Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Ryan Vogelsong preparing to pitch more inside to hitters. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 1

Twins outfielder Max Kepler day-to-day after pinkie injury. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2

Twins’ Ehire Adrianza takes godfather Ozzie Guillen’s advice to heart: Have fun. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 3

Minnesota Twins: Miguel Sano exhibits Panda-type agility, Ryan Vogelsong says. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4

Twins build Culture Club with five low-cost veterans. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6

Kepler's triple, early rally not enough for Twins. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8

May to seek second opinion on ligament tear. MLB (Bollinger) p. 9

Vargas sets new Statcast standard for Twins. MLB (Simmons) p. 9

Falvey's eye for pitching key for Twins. MLB (Rogers) p. 10

Twins News: Jay, Veterans, Stubbs, Breslow. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 11

Dundas Dukes to play at Target Field in Town Ball Classic. NothField news (Paulsen) p. 12

Ryan Vogelsong preparing to pitch more inside to hitters

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 18, 2017

FORT MYERS, FLA. Righthander Ryan Vogelsong pitched there in 2000, 2001 and 2011-15. He learned to entice hitters to drive the ball to deep parts of the ballpark. But now he would have to adjust to pitching in Target Field, which is more hitter-friendly, if he makes the team. "I loved pitching in San Francisco because of the ballpark, but I feel like I've gotten a little away-heavy because of that ballpark," he said. "It's very easy [against] righties to pitch away and make them hit it in that right-center-field gap. Also with lefties. A big left field. Pitch them away and see if they can beat you away." Vogelsong pitched three innings Saturday, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout during the Twins' 12-5 loss to Boston at Hammond Stadium. It wasn't the best of lines for someone in the running for a spot in the rotation. But Vogelsong is trying to get used to pounding hitters inside again, and he tried that approach at times when he normally wouldn't. "Last year, I felt like I needed to do a better job of pitching in," said Vogelsong, who has a 7.27 ERA in 8⅔ innings this spring. "So I'm really focusing on that area in spring training. Getting the ball in, even if it is a hit." Vogelsong has spent most of his career pitching in AT&T Park, which is where the fewest home runs in the league have been hit in each of the past two seasons. Minnesota Twins pitcher Ryan Vogelsong Vogelsong spent all or parts of six seasons with Pittsburgh, including 2016. The Pirates play in PNC Park, which was 27th in home runs hit last season with 148. There were 212 home runs hit in Target Field last season, eighth most in baseball. A recent analysis by ESPN had it ranked as the 12th-most hitter-friendly park in the league.

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Volgelsong will have to use his bag of tricks if he takes the mound at Target Field. "For a guy who has been around, I think he knows what he's trying to do each and every time he is out there," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I don't think there is pressure, but he's just trying to prove to people that he can still be an effective pitcher at this level. That's tough for anybody." Vogelsong's fastball touched just 87 miles per hour just once Saturday, but it averaged 90.1 miles per hour last season, and he expects it to be at that level by the time he breaks camp. Still, he will have to finesse his way through lineups. He tried to do that Saturday in the second inning but gave up a pair of two-out runs on RBI singles by Blake Swihart and Dustin Pedroia. Vogelsong threw 34 pitches in the inning. He tried to get hitters to put the ball in play, but Boston fouled off eight pitches in the inning. Vogelsong pitched a 1-2-3 third before being replaced. "He really has an idea of what he's trying to do with the ball," Molitor said. "He knows he's got to be fairly pinpoint on command to make his pitches work." Things fell apart as soon as Vogelsong left the game. Pablo Sandoval kicked off Boston's five-run fourth inning with a home run off Jake Reed. Danny Santana's RBI single in the fifth brought the Twins within 7-5, but the Red Sox scored five more runs in the sixth, including Sandoval's three-run blast off Nick Tepesch. Reed has a 96-mph fastball but is struggling to reach the majors. Vogelsong knows who he is and is spending spring training fine-tuning his pitches. "My changeup was better today,'' Vogelsong said. "The cutter is probably about where I want it right now. I'm getting pretty close. I'm just trying to repeat and be able to adjust quickly." Twins outfielder Max Kepler day-to-day after pinkie injury

