The Minnesota Twins will try to win a series with their rotation facing a mound of uncertainty.
The next test for the Twins will arrive Sunday afternoon when they take on the Athletics in the decisive contest of a three-game series in Minneapolis.
The Athletics won Friday’s opener 2-0, and Minnesota bounced back for a 2-0 victory on Saturday evening.
On Sunday, however, the Twins will not have ace right-hander Joe Ryan (6-6, 3.38 ERA), as originally planned.
Minnesota had intended to start Ryan on an extra day of rest on Sunday. But the club updated those plans Saturday and announced that Ryan would not start until Tuesday at the earliest, vs. the Kansas City Royals.
Twins manager Derek Shelton said Ryan is experiencing “general arm fatigue.” The All-Star pitcher is coming off a rocky performance in which he allowed six home runs against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday — and eight runs total over four innings — in his first start after the break as Minnesota lost 13-4.
Ryan downplayed the poor start and the decision to delay his next outing.
“We were working through some stuff for a little bit, and we were trying to figure that out,” Ryan said. “Obviously, it didn’t get figured out (in my last start). So (we’re) just taking time to make sure we get everything all good.
“Injury-wise, am I concerned? No. Zero concern.”
The Twins already are short-handed in their rotation after right-hander Mike Paredes was ruled out for Saturday’s game because of a strained oblique muscle. Kendrys Rojas started and tossed four scoreless innings, and the bullpen preserved the shutout.
On Sunday, Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-5, 5.00 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list and make his 14th start of the season. He has been sidelined because of a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand.
Prielipp will go for his first victory since June 2 against the Chicago White Sox. In his most recent start July 8 against the Guardians, he allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out six in Minnesota’s 6-5 victory.
This will be Prielipp’s first career appearance against the Athletics, who will counter with left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-9, 5.96 ERA).
Springs is set to make his 21st start. The 33-year-old boasted a 3-0 record on April 14 but has lost nine straight decisions since then.
In his most recent start, Springs drew a no-decision against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. He allowed two runs on six hits in five innings and threw 50 of 78 pitches for strikes in his team’s 5-2 victory.
Springs is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in four career games (two starts) against the Twins.
The Athletics will have slugger Nick Kurtz available for a second straight game after he was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. Kurtz went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his return from a thumb injury but said his tough return did not have to do with the injury.
“Swinging on the thumb felt good,” Kurtz said. “I just didn’t get (the results).”
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said he is happy to have one of his best hitters back.
“Overall, we just wanted him to come out of this game healthy and continue forward,” Kotsay said of Kurtz, who has a .263 batting average, 20 homers and 66 RBIs in 93 games this season.
–Field Level Media
