Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Report: Jose Berrios called up to Class AAA Rochester. Star Tribune (Sinker) p. 2

Hughes starting as Twins look to end June well. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2

Postgame: Thoughts on Hughes, Hunter and Robinson. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

Twins-Cincinnati game recap. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

Twins notes: Pitching prospect Berrios moving up to Class AAA. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

Ervin Santana posts eight shutout innings in final start before facing Royals. Star Tribune (Oklobzija) p. 4

Twins trudge to win over Reds. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5

Twins' top pitching prospect Jose Berrios promoted to Triple-A Rochester. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6

A trip through Paul Molitor's high school yearbook. Pioneer Press (Eccher & Woltman) p. 6

Phil Hughes pitches Minnesota Twins to win over Cincinnati Reds. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7

Twins: Trevor Plouffe numb, but arm survives tag collision. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8

Morning Twinsights: Why aren’t the Twins better at bunting? Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8

Twinsights: Nick Burdi demoted, Zack Jones lands on DL at Double-A. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9

Twinsights: Surging Max Kepler ‘learning the nuances’ of center field. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 10

Twinsights: Ervin Santana ends rehab assignment with a flourish. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 10

Postgame Twinsights: Eduardo Nunez reflects on a near disaster. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 10

Twins bump Berrios up to Triple-A Rochester. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11

Twins, Reds vie for rubber game in matinee. MLB.com (Bondy) p. 12

Twins rain on Reds, then fend off rally for win. MLB.com (Bollinger & Sheldon) p. 12

Santana displays readiness for Twins debut. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 14

Hughes maximizing quality in successful run. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 14

Tweet from top pitching prospect Berrios suggests he’s been promoted. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 15

Nobody seems to know what’s wrong with Ricky Nolasco. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 15

Mackey’s Musings: If the Twins want this feel-good story to continue…1500espn.com (Mackey) p. 16

Twins wait out 2-hour rain delay, Hunter a triple shy of the cycle in win. Associated Press p. 16

Improved outfield defense a major reason for Twins' turnaround. Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 17

Twins reportedly interested in White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija. Fox Sports (Foltin) p. 18

Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios promoted to Triple-A Rochester. Fox Sports (Foltin) p. 18

Twins starter Ricky Nolasco endures setback, will seek third opinion on ankle. Fox Sports (Foltin) p. 19

Twins' Trevor May makes hilarious All-Star campaign video for teammate Brian Dozier. Fox Sports (Foltin) p. 19

Pudge watches son throw dazzling start in Class-A ball. Fox Sports p. 19

Tuesday’s power rankings. ESPN.com (Schoenfield) p. 20

Picking this year’s most deserving first-time All-Star candidates. Sports Illustrated (Jaffe) p. 20

Byron Buxton’s sprained thumb and the curse of the elite Twins prospect. Minnesota Post (Gleeman) p. 22

Berrios moving up to Triple-A Rochester. MiLB.com (Dykstra) p. 23

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Report: Jose Berrios called up to Class AAA Rochester Howard Sinker | Star Tribune | June 30, 2015

Top Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios has been promoted from Class AA Chattanooga to Class AAA Rochester, according to the Rochester Democrat Chronicle and other media outlets.

Berrios also tweeted about the promotion, which is expected to be officially announced later Tuesday.

Kevin Oklobzeja, who covers the Red Wings for the Rochester newspaper, offered up this bit of Berrios trivia: "He's so good that Coca-Cola distributed Coke bottles in Puerto Rico with his Twitter handle #JOlaMaquina. "The Machine." That's the nickname his personal trainer gave him because of his work ethic."

If Berrios makes his 2015 Rochester debut on Saturday, it would likely be against Philadelphia's top pitching prospect Aaron Nola, who is 3-0 with a 1.53 since he was called up to Class AAA Lehigh Valley.

In 15 starts at Chattanooga, Berrios was 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA. He was tied for the Southern League lead with 92 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings.

Last season, the 21-year-old Berrios made one start for Rochester and gave up six runs on seven hits and three walks in three innings. He was the 32nd player taken inth 2012 amateur draft.

Hughes starting as Twins look to end June well La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 30, 2015

UPDATE: The tarp is coming off the field, and the Reds have announced that first pitch will be at 8:10 p.m. central.

This despite a radar that shows more storm clouds forming west of here. We'll see how this goes....

When Ervin Santana joins the Twins on Sunday, a top pitching prospect will take his place at Class AAA Rochester.

Righthander Jose Berrios revealed on twitter on Tuesday that he will join the Red Wings as soon as Santana departs for the Twins. Santana is set to make his third and final tune-up start for Rochester on Tuesday.

In 15 starts at Class AA Chattanooga, Berrios when 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA. In 90.2 innings, Berrios has walked 24 and struck out 92. Opponents are batting .232 against him.

Baseball America had Berrios as the third-best Twins prospect heading into the season.

Other stuff:

This is the final game in the month of June and the Twins are probably happy about that. After scoring 139 runs last month, the Twins have scored 95 going into toinight's game. The pitching staff posted a 3.57 ERA in June but it's 4.06 this month with a game to go. After going 20-7 in May, they are 10-17 in June.

Tonight is a game the Twins have to have. With staff ace Johnny Cueto teed up for Wednesday, they need to get to Anthony DeSclafani tonight. The only worry is that Phil Hughes is a fly ball pitcher in a park that is not as spacious at Target Field.

Another Rochester pitcher, righthander Tyler Duffy, has been named International League pitcher of the week after going 2-0 with 14.1 scoreless innings.

It's been raining hard here today. There's a severe thunderstorm watch here until 8 p.m. Some think it will blow over. Some are worried it might double back and linger. We'll see.

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Postgame: Thoughts on Hughes, Hunter and Robinson La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 1, 2015

Here are three quick thoughts following the Twins 8-5 win on Tuesday

HUGHES THE MAN: I would expect a pitcher who could hit 94 on the gun a year ago but just 91 on Tuesday to either be injured or in panic mode. Phil Hughes just analyzed what he needed to do to get batters out and adjusted. He's entertaining to watch pitch because he can pitch inside effectively and get away with high fastballs.

HUNTER IS ON FIRE: That's four homers in four games for Torii Hunter, who is trying to do all he can to keep things from falling apart. It would have been nice if he could have come up with Marlon Byrd's foul ball in the seventh but the Twins got the win and they will take them any way they can get them right now. ``He has had a really good road trip,'' Twins manager Paul Molitor said, ``His bat seems fast and quick. He is rallying the troops.''

ROBINSON UPDATE: Shane Robinson was scratched when he became ill before the game. Molitor said as the game got closer Robinson felt worse and worse, leading to Danny Santana to return to center. Molitor indicated after the game that he would have to check and see who is healthy tomorrow. I'm sure the Twins hope something isn't going around the clubhouse. I know Joe Mauer didn't feel well during the last homestand and Brian Dozier sounded horrible after Monday's game.

Twins-Cincinnati game recap La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 1, 2015

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Phil Hughes, Twins

The Twins righthander gave up two earned runs and seven hits over 6-plus innings to improve to 7-6.

BY THE NUMBERS

4 home runs for Torii Hunter over his past four games.

15 games at Great American Ball Park that have been delayed by rain this season.

19 first-pitch strikes thrown by Phil Hughes.

Twins notes: Pitching prospect Berrios moving up to Class AAA La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI – Jose Berrios might have let the cat out of the bag a little early Tuesday, posting on twitter that he’s being promoted to Triple-A Rochester.

“The player is out in front,’’ Twins manager Paul Molitor joked. “That’s how it is.’’

But that is the plan for the third-ranked prospect in the organization. Berrios, 21, is headed to Rochester to take the place of righthander Ervin Santana, who will join the Twins on Sunday after serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the banned substance Stanozolol.

Berrios’ first start for the Red Wings is scheduled for Friday at Lehigh Valley.

In 15 starts at Class AA Chattanooga, the righthander was 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA. In 90 ⅔ innings, Berrios has walked 24 and struck out 92. Opponents are batting .232 against him. He has a mid-90s fastball, a good changeup and a good curveball. One thing the Twins wanted to see from him this season was increased use of his changeup, because he’ll need it when he faces better hitters. He will be in Cincinnati in a couple of weeks for the annual All-Star Futures Game; he and outfielder Max Kepler will represent the Twins while playing for the World Team.

Meyer takes lumps

So far, not good for rookie righthander Alex Meyer.

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He has given up five earned runs over 2 ⅔ innings in two appearances since being called up from Rochester on Friday. Although his fastball has hit 96 miles per hour, he has struggled with command.

On Tuesday, he still was shaking his head about walking Billy Hamilton, perhaps the fastest man in baseball, on four pitches during Monday’s game.

“The one guy in the league you least want to walk,’’ Meyer said.

He said he’s learned a lot in two outings about how the margin for error is different in the majors.

“You don’t get as many swings and misses,’’ he said. “Especially when these guys are behind in the count. They are sitting on a pitch and they are going to get to it. So they are going to fight off and fight off until you miss one and they get it.’’

The Twins called up Meyer after he moved to the bullpen and posted a 0.53 ERA over 17 innings in Rochester. The Twins are looking to bolster their bullpen and likely are trying in-system candidates before exploring trades. While Meyer throws hard, the Twins were prepared to see him walk a few batters.

“The reports about his command out of the bullpen, that it was improving, I think that hasn’t been the case the first two [outings],’’ Molitor said.

“He’s had to get a little more fastball-reliant, and we all know up here the old cliché is it doesn’t matter how hard you throw, you have to have something to back it up. And most of the damage has been on his fastball.’’