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 18, 2017

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Twins outfielder Max Kepler left Saturday’s 12-5 Grapefruit League loss to Boston after the first inning when his right pinkie finger was stepped on by Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Kepler had just tripled in two runs in the inning, when ByungHo Park followed with a grounder to third. Sandoval collected the ball and tried to tag Kepler, who was diving back to the bag. Sandoval’s last step got Kepler’s finger. “That’s a tough one when you are going to third base and the ball takes him right to the bag,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Kepler was checked out at third and remained in the game, but he was replaced before the next inning by Robbie Grossman. The Twins didn’t want to take any chances and sent Kepler for X-rays, which were negative. There was a cut and some bleeding, but nothing serious, and Kepler is considered day-to-day. “We wanted to make sure there wasn’t any kind of fracture going on,” Molitor said. Timing is everything. A year ago, Kepler might have been more hurt because Sandoval was about 30 pounds heavier. “Would have been worse last spring,” Molitor joked. Kepler wasn’t the only Twin that Sandoval pounded Sunday. “Kung Fu Panda” slugged two home runs and had four RBI as Boston eased to a victory. Sandoval is batting .333 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 13 games. “I think I got my bat speed back,” Sandoval said to Red Sox reporters after the game. Twins cut eight The Twins on Saturday sent outfielders Zack Granite and Daniel Palka, infielder Engelb Vielma and catcher Mitch Garver to Class AAA Rochester. They also reassigned infielders Niko Goodrum, Nick Gordon and Leonardo Reginatto and catcher Dan Rohlfing to minor league camp.

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The Twins have 48 players left in camp. None of the players sent down was in the mix to win a spot on the roster. Gordon, their first-round pick in 2014, should start the season at Class AA Chattanooga. Garver, believed to be the catcher of the near future, is expected to start at Class AAA Rochester. Rohlfing, in his second stint with the organization, could back up Garver at Rochester or be sent to Chattanooga, where the pitching staff will include several highly thought of prospects. Etc. • Second baseman Brian Dozier, playing in back-to-back games for the first time this spring, was 3-for-3 with a double. He started spring training games 1-for-14 before hitting a home run Friday then breaking out Saturday. • Center fielder Byron Buxton was charged with his first error of spring training in the sixth when he dropped Brock Holt’s fly ball. On deck Justin Haley will make his seventh appearance of spring Sunday but only his second start. With three starters in the World Baseball Classic and a fourth, Trevor May, expected to miss the season because of injury, Haley is getting an opportunity to show what he can do. He will face the Red Sox and Drew Pomeranz at Jet Blue Park. Twins’ Ehire Adrianza takes godfather Ozzie Guillen’s advice to heart: Have fun

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 17, 2017

Ozzie Guillen’s impact on Eduardo Escobar from their days with the Chicago White Sox is well-documented. Spotting Escobar at Arizona instructional league a decade ago, the bombastic former manager took a shine to the scrappy little Venezuelan switch-hitter who reminded him of his younger self. “I love that kid!” Guillen would say after Escobar established himself with the Twins, following a 2012 trade. Now along comes Ehire Adrianza, another slick-fielding Venezuelan shortstop whose connection to Guillen runs even deeper. It started, in fact, soon after Adrianza’s birth in August 1989. “My dad is very close friends with him,” Adrianza said of his eponymous father. “They grew up together, starting from when they were 6 years old. They spent a lot of time together at the stadium, at the school, everywhere.” When Adrianza was set to be baptized, his father asked Guillen to be the godfather. “Of course,” said Guillen, a former American League rookie of the year then in a stretch of three all-star selections in four seasons. Time passed, and the elder Adrianza went to work as a Latin American scout for the White Sox, for whom Guillen played 13 seasons (1985-97) before returning to manage the club for eight remarkable seasons, beginning in 2004. In 2005, Guillen led the White Sox to their first World Series title since the Black Sox Scandal. An 88-year championship drought ended; Guillen’s godson was 16. As Adrianza began his pro career, signing with the San Francisco Giants the following April, his relationship evolved with his famous godfather. It wasn’t a matter of Guillen taking him out on a field and hitting him grounders. Any question Adrianza could muster, however, his eternally blunt godfather would answer — honestly and memorably. “Some people tell you what you want to hear,” said Adrianza, 27. “He tells you what you need to hear.” Blessed with natural actions in the field, Adrianza rose steadily through the Giants’ farm system. By 2013 he made his big-league debut, but there would be some frustration along the way. A switch-hitter like Guillen, his bat never caught fire with the Giants, who gave him brief looks in each of the past four seasons. Despite posting a .338 on-base percentage over nearly 3,200 plate appearances in the minors, his offense consistently lagged during those big-league auditions.

