Jackson) p. 9 Hector Santiago has setback in injury rehab. MLB (Jackson) p. 10 Mining the Minors: Why isn’t Mitch Garver up with the Twins by now? ESPN 1500 (Depue) p. 11 Salazar, 5 homers power Indians past Twins 8-1 (Aug 15, 2017). Associated Press p. 13 The biggest August trades in MLB history. CBS Sports (Snyder) p. 14 Glen Perkins Nearing Completion Of Rehab Assignment. MLB Trade Rumors (Adams) p. 14 2017 Playoff Odds for Every MLB Team at the Three-Quarter Mark. Bleacher Report (Shafer) p. 14

Indians pound five homers, trounce Twins

La Velle E. Neal III| Star Tribune | August 16, 2017

If the Twins fall just short of a postseason berth, they can look at their lack of success against Cleveland at home as a big reason why. And they can directly blame Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion. Tuesday night, the Indians hit five home runs that fueled an 8-1 victory over the Twins in the first game of this three-game showdown series. Santana hit two home runs — one from each side of the plate — while Encarnacion hit one as they moved up the list of visiting home run hitters at Target Field. The long ball is one way the Indians have won all eight games here this season. The Twins have countered by winning five of the six meetings at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. “It doesn’t really make sense,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “But there’s a lot of things in our game that you can spin your head around, trying to figure out.” If the trend continues, the Twins will be eight games out of the AL Central lead by the time Cleveland leaves. Tuesday’s loss knocked the Twins to six games back in the division and kept them from moving into the second wild-card spot. “I’m well aware of the fact they have come in and dominated us in our home park,” Molitor said. “We’ve got a couple more chances to get in the win column against them here.” Cleveland righthander Danny Salazar (5-5) continued his recent strong form, helping the Indians win their fifth in a row. He gave up one run, on Byron Buxton’s RBI single in the second, over seven innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts. He has a 1.39 ERA in five starts since coming off the disabled list July 22. Facing the team he debuted with 20 years ago, Twins righthander Bartolo Colon (4-10) had fans out of their seats early as he danced out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning, receiving a standing ovation as he walked off the field. He did it again in the third, when he got a

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double-play grounder with two on to end the inning. “I was able to get out of it, and I thought we had the game,” Colon said. “But, obviously, things didn’t go that way.” Colon was making the right pitches at the right times — but danger lurked. The leadoff batter reached every inning. He had six three-ball counts in the first three innings. He never retired the side in order. And many of Cleveland’s outs were loud -- witness this defensive gem by center fielder Byron Buxton against Encarnacion in the seventh inning off reliever Alan Busenitz that prevented another homer. It all caught up to Colon during a span of eight batters over the fourth and fifth innings. Santana hit a homer to right to tie the score in the fourth. Jason Kipnis led off the fifth with a homer, and two batters later Encarnacion hit a fastball well into the second deck to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Austin Jackson’s three-run homer off Buddy Boshers made it 6-1, and Santana added a second homer, his 18th of the season, in the ninth as Cleveland pulled away. It was also Santana’s 14th at Target Field, drawing him into a tie for the lead among visiting players with Kansas City’s Salvador Perez and Toronto’s Jose Bautista. Encarnacion’s blast was his 12th at Target Field, tying him with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera for fourth most. All five of Encarnacion’s homers vs. the Twins this season have come in Minnesota, and in the seventh inning Buxton robbed him of what might have been another one. The power display highlighted a game in which Cleveland continued a run of dominance here that is hard to explain. “I don’t know,” Colon said. “All I know is that I’m 0-1 against them.” Souhan: Buxton finally finds success by copying Molitor at the plate

Jim Souhan| Star Tribune | August 16, 2017

Long before he started flashing bunt signs, Paul Molitor was amused by their existence. The Hall of Famer-turned-Twins manager would evolve into one of the most scientific hitters of his generation, and the science he espoused posited that force equals mass times acceleration, as long as you square up a round ball with a rounded sweet spot. As a kid with the Brewers, Molitor quivered with raw energy at the plate as if the batter’s box was electrified. When he reported for his first spring training with the Twins in 1996 at the age of 39, he had become still as a painter’s model. Kirby Puckett took batting practice with his new teammate that February day and nicknamed Molitor’s latter-day batting stance “the Molly.” And now, as the result of something like osmosis or transference, Byron Buxton is mimicking The Molly, the stance that helped Molitor hit .341 the year he turned 40. “Well, it’s a lot closer than it used to be,” Molitor said with a laugh. “I think the whole thing — being a little more spread out and lower and trying to see the ball longer and using his hands — is similar. I think our swing paths are a little different, but I see him now trying to start the bat on his shoulder for a little longer.” Molitor stood still, rested the bat on or near his shoulder, and in a phrase popular among hitting coaches, “let the ball travel,” meaning he would try to see it for as long as possible before committing to a swing. Decades later, Buxton became one of baseball’s best prospects by relying on exceptional bat speed. “In the minor leagues, they just tell you to go out and play and try to get up here to the big leagues,” Buxton said. “You’re kids. You don’t understand. I just had to figure some stuff out. I had to change some stuff and find a way to put the ball in play.” Out went the exaggerated leg kick that made Buxton look like a skinny Puckett. In went an inadvertent imitation of “the Molly.” Buxton now takes a wide stance, keeps his feet planted and … waits. Tuesday, during the Twins’ showdown with Cleveland, Buxton drove in the first run of the game by lining a fastball to left. He has eight hits in his past 17 at-bats. In his past 20 games, he is batting .369. Sunday, he hit a game-winning single up the middle on a low-and-outside pitch that Buxton’s previous swing would have missed by a foot. “No question,” Molitor said.