Bunt hunt

The Twins have not been too shabby bunting for hits. According to www.fangraphs.com, they are tied for third in the majors with 14 bunt hits and their bunt hit rate of 40 percent is second best.

It doesn’t seem that way because Danny Santana has four bunt hits and no one else has more than two. Nine Twins have bunted for a hit so far.

Molitor believes the bunt can be a bigger weapon when executed properly, and he encourages certain players to look for the right situation to try. Santana tried to bunt for a hit in the sixth inning Monday and still sacrificed Shane Robinson to second.

“I think today’s game, for whatever reason, I don’t think it is used as effectively as it could,’’ Molitor said. “We’re talking about an era in which pitching has become more dominant and runs are hard to come by and strikeouts are at an all-time high.’’

Etc.

• Catcher Kurt Suzuki was back in the lineup on Tuesday after taking a warm-up pitch to the throat late in Monday’s game. Chances are good that he will not start on Wednesday and Chris Herrmann will be behind the plate.

Ervin Santana posts eight shutout innings in final start before facing Royals Kevin Oklobzija | Star Tribune | July 1, 2015

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The long wait is nearly over for Ervin Santana.

With his 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball coming to an end, Santana completed his rehabilitation assignment with the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday night with a stellar eight-inning performance.

The veteran righthander pitched eight shutout innings, allowing five singles and no walks, as the Red Wings defeated the offensively challenged Pawtucket Red Sox 1-0 at Frontier Field.

“Everything was good,” Santana said. “Location was great, off-speed, fastball, it was good.”

Those elements of his game actually were good in all three of his starts in Class AAA. He pitched a total of 20 ⅔ innings and surrendered 17 hits and just four runs. He struck out 11 and walked four. Five of the strikeouts came Tuesday against Pawtucket, which has gone scoreless in 23 innings over the past two days against Rochester pitching.

“This was a nice tuneup for Ervin,” Wings manager Mike Quade said. “It should have him set up to go. His arm strength is good.

“The test comes at the next level, obviously.”

He’s expected to make his first start in a Minnesota uniform Sunday in Kansas City against the Royals. However, per MLB rules, he can’t rejoin the Twins until Saturday, so he’ll kill a couple more days in Rochester.

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The richest free-agent signee in Twins history (four years, $55 million), Santana was suspended on April 3 after testing positive for the steroid Stanozolol. He has spent the past three months away from the MLB club and was finally allowed to join the Red Wings for a 16-day preparation assignment on June 20.

The unpaid time off was surely boring, and he’s eager to show the Twins what he can do.

“I can’t wait to help the team and I’m ready for it,” he said after Tuesday’s start.

He said the time with the Red Wings was very beneficial.

“Being off the game for a long time and then come back and perform like this, it means a lot to me,” Santana said.

He said it was reassuring that he was able to hit spots with all of his pitches Tuesday.

“I keep the ball down and then elevate when I want to,” he said. “My stuff is still the same so nothing changed.”

Not many balls were hit hard, either. Three of the singles were on softly hit ground balls. Luis Martinez had two of the singles and the second was a line shot back up the middle with two outs in the eighth, putting runners on first and second.

Santana, however, ended the threat by retiring Sean Coyle on a fly to center fielder Danny Ortiz. That ended his night after 99 pitches, 70 of which were strikes. Michael Tonkin pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save in 10 opportunities.

Santana’s high strike ratio was impressive, even to him. “Zero walks … that’s a good thing.”

Twins trudge to win over Reds La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI – His fastball is a couple of miles slower than a year ago, he still pitches up in the strike zone and his home runs allowed are a little alarming.

But Phil Hughes has learned how to adjust and survive.

He gave up two more home runs Tuesday but reached the final third of the game once again, leading the Twins to a sorely-needed 8-5 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park in a game that started 2 hours, 1 minute late because of a rain delay.

Despite giving his 18th and 19th home runs of the season — tying him for second most in baseball — Hughes filled up the strike zone with a variety of pitches. At 7-6, he moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

Hughes won despite his teammates threatening to undo all of his crafty work in the late innings.

Up 7-1 in the seventh, Torii Hunter missed catching a foul ball, and Marlon Byrd homered on the next pitch. Eduardo Nunez and Brian Dozier committed errors that led to two runs and the removal of Hughes from the game after 99 pitches. His replacement, Blaine Boyer, promptly threw a wild pitch that allowed the fourth run of the inning to score as Cincinnati used the chaos to close to 7-5.

Hughes even walked a batter in that inning, ending a run of 27 walkless innings.

Joe Mauer let a grounder go through his legs in the eighth for an error. A run didn’t score, but the error added to the anxiety.

“It was a little nervous moment for a while,” Hughes said, “but we got the win and that’s all that matters.”

The scary seventh ruined Hughes’ bid to pitch eight innings for the third consecutive outing, but he’s still 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA over his past three starts.

Hughes has showed no psychological damage from not seeing the radar gun approach 94 miles per hour, which it used to last year. On Tuesday his fastball was measured at 88-91.

He has good control. He complements his fastball with a cut fastball that he throws on both corners of the plate. He mixes in a curveball. And he has listened to pitching coach Neil Allen’s request to add a changeup here and there.

“I relied on my two-seamer and cutter more than I like,” Hughes said. “Until guys make adjustments to that, if they start to sit [on] soft I’ll ride my four-seamer in. I have enough weapons to get by with what it is now. Hopefully I’ll continue to execute. That’s the main thing.”

Hunter homered to left in the first to open the scoring, and Eduardo Nunez scored on a fielder’s choice in the second. Eugenio Suarez homered in the third to make it 2-1, but Mauer added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to push the Twins lead to 3-1.

The Twins then erupted for four runs in the seventh, knocking Reds starter Anthony De- Sclafani from the game. But then the Twins fielders

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stopped playing defense and threw the game somewhat into doubt.

Mauer’s RBI single in the eighth scored Hunter and provided the Twins a three-run cushion.

Glen Perkins came on in the ninth, shook off a two-out walk and earned his 25th save in as many chances.

Although the game ended in July in Eastern Time, the Twins finished 11-17 in June.

“I was really happy we were adding on [runs],” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “because things have not been smooth at the end of games.’’

Twins’ top pitching prospect Jose Berrios promoted to Triple-A Rochester Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Twins right-hander Jose Berrios won't just be making his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game in Cincinnati on July 12. He will be coming to Great American Ball Park as as Triple-A pitcher.

Berrios, 21, announced his long-expected promotion to the Rochester Red Wings on his Twitter account Tuesday morning. He will make his 2015 Red Wings debut on Friday at Lehigh Valley, replacing Ervin Santana in the rotation.

In 15 starts this season for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, Berrios is 8-3 with a 3.08 earned-run average.

In 90 2/3 innings, he has struck out 92 batters while posting nine quality starts.

The 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft out of a Bayamon, Puerto Rico, high school, Berrios has worked his way into a clear status as the Twins' top pitching prospect. He was knocked out of his start on June 14 after taking a comebacker off his right shin/calf area, but he bounced back to make two solid starts for the Lookouts.

Berrios posted a 3.62 ERA in June, a 1.85 ERA on the road and a 4.50 ERA in his hitter-friendly home park. Right-handers are hitting .245 with a .290 on-base percentage against him this year; lefties are hitting just .216 with a .293 OBP.

He finished his 2014 season with one start for the Red Wings, but he lasted just three innings and gave up six earned runs.

Berrios, who made 23 starts at Double-A over the past two seasons, impressed Twins manager Paul Molitor at big-league spring training this year.

"Confident little man," Molitor said in March.

"Lofty goals, and why not? It's good to be able to have vision about yourself and have imagination about where you think you can go with your abilities and your desire to get there. ... I haven't been following his Twitter account, but I think he's pretty confident and not in a bad way. If I could pitch like that at (21), I'd be confident too."

In 365 career professional innings, Berrios is 30-18 with a 3.06 ERA and a nine-inning strikeout rate of 9.39.

A trip through Paul Molitor’s high school yearbook Marino Eccher and Nick Woltman | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

Before he was the Twins manager, he was Priddy Molly -- or perhaps Sparky. You could find him at the hockey rink watching Jimbo.

That was Paul Molitor, circa 1974. We stumbled across a copy of his Cretin High School yearbook in our archives. In many ways, it's exactly what you'd expect from a young version of the St. Paul native who went on to a Hall of Fame career.

He was a four-year letter winner in basketball and baseball and a three-year letterman in soccer. He was named best athlete (on the tongue-in-cheek ballot published in the yearbook, he beat out longtime Minnesota sports broadcaster Marty O'Neill and Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemmon).

You can find him posed for basketball and soccer team photos, and quite possibly kicking a soccer ball (the captioning of the '74 Cretinite left something to be desired).

Curiously, there were no photos of him with the baseball team -- and indeed, no mention of a baseball team at all. This had us mulling conspiracy theories about faked resumes, until someone offered a more mundane explanation: Back then, print deadlines often kept spring sports out of the yearbook.

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We also dug up the yearbook from his junior year. The most notable differences: His basketball number was 31 rather than the 33 he wore as a senior, and the staff occasionally spelled his named wrong as "Moliter."

The Priddy and Sparky nicknames were part of his brief senior biography. He wrote that he remembered "Bill P., Bubs, Rocky, and L.H." He could be found "in wild cat country," he said.

His goals? "To play Pro. Baseball and work with People."

Phil Hughes pitches Minnesota Twins to win over Cincinnati Reds Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Phil Hughes is back.

So, it seems, is the Twins' missing offense.

The defense? We'll talk about that later, mister.

That combination made for an 8-5 interleague victory over the Cincinnati Reds on a soggy Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Hughes (7-6) worked 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs on solo homers by Eugenio Suarez and Marlon Byrd. In winning his third straight start, Hughes also was charged with a pair of unearned runs in a messy seventh, but he still managed to turn in his fifth straight quality start.

