Correa, cleared of COVID-19, rejoins Twins to face Yankees
Royals Guardians Baseball Minnesota Twins' Carlos Correa runs the bases and celebrates his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 27, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) (Bruce Kluckhohn)MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The Minnesota Twins reinstated shortstop Carlos Correa from the COVID-19 injured list before their game against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, a small but significant step toward restoring their depleted roster to full strength. The AL Central-leading Twins conducted a soft launch, with Correa in the lineup as the designated hitter to face surging Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes. In his first season with Minnesota, Correa was batting .279 with nine doubles, three homers, 17 runs and 16 RBIs in 35 games before he got sick. The Twins still have 13 players on the injured list, and right-hander Joe Ryan remains on the COVID-19 injured list.
wftv.comTwins' Carlos Correa tests positive for COVID-19
Royals Twins Baseball Minnesota Twins' Carlos Correa runs the bases on his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 27, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) (Bruce Kluckhohn)DETROIT — (AP) — Carlos Correa has tested positive for COVID-19, the Minnesota Twins said after Monday's 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers. “We found out during the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We've had some guys stay behind in cities, but there are other possible options,” Baldelli said. “We're going to be here for a while, so no one needs to go anywhere yet.”Correa is hitting .279 with a .751 OPS in his first season with the Twins.
wftv.comLEADING OFF: Pirates try for a hit, absent M's in Toronto
Reds Pirates Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates' Rodolfo Castro, left, celebrates as teammate Ke'Bryan Hayes (not shown) beats out a fielder's choice, allowing Castro to score from third, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 15, 2022. It marked the sixth time since 1901 that a big league team won despite not getting any hits. It last happened in 2008 when Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo of the Angels lost while holding the Dodgers hitless. By MLB record-keeping rules, Cincinnati’s accomplishment wasn’t an official no-hitter because its pitchers didn’t go at least nine innings. "(It's) the type of thing that you cannot play through and play every day,” Baldelli said.
wftv.comLEADING OFF: Pirates try for a hit, absent M's in Toronto
Reds Pirates Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates' Rodolfo Castro, left, celebrates as teammate Ke'Bryan Hayes (not shown) beats out a fielder's choice, allowing Castro to score from third, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 15, 2022. It marked the sixth time in big league history since 1901 that a team won despite not getting any hits. It last happened in 2008 when Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo of the Angels lost while holding the Dodgers hitless. He has a .330 on-base average and a .706 slugging percentage despite missing 12 games this season because of knee trouble. ”(It’s) the type of thing that you cannot play through and play every day,” Baldelli said.
wftv.comLEADING OFF: Struggling Padres face Braves, Buxton OK
Braves Padres Baseball San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar flips his bat after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in San Diego, Saturday, April 16, 2022. He'll face right-hander Bryce Elder (1-0, 4.76), making his second big league start. Buxton left in the first inning of Minnesota’s series-opening 8-4 win over Boston on Friday night after sliding roughly into second base. BRASH STARTMariners rookie right-hander Matt Brash faces Houston for his second start after an impressive debut against the White Sox. He struck out six over 5 1/3 innings, limiting the defending AL Central champs to two runs on four hits.
wftv.comLet's play! Buxton digs in, MLB spring games finally begin
FORT MYERS, Fla. — (AP) — The Boston Red Sox wore St. Patrick's Day green for their spring debut. Baseball fans might feel luckiest of all. “I’m glad we’re finally starting," said Red Sox supporter Jeremy Porter, down from Maine for the exhibition opener. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he got a jolt Wednesday when the Twins sent over their roster card. The park held a moment of silence for him and other former Red Sox who died this offseason: Ike Delock, Jim Corsi, Jeremy Giambi and Julio Lugo.
wftv.comDefending AL champ Rays poised to open ALDS against Red Sox
ALDS Red Sox Rays Baseball Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier answers a question during a news conference before an American League Division Series baseball practice Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rays play the Boston Red Sox in the best-of-five series. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-2 at home in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night, advancing to face the Rays. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash lauded the 41-year-old slugger for his leadership on and off the field. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was a Tampa Bay player and coach before being hired by Minnesota.