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So much of the modern news cycle concerns itself with nervous roster permutations. Will the Twins trade away a mediocre pitcher, or trade for one? Will the next kid you’ve never heard of from Triple-A last one or two weeks? What remains most important for this franchise is the development of young players. With his new approach and newfound confidence, Buxton is back on track to become a five-tool star. That’s the story of the summer, not whether Jaime Garcia is wearing pinstripes or Twinstripes. “You can tell he’s a lot more patient, he’s taking pitches he used to swing at,” Max Kepler said. “He was the best player I ever played with in the minors.” One of the fastest players in baseball is becoming a big-league hitter by slowing himself down. He has hit home runs recently by swinging half as hard as he did on May strikeouts. In baseball, force equals mass times acceleration only if you make contact. “Hey, this didn’t really come from me,” Molitor said. “I think he’s feeling better. He’s not missing as many pitches, he’s not chasing as much, and that’s a pretty good combination.” Tuesday’s 8-1 loss to Cleveland leaves the Twins six games out of the division lead and third in the race for the second wild card, more proof that Buxton’s development is more important than a long-shot race for a one-game playoff. Hector Santiago pulled from rehab start, returns to Twin Cities

La Velle E. Neal III| Star Tribune | August 16, 2017

Lefthander Hector Santiago was scratched from his rehab start at Rochester and is back in the Twin Cities. The Twins have pulled him off his minor league rehabilitation stint. “He’s not feeling quite right yet,” Molitor said. “We’re still trying to do things that maybe get to the bottom of why that is.” The Twins were waiting for the results of a test Santiago underwent over the weekend at Rochester. Santiago last pitched for the Twins on July 2 and has made two trips to the disabled list since then, most recently because of upper thoracic back pain. He could help the staff either as a starter or a reliever, but this most recent setback makes it unclear when he will be able to return to the staff. The Twins' currently don't have a fifth starter in their rotation. The next time that spot comes up in Saturday against Arizona. Plus, the Twins play a five-game series in Chicago next week that includes a doubleheader on Monday. Twins and the playoffs: A 1 in 5 chance isn't really that bad

Howard Sinker | Star Tribune | August 15, 2017

If you're a fan of Cleveland, your team has about 1 chance in 100 of not making the postseason. If you're a Twins fan, your team has slightly better than a 1 in 5 chance of making it. So there's really more than five games of separation between the teams as they begin a three-game series at Target Field. The playoff projections on MLB.com come from the fabulously geeky Fangraphs.com web site, which is one I tend to avoid for good reason: if I dive in when I should be doing something else, it is very, very difficult to get back on task. (OK, back to this post. I just got sidetracked by an article about baseball's drug testing program called "Better playing through chemistry ... Still.") Stay ... on ... task. So how are those playoff projection chances computed? Here's the boilerplate explanation from MLB.com: "Postseason projections are courtesy of FanGraphs and indicate each team's probability of winning the division or wild card, or any postseason berth. Projections are based on thousands of Monte Carlo simulations of the remaining seasons' schedule. They incorporate up to date player projections, current roster composition, playing time projections and the remaining schedule." If you want to go down another rabbit hole, you can read up on Monte Carlo simulations here. The too-short definition is that a Monte Carlo simulation takes into account as many variables as possible in a situation that can't be easily predicted.

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The easiest way to explain why the Twins have only a 22.2 percent chance of being in the postseason -- even though they are only a half-game behind right now -- is the number of teams currently crowded around the second Wild Card spot in the American League. There are four teams within two games of the spot, with the Angels currently in the lead, and four more within 3 1/2 games. So one hot week, like the Twins just had, can boost a team significantly -- or it can mean very little if other teams keep winning. The Twins made up ground because while they went 8-2 (and the Angels went 7-3) in their last 10 games, they picked up from two to six games on the other six games in the cluster. And while 22.2 percent may sound skinny, it's a better chance than all of the other hopefuls except for the Angels (32.4) and Royals (26.9). Baltimore, for example, trails the Twins by only 1 1/2 games but its chances right now are only 7.8 percent. In the National League, things are much clearer because the top two Wild Card teams -- Arizona and Colorado -- have pulled clear of their pursuers. So what do the Twins have to do to overcome the odds? Here are three things to ponder: *The pitching staff needs to improve. Can general manager Thad Levine work the waiver trade deadline between now and the end of the month well enough to add another starting pitcher and an arm or two that would reinforce the bullpen? The Twins have overcome pitching adversity in their recent hot streak in a way that can't be sustained for the final 6 1/2 weeks of the season. No way. *Can Miguel Sano return to pre-All Star Game form? In the 24 games since Miami, he's batting .250/.309/.430, compared with .276/.368/.538 when Sano was one of the forces carrying the Twins through the first half of the season. Even when the Twins have played well recently, Sano has struggled at bat. *Will the defense play up to the high standard it has set for most of the season? The awful inning on Sunday in Detroit -- an error, three passed balls, a wild pitch and a hit batter that somehow only resulted in two runs scoring against them -- was especially jarring because it looked like it was out of the 2016 playbook. (One other thing: Don't take Byron Buxton's defense for granted, even if his hitting doesn't stay at current levels –- .326/.388/.442 in 14 games since the All-Star break. He provides value in the field even when his batting touch doesn't,) Keep in mind that we're setting some higher standards here that we would have anticipated before the season started, when it wasn't anticipated that the Twins would be playing meaningful games this late into the season. Also keep in mind that it's perfectly fine to lament when things go wrong because Twins are proving themselves worthy enough of being taken seriously. High expectations are good. It may be only a 1 in 5 chance. But back on the first day of the season, when hopes were low, that chance was a whole lot skinnier. Now healthy, reliever Glen Perkins, Twins weighing next steps