In that span, Hughes has posted a 2.48 earned-run average in 36 1/3 innings.

"You always gain confidence when things are going right and you're winning games," Hughes said. "It's high for sure right now. I'm obviously throwing the ball a lot better now than I was at the beginning of the year."

Twins closer Glen Perkins finished up for his 25th save in as many chances.

Although Hughes' velocity is still down several ticks from where it was last year -- he touched 91 mph just seven times -- he managed to keep the Reds off balance on a 99-pitch night. The Twins' No. 1 starter opened 19 of 28 batters with strikes, scattered seven hits and went to three-ball counts just twice.

One of those was an eight-pitch walk to rookie catcher Tucker Barnhart in the seventh. That was the first walk Hughes had issued since the first inning of his June 14 start at Texas. He had faced 103 batters since then.

"I think he feels stronger out there now," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before the game. "For a while there, you could see the wheels turning in between pitches. He was trying to figure out ways to almost create pitches that he didn't even really have in his arsenal to try to get through it."

Hughes has allowed 19 homers this year, trailing only Kyle Kendrick of the Colorado Rockies, but 13 of those have been solo shots. Over his past four starts, Hughes has allowed seven earned runs, all but one of them on solo homers.

"The last couple times out there, he's gone back to what he did last year," Molitor said. "He's feeling better about what he's doing. That's the biggest thing. His body language out there has been a lot better."

One night after losing 11-7, the Twins banged out 15 hits in building a 7-1 lead by the seventh-inning stretch.

Somehow, they were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position before Eduardo Nunez bounced a run-scoring single the other way and Kurt Suzuki added a two-run single in the seventh.

Nunez booted a two-out grounder in the bottom of the seventh, opening the door for a frantic Reds rally against reliever Blaine Boyer. The Reds brought the tying run to the plate in Todd Frazier, whose 25 homers place him among the major league leaders.

A wild pitch that would have made it a one-run game caromed straight back to Suzuki, keeping Joey Votto at third. After five straight foul balls, Frazier fouled out to Suzuki.

"Things got a little bit interesting there," Hughes said. "It was a little nervous moment there for a while. For a minute there it felt like it was getting little bit out of control, which would have been especially disappointing with the way we had played up to that point."

Heading into Wednesday's interleague finale, the Twins are 8-9 against National League competition. They closed June with an 11-17 mark.

Torii Hunter got the Twins on the board in the first with his 12th homer of the year and his fourth in a span of 11 plate appearances.

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Joe Mauer added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but he also committed the third Twins error of the strange evening. Brian Dozier had the other during the seventh-inning chaos.

The game's start was delayed by more than two hours because of rain, which returned sporadically throughout the night, but Reds rookie starter Anthony DeSclafani (5-6) still threw a career-high 122 pitches.

Twins: Trevor Plouffe numb, but arm survives tag collision Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe had temporary numbness in his left index finger after an attempted tag on Cincinnati Reds speedster Billy Hamilton on Monday night.

Plouffe's surgically repaired left ulna, fractured in a similar play last September against Arizona's A.J. Pollock, was not compromised.

"Kurt (Suzuki) threw him out," Plouffe said of Monday's steal of third. "I put a tag down. He slid right into my glove. Typically you just tag them and pull the glove out, but I guess it was his spike that got caught (in the webbing). I tried to pull it and I couldn't. I wish I would have had him."

The momentum of Hamilton's slide knocked Plouffe's glove into the base and caused the ball to be dislodged. Plouffe's finger struck the bag as well, causing him to remove his glove and shake his hand a few times before the next pitch.

Plouffe, who had his forearm repaired at the Mayo Clinic on Sept. 29, said there have been no setbacks but there are still times the old injury barks at him.

"I haven't felt it on a tag," he said. "I feel it from time to time, just aches here and there. A lot of times when I take a big swing and miss, for whatever reason, I'll feel it. I guess it's because I'm not slowing the bat down very well. Sometimes when it gets colder I'll feel it, but that's really it. They did a good job."

Pollock, a Diamondbacks outfielder, called Plouffe after the season-ending injury.

"He called me and just said, 'I can't believe that happened and I'm sorry,' " Plouffe said. "It obviously wasn't his fault, but we both heard it. That was the thing. I didn't really feel anything. I just heard it and I knew something was wrong. I didn't think it was broken at first because I didn't feel any pain. Then we went and had an X-ray, and it was broken as could be."

BRIEFLY

-- Twins right-hander Ervin Santana tossed eight scoreless innings for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday in the final tune-up of his three-start rehab assignment. Santana, slated to make his Twins debut on Sunday in Kansas City, gave up five hits (all singles), walked none and struck out five. Santana, serving an 80-game steroid suspension, threw 99 pitches (70 strikes). His Rochester earned-run average was 1.74.

-- Twins left fielder Shane Robinson was scratched from Tuesday's original starting lineup because of illness. Danny Santana took his place in the No. 8 spot in the batting order. Santana played center field, with Eddie Rosario shifting over to left.

Morning Twinsights: Why aren’t the Twins better at bunting? Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI — Paul Molitor loves nothing more than a well-executed, perfectly timed bunt single.

So it clearly drives him up a wall to see his first Twins team struggle to keep the ball fair — or just bunt in the wrong direction — when trying to bunt for hits.

That’s what happened again Monday night when, trailing 9-7 in the sixth, Danny Santana bunted on his own. It went as a sacrifice because the ball was sent toward the mound, but that wasn’t Santana’s intent.

“We haven’t bunted for hits very well,” Molitor said. “We talk about it. We like to take advantage of it when we can. Santana, the timing of that bunt was good. Leadoff guy on, and they have really good bunting grass here. The ball just dies out there. You just have to have a little better direction.”

Torii Hunter also tried to take advantage of that “bunting grass” in the seventh, but his leadoff bunt was scooped up by rook ie catcher Tucker Barnhart, who threw him out with relative ease.

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It should be noted the Twins have dropped 14 bunt hits through 76 games. That’s tied for third most in the majors with the Reds and five behind the majors-leading total of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Twins rank second in the majors with a successful bunt-hit percentage of .400. The Tampa Bay Rays lead at 41.7 percent.

Last season, with Molitor as their bunting coach, the Twins bunted for hits 22 times all year, tied for 15th in the majors. Their bunt-hit percentage was .338, which was fifth.

“We watch video every time we bunt, whether we foul it off or miss it or put it in a bad place,” Molitor said. “We’re just trying to get these guys to understand that a good bunt is better than getting out of there too fast. I think (Santana) does that sometimes.”

Molitor liked the idea.

“It wasn’t a called play. Just a read on his part,” Molitor said. “(Third baseman Todd) Frazier was probably even with the bag, maybe a step behind it. Danny had plenty of room to get it over there. He just got it back to the pitcher.”

–As Twins situational lefties continue to struggle of late, this was an interesting look at how Triple-A Rochester left-hander Taylor Rogers has dominated same-sided batters throughout his career.

Rogers has made all but seven of his career professional outings as a starter, but he also got some relief work in the Arizona Fall League after taking a comebacker off his pitching wrist.

Rogers, in fact, worked a scoreless inning of relief for Salt River in the AFL championship game.

It will be interesting to see if the Twins give Rogers a look out of the bullpen as they scour the trade market for situational relief help.

–Scary moment during the Seventh Inning Stretch as Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki was warming up pitcher Ryan Pressly.

Pressly bounced a breaking ball that caught Suzuki under the throat guard on his catcher’s mask. Gasping for air and down on all fours, Suzuki was tended to by assistant athletic trainer Tony Leo as Molitor stood by with a look of concern.

“It caught him up in the throat area, gagged him a little bit,” Molitor said. “Certainly uncomfortable. Not brain rattling type. It was more just where it hit, I think. He bounced back. I’m sure he’s not feeling too good about that. Don’t like to see that happen.”

Suzuki stayed in the game, as he always does.

–-Monday’s time of game was three hours, 34 minutes, making it the longest nine-inning game this season for the Twins.

“Just kind of a long game,” Molitor said. “Gave up a lot of hits (17). It wasn’t very fun to watch.”

It was one minute longer than the game they played against the Detroit Tigers on April 29. That was the infamous 10-7 loss in which three Twins left the game with injuries: Phil Hughes (hip), Jordan Schafer (knee) and Casey Fien (shoulder muscle).

Twinsights: Nick Burdi demoted, Zack Jones lands on DL at Double-A Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI –Tuesday was a tough day for the high-powered bullpen at Double-A Chattanooga.

Right-hander Nick Burdi, a second-round pick out of Louisville in 2014, was demoted to Class A Fort Myers after posting a 5.93 ERA in 22 games (30 1/3 innings) at Double-A Chattanooga. Burdi, rated the Twins’ No. 7 prospect by Baseball America after a dazzling pro debut, struck out 9.79 batters per nine innings but allowed a nine-inning walk rate of 6.53.

Fellow righty Zack Jones, who had 10 saves as the Lookouts’ primary closer, was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a strained right groin. Jones was scuffling with a 12.96 ERA in June, pushing his season ERA to 5.26.

In his past two outings, Jones had allowed eight earned runs and four walks while recording just five total outs. That computes to a 43.11 ERA.

Fellow righty Alex Muren, a 12th-round pick in 2012, was promoted from Fort Myers to switch places with Burdi. Muren posted a 1.60 ERA in 26 games (45 innings) while fanning 8.40 batters per nine innings.

Also promoted was right-hander D.J. Johnson, signed out of the independent Frontier League before last season. Johnson, 25, opened 2015 in the Lookouts’ bullpen but was shipped back to the Florida State League after posting a 6.65 ERA and three saves in 18 outings (23 innings).