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Guillen, whose park-adjusted on-base/slugging percentage was 32 percent below league average over his first five big-league seasons, proved a valuable resource in this regard. When the Giants visited the White Sox for an interleague series in June 2014, the Guillen and Adrianza families went out to dinner. “He’s helping me most of the time with the mental part,” Adrianza said. “That’s the most important thing in baseball, I think: the mental part.” When Adrianza gets stuck, the first person he reaches out to is his father, who retired from scouting and now runs a Venezuelan academy for aspiring ballplayers. Next is his famous godfather. “I ask him a lot of questions during the season and during spring training,” he said. “He gives me good advice. It’s good to have those kinds of guys that played 15 years in the big leagues. I can learn from them.” Blocked along the way by an accomplished Giants infield that featured the likes of Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, Matt Duffy and ex-Twin Eduardo Nunez, Adrianza tried not to lose hope. He even picked up a first baseman’s mitt and played 10 games over there last spring, just to show Giants manager Bruce Bochy he could add value wherever needed. Left field proved another area of experimentation for Adrianza, who missed four months last season after fouling a ball off his left foot, then suffering a setback when a stress fracture set in during the rehab process. “I was hitting good, doing my thing, but then I got hurt,” said Adrianza, who packed on 20 pounds of muscle before last season. “Early in the season I was getting the opportunity to play against lefty pitchers. Missing four months, that was frustrating for me. It was a tough year.” The Milwaukee Brewers grabbed him off waivers from the Giants on Jan. 31, but then lost him to the Twins via the same process a few days later. Adrianza drew raves for his glove work early in Twins camp, but his lack of offensive production appears to have relegated him to a utility candidate behind young starting shortstop Jorge Polanco. A couple of defensive miscues early in the Grapefruit League schedule, including one play where Adrianza failed to call time and let Pittsburgh’s John Jaso swipe an uncovered second base, have added to the challenge. A career .220 hitter in the majors with a .292 OBP, Adrianza talked again this offseason with his godfather. “He told me, ‘Don’t worry too much about hitting; if that gets in your head, you won’t be in a very good place,’ ” Adrianza recalled. “He said there’s a lot of ways to help your team as a hitter. You can do the job with a sacrifice or move the runner. You can hit and run.” The biggest reminder Guillen gave him, however, had nothing to do with the technical side of the game. Rather, Adrianza said, his freewheeling godfather urged him to relax. “He said I should play with joy,” Adrianza said. “He told me, ‘You have to have fun because it’s a game.’ “ Minnesota Twins: Miguel Sano exhibits Panda-type agility, Ryan Vogelsong says

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 18, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ryan Vogelsong won two World Series in San Francisco with Pablo Sandoval playing third base behind him for the Giants, so he’s not too worried about Miguel Sano’s ability to handle the position as a bigger man. “I’ve seen him move,” said Vogelsong, the veteran right-hander who made his second start for the Twins on Saturday. “(Sano) definitely moves really, really well for a big guy.” Sano, 23, said he reported to spring camp at 271 pounds but he distributes it well across his 6-foot-4 frame. Sandoval, better known as “The Kung-Fu Panda,” was reportedly pushing 280 pounds at 5-11 last season with the Boston Red Sox, but he’s down around 245 this spring. He even tried to bunt on Phil Hughes earlier this spring, but a startled Hughes got him by a step. Saturday, Sandoval grounded out to second to end an eight-pitch battle with Vogelsong but later hit long homers off Jake Reed and Nick Tepesch. “To me, as a teammate and as a player, I don’t care what you weigh,” Vogelsong said. “If you can play your position and do your job, I don’t care what the scale says. Obviously there’s probably some other people that feel differently because they want to keep them mobile for the long haul. I hate to say what Bill Belichick said, but it’s about, ‘Do your job.’ That’s what it comes down to.”