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 16, 2017

Lefthander Glen Perkins returned from his minor league rehabilitation stint at Class AA Chattanooga on Tuesday, but the Twins aren’t quite ready to add the three-time All-Star to the active roster. While Perkins is healthy after being out since April 2016 because of a torn labrum, he has only thrown 7⅓ innings in minor league games, and the Twins would like to see Perkins get some more work in. “It’s not what you would get in a normal spring training,” manager Paul Molitor said. “He’s had enough time up here to trust some of that. You don’t always have to go through a full spring training to get back to being ready to play. “The fact that he has missed the majority of last year, it just makes you tread a little slowly.” Technically, Perkins has until Sunday before his 30-day rehabilitation stint expires. So the Twins will decide if he can make an appearance or two at Class AAA Rochester or have him throw live batting practice at Target Field. The Twins would need to add Perkins to both the 25- and 40-man rosters to activate him. What can Perkins offer? He pitched in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday for the first time this year. On Sunday, he pitched a scoreless inning with a walk and two strikeouts. Molitor said Perkins’ fastball was from 88-91 miles per hour. “I did have a chance to talk with [manager] Jake Mauer down there, and he said last night was his best night in terms of his command, that his breaking ball was sharp enough to get swings and misses,” Molitor said. “I think that over the next couple of days we’re contemplating what the

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best move forward is, not only for him but for our team.” With the Twins fighting to remain in the postseason race, they can’t afford to just hand appearances to Perkins, who has missed a whopping 272 games because of his shoulder problems. There could be an occasional blowout game he could pitch in, but Molitor is in all-hands-on-deck mode with his bullpen. It’s hard to ease your way into a playoff race. “I talked to him today about when it does happen,” Molitor said. “We are going to have to be smart about when we get him in and how his stuff plays.” Etc. • Rod Carew and his wife, Rhonda, will be at Target Field on Friday as the Twins honor organ donors and donor families. Carew in December underwent heart transplant surgery, a heart that was donated by the family of former NFL player Konrad Reuland. The first 10,000 fans Friday will receive a Carew bobblehead honoring his 1977 AL MVP season. • Lefthander Dietrich Enns pitched 1⅔ innings out of the bullpen Tuesday to get some work in before his start Saturday vs. Arizona. Enns made his major league debut Thursday at Milwaukee, lasting 2⅓ innings. • The Twins observed a moment of silence for Danny Walton, who died last week in Morgan, Utah, at age 70. Primarily an outfielder, he played for the Twins in 1973 and 1975, part of a nine-year major league career. John Shipley: Twins in no position to turn down Glen Perkins

John Shipley | Pioneer Press | August 15, 2017

Minnesota Twins decision-makers seem unsure about what to do with their erstwhile closer, Glen Perkins, whose return from a 14-month-long shoulder rehabilitation was greeted with something considerably less than enthusiasm on Tuesday. “We’ll contemplate what the best move is moving forward,” manager Paul Molitor said, “not only for him, but for our team.” The Twins, you see, are in the thick of a playoff race, and there is much to consider when adding a new face to the delicate balance of a winning clubhouse this late in the season. And heck, Perkins hasn’t thrown a major league pitch since April 2016. Can he still sling it? This is what’s known in polite company as overthinking. The Twins are in no position to turn down an able-bodied relief pitcher, and if Saturday’s meltdown at Detroit didn’t convince them, maybe Tuesday’s 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians will. Coming off back-to-back appearances at Double-A Chattanooga, Perkins won’t be available to pitch until Thursday or so, but if his left shoulder is sound — and by all accounts it is — what do the Twins have to lose? He can’t do any worse than lefty Buddy Boshers did on Tuesday. The Twins were down 3-1 when Boshers entered with two outs and bases empty in the seventh. After walking the first batter he faced, Boshers gave up a sharp grounder that third baseman Miguel Sano barely got a glove on and allowed a three-run home run to Austin Jackson. Just like that, a lineup that had struggled against Indians right-hander Danny Salazar had no chance to regroup late. Carlos Santana’s two-run homer off Dietrich Enns in the ninth was an unnecessary indignity, like tearing the epaulets off a disgraced officer’s shoulders. With the win, Cleveland pulled six games ahead of its closest competitor in the American League Central and improved to 8-0 at Target Field this season. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine are scouring the waiver wire for potential trades that can get them a player who can help down the stretch. And while they could use a veteran designated hitter capable of actually hitting a home run, it’s pitching, pitching, pitching that they really need. And here comes Perkins, back from surgery to reattach a torn labrum to his shoulder. He’s not throwing in the mid- to upper-90s like he was at his all-star peak, but so what? The reports from Chattanooga say 88-91 mph, good enough for a pitcher who knows what he’s doing. From here, that seems worth a look. “Given the fact he missed the majority of last year, it just makes you tread a little slowly,” Molitor said.

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Perkins hasn’t pitched in the majors since three appearances last April, and as Molitor pointed out Tuesday, seven single- and double-A rehab appearances aren’t exactly an analog for spring training. But if we learned anything from MacGyver, it’s that when you’re in a flooded basement with the water quickly rising, you put together some lipstick and chewing gum and take your chances. That would make more sense for a team that isn’t trying find reliable pitching in mid-August. The Twins have been in worse shape and still made the playoffs — the 2009 team was seven games out on Sept. 6 before forcing and winning a Game 163 against the Tigers — but this year’s shot at the Central is fading, and they’re fighting about a half-dozen teams for two wild-card spots. Maybe Molitor feels like he’s protecting Perkins, but I would argue this is not time to tread slowly. If Perkins isn’t quite ready for the majors, well, he’ll have plenty of company. Indians blast Bartolo Colon, Twins 8-1