Johnson reeled off seven scoreless outings for the Miracle, fanning 12 in 10 innings, to earn a return trip to the Southern League.

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Twinsights: Surging Max Kepler ‘learning the nuances’ of center field Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI — In less than two weeks, Max Kepler will be at Great American Ball Park for the All-Star Futures Game.

After making three starts in center field over his past 13 games for Double-A Chattanooga, Kepler appears to be gaining momentum as well as additional avenues to the major leagues.

“Max is probably faster than most people think he is,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He’s a big kid. His body certainly has had tremendous development in the last 18 months or so. He’s playing lights-out offensively, and they say he’s adapting to learning the nuances of center field compared to the corners.”

Troubled by throwing arm issues at times in recent seasons, including this spring, Kepler played mostly first base over the first two months this season for the Lookouts. Molitor said Kepler had an average arm back when he regularly saw him as a minor-league infield and baserunning instructor.

Kepler has played 126 career games in center, including 61 last year at Class A Fort Myers and 39 in 2012 at rookie-level Elizabethton.

“You’re just trying to expand his avenues of when he might be promoted either to Triple-A or hopefully someday up here,” Molitor said. “He can run a little bit. He’s a guy I think everyone is really pleased he’s done as well he has. He hasn’t been involved in competition in his life for a very long (period), growing up and being a young kid coming over here, but baseball-wise and skill-wise he’s come a long way.”

According to Fangraphs.com, Kepler ranked second in the Southern League with an adjusted runs created figure that was 69 percent above league average. His isolated power (.209) ranked sixth in the league.

Twinsights: Ervin Santana ends rehab assignment with a flourish Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 30, 2015

Twins right-hander Ervin Santana tossed eight scoreless innings for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday in the final tune-up of his three-start rehab assignment.

Santana, slated to make his Twins debut on Sunday in Kansas City, gave up five hits (all singles), walked none and struck out five Pawtucket Red Sox. Santana, serving an 80-game steroid suspension, threw 99 pitches (70 strikes).

His Rochester earned run average was 1.74.

Briefly

–Twins left fielder Shane Robinson was scratched from Tuesday’s original starting lineup due to illness. Danny Santana took his place in the No. 8 spot in the batting order. Santana played center field, with Eddie Rosario shifting over to left.

Postgame Twinsights: Eduardo Nunez reflects on a near disaster Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI –When Kurt Suzuki secured Todd Frazier’s foul pop to end a 40-pitch seventh, the happiest person in the park was Eduardo Nunez.

It was his error at shortstop, on a routine grounder by speedster Billy Hamilton, that extended an inning that should have ended with the Twins ahead 7-2 instead of just 7-5.

“Oh, my God,” Nunez said. “The pressure was off. I thanked God.”

The error was just the second of the year for Nunez and the first he has made at his natural position. His only other error came when he dropped a routine fly ball in left field at Chicago on the first weekend of the season.

“I put that inning on my back,” Nunez said of the Reds’ four-run seventh. “If I make that play, the inning’s over. Everything that happened was because of me. It’s simple as that. We’re kidding now, but that was a serious inning, a tough inning.”

Twins reliever Blaine Boyer could have been charged with two wild pitches if not for a friendly carom that kept Joey Votto at third. Frazier, who

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came into this series with 25 homers but has gone 2 for 10 with three strikeouts, was the out that allowed everybody on the visitors’ side to exhale.

Nunez, who went 3 for 4 with two runs, a double, a walk and a stolen base, was the one exhaling the loudest.

“Sometimes this happens,” he said. “Sometimes we have tough nights as a defense, sometimes we have tough nights as an offense. The thing is we battle and we win.”

He laughed his infectious Nunie laugh.

“That’s over already,” he said. “It’s a brand new day.”

–The Twins produced 18 quality starts for the month of June, going just 10-8 in those games.

They were shut out in two of those losses and held to one or two runs in six of the others. Their June Swoon included losses of 1-0, 2-0, 3-1 and 3-2, but they had to be pleased with a rotation that produced quality starts 64.3 percent of the time.

In the season’s first two months combined they produced just 20 quality starts in 49 games (40.8 percent) but went 16-4 as a team when they did so.

Fifteen of the Twins’ starts in June were high quality (4.00 ERA or better). They had a total of 19 high-quality starts in April and May.

–Twins starter Phil Hughes, who has spent his entire career in the American League, is a terrible hitter.

Now 0 for 15 in his career, he at least put the ball in play all three times Tuesday against hard-throwing rookie Anthony DeSclafani. OK, so Hughes stranded a total of five runners in scoring position on a night when the Twins left nine, but who’s counting?

“I really had an opportunity there my third at-bat,” Hughes intoned, trying to sound like a real hitter. “I hit it hard, just right at the second baseman.”

Hughes even came away with some battle scars for his efforts. After going hitless in six interleague at-bats last season, including four strikeouts, he gave himself a nasty blister on the palm of his left hand with a 20-minute session in the batting cage on Monday.

“I’d only taken (batting practice) once coming into this game,” Hughes said. “I was like, ‘I need to at least swing a little bit in the cage so I don’t embarrass myself.’ “

But a blister in 20 minutes?

“All these guys have calloused up hands and they’re used to all that,” Hughes said. “I don’t have that. Just a little bit of friction caused it.”

Then he went out and got jammed in his first at-bat, another laser to second, forcing him to go into the clubhouse and get a special thumb guard. He later fouled a ball off his left shin, which wasn’t very much fun either.

“I don’t have all the accessories that these other guys do — the arm guard, the shin guard,” Hughes said. “It was terrible: a blister, a jammed thumb. I’m made for the American League.”

Twins bump Berrios up to Triple-A Rochester Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI -- After a strong showing at Double-A Chattanooga, Twins No. 4 prospect Jose Berrios was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Berrios, ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect by MLBPipeline.com, went 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 15 starts with Chattanooga. The 21-year-old struck out 92, walked 24 and allowed six homers in 90 2/3 innings.

Berrios will make his first start with Rochester on Friday, replacing right-hander Ervin Santana in the rotation for the Red Wings. Santana made his final rehab start with Rochester on Tuesday, and he is lined up to return from his 80-game suspension on Sunday.

Berrios is also set to represent the Twins in the 2015 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which will take place on July 12 at Great American Ball Park. Berrios, a Puerto Rico native, will pitch for the World Team.

Worth noting

• Shane Robinson was scratched from Minnesota's lineup shortly before the start of Tuesday's game due to illness. Robinson was slated to start in left field and bat eighth. Danny Santana replaced Robinson, but started in center field with Eddie Rosario moving from center to left field. The

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game was delayed by rain at the start for 2 hours and 1 minute.

• Reliever Nick Burdi, who was projected as a player who could be fast-tracked to the Majors after being selected in the second round of the 2014 Draft, was demoted from Double-A to Class A Advanced Fort Myers. Burdi, whose fastball can reach 100 mph, posted a 5.93 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 22 walks in 30 1/3 innings. Burdi is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Minnesota's organization, according to MLBPipeline.com.

• Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki, who was hit in the throat on a warmup pitch from reliever Ryan Pressly in Monday's 11-7 loss, remained in the lineup Tuesday. But manager Paul Molitor said he plans on giving Suzuki the day off on Wednesday with Chris Herrmann getting the start behind the plate.

Twins, Reds vie for rubber game in matinee Robert Bondy | MLB.com | July 1, 2015

Reds ace Johnny Cueto and Twins rookie Trevor May will take the mound in the three-game season series finale on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is at 12:35 p.m. ET after the two teams waited out a two-hour, one-minute rain delay Tuesday night before Minnesota evened the set.

Cueto gave up only two hits over six innings in his last start on Friday, but three straight two-out walks, including one with the bases loaded, scored the winning run for the Mets. He pitched on eight days' rest after he was pushed back from his originally scheduled start on June 23 to give his previous injured elbow more rest.

Cueto is 4-5 with a 2.98 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 14 starts this season. He holds the lowest ERA in the Reds' rotation.

May will make a crucial start, looking to rebound from a rough outing last time out. He gave up six runs in one-third of an inning on Friday against the Brewers for his worst start of the season. May is 4-6 with a 4.62 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 14 starts this season.

May's performance could play a pivotal role in deciding who will be removed from the Twins' rotation when Ervin Santana is expected to return Sunday against the Royals. It appears the Twins aren't considering a six-man rotation, making May a candidate to be removed from the rotation to free up a spot for Santana.

Santana has been serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the banned substance Stanozolol.

Things to know

• Cueto threw seven scoreless innings in his only career start against the Twins on June 23, 2012. He is 13-6 with a 2.71 ERA in 26 career starts against Interleague opponents.

• Before the rough outing in Milwaukee, May had a 1.88 ERA in his four previous June starts.

• Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips participated in batting practice prior to Tuesday's game, and he could return to the lineup after missing two straight games with injuries to both of his hands, including a jammed left thumb.

• Kurt Suzuki is expected to get the day off on Wednesday, and Chris Herrmann will start at catcher for the Twins, manager Paul Molitor said before Tuesday's game. Suzuki was hit in the throat during a warmup pitch on Monday, but the injury wasn't serious enough to take him out of the game.

Twins rain on Reds, then fend off rally for win Rhett Bollinger and Mark Sheldon | MLB.com | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI -- The Twins had never faced Reds rookie starter Anthony DeSclafani before, but they clearly did a good job with their advanced reconnaissance. Minnesota scattered 15 hits in the game, including 11 off of DeSclafani, before holding on for a messy 8-5 victory Tuesday that evened the three-game series ahead of Wednesday's matinee finale at Great American Ball Park.