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Extending the football analogy, Sano has gone from a linebacker’s build to that of an NFL-level rush end. As long as he can maintain his short-area quickness and ability to bend his knees, he should be fine at the hot corner. “Some of that’s God-given and some of it is you have to work at it,” Vogelsong said. “You have to make sure if you’re a bigger guy that you keep your feet quick. Really it’s a credit to both of them for doing what they need to do to stay mobile. You just have to stay on top of it.” GORDON, GRANITE SHIPPED OUT Former first-rounder Nick Gordon and Twins minor-league player of the year Zack Granite led Saturday’s second round of cuts from Twins’ big-league camp. Granite was optioned to Triple-A Rochester along with shortstop Engelb Vielma, catcher Mitch Garver and outfielder Daniel Palka. All were added to the 40-man roster last winter. Joining Gordon in reassignment to minor-league camp were catcher Dan Rohlfing and infielders Niko Goodrum and Leonardo Reginatto. Gordon, 21, went 2 for 11 (.182) with three strikeouts in Grapefruit League play. Taken fifth overall in 2014 out of an Orlando-area high school, Gordon also doubled off Twins teammate Drew Rucinski in an exhibition win over Team USA’s entry in the World Baseball Classic. A shortstop almost exclusively so far in the minors, Gordon saw about half his playing time at second base in spring camp and will continue splitting time at both positions, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. The speedy Granite, 24, went 6 for 28 (.214) with a pair of walks, three runs batted in and a number of impressive plays in center field. The 25-year-old Palka, whose 34 homers ranked fourth in the minors last year, led the Twins with eight walks in posting a .423 on-base percentage. He went just 3 for 18 (.167) and homered once, an opposite-field shot off a changeup last Sunday in Bradenton. Garver, 26, appeared poised to compete for the backup catching job behind free-agent signee Jason Castro after a strong showing at the Arizona Fall League. However, the January signing of 34-year-old veteran Chris Gimenez hurt Garver’s chances; he appeared in 10 games and received just 13 at-bats. The slick-fielding Vielma, considered the best defensive infielder in the system, hit .167 with a double and a walk in just 12 at-bats. The Venezuelan is still just 22. Saturday’s cuts leave 48 players in Twins camp, including 25 pitchers. KEPLER OK Twins right fielder Max Kepler was removed from Saturday’s game after Sandoval inadvertently stepped on his right hand while trying to tag him out at third on ByungHo Park’s first-inning grounder. X-rays were negative after Kepler was removed for precautionary reasons with an abrasion on his right little finger. According to Molitor, Kepler “lost some skin, and there was a little blood.” A nerve might have been tweaked as Kepler briefly “was having trouble getting the feeling back,” Molitor said, “but he’s fine now.” Kepler, who moments earlier had ripped a two-run triple off reigning Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, stayed in the game long enough to score on a wild pitch before exiting. Robbie Grossman replaced Kepler at the start of the second inning. BRESLOW PLAN Veteran reliever Craig Breslow is scheduled to pitch Sunday at the Boston Red Sox, his final appearance before his contractual opt-out date early next week. A person with direct knowledge indicated Breslow would likely be added to the 40-man roster with Trevor May being shifted soon to the 60-day disabled list. Breslow’s contract calls for a $1.25 million guarantee should he be added to the big-league roster.

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Including a two-inning save against Team USA, Breslow has posted 6 1/3 scoreless innings over six outings. The 36-year-old lefty has allowed three hits and five walks while recording five strikeouts with his lower arm slot. BRIEFLY Double-A lefty Tyler Jay, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 draft, has been moved full-time into a relief role, Twins farm director Brad Steil said. The decision was mutual after Jay, a former closer at the University of Illinois, missed the final month last season with a neck strain and shoulder fatigue. Twins build Culture Club with five low-cost veterans

Mike Berardino| Pioneer Press | March 18, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. — Speaking to a group of Twins season-ticket holders in late November, newly hired general manager Thad Levine offered a philosophy and a prediction. “A concern of mine looking at this team is I’m not sure who the leaders were last year,” he told said. “You can have leadership in the front office, you can have leadership in the coaching staff, but if you don’t have leadership in the clubhouse I think it’s a real challenge to navigate 162 games, especially with the amount of youth we’ve had on this team.” To that point, the Twins’ only free-agent signing had been former all-star catcher Jason Castro, spirited away from the Houston Astros for $24.5 million over three years. Starting in mid-January, however, Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey added a handful of veterans with reputations as clubhouse leaders. None broke the bank. Reliever Matt Belisle, secured on a one-year deal at $2.05 million, was the most expensive. Four others came on board via minor-league deals with big-league salaries, should they be added to the 40-man roster, ranging from $950,000 (catcher Chris Gimenez) to $1.25 million for left-handed reliever Craig Breslow. They also made a strong push to land 34-year-old first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli. According to FanRag.com, the Twins were willing to pay him $11 million for one season or $16 million over two years before he took a one-year, $8.5 million deal (with a club option) to return for a third tour of duty with the Texas Rangers, Levine’s former club. “You may see a signing where you may scratch your head and say, ‘Why did these guys spend this kind of money on that player at this stage of his career?’ ” Levine told those Twins fans. “I assure you it’s probably because this guy, in our opinion, has a chance to be a leader in the clubhouse.” Here’s a player-by-player look at the five low-cost veterans the Twins signed as spring training neared. You might call them the Culture Club: RYAN VOGELSONG, RHP A two-time World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants, the 39-year-old swingman signed a $1 million deal with up to $2.5 million iN incentives should he spend all year in the rotation. Along the way, he is expected to mentor younger Twins pitchers. “I do enjoy it,” Vogelsong said. “It’s part of the transition as you go through your career. I had really good veteran guys when I was coming up that did the same thing for me with the Giants.” Breaking in at age 22 in 2000, Vogelsong leaned heavily on the likes of Mark Gardner, Robb Nen, Kirk Rueter and Shawn Estes. “I was the youngest guy by a lot,” he said. “The whole team was outstanding as far as trying to teach me how to be a big-leaguer and what it took to be successful. Really, it was the whole team that took me in like a little brother. That makes doing what I’m doing now a lot easier because I learned from some really good guys.” What does veteran leadership mean to him now? “A lot of it is showing (teammates) how you should do things and how things get done to be successful,” he said. “You develop relationships