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 15, 2017

Maybe the first clue should have been the center-cut fastball that Francisco Lindor lined for a single on a two-strike count to start the game. Or, perhaps, it was the first balk called on Bartolo Colon in 12 years, since he was pitching for the Los Angeles Angels with a rookie teammate named Ervin Santana. Reaching three-ball counts six times in the first three innings of Tuesday’s 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians was another indicator that something wasn’t quite right for the Twins’ 44-year-old pitching sensation. “It just looked like his command was a little bit off,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “When he made some pitches that were close, we didn’t get many calls. You don’t use that as an excuse or anything. He hung in there.” With the loss, their eighth in as many tries against the Indians this year at Target Field, the Twins fell six games out of first place in the American League Central. They have been outscored 56-16 at home by the Indians this year. Colon (4-10) danced out of danger for awhile, escaping a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the second and getting Jay Bruce to bounce into an inning-ending double play in the third. But there was a limit this time on how long Colon could fool his original employer. Carlos Santana’s 423-foot blast to start the fourth set off a run of three homers in a span of eight Cleveland batters. Jason Kipnis (405 feet) and Edwin Encarnacion (411) had the others in the fifth inning. “Fastball — that’s what they all looked for,” Colon said. “Those three home runs were fastballs. Other than that, on my offspeed, they couldn’t hit it tonight.” Thus ended a delicious run of unexpected excellence in which Colon had allowed just one run (Carlos Gomez’s solo homer) in a span of 16 innings covering three starts. It marked just the sixth time since June 2009 that Colon had allowed three or more homers in a start. Colon would later walk Santana on five pitches for his fourth walk of the night, just the fourth time in the past decade that Colon had issued at least four unintentional walks in a single start. He had only mild quibbles publicly for plate umpire Alfonso Marquez, with whom Colon had worked to a 2.52 earned-run average and just five walks in 35 2/3 career innings. “I thought (the strike zone) was a little high,” Colon said through a translator. “I thought there were some pitches that were closer than what the call was. At the end of the day that’s not my call. He’s the umpire for a reason.” The mid-game power barrage also wiped out a rare lead for the Twins in this year’s home series against the reigning American League pennant winners. When Byron Buxton knocked in Eddie Rosario with a two-out single in the second, it ended a span of 64 home innings against the Indians in which the Twins had led at the completion of just five of them. Once Austin Jackson added a three-run shot off Buddy Boshers in the seventh, the Twins were on their way to another night playing from an insurmountable hole. Hard-throwing right-hander Danny Salazar (5-5) worked the first seven innings on just three hits. He walked none and struck out 10 while setting down 16 of his final 17 batters.

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In 72 total innings against the Indians at home this year, the Twins have led at the completion of just seven. That’s 9.7 percent. With just two games left to salvage something in this season series, the Twins are reminded of their 0-9 home showing last year against the Detroit Tigers. Since the start of the 1997 season, they have lost eight or more times to a single opponent at home just two other times: 2007 Tigers (1-8) and 2013 Kansas City Royals (2-8). The crazy thing is the Twins are 5-1 this year at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, where they are scheduled to spend three luxurious nights during the final week of the regular season. “It doesn’t really make sense but there are a lot of things in our game that you can spin your head around trying to figure out,” Molitor said. “I’m well aware of the fact they’ve come in here and dominated us in our home park. They outplayed us, they outpitched us, they certainly outhit us. File it away and try to rebound.” Added Colon: “I don’t know. All I know is I’m 0-1 against them today.” Twins mulling next step for rehabbing reliever Glen Perkins

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 15, 2017

Veteran reliever Glen Perkins, fresh off back-to-back rehab outings for Double-A Chattanooga, returned to the Twins clubhouse Tuesday. What happens next remains anyone’s guess. “There’s not really an official word,” manager Paul Molitor said. “I think over the next couple days we’ll contemplate what the best move is moving forward, not only for him but for our team.” While Perkins struck out 10 in 7 1/3 innings across eight rehab outings at three levels, he also walked five (including two on Sunday) and allowed a 6.14 earned-run average. His fastball velocity, which touched 93 mph last week in Birmingham, was 88-91 mph on Monday, Molitor said. Lookouts manager Jake Mauer told Molitor that Monday’s scoreless inning was Perkins’ best showing in terms of command, adding his “breaking ball was sharp enough to get swings and misses.” Perkins’ 30-day rehab window runs through Sunday, so the Twins could ask him to make a quick stop with Triple-A Rochester as it travels through Columbus and Louisville this week. Perkins, however, has enough service time to block such a request after publicly stating back-to-back outings would be the last key hurdle in his mind. His last big-league pitch was thrown on April 10, 2016, and he underwent major shoulder surgery on June 23, 2016. He is roughly five months behind schedule, but the Twins were willing to let things take their natural course. Asked if Perkins was ready to help at the big-league level, Molitor demurred. “I don’t even know if that’s fair to try to answer,” he said. “I mean, the guy’s pitched (seven) innings in (16) months. It’s not even what you would get in a normal spring training. He’s had enough time up here, you trust some of that. Given the fact he missed the majority of last year, it just makes you tread a little slowly.” Molitor talked with Perkins about the need to “be smart” as the Twins “see how his stuff plays up here.” With diminished velocity and a two-seam fastball he’s using more frequently, Perkins is still adjusting his methods of attack. “He’s still learning how to use a different arsenal,” Molitor said. “Some of those things he’s been trying to bring into his game considering his velocity is not where it was when he was closing at an all-star level. I do try to imagine best-case scenarios, but we’re just going to have to see what it looks like when we see him on the mound.” SANTIAGO PLAN Another veteran lefty, Hector Santiago, was recalled from his rehab assignment after undergoing additional tests on his back Monday. The Twins were still awaiting results from the magnetic resonance imaging exam on his neck and upper-spine areas. “He’s not feeling quite right yet,” Molitor said. “We’re still trying to do things that maybe get to the bottom of why he’s been slow to get back to 100 percent.”