While throwing a career-high 122 pitches, DeSclafani was charged with six earned runs over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. Torii Hunter homered in the first inning to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. One run crossed in the top of the second inning and another followed in the fifth before separation came in a four-run Minnesota seventh. The big hit was Kurt Suzuki's two-run single against Burke Badenhop, who replaced DeSclafani.

Although he gave up solo home runs to Eugenio Suarez and Marlon Byrd, it was a mostly smooth night for Twins starter Phil Hughes until

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trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Byrd began the seventh with a homer to left field, and Tucker Barnhart walked before two-out issues struck. The Twins committed two errors in the four-run inning, and a wild pitch by reliever Blaine Boyer also scored a run to make it a two-run game.

Hughes finished with two of his four runs allowed over 6 2/3 innings being earned with seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. After Glen Perkins recorded his 25th save, the loss cost the 35-41 Reds a winning June as they finished the month with a 13-14 record. The Twins (41-36) finished a struggling month on a high note but were 11-17.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hunter's bat stays hot: Hunter has been displaying plenty of power this road trip, hitting his fourth homer over his last four games, and his 12th of the season. He also helped spark a rally with a single in the fifth that set up a sacrifice fly from Joe Mauer, and helped the Twins get an insurance run in the eighth with a double before scoring on a single from Mauer.

"He's had a really good trip," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "His bat seems fresh. Even his last at-bat he had two strikes and hit a rocket over the right fielder's head. He's rallying the troops and keeping the energy up. I thought it was important for him to push the guys early in the game, because it's an easy night when you're sitting around pregame to come out flat."

Long balls: Leading off the bottom of the third inning, Suarez hit a 1-2 Hughes pitch to straightaway center field for his second homer of the season. The Reds did not have another extra-base hit against Hughes until Byrd's 13th homer, also on a 1-2 pitch.

Ugly inning nearly derails Hughes' strong start: The Twins had a six-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh with Hughes cruising. Byrd hit a fly ball to shallow right in foul territory, but Hunter couldn't make the play and Byrd promptly homered. It got worse from there, as Hughes appeared to get out of the inning, but Eduardo Nunez made an error at shortstop to keep the inning alive.

Boyer came in and gave up an RBI single to Ivan De Jesus Jr. before getting Joey Votto to ground to Brian Dozier. But Dozier's throw sailed wide, allowing another run to score. Boyer then threw a run-scoring wild pitch before finally getting out of the jam by getting Todd Frazier to pop up in a 10-pitch at-bat.

No panic at the Disco: DeSclafani may have had six runs on his pitching line, but it could have been much worse. While he was on the mound, Minnesota was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. DeSclafani benefited from two ground-ball double plays that ended innings and twice had Hughes end innings, and rallies, by making the third out with a groundout. But in the seventh, Dozier's leadoff double sparked the four-run rally.

"They have a good team, good lineup and if I make mistakes they're going to get hits," DeSclafani said. "I battled most of the night with runners on. I thought I did a good job up until that seventh inning and I got to do a better job that inning."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS A two-hour, one minute rain delay pushed back the game's first pitch. It was the 15th rain delay of the season for the Reds, totaling 21 hours, 11 minutes. Ten of those delays have occurred at Great American Ball Park.

QUOTABLE "It's great to see the resilience of our offense to come back. This is one of the things we talked about earlier in the year that we weren't doing. That was finding our way back into ballgames when we got down early. Guys really fought back to get into that game. [The Twins] were able to get that tack-on run [in the eighth]. It didn't put the game away by any means, but it kind of took a little bit of the wind out of our sails when they added that extra run. We got ourselves into a situation where we were one hit from having the tying run at the plate. We just couldn't get it done." -- Reds manager Bryan Price

"It was another good performance, and he's strung a few together now. He's pitching aggressively and trusting his stuff. His pitch count was down, and he was economical going into that last inning. But our defense wasn't very tight tonight, and he couldn't get out of that inning, so we had to go to the bullpen. But overall he was very good." -- Molitor, on Hughes

WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Rookie right-hander Trevor May makes the start in Wednesday's series finale at 11:35 a.m. CT. With right-hander Ervin Santana set to make his return from his 80-game suspension on Sunday, it'll be a big start for May, who recorded just one out in his last outing against the Brewers on Friday.

Reds: Ace Johnny Cueto is slated to start the 12:35 p.m. ET series finale. Cueto threw 112 pitches over six innings on eight days' rest as a precaution for elbow stiffness in his previous start Friday. He gave up two earned runs and only two hits, but he paid for three straight walks in the fifth inning-- including one with the bases loaded -- that scored the go-ahead run in a 2-1 loss to the Mets.

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Santana displays readiness for Twins debut Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | July 1, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Twins right-hander Ervin Santana was impressive in his final tuneup with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, tossing eight scoreless innings against Pawtucket.

Santana, who is lined up to make his return from his 80-game suspension on Sunday in Kansas City, pitched well in his three rehab starts with Rochester. Santana showed no signs of rust, posting a 1.84 ERA along with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 20 2/3 innings.

Santana's final outing was his best, as he scattered five hits and struck out five without walking a batter. He also threw 99 pitches, so he's fully stretched out and won't have a pitch-count limitation in his first start with the Twins.

Santana is technically eligible to return on Saturday, barring any rainouts, but he is scheduled to start on Sunday. The Twins still haven't announced who he'll replace in the rotation, but general manager Terry Ryan has indicated they will not go to a six-man rotation.

That means Wednesday's start could be a big one for rookie Trevor May, who has pitched well with a 3.70 ERA in June but is coming off his worst start of the season. He recorded just one out against the Brewers on Friday, giving up six runs.

Santana, 32, joined the Twins on a four-year deal worth $55 million this offseason, but his suspension for the use of a performance-enhancing drug was announced just three days before the start of the regular season on April 7. Santana lost roughly $6.6 million in salary and is not eligible to pitch in the postseason.

Hughes maximizing quality in successful run Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | July 1, 2015 CINCINNATI -- After a slow start to the season, right-hander Phil Hughes has found his groove this month and is looking more and more like the pitcher who was the Twins' best starter last season.

Even after an ugly seventh inning that saw the Twins commit two errors that led to two unearned runs, Hughes was strong yet again on Tuesday in an 8-5 win over the Reds during a game that was delayed by rain for 121 minutes.

Hughes went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs (four total) on seven hits and a walk. It was the fifth straight quality start for Hughes, who has a 2.47 ERA over that span. He's been even better over his last three outings with a 1.59 ERA, giving up four earned runs in his last 22 2/3 innings.

"It was another good performance, and he's strung a few together now," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's pitching aggressively and trusting his stuff. His pitch count was down, and he was economical going into that last inning. But our defense wasn't very tight tonight, and he couldn't get out of that inning, so we had to go to the bullpen. But overall he was very good."

Hughes' lone issue was serving up a pair of solo shots, and he's now given up 19 homers in 16 starts. But the last five have been solo blasts, and Hughes said he's still pitching with plenty of confidence.

"It's high right now, for sure," Hughes said. "I'm obviously throwing the ball a lot better than I was early in the year. I just have to keep working hard and hope it continues."

Hughes couldn't get through the seventh, but he was hurt by an error from shortstop Eduardo Nunez that would've ended the inning. Molitor decided to lift Hughes after 99 pitches and went with reliever Blaine Boyer, who promptly gave up an RBI single to Ivan De Jesus Jr.

It got worse from there, as Brian Dozier followed with a throwing error to allow another run to score. Boyer then threw a run-scoring wild pitch before finally getting out of the jam by getting Todd Frazier to pop up to catcher Kurt Suzuki.

The ugly inning hurt Hughes' stat line, but it was the defense that let him down, as right fielder Torii Hunter also couldn't handle a shallow fly ball in foul territory from Marlon Byrd before he ultimately homered to lead off the frame. But Hughes still came away satisfied with the way he pitched and that the Twins came away with a much-needed win.

"Those are things that just happen," Hughes said. "I had to make a few extra pitches and things like that. I couldn't get through the seventh, but it's the way it goes. It's just nice to win the game, because for a minute it looked like it was getting out of control, which would've been especially disappointing after the way we played up to that point."

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Tweet from top pitching prospect Berrios suggests he’s been promoted Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | June 30, 2015

In the past two seasons, J.O. Berrios has vaulted himself to arguably the best pitching prospect in the Twins' organization.

Now, he's been promoted to Triple-A Rochester, according to a post on his Twitter account.

Berrios made 15 starts for Double-A Chattanooga. He struck out more than a batter per inning (92 punchouts in 90 2/3 innings) and walked 24 in Double-A. He was 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA for the Lookouts at the time of his promotion to Triple-A Rochester.

Berrios, 21, started the All-Star Futures Game last year at Target Field, and he's been selected to play in this year's game as well.

The Twins are typically patient when it comes to promoting their pitching prospects. With that in mind, it's more impressive that Berrios forced a promotion with such great performances despite the fact that he was young for the Southern League.

Chattanooga is loaded with promising young talent, and now Rochester's rotation gets a standout pitcher. Ervin Santana has one start left to make for Rochester before rejoining the Twins rotation on Sunday. It would seem natural to have Berrios take Santana's spot.

The Twins originally drafted Berrios out of Puerto Rico with the 32 pick in the 2012 draft, the same year they took Byron Buxton No. 2 overall.

He's still young, so the Twins could be patient with him. At the same time, it wouldn't be terribly surprising to see him surface with the Twins in some capacity this season.

Nobody seems to know what’s wrong with Ricky Nolasco Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | July 1, 2015

Ricky Nolasco has been on the disabled list since early June with what was originally described as an impingement in his ankle.