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with people as the spring goes along, but to start with it’s just doing things the way I always do them, which is the way I was taught, and doing them the right way and being prepared.” DREW STUBBS, OF A former College World Series hero drafted eighth overall in 2006, the fleet outfielder has bounced to his fifth different organization in the past 19 months. Should Stubbs, 32, be added to the big-league roster, he would be paid $1 million, well below the $5.8 million he made with the Colorado Rockies in 2015. Intent on re-establishing himself and proving his worth, Stubbs embraces the chance to be a resource for younger Twins. “I think a lot of the gratification that coaches get from helping a kid out is that you see them grow and mature and progress in their skill set and in their career,” Stubbs said. “Just knowing you helped them take a step in that direction is pretty gratifying for yourself.” The first-ever draft pick of former Cincinnati Reds GM Wayne Krivsky, back with the Twins since late 2011 in a front-office role, Stubbs starred at the University of Texas and played with Twins special assistants Michael Cuddyer and LaTroy Hawkins in Colorado in 2014-15. Stubbs also has recent history with Falvey’s Cleveland Indians (2013) and Levine’s Rangers (2015-16). “I think they know who I am as a person already, and what my character is,” Stubbs said. “Now it’s just up to me to go do my thing on the field and see where it shakes out.” MATT BELISLE, RHP Given the second-largest guarantee to a Twins free agent this winter, Belisle also has history with the Rockies, where he spent six seasons (2009-14) developing the mental toughness it takes to pitch at altitude. “Colorado really provided me with a great opportunity to learn about myself,” said Belisle, 36. “I really got to hone in on my blueprint, my on-the-field feel for pitching, but also my program off the field. There were some challenges for me, but I looked at it as an opportunity every time. I enjoyed that challenge.” Young Twins pitchers watching Belisle this spring will see a fitness fanatic with an easy smile and a story for every situation. Thriving at Coors Field provided many of those for the former highly touted starting prospect. “You talk about the ballpark, but there’s tough ballparks to pitch in all over the dang league,” he said. “Physically and mentally, it’s just all the things you have to do. I enjoyed trying to get better, that’s all.” As for influencing the Twins’ clubhouse culture, Belisle looks forward to it. “We all have to be examples. We’ve got to do this together,” he said. “This is not a one- or two- or three-man show to change the culture. This is a collective group that first wants to win and is grounded by solid people and good individuals.” CRAIG BRESLOW, LHP Back with the Twins after they lost him on waivers eight years ago, the 36-year-old reliever teamed with Napoli on the 2013 Boston Red Sox that won the World Series. He chose to sign with the Twins from a group of eight to 10 suitors last month. “The idea at this stage of my career that I could impact an organization for longer than I may be playing for it is pretty powerful and pretty compelling,” Breslow said. “I’ve started to think about all of the players who have helped shape my career. I certainly look to them with incredible deference. If I have the opportunity to fill that role for somebody, it’s a legacy I would be really proud of.” A Yale graduate who used advanced analytics to remake his delivery, Breslow counts former closers Trevor Hoffman, Joe Nathan and Koji Uehara among his greatest mentors. He also sees himself as a willing translator for a Twins organization attempting to better integrate data into clubhouse. “There’s currently a disconnect between the analytics department and the execution among the players,” he said of the game in general. “Certainly the most important thing is for me to get people out. I recognize that. I could be a great guy off the field and people could really like