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Santiago’s original rehab window ran through Aug. 23, but he walked six in 4 1/3 innings his last time out while his fastball remained down in the 86-90 mph range. Santiago, a prospective free agent, started experimenting with his arm angle to see if that would help alleviate the discomfort in his mid-back area. He played catch Tuesday and remains encouraged his neck and shoulder aren’t the problem. Nor is thoracic outlet syndrome a concern as he isn’t experiencing numbness in his fingers. “It wasn’t shoulder, it wasn’t elbow, it wasn’t lat,” Santiago said recently. “It was like mid-back between the scapula and the spine. It’s a tough thing to work on. I can’t actually dig my finger on it, so I’m kind of like, ‘It’s here.’ They say I need to loosen up the pecs and get the shoulders back and stretch it out and keep it loose.” Like Perkins, Santiago would have to approve any additional rehab outings. He already has made four starts when the original agreement was three. In 14 innings, he has walked 12 and allowed 12 hits while fanning 18 with a 5.14 ERA. BRIEFLY Lefty Adalberto Mejia, out since Aug. 8 with soreness in his upper arm, has yet to play catch but said his arm was feeling better. Mejia is hopeful of playing catch in another day or two. … Lefty Dietrich Enns, slated for a second start Saturday against Arizona, got five outs on 33 pitches in his Target Field debut out of the bullpen. He also gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Santana in the ninth. Santana’s 14th career homer at Target Field tied Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for most by an opposing player. Lefty Stephen Gonsalves was set to make his second Triple-A start Tuesday and remains an option to be called up Aug. 21 to start one half of Monday’s doubleheader in Chicago. Twins hall of fame manager Tom Kelly turned 67 on Tuesday. … Former Twins outfielder Danny Walton died recently at age 70 in Morgan, Utah. Walton spent parts of nine seasons in the majors, including 79 games with the Twins in 1973 and 1975. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton earn defensive stars

Shane Jackson | MLB | August 16, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- It's a play that Twins third baseman Miguel Sano has practiced routinely throughout the season. At last, during an 8-1 loss to the Indians on Tuesday night, Sano got a chance to pull it off in game action. Sano ended the fifth inning with what was arguably his best defensive play of the season, drifting into foul territory and throwing out Austin Jackson at first base to keep the deficit at just two runs at the time. "I thought Sano's play was one of the better ones I have seen him make," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "From my angle, it looked like the ball was going to go down in the corner." But Sano wasn't going to let that happen. With one on and two out, Jackson ripped a 1-2 changeup from Bartolo Colon down the left-field line. Sano, who had to quickly move to his right, stabbed the ball with his backhand and threw across his body from foul territory. In fact, he ended up near the tarp by the time he had completed his throwing motion. Still, first baseman Joe Mauer was able to pick the ball for an inning-ending groundout. According to Statcast™, Sano's 149-foot throw was his longest assist from third base this season. For Molitor, it reminded him of a play that Brooks Robinson, who won 16 American League Gold Glove Awards with the Orioles, would have made. "For us old schoolers, Brooks would have been proud," Molitor said. "It kind of had that look of the World Series play he made [against the Reds in 1970]. The fact [Sano] ranged as far as he did and all in one motion to get off an accurate throw."

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And it wasn't the only stellar play of the night for the Twins' defense. In the seventh, center fielder Byron Buxton robbed Edwin Encarnacion of a home run with a leaping grab at the wall. Buxton had to make a late adjustment, as the ball soared near the bullpen fence. The ball left Encarnacion's bat at 104 mph and had a 79 percent hit probability, according to Statcast™. "You know what? It doesn't surprise you anymore," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We see it on highlights when we're not here. We see it when we're here. We've got to try to hit it somewhere else." Indians hit five homers to power past Twins

Jordan Bastian and Shane Jackson | MLB | August 16, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Danny Salazar continued his second-half resurgence, and Carlos Santana led a five-homer attack with a pair of blasts to power the Indians to an 8-1 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night in the opener of a key series between American League Central contenders. Cleveland is now 8-0 at Target Field this season. Salazar, who has fashioned a 1.39 ERA in five outings since coming off the disabled list on July 22, logged 10 strikeouts and no walks over seven innings. The right-hander helped the division-leading Tribe increase its lead to six games over the Twins and Royals, who dropped a 10-8 decision to the A's. "We really stressed to him about being aggressive early and he did a really good job," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He held them down and our offense clicked in, we got the homers and then we spread it out. That's a good way to play." Beyond Santana's two homers -- one off Bartolo Colon in the fourth and another off Dietrich Enns in the ninth -- Jason Kipnis, Edwin Encarnacion and Austin Jackson each homered to help back Salazar's effort. "It's contagious," Jackson said. "When you see those guys swinging the bats, doing their job in the middle of the order, it definitely takes a lot of pressure off the rest of us. When those guys are swinging the bat, it's a really tough lineup." Three solo home runs came against the 44-year-old Colon, who walked four and allowed seven hits in his five innings. It's the first time Colon issued at least four free passes since May 18, 2016, and only the second time he's done so in a start the past four seasons. Jackson broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run homer off Twins reliever Buddy Boshers. The Twins struck first against Salazar in the second, when Eddie Rosario doubled and later scored on a single by Byron Buxton. Minnesota went 1-for-17 over the remainder of Salazar's outing. "Obviously, I'm well aware of the fact they have come in and dominated us in our home park," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "We have a couple more chances to get in the win column here." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Kipnis' go-ahead shot: When Kipnis stepped to the plate in the fifth, he had not cleared a fence in nearly two months due to the combination of a stint on the disabled list and offensive woes. That changed when he sent an 87-mph pitch from Colon out to right-center for his ninth homer of the year, and first since June 19. That shot put the Indians ahead for good, 2-1. "He's getting closer," Francona said. "And it might take a little time, but we've all seen what he can do when he gets going. He can kind of be a force, so we've just got to give him some time." Edwin stays hot: Encarnacion's season has been defined by hot and cold streaks, and the slugger has once again found a scalding rhythm. Two batters after Kipnis' blast, Encarnacion ripped a Colon pitch to the last row of the second deck beyond the left-field wall. It barely missed striking the facing of the third deck. The home run was the fifth in five games for Encarnacion, who had a two-homer outburst on Monday at Fenway Park. "You hope it goes to the end of the season," Francona said of Encarnacion's hot streak. "We're a different team when he swings like that."