wftv.comSale and Dalbec lead Red Sox to 12-2 rout of Twins
Twins Red Sox Baseball Boston Red Sox's Chris Sale pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Boston. Dalbec’s three-run homer in the second off of John Grant (4-8) gave Sale some early cushion and started an offensive outburst for the struggling Red Sox. The Red Sox hit multiple homers for the fourth straight game, but the highlight of the night was Sale’s nine-pitch third inning. Red Sox: Placed OF Hunter Renfroe on the bereavement/family medical emergency list Thursday, causing a shuffle in the lineup. Kyle Schwarber, who was supposed to make his first start playing first base since joining the Red Sox last month in a trade with Washington, stayed at DH and J.D.
wftv.comGiolito fires back at Donaldson, White Sox beat Twins 7-6
Twins White Sox Baseball Chicago White Sox's Gavin Sheets watches his first major league hit, a single off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in Chicago. But they dropped to 1-6 against the White Sox this year. The White Sox opened a 7-2 lead with four runs in the fifth. White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada was out of the starting lineup because of a “barking” right shoulder, manager Tony La Russa said. Ober made his big league debut against the White Sox on May 18, allowing four runs in four innings.
wftv.comGiolito fires back at Donaldson, White Sox beat Twins 7-6
Lucas Giolito lobbed an expletive-laced response in Josh Donaldson’s direction after the slugger appeared to yell “Not sticky anymore,” after a first-inning homer, overshadowing Gavin Sheets’ successful debut for the White Sox in a 7-6 victory over the Twins.
Luzardo follows Manaea's stellar start, A's beat Twins twice
Matt Olson hit a grand slam, Mitch Moreland homered twice to back Sean Manaea’s shutout, then Jesús Luzardo followed with his own Game 2 gem as the Oakland Athletics swept a doubleheader against the depleted Minnesota Twins, 7-0 and 1-0 to run their winning streak to 10 games.
Twins coach Mike Bell, brother of Reds manager, dies at 46
FILE - This is a 2020 file photo showing Mike Bell of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Twins bench coach Mike Bell has taken an indefinite leave from the team because of kidney cancer. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)FORT MYERS, Fla. – Minnesota Twins bench coach Mike Bell, the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell, died Friday of kidney cancer. Mike Bell had surgery Jan. 28 to remove a growth that was discovered earlier that month. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said at the start of spring training that his top assistant in the dugout was “very, very optimistic” about his recovery.
Fungo golf for Giants pitchers; fans for MLB spring games
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Right-hander Kevin Gausman’s impressive day at spring training had nothing to do with any of the usual statistics, like strikeouts or innings pitched. Batting practice for San Francisco's pitchers took on a non-traditional look Thursday at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona. But the stands won't be empty — or full — when the Giants host their spring training opener Sunday. Scottsdale Stadium will have the lowest capacity at 9%, which is about 1,000 fans for Giants home games. Spectators at Scottsdale Stadium may get to see Gausman throw his lively fastball, but not a look at his Fungo golf skills.
Playoff experience: 3 make MLB debuts in 2020 postseason
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)It's normal for a baseball player to dream of making his big league debut or pitching in the postseason. He became the fifth player in the modern era to make his big league debut in a postseason game — and three of those newcomers did it this year. The Padres lost 5-1, but it was scoreless when Weathers came in — a reasonably high-pressure situation, compared to other players who made their debuts in the postseason. In 2015, Adalberto Mondesi made his debut for Kansas City in Game 3 of the World Series. "He’s here to play, and that’s why we carried him on this roster.”McClanahan's debut came in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Monday night.
Astros sweep as Twins lose 18th straight in playoffs
"But what are they going to say now?”Nine months after Houston's rules-breaking, sign-stealing system was revealed, the Astros advanced to the Division Series in Los Angeles. The Twins are 0-18 in the playoffs since winning Game 1 of their Division Series at the New York Yankees on Oct. 5, 2004, a total of seven rounds lost. Since that date, the Astros are 43-35 in postseason play, winning 10 of 15 rounds with three trips to the World Series. In a three-game division series sweep by the Yankees last year, the Twins totaled seven runs and 22 hits. Baldelli declined to confirm whether Buxton was experiencing a recurrence of concussion symptoms that kept him out of the last two regular season games.