The Twins righthander was removed from his start May 31 and hasn't seen the field since. He's gone through a series of evaluations and potential treatments, but the Twins have contended that the injury that's causing him pain when he tries to pitch is not a surgical matter. The belief was that the thing that was causing pain was a remnant from a long-ago injury.

Now, he'll get another opinion.

Nolasco will see Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., according to media reports. Anderson is a foot and ankle specialist, and is a consultant for multiple collegiate and professional sports teams.

This is at least the third opinion for Nolasco, who has had to cut short multiple scheduled bullpen sessions when proposed treatments for the pain didn't work.

He's already seen team doctors and a specialist in Minnesota. He's also already received a cortisone shot in the ankle and tried orthotics. Evidently, nothing has worked.

The Twins signed Nolasco to a four-year, $49 million contract last offseason and since that time he's often been injured or ineffective. In 34 starts for the Twins, Nolasco has a 5.40 ERA and a 143:48 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 191 2/3 innings.

If Nolasco was ready to return in short order, it might make for another difficult rotation decision. Until this week, the Twins had five starters all pitching well in the Majors. And with Ervin Santana set to make his final start for Triple-A Rochester before returning from his 80-game drug suspension Sunday, the Twins might have a decision to make. With as much time as Nolasco has missed, he'll more than likely need a rehab assignment if and when he's healthy enough to pitch.

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Mackey’s Musings: If Twins want this feel-good story to continue… Phil Mackey | 1500espn.com | June 30, 2015

If the Minnesota Twins want this feel-good story to continue beyond July, they'll need to upgrade the bullpen.

It's hard to fault the Twins for the current bullpen construction. They crafted a bullpen in March to match expectations and to match the state of the club at that particular time. After Glen Perkins, they just needed to fill space until some of the younger power arms were ready to emerge, and that meant giving a roster spots to Tim Stauffer and J.R. Graham, and using Blaine Boyer and Casey Fien in almost every high-leverage situation beyond the sixth inning.

But expectations for the team have changed. At the halfway point, the Twins are a legit playoff contender, but the bullpen - which ranks 25th in ERA, 29th in Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and last in strikeouts - is representative of a bottom-feeder team. Fien belongs in a major league bullpen, but not as an 8th-inning set-up man, and Boyer should not be pitching one-run and tied games every time out.

To the Twins' credit, they've tried cycling in fresh strikeout arms with Michael Tonkin, Alex Meyer and Ryan Pressly. They also have A.J. Achter, Lester Oliveros, Tyler Duffey, Jose Berrios and a few others at Double-A and Triple-A who could receive chances. It's possible a trade could be in the cards as well.

Another potential path to bullpen improvement involves bumping a current starter to the 'pen when Ervin Santana joins the rotation on Sunday. I've been saying since spring training that Mike Pelfrey's stuff could play extremely well in a shorter role. He already throws 93-94 mph as a starter, and that velocity could rise into the high 90's as a reliever. Pelfrey's ERA has gone up nearly two full runs over his past four starts, and it seems like the league has caught up to him after the hot start.

No matter which path the Twins take, they absolutely need to address the bridge to Perkins if they want to be relevant in August and September.

Twins wait out 2-hour rain delay, Hunter a triple shy of cycle in win Associated Press | June 30, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Torii Hunter homered again after a long delay at the start of the game, and Phil Hughes got his third straight victory, leading the Minnesota Twins to an 8-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

The start was delayed 2 hours, 1 minute because a storm was headed toward the ballpark. The storm dissolved on the way.

Hunter got the Twins going by hitting a solo homer in the first inning off Anthony DeSclafani (5-6), his fourth homer in the last four games. He later singled and doubled.

Eduardo Nunez had three hits, including an RBI single while Kurt Suzuki drove home two runs with a single during a four-run seventh inning as the Twins evened the interleague series.

Hughes (7-6) gave up solo homers by Eugenio Suarez and Marlon Byrd, leaving in the seventh inning with the Twins up 7-2. Two errors and Blaine Boyer's run-scoring wild pitch helped the Reds close the gap.

Glen Perkins gave up a walk in the ninth while getting his 25th consecutive save, the second-longest streak in Twins history.

Many of the 28,556 fans sat in their seats during the long delay at the outset and watched the scoreboard, which showed the U.S. beating Germany 2-0 in a Women's World Cup semifinal.

During the rain-less delay, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips tweeted: "This has to be one of the dumbest rain delays I've ever seen ... Let's get ready for Midnight Baseball!!!" The game ended at 12:30 a.m. with a few hundred fans in the stands.

Hunter's 12th homer put the Twins ahead right away. He's 8 for 17 in the last four games.

Joe Mauer's sacrifice fly made it 3-1 in the fifth inning. Brian Dozier doubled and scored as the Twins pulled away in the seventh.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: C Suzuki was in the starting lineup despite being hit in the throat by a throw during Monday's game.

Reds: Phillips was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game with sore hands. ... RHP Raisel Iglesias threw 43 pitches in three innings during his first rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday night. Iglesias, who is recovering from a strained oblique, gave up one hit, walked

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one and struck out three.

UP NEXT

Twins: Trevor May (4-6) is coming off the worst start of his career. He retired only one batter while allowing six runs and six hits in a 10-4 loss at Milwaukee last Friday.

Reds: Johnny Cueto (4-5) makes his sixth start since being sidelined by an inflamed pitching elbow. He's 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in those five starts since returning.

Improved outfield defense a major reason for Twins’ turnaround Tyler Mason | Fox Sports North | June 30, 2015

Two big reasons for the Minnesota Twins' turnaround from 90-game losers to a team with a winning record heading into July have been the improvements of the starting pitching and the defense.

The pitching, which has hit a few bumps as of late, is far improved from the last several years when Minnesota's rotation ranked near the bottom of the majors in combined ERA. The defense has also taken a step forward, particularly in the outfield, and the results have been noticeable.

Gone are the likes of Josh Willingham, Jason Kubel, Chris Colabello and Chris Parmelee, outfielders with limited range in the corners. Plugged into those spots are players like Torii Hunter (who has held up as a 39-year-old), Eddie Rosario, Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton, who have had a much easier job covering ground in the outfield than previous Twins outfielders.

While there might have been concerns in years past about baseballs dropping into the outfield grass, that's not as much of an issue for the 2015 edition of the Twins' outfield.

"It's been fairly obvious, I think to most, that as we've changed personnel, it's gotten better," said first-year Twins manager Paul Molitor. "That's just the reality of having a little bit more team speed out there in the defensive outfield. I think it's been an asset for us where it was maybe a little bit more of a liability in the past, at least for the most part."

Defense isn't always easy to quantify by statistics or advanced metrics, but there are a few measurements that show just how improved the Twins' outfield defense has been in 2015. Ultimate Zone Rating, or UZR, is one of the tools used to measure the range of fielders. Minnesota's outfielders had a combined UZR of minus-36.2 in 2014, which ranked second-worst of all major league teams. Through 76 games of 2015, the Twins' UZR among outfielders is minus-1.6, 17th-best in baseball.

Before Buxton landed on the disabled list recently with a thumb injury, the 21-year-old speedster provided plenty of range in center field and made the jobs of the left fielder and right fielder much easier. He also showed off a strong arm several times, including an outfield assist in which he threw out a runner at home plate by getting the ball there on the fly.

Rosario, who began his career as an outfielder before temporarily trying to make the switch to infield, has also had no problem covering ground. With Buxton sidelined, Rosario has slid in seamlessly to center field but otherwise brought speed to both corner outfield spots.

"We had a good outfield back in the day with Hunter and (Jacque) Jones and (Bobby) Kielty and Dustin Mohr and Shannon Stewart," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan. "That was pretty good, although some of those guys didn't throw quite as well as this group here. Rosario throws, Buxton throws, Hunter throws. We've got a pretty good complement of guys that can cover some ground and also be a threat on the defensive side with their arm strength."

There were questions before the season about Hunter's range in right field at this stage of his career, but rarely has he been a liability in the outfield. Hunter's UZR of 1.2 is third-best among all Twins outfielders, although he does rank last on the team in defensive runs saved with minus-6.

Still, at 39, Hunter has started more games in the outfield (55) than any other Twin this year and 140 innings more than the next-highest player on the roster.

"I can play defense. I'm solid. I'm probably above solid, more than what people think," Hunter said. "I'm very confident I can play out there. The defense is a lot better."

The Twins still have some issues to figure out in the final three months to avoid slipping too far out of contention in the American League Central. Namely, they need to jumpstart a slumping offense and fortify a bullpen that has faltered as of late.

While those other areas are addressed, Minnesota doesn't have to worry about the outfield defense nearly as much as it did during the previous

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four 90-loss seasons.

"Guys are running balls down and making plays and throwing guys out. It's been a lot of fun," Hunter said. "You talk about Rosario: athletic. You talk about Buxton and Aaron Hicks, those two guys are athletes. So you just put them out there and let them run balls down. They're doing a good job of it."

Twins reportedly interested in White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija Lindsey Foltin | Fox Sports | June 30, 2015

Could the Twins actually be buyers at this year's trade deadline?

If they stand pat at second place in the AL Central, that could very well be a possibility.

The Twins are reportedly interested in Chicago White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

While it doesn't make a great deal of sense, Cafardo recently wrote about potential suitors for Samardzija and included the Twins, who have been "looking" at The Shark.

"Teams are tempted but don't know what to make of him because of his 4.53 ERA and struggles this season. His affordability as a rental and the fact that he's not a No. 1-caliber starter in the eyes of most scouts but a good second or third guy in a rotation make him worth looking at. But the White Sox likely wouldn't receive a great return. That's why the same teams looking at Clay Buchholz are looking at Samardzija – the Royals, Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Cardinals, Orioles, Angels, and Dodgers."