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QUOTABLES "You know what? It doesn't surprise you anymore. We see it on highlights when we're not here. We see it when we're here. We've got to try to hit it somewhere else." -- Francona, on Buxton robbing Encarnacion of a home run in the seventh "They want to get in the fight to beat us. We're showing them that we're aggressive. This is what we do. We did it last year. We compete game by game. You saw the result." -- Salazar, on the Twins SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Santana now has 14 home runs in his career at Target Field, tying Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for the most homers in this ballpark by an opposing player. The Twins' eight losses are the most at home to the Tribe in club history. Cleveland has outscored Minnesota, 56-16, at Target Field this season. BUXTON, SANO FLASH LEATHER Miguel Sano and Buxton displayed their defensive prowess with outstanding plays. Sano showcased his arm strength, as he threw out Jackson at first base to end the fifth inning. Sano, who originally fielded the ball near the left-field line, ended up near the tarp when he completed his throw across the diamond. According to Statcast™, the 149-foot throw was Sano's longest from third base on the season. Buxton took a homer away from Encarnacion in the top of the seventh. Buxton had to change direction last minute and made a leaping snag at the center-field wall. The ball left Encarnacion's bat at 104 mph and had a 79 percent hit probability, according to Statcast™. "The defense continues to be solid," Molitor said. "We made some nice plays, those two stand out. Buxton getting back to the wall and giving them a chance to keep it in the park. I thought Sano's play was one of the better ones I have seen him make." WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) will start on Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET against the Twins at Target Field. In his last outing, Carrasco carried a no-hitter into the seventh, tossing eight shutout innings of 2-hit ball in a win over the Rays. He is 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA on the road this year. Twins: Right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02) is slated to start against the Indians on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. In his last outing, Gibson was charged with three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tigers. Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 12 career starts against the Tribe. Hector Santiago has setback in injury rehab

Shane Jackson | MLB | August 15, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins left-hander Hector Santiago has experienced another setback, just as he neared a possible return. Prior to Tuesday's series opener against the Indians, Twins manager Paul Molitor announced that Santiago was pulled off his injury-rehab stint. Santiago, who has been on the 10-day disabled list since July 3 with upper thoracic back pain, has pitched in four games with Triple-A Rochester. However, Santiago's previous turn in the Red Wings' rotation was skipped over. "He didn't make his last start," Molitor said. "It's one of those things where he's not feeling quite right yet. We are still trying to do things that maybe get to the bottom of why he's been slow to get back to 100 percent." Santiago underwent more testing in Rochester on Monday after experiencing soreness in the same area. The Twins have yet to receive the results. Since beginning his rehab assignment on July 25, Santiago has made four starts, allowing a total of eight earned runs on 12 hits in a combined 14 innings. Santiago has 18 strikeouts and 12 walks over that span. He had thrown as many as 98 pitches in his most recent outing, which took place on Wednesday. The last time Santiago pitched for the Twins was on July 2. He is 4-8 with a 5.63 ERA in 15 games this season, though he would have been a welcome addition for a club that seeks a fifth starter in the absence of Adalberto Mejia, who is on the DL with a left arm brachialis strain.

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Molitor was unsure whether Santiago's rehab will resume when the results come in or if he will have to start all over. "I think the fact that you pull him off, obviously it stops," Molitor said. "Whether you pick it up from that point or how it proceeds maybe depends on how long he's pulled back." Perkins nearing return The Twins have yet to announce an official plan for reliever Glen Perkins, who has been on the shelf with a left posterior shoulder strain. Perkins hasn't pitched for the Twins since April 10, 2016. He is coming off consecutive appearances out of the bullpen for Double-A Chattanooga, which is one of the final hurdles he wanted to clear in his rehab. Molitor said that Perkins showed his best command in his most recent outing and a breaking ball that could produce strikeouts. The club hasn't ruled out a possible appearance for Perkins with Rochester at some point this week. "Over the next couple days, we will contemplate what the best move is moving forward, not only for him, but for the rest of our team," Molitor said. Shane Jackson is a reporter for MLB.com based in Minneapolis. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Mining the Minors: Why isn’t Mitch Garver up with the Twins by now?