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spending time with me, but if I’m not helping the team there’s not a place for me on the field.” In conversations with Falvey, Breslow was impressed with the suggestion a talented young core could take a huge step forward with the help of veterans. “I think that’s a pretty significant realization for someone in the front office,” he said. “In an era where it becomes easy to get bogged down in data and numbers, recognizing the human element in this and human interaction, I give Derek a lot of credit.” CHRIS GIMENEZ, C Outgoing and perpetually upbeat, Gimenez, 34, was a key part of the Indians’ run to their first American League pennant in 19 years last fall. Having bounced between the Indians and Rangers multiple times in recent seasons, he was maybe the surest bet of all to join Falvey and Levine in their new venture. “I’m a big believer in clubhouse culture,” Gimenez said. “That’s something we had in Cleveland. My entire career in Cleveland we had it. I think last year it was a little different because Nap brought not only the playoff experience, the veteran leadership, but the idea that, ‘Hey, we need to get over this hump.’ ” In particular, a young pitching staff that included Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar took several steps forward. “I think for a long time in Cleveland it was, ‘There’s always going to be next year. We’re going to be good next year,’ ” Gimenez said. “I think it took somebody like Nap coming in to really kick some of those younger veteran guys in the butt and let them know, ‘Hey, we’re a good team. We could do this. … Let’s do it now.’ ” The result was nearly a third World Series ring for manager Terry Francona. “I think a lot of guys started really believing in that, and look what happened,” Gimenez said. “It’s amazing, when you get a little bit of confidence and everybody starts believing in themselves, what can happen. You need that edge. If you believe, funny things can happen.” Kepler's triple, early rally not enough for Twins

Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 18, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Pablo Sandoval hit two homers, driving in four runs, and Mitch Moreland added a pair of two-run doubles to lift the Red Sox to a 12-5 win over the Twins on Saturday at Hammond Stadium. Sandoval hit a solo homer as part of a five-run fourth before crushing a three-run homer in the five-run sixth. The third baseman has three homers this spring. Full Game Coverage "I feel good," said Sandoval. "I'm working every day in the cage on little things I've been doing with the hitting coach. I've been working real hard to get to this point to feel free in my swing." Minnesota jumped out to an early lead, as right-hander Rick Porcello struggled, allowing four runs in the first before settling in. Joe Mauer had an RBI single before Max Kepler drove in two runs with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. "I wasn't executing pitches well," said Porcello. "Settled in and definitely got better as the game went on. Overall, I'd like to be a lot more consistent with fastball command." The Red Sox struck back with two runs in the second against right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who is competing for the fifth spot in Minnesota's rotation. Blake Swihart and Dustin Pedroia each had RBI singles in the second. "I feel like I made some good adjustments, but things got out of whack there a little bit with two outs in the second," said Vogelsong, who allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over three innings. "I know what I am now. I'm a command guy. I know my velocity is going to get there. It's been this way the last couple years. I'm trying to get ahead and make them put the ball in play, but today there was a bunch of foul balls." Knuckleballer Steven Wright, who is projected to be in the rotation for the Red Sox, was impressive with three scoreless innings of relief. Boston took the lead with a five-run fourth against Minor League relievers Jake Reed and Trevor Hildenberger. Sandoval started the rally with a deep

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homer to right-center before top prospect Andrew Benintendi tied the game with an RBI groundout. Hildenberger relieved Reed and promptly gave up an RBI single to Mookie Betts and a two-run double to Moreland. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who homered on Friday, went 3-for-3 with a double, while Moreland, Pedroia and Swihart each had two hits for Boston. Moreland's second two-run double came in the sixth off right-hander Nick Tepesch. Tepesch also served up Sandoval's three-run homer. Red Sox Up Next: Left-hander Drew Pomeranz makes his second start of Spring Training in Sunday afternoon's 1:05 p.m. ET home game against the Twins on MLB.TV. Closer Craig Kimbrel will get an inning. Lefty reliever Robby Ross Jr. will also see action. Hanley Ramirez should be back in the lineup at designated hitter after getting Saturday off. Twins Up Next: The Twins travel up the street to JetBlue Park for the 12:05 pm. CT start against the Sox on MLB.TV. Rule 5 Draft pick Justin Haley faces his former organization as he tries to compete for a spot on Minnesota's roster. Haley's most likely role will be as a reliever, but he'll continue to get stretched out so the Twins can see what they have in him May to seek second opinion on ligament tear

Rhett Bollinger | MLB | March 18, 2017 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Twins right-hander Trevor May, who was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament on March 11, will seek a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday, per general manager Thad Levine. May suffered the injury