As pointed out by Twinkie Town, Minnesota's starting rotation has posted a 3.82 ERA this season, which is the eighth-best in all of baseball and third-best in the American League.

If you factor in the huge deals the Twins recently gave to starters Ricky Nolasco and Ervin Santana, who is set to return next week, it doesn't seem like trading for Samardzija would make fiscal sense for the Twins. But if they want to remain in contention, an upgrade to the rotation certainly wouldn't hurt.

Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios promoted to Triple-A Rochester Lindsey Foltin | Fox Sports | June 30, 2015

Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios is taking the next step in his journey to the big leagues.

The 21-year-old right-hander has been promoted to Triple-A Rochester, a move that he announced on his personal Twitter account Tuesday morning.

Berrios, the Twins' No. 4 prospect, went 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 15 starts for Double-A Chattanooga. He racked up 92 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings while allowing just 77 hits and 24 walks.

From Twin Cities:

"The 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft out of a Bayamon, P.R., high school, Berrios has worked his way into a clear status as the Twins' top pitching prospect. He was knocked out his start on June 14 after taking a comebacker off his right shin/calf area, but he bounced back to make two solid starts for the Lookouts."

Twins manager Paul Molitor was impressed with how Berrios performed in spring training.

"Confident little man," Molitor told Twin Cities in an interview back in March. "Lofty goals, and why not? It's good to be able to have vision about yourself and have imagination about where you think you can go with your abilities and your desire to get there. … I haven't been following his Twitter account, but I think he's pretty confident and not in a bad way. If I could pitch like that at (21), I'd be confident too."

Berrios will be playing in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 12.

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Twins starter Ricky Nolasco endures setback, will seek third opinion on ankle Lindsey Foltin | Fox Sports | June 30, 2015

Twins starter Ricky Nolasco will seek a third opinion on his right ankle after suffering another setback during Friday's bullpen session.

Nolasco, who has been on the disabled list since June 4 with a right ankle impingement, felt discomfort and had to end his bullpen session early.

The right-hander is scheduled to see ankle and foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C, according to MLB.com:

"It'll be a third opinion for Nolasco, who already met with Twins team doctors and a foot specialist in Minnesota. Nolasco initially received a cortisone shot in his ankle and was fitted for orthotics, but neither option worked.

"The Twins initially believed Nolasco would be able to avoid surgery, but Nolasco will meet with Dr. Anderson and see what he recommends. There's no timetable for his return."

In the second year of a four-year, $49 million contract, Nolasco is 5-1 with a 5.51 ERA in seven starts this season.

Twins’ Trevor May makes hilarious All-Star campaign video for teammate Brian Dozier Lindsey Foltin | Fox Sports | June 30, 2015

With MLB All-Star balloting wrapping up Thursday at midnight, teams are making a last-minute push to get their players voted in.

Teams are begging for votes on social media, creating t-shirts and some are going the extra mile by making unique campaign videos.

Twins pitcher Trevor May has taken on the role of personal spokesperson for his teammate Brian Dozier, who doesn't rank among the top five vote-getters for AL shortstop, despite his impressive season both offensively and defensively.

While it's pretty unrealistic that Dozier would be able to rally enough votes to get a starting spot, we have to give May an "A" for effort in this awesome video which includes a number of cameos from various Twins players.

Pudge watches son throw dazzling start in Class-A ball Fox Sports | June 30, 2015

Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez had an incredible career in the major leagues, and now his son is trying to carry the proverbial torch and begin his own.

Dereck, the 23-year-old son of the Texas Rangers icon, is currently pitching for the Minnesota Twins' Class-A affiliate in the Appalachian League. Earlier this week, as Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News detailed, Dereck carried a no-hit bid all the way until the seventh inning, when it was undone due to a base hit.

This is noteworthy given that Dereck just became a pitcher last year, after being converted from an outfielder due to issues progressing as a hitter.

As Fraley noted, Pudge was on-hand to watch his son's game. Dereck Rodriguez was quoted as saying his father commended him for, "...locating the ball well and a good job throwing the right pitches in the right counts."

He's still a ways from getting close to the big-league level, but keep an eye on Dereck Rodriguez - his father certainly already is.

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Tuesday’s power rankings David Schoenfield | ESPN.com | July 1, 2015

1. Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox, and Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros.

2. Mike Montgomery, Seattle Mariners.

3. Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins. Twins fans were telling me on Twitter that Dozier doesn't get enough respect. They're right! So let's give him some. He's absolutely a deserving All-Star, hitting .261/.341/.530. He went 2-for-5 in the Twins' 8-5 win over the Reds, scoring two runs to boost his MLB-leading total to 60. Only three Twins have scored 120 runs in a season: Chuck Knoblauch with a franchise-record (including the Washington Senators days) 140 in 1996, Rod Carew with 128 in 1977 (the year he chased .400) and Cesar Tovar with 120 in 1970.

4. Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins.

5. Mitch Moreland, Texas Rangers.

Picking this year’s most deserving first-time All-Star candidates Jay Jaffe | Sports Illustrated | June 30, 2015

Another day, another three-hit game for Brett Gardner. Though the Yankees lost in Anaheim on Monday night, Gardner went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, his eighth multi-hit game in his last 11. That stretch has pushed the 31-year-old outfielder to a .355/.417/.636 line in June and lifted his season line to an All-Star caliber .305/.377/.502 with nine homers and 15 steals.

Surprisingly enough, Gardner has never made an All-Star team during his eight-year career. Despite playing in the majors' largest media market, he's always taken a back seat to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and others in terms of visibility, and much of his value has come from his defense, something that doesn't necessarily translate to All-Star votes. Case in point: Gardner leads all Yankees position players with 2.9 WAR, and only four other AL outfielders—Mike Trout (4.3), Kevin Kiermaier (3.8), Lorenzo Cain (3.5) and Yoenis Cespedes (3.0)—are higher. Yet via the most recent round of balloting updates, released Monday, he doesn't even rank among the top 15 AL outfielders, while fellow Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury (who hasn't played since May 19 due to a knee injury) and Carlos Beltran (hitting a modest .263/.312/.433 in his second straight subpar season) are 10th and 15th.

In fact, only two active position players have compiled more WAR than Gardner (26.1) without making a single All-Star team: Coco Crisp(29.5), who has played just 13 games this year due to a neck injury, and Nick Markakis (26.2), whose .300/.387/.355 line is solid but not All-Star worthy. Gardner is, and while he's not going to make it to Cincinnati via the fan voting, he deserves to go as a reserve. He's not the only potential first-timer who merits a trip, either. Counting him as the team's leftfielder (though he's lately been covering centerfield in Ellsbury's absence), what follows here is a look at the rest of the team, picking one player per position from among the as-yet-unrecognized veterans who are currently playing well enough—often better than the vote leader—to merit a spot.

Catcher: Stephen Vogt, Athletics

It's been a rough season for the A's (35–44) thus far, but as an everyday player for the first time, the 30-year-old Vogt has been a revelation, hitting .304/.395/.532 for a 157 OPS+ with 13 homers and an AL-high 53 RBIs. His 3.2 WAR isn't just tops for Oakland, but also tops among AL catchers—0.8 ahead of Russell Martin, who's second in the All-Star voting at the position, and 1.1 ahead of Salvador Perez, who's first. Vogt is running third, about a million votes behind Martin and six million behind Perez, so he'll need a little help from his friends to get to Cincy.

First base: Eric Hosmer, Royals

Until he was overtaken by Miguel Cabrera in last week’s voting results, the 25-year-old Hosmer appeared to be one of the beneficiaries of the Royal blue-crazed masses. He's now second by some 2.4 million votes, and while he's having a good season by his standards (.290/.354/.445 for a 120 OPS+), his 1.8 WAR is merely fourth among AL first basemen behind Cabrera (3.9), Albert Pujols (2.4) and Mark Teixeira (2.3). While his first All-Star berth seems quite possible, it's not among the strongest cases here.

Second base: Brian Dozier, Twins

The list of AL second basemen having better seasons than Omar Infante stretches from Kansas City to Cincinnati, and Dozier ranks second among them with 2.9 WAR, trailing only overall AL leader Jason Kipnis (who's already been an All-Star once). What’s more, he’s on pace to better last year’s 5.2 WAR career best. The 28-year-old is hitting .297/.381/.452 with 15 homers for a 136 OPS+ and playing average defense at the keystone, yet he's not even among the top five in voting, with Infante, Jose Altuve, Kipnis, Ian Kinsler, Devon Travis and who knows how

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many others ahead of him. The representation rule could work in his favor: Third baseman Trevor Plouffe (2.7 WAR) is the only other Twins regular with at least 1.0 WAR, though three pitchers (Mike Pelfrey, Kyle Gibson and Glen Perkins) fit that bill.

Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, Giants

The Giants have overcome a slew of injuries and their recent odd-year blues to go 42–35, good enough for the second Wild Card spot and just half a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The 28-year-old Crawford is a key reason for that, thanks not only to his exceptional defense (+9 Defensive Runs Saved) but also a breakout with the bat (.275/.354/.477 with 10 homers, matching his career high). Given what an automatic out he was when he broke into the league in 2011, the transformation has been remarkable. Consider his sequence of OPS+: 63, 86, 93, 106, 135. His 3.8 WAR has already surpassed last year's 3.3 and is not only a team high, but also fifth in the league and tops among all shortstops. Currently second in the voting—about 2.9 million votes behind Jhonny Peralta and some 200,000 ahead of the more established Troy Tulowitzki—he stands a reasonable chance of being selected, but he's no lock.