Jake Depue| ESPN 1500| August 15, 2017

The 2017 Twins are a tough team to figure out. Despite rolling through the first three and a half months of the season mostly in first place and above .500, we all waited for regression to come. Their terrible run differential suggested a fall was likely, and with a pitching staff that only had four of five reliable pitchers, many Twins fans weren’t ready to go all-in on the team as a real playoff contender. And yet, after going a respectable 3-3 out of the all-star break against the Astros and Yankees, the Twins sat firmly in contention in both the A.L. Central and wild card races on July 21. Since then, we’ve witnessed a bizarre four-week stretch in which the front office has pivoted three times—first to buyers, then sellers, and now, amazingly, back to buyers. All three of those pivots were the right thing to do, in my opinion, based on the information available. After going 9-4 in August, the Twins now find themselves, somewhat amazingly, just a half-game out of the second wild card going into play Tuesday. Putting together that run after the trades of Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler is a testament to the resiliency of the players. They earned the right to be buyers again, and Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have indicated to reporters that they’re attempting to make moves to bolster the 2017 club. If we operate on the premise that it’s time to add again, then, the question is where those pieces will come from. The waiver wire is still an option, but those type of acquisitions are more difficult, and usually produce complementary additions rather than impact players. The Twins, though, can head in the general direction of “going for it” by looking to some internal options in the high minors. There are several players at Triple-A, in my view, that can help this year’s team make a playoff push, and catcher Mitch Garver is at the top of the list. I wrote about Garver’s outstanding year a couple of weeks ago, and he’s continued to hit since then. He’s currently slashing .286/.384/.537 for Triple-A Rochester while spending time in the outfield and occasionally first base when he’s not behind the plate. He’s 26, on the 40-man roster, and could add some offensive punch behind the plate, where both Jason Castro and Chris Gimenez are having mediocre offensive seasons. As a right-handed power bat, he could also fill in occasionally for Max Kepler against left-handed pitching. There’s no question Gimenez, who Garver would likely replace, provides value to the big club. Sunday’s odd defensive meltdown aside, he has, in my opinion, been solid defensively and worked well with a young, developing pitching staff. Some will scoff at this, but clubhouse presence and veteran leadership matters, and Gimenez provides plenty of both. With that said, in the same way Craig Breslow provided 5 months of behind-the-scenes leadership before being DFA’d due to poor performance, Gimenez’s lack of on-field production (.192/.314/.338) suggests a similar fate is possible. With Castro signed through 2019 and Garver a near-lock to be his backup next season, Gimenez doesn’t seem like he has a long-term role with the team. So, if the Twins are trying to win now, adding Garver sure seems to make a lot of sense. Garver’s earned his shot, and with the Twins fighting for a playoff berth, keeping him down no longer seems logical to me. Stephen Gonsalves: After Garver, Gonsalves is probably the other minor leaguer who could have a real, tangible impact on the 2017 squad

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(bullpen arms John Curtiss and Jake Reed are right there as well, and are both making strong cases for a promotion). With Adalberto Mejia on the DL, Kyle Gibson and Dietrich Enns are currently manning the back end of the rotation. Gibson, of course, has struggled all year. Enns is an intriguing pitcher because of his great minor league numbers, but isn’t thought of as a high-end prospect, and may be more of a spot-starter/long man than long-term rotation option. In other words, there are openings in the rotation, and Gonsalves, who’s having another great year (2.67 ERA, 0.996 WHIP, 9.8 K/9), could fill in nicely. Gonsalves is a top prospect and clear part of the future. I wrote a couple of weeks ago, when I thought the Twins were out of it, that it makes sense to get his feet wet in the big leagues this season to better prepare him for a potentially larger role next year. You could apply a similar argument now, with the caveat that he’d now be pitching in a playoff race rather than in meaningless games. It’s possible the front office feels like that may be too much to throw on a young pitcher with just a handful of innings above Double-A. Personally, I don’t think they’d have promoted him to Triple-A if they had no intention of calling him up at some point this season. Fernando Romero, for example, who’s been similarly good at Double-A, will likely stay there through the end of the year. This is pure speculation, but I think giving starts to pitchers like Enns may be the Twins trying to buy a few more weeks of Triple-A seasoning for Gonsalves before they bring him up. I think we’ll see him in September, and if he could turn in three or four strong starts, he’d provide nice stability to the back end of the rotation. Zack Granite/Daniel Palka: I’m lumping Granite and Palka together this week because they’re both left-handed outfielders on the 40-man roster who could help the Twins this season. (And because this article is quickly approaching its innings limit). Granite and Palka are very different players, of course. Granite’s strong defense and ability to get on base and run makes him a valuable backup outfielder this year, and I’d be very surprised if he’s not with the big club on September. Palka is less of a sure thing to be called up, because his offensive skill set is redundant with Max Kepler and the red-hot Eddie Rosario, and both those players are stronger defensively than Palka. Since coming back from a finger injury that cost him two months, though, Palka’s been solid. In 22 games since his return, he’s hitting .300/.351/.478 with 8 extra base hits, suggesting there really isn’t much rust offensively. Palka’s always had massive power, which could make him a strong pinch hitting option. Given that he’s on the 40-man, there’s really no reason not to call him up in September if the Twins are in the race. Even if Palka only got 10 or so at-bats as a bench player in September, if he was able to run into just one ball and change a game late, the Twins would get a good return on the relatively modest investment of paying Palka a month’s worth of MLB salary. —————————————————————————————————————————— Among Mining the Minors regulars, Garver, Gonsalves, Granite, and Palka seem like the most likely candidates to impact the last six weeks of the season. Here’s a brief rundown on how the other players I’ve tracked this year are doing. Nick Gordon: After slumping a bit through July and the first part of August, Gordon’s been on a tear this week, highlighted by a 5 for 6 performance Monday. Overall, he’s hitting .288/.360/.442 on the season. Gordon’s having a great year offensively, but it’s his defensive uncertainty at shortstop that will have a significant effect on the makeup of the club, possibly as soon as 2018. We’ll have plenty of time to delve deep into that issue in the offseason. Fernando Romero: Romero was a healthy scratch (according to the Twins) from his last start, and my guess is that the organization is concerned about his mounting innings, particularly given that Chattanooga is going to the playoffs and they surely want Romero to get postseason experience. That’s also a really clear sign to me that there’s virtually no chance he’ll be up this season. Nevertheless, he’s had a fantastic season (2.96 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.9 K/9) and should be in the mix for a rotation spot next spring. Engelb Vielma: Not much new to report with Vielma. He’s still struggling offensively at Rochester, hitting under .200 with almost no power. With his #elite defense at shortstop, an argument can be made, in my view, for calling him up in September to serve exclusively as a late-game defensive replacement, given that he’s on the 40-man. Vielma has a unique skill that could prove useful late in games, and if the Twins are trying to maximize their ability to win ballgames down the stretch, his defensive acumen could help.

