Twins at Indians
The Minnesota Twins expect to activate former MVP Joe Mauer while another key player won’t be around Friday night when they visit the Cleveland Indians for the opener of a three-game series. Mauer, who has been out since May 18 with neck and concussion issues, will likely be in the lineup but slugger Miguel Sano was sent to Class A Fort Myers after Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Detroit - Minnesota’s sixth in the last nine games.
“We’re going to get him down there and give him an opportunity to get things back on track,” Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters of Sano, a 2017 All-Star who is 6-for-37 with 18 strikeouts in June. “We don’t feel like we’re getting what we need from him, and he’s going to have to get down there and get to work.” Kyle Gibson registered a no-decision after 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a 7-5 win over Cleveland on June 3 and gets another shot at the Indians when he takes the mound Friday against two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, who is 6-0 at home in 2018. Cleveland holds a 4 1/2-game lead in the American League Central - six on Minnesota - after completing a 4-3 road trip with a 5-2 win against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Jose Ramirez homered in that victory to extend his hitting streak to six games, in which he is 7-for-26 with three of his team-leading 46 RBIs.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (1-4, 3.45 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (10-2, 1.99)
Gibson is winless since his season debut, but registered his seventh quality start of the season last Saturday when he limited the Los Angeles Angels to two runs over seven innings in a 2-1 loss. The 30-year-old Indiana native allowed four runs across 19 2/3 innings with 20 strikeouts in his last three outings despite a 0-1 record. Edwin Encarnacion is 7-for-19 with four homers versus Gibson, who is 2-6 with a 5.60 ERA in 14 career games against Cleveland.
Kluber has won five straight decisions while permitting just seven runs (five earned) over 41 1/3 innings in that stretch and did not walk a batter in his last six starts. The 32-year-old Alabama native beat Minnesota on April 17, giving up one run on five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 9-5 all time against the Twins. Mauer is 16-for-51 with five doubles and two homers against Kluber, who owns a 3.21 ERA in 20 career games versus Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor has at least two hits in five games this month and went hitless in the other seven contests in June.
2. Minnesota OF Eddie Rosario is 10-for-26 with four homers, six runs scored and eight RBIs in six games against the Indians this season.
3. The Indians designated OF Melky Cabrera for assignment Thursday and activated OF Brandon Guyer (neck), who went 1-for-3.