Third base: Nolan Arenado, Rockies

At 33–42, the Rockies are headed nowhere yet again, but it's hardy the fault of their 24-year-old third baseman. A two-time Gold Glove winner, his outstanding defense is a known commodity, but he's currently in the midst of an offensive breakout, batting .293/.326/.632 with 24 homers—eight in his last eight games, three of which have been multi-homer games—and an NL-high 68 RBIs. Even after adjusting for Coors Field, his 142 OPS+ ranks 10th in the league, and his 4.0 WAR is third. Via Monday's update, he's currently fourth in the voting behind Matt Carpenter, Todd Frazier and Kris Bryant, but the representation rule works in his favor, and he stands a strong chance of being the Rockies' flag-bearer.

Centerfield: Lorenzo Cain, Royals

Last year's amazing postseason run gave a national audience a taste of Cain's dazzling combination of speed and defense, and he's been even better this year, batting .289/.346/.435 with six homers, 15 steals and a career-best 115 OPS+. Meanwhile, his 3.4 WAR ranks ninth in the league and first on the team with the league's best record, that on top of last year's 5.1 WAR, which was the second-highest mark on the squad. A beneficiary of whatever it is that Royals fans are up to at the ballot box, Cain appears to be on track not only for his first All-Star appearance but also for a starting berth, as he's second among AL outfielders behind only Trout.

Rightfield: J.D. Martinez, Tigers

On the heels of going from the waiver wire to a breakout season, the 27-year-old Martinez is showing that 2014 was no fluke. Already he has 19 homers, four short of last year's total, and his .270/.327/.525 line is good for a 132 OPS+, second on the team behind only Cabrera. His 2.1 WAR is fourth among AL rightfielders behind Jose Bautista (2.6), Nelson Cruz(2.5, and on the ballot as DH) and former teammate George Springer (2.2), over whom he gets the nod here on the basis of a more consistent season and a longer track record. That said, he's among the weaker selections here and currently ninth in the AL outfield balloting, so the chances of him making the team are probably slim.

Designated hitter: Kendrys Morales, Royals

The 32-year-old Morales has never made an All-Star team in his nine-year career, and he's come back from the brink of oblivion not once but twice. He missed most of 2010 and all of '11 due to a severe leg injury, then flopped mightily last year after a qualifying offer cooled his free agency to the point that he didn't sign with the Twins until June. He's currently hitting .287/.349/.459 with nine homers, a 122 OPS+ and 1.0 WAR. While that's modest by the standards of the DH field—fourth in OPS+ and WAR behind A-Rod, Prince Fielder and Jimmy Paredes—he gets the nod here because the latter, with 1.9 WAR and a 139 OPS+, never had a season of more than 180 PA at the major league level before and had just 65 PA in the bigs last year. Currently second in the voting behind Cruz (who's actually played more rightfield than DH) by just over 200,000 votes, he's close enough that he could retake the lead before the final results are announced on Sunday.

Righthanded pitcher: A.J. Burnett, Pirates

Burnett has never made an All-Star team in his 17 big-league seasons, sometimes for good reasons, but he's enjoyed quite a resurgence since his escape from New York. The 38-year-old righty ranks fourth in the league in both ERA (2.01) and FIP (2.63) and fifth in WAR (3.0). Given that he's likely in his final season, it would be fitting if NL players, coaches and managers find a spot for him, and given reports of a lobbying effort from manager Clint Hurdle and his teammates, there's a reasonable shot it will pay off. Apologies to AL ERA leader Sonny Gray, who loses out on seniority here but stands a strong chance of being selected.

Lefthanded pitcher: Dallas Keuchel, Astros

Like Burnett and Gray, Keuchel is probably in good shape among the voters given his emergence as one of the game's top pitchers over the past year. Now in his fourth major league season overall, the 27-year-old southpaw leads AL pitchers in WAR (4.1), innings (116 1/3), complete games (three) and shutouts (two) while running second in ERA (2.17), all for the AL's biggest surprise. He'll be as deserving a first-time All-Star as any here.

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Closer: Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals

Solid but erratic in his first full season as closer in 2014, the 25-year-old fireballer has been much better this year, cutting his walk rate nearly in half (from 5.4 per nine to 2.9), boosting his ground-ball rate (from 38% to 46.4) and trimming his ERA from 3.20 to a minuscule 0.52. Where he blew six out of 51 save opportunities last year, he’s let slip just one out of 24 this year, that in one of the two games in which he allowed a run. He’s currently second in the league in saves and leads all relievers with 2.0 WAR; bet on him to make the NL squad.

Byron Buxton’s sprained thumb and the curse of the elite Twins prospects Aaron Gleeman | Minnesota Post | June 30, 2015

Byron Buxton is expected to miss six weeks after suffering a sprained thumb in his 10th game for the Twins, knocking out the team’s best prospect less than two weeks into his MLB career and right when he’d gotten back on the track to stardom following an injury wrecked 2014. Buxton had a trio of significant health problems last year, missing three months with a wrist injury, suffering a season-ending concussion in August, and skipping the Arizona Fall League with a broken finger.

Now he’s sidelined by a fourth injury at age 21, which is a shame because it robs Buxton of crucial development time and each physical problem also potentially lowers his upside by putting dents in his immense physical tools. Unfortunately that’s nothing new for Twins prospects and in fact it has become the standard fate for the crown jewels of their farm system. Based on Baseball America’s annual top-100 prospect rankings, here are the best Twins prospects since 2000:

1. Joe Mauer

2. Byron Buxton

3. Francisco Liriano

4. Justin Morneau

5. Miguel Sano

6. Michael Cuddyer

7. Jason Kubel

You can certainly quibble with the exact order — I went into more detail here — but those are the only seven Twins prospects to be ranked among MLB’s overall top 20 at some point since 2000. Six of those seven prospects suffered significant injuries before reaching their peaks and five of those seven prospects suffered significant injuries in the minors or in their rookie years with the Twins. In other words, nearly every elite Twins prospect since 2000 arrived as damaged goods.

Mauer tore the medial meniscus in his left knee while chasing after a foul ball in the second game of his Twins career, undergoing surgery the week before his 21st birthday and missing all but 35 games of his rookie season. Liriano made the All-Star team at age 22 and was having one of the most dominant rookie seasons ever by a pitcher when his elbow gave out, requiring Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire next season.

Morneau made it to the Twins and reached his peak unscathed only to suffer a concussion in the middle of his age-29 season. At the time he was hitting .345 with a 1.055 OPS through 81 games, but he didn’t play again that season, missed most of the next year, and has never been the same. Sano appeared to be on the verge of the majors last spring when he was shut down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss all of last season at age 21.

Kubel hit .352 with power and speed between Double-A and Triple-A at age 22 and then hit .300 in his 23-game debut with the Twins that September, but he suffered a career-threatening knee injury during a gruesome outfield collision in the Arizona Fall League and missed the entire next season before returning as a much different, more limited player. And now Buxton is out for six weeks with a thumb injury after being sidelined by wrist, finger, and brain injuries last season.

Injuries are obviously a part of baseball for all teams, but six of the Twins’ seven elite prospects since 2000 suffering major injuries was franchise-altering. Liriano and Kubel were pretty clearly never the same following their injuries at age 22, it’s possible that Mauer never truly reached his full potential playing an entire career with a surgically repaired knee, and Morneau was derailed by a brain injury at his absolute peak and never fully got back on track.

Sano is currently playing well at Double-A, but he’s also repeating the level after a lost season, the injury lessens his odds of sticking at third base, and at the very least elbow surgery delayed his arrival to Minnesota. Similarly, four injuries in 18 months has stalled Buxton’s development and the Twins can only hope that it won’t keep him from ultimately reaching his peak or lower his upside whenever he does get

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there. It’s a fate they’ve seen far too often with elite prospects.

Berrios moving up to Triple-A Rochester Sam Dykstra | MiLB.com | June 30, 2015

Before the season even began, Jose Berrios said he wanted to be on the Twins' Opening Day roster. That lofty goal didn't quite materialize, but the 21-year-old right-hander Tuesday made a big step toward making his Major League debut later this summer.

The Twins' No. 4 prospect has been promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Triple-A Rochester for the first time this year. The news hasn't been officially announced, but Twinkie Town writer Ted Schwerzler first reported the news Monday night and Berrios himself confirmed it via Twitter on Tuesday morning.

Berrios was 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 92 strikeouts and 24 walks in 15 starts (90 2/3 innings) for the Lookouts prior to his promotion. He was tied atop the Southern League leaderboard in strikeouts and was tied for seventh-most in punchouts among all Minor Leaguers. Among SL qualifiers, his 3.83 K/BB ratio was also the best in the circuit. In a reverse of the norm, he's actually been tougher against left-handers (.216 opponents average) this season than his fellow right-handers (.245). He was named to the Southern League mid-season All-Star team and is on the World Team for next month's All-Star Futures Game.

The 32nd overall pick in the 2012 Draft out of Puerto Rico, the right-hander has climbed to the No. 26 spot in MLB.com's ranking of top overall prospects and ranks behind only Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Alex Meyer in the Twins system. Buxton and Meyer have each made their Major League debuts with the Twins this season while Sano (.274/.374/.544, 15 homers in Chattanooga) seems like a promotion candidate as well. Berrios' ranking comes on the strength of his control and an above-average three-pitch mix. His fastball can hit the mid 90s but usually sits a little below that, and his curveball and changeup both received 55 grades from MLB.com last offseason.

Berrios made one start for Rochester in 2015, giving up six earned runs on seven hits and three walks in just three frames on Aug. 31 in his last outing of an otherwise successful season (2.76 ERA, 140 strikeouts in 140 innings across three levels). He'll be the youngest Red Wing by three years, beating out 24-year-old outfielder Oswaldo Arcia.