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Salazar, 5 homers power Indians past Twins 8-1 (Aug 15, 2017)

Associated Press| August 16, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) With Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion providing the power and Danny Salazar added to another deep pitching staff, the Cleveland Indians look ready to defend their American League championship. Santana hit two of the Cleveland’s five home runs and Salazar continued his strong second-half stretch in the Indians’ 8-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. Santana, Jason Kipnis and Encarnacion all hit solo homers off Bartolo Colon (4-10) as Cleveland won its fifth straight overall and stayed unbeaten in eight games in Minnesota this season. Austin Jackson added a three-run shot and Santana homered from both sides of the plate for the Indians, who have outscored the Twins 56-16 at Target Field this season. ”We’ve been playing some good baseball and guys have been feeding off each other,” Jackson said. ”Seems like we’re just clicking on all cylinders right now; pitching, offensively, defensively, we’ve just been really sharp. We’ve been carrying over good baseball each and every day.” Salazar (5-5) cruised through seven innings, surrendering one run and three hits. He struck out 10 while running his mark to 2-0 with a 1.39 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings in five starts since coming off the disabled list on July 22. Salazar finished a season-high seven innings for the third time in his past five starts. Byron Buxton’s RBI single in the second inning opened the scoring, but Salazar retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. ”I think the main thing for me is, like, feeling good,” Salazar said. ”That was something that I wanted to be sure I was 100 percent good when I was coming off the DL. That’s the way I’m feeling right now.” Colon gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. ”Fastball; that’s what they all looked for,” Colon said. ”Obviously those three home runs were fastball. But other than that, my off speed they couldn’t hit it tonight.” HOME AWAY FROM HOME Santana and Encarnacion have always enjoyed hitting in Minnesota’s unexpectedly power-friendly park. Santana has 18 homers this season overall. He tied Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for the most homers by a Twins’ opponent in Target Field with 14 in 66 career games. Encarnacion hammered his 27th homer of the year to the back row in the second deck in left field for his third straight game with a homer. He has five in the past five games overall and 12 in his 31 games in Target Field. UNCHARACTERISTIC COLON Colon worked around trouble in the first three innings, much like he had in previous starts. The solo home runs hurt the 44-year-old right-hander, who also walked four batters for just the second time in four seasons. Colon also balked in the first inning, his first since 2005. TRAINER’S ROOM Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee patella tendinitis) will make a one-inning rehab appearance in Triple-A on Wednesday and be activated on Friday before Cleveland begins a series in Kansas City. … OF Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf strain) played in a rehab game with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. He’s been out since July 11. Manager Terry Francona said the team wants Chisenhall to play both corner outfield spots before his return.

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Twins: LHP Hector Santiago was pulled off his rehab assignment for upper thoracic back pain. The team is doing more tests to discover why Santiago hasn’t been able to return to full strength yet, as well as looking at other possible sources of injury. … LHP Glen Perkins completed his rehab assignment at Double-A Chattanooga after pitching on back-to-back days. The team will take the next few days to decide on the next step with its former closer, who hasn’t pitched in a game since April 10, 2016. UP NEXT The Indians turn to RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) on Wednesday as the Twins counter with RHP Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02). Carrasco is coming off an eight-inning, two-hit victory against Tampa Bay in his last outing. He beat Minnesota in Cleveland earlier this season with one run allowed and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Gibson is 0-2 in three starts against the Indians this season, with seven runs allowed in 16 innings. The biggest August trades in MLB history

Matt Snyder |CBS Sports| August 15, 2017

15. Twins acquire Big Papi The Twins releasing David Ortiz before he became a Red Sox legend has been notorious for years, but they weren't the only team to whiff on Big Papi. On Aug. 29, 1996, the Mariners decided to trade for Dave Hollins for a player to be named later. That player would be Ortiz. Hollins only played in 28 games for the Mariners and they missed the playoffs. Glen Perkins Nearing Completion Of Rehab Assignment

Steve Adams | MLB Trade Rumors | August 15, 2017

Former Twins closer Glen Perkins joined the Twins in Minneapolis tonight after a rehab stint in Double-A Chattanooga, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but Perkins has not yet been activated from the disabled list. Perkins is with the team, but the Twins are waiting to formally make a move regarding him, per Neal. The Twins technically still have until Aug. 21 to activate Perkins if they wish to get him more than the 7 1/3 innings he’s thrown on his rehab assignment thus far, and Neal notes that he could either throw live batting practice in Minneapolis or join Triple-A Rochester for another outing or two. That Perkins is even emerging as a consideration at all is significant; the former All-Star has pitched just two innings since 2015 due to a significant shoulder injury that required surgery last summer. 2017 Playoff Odds for Every MLB Team at the Three-Quarter Mark

Jacob Shafer | Bleacher Report | August 15, 2017

Minnesota Twins 14 OF 22 Like the Brewers, the Minnesota Twins have turned what was supposed to be a rebuilding year into a surprise postseason push. After winning seven of their last 10, the Twinkies sit at 59-58, just 1.5 games off the wild-card pace. They've also got an ugly minus-57 run differential that's fourth-worst in the AL. There are reasons to be hopeful, including the inspiring rise of budding star Miguel Sano. And the AL wild-card race is wide open enough to allow for myriad possibilities. This probably isn't the Twins' year to get back to the postseason, but after a 103-loss campaign in 2016, it's already an unequivocal success. Odds: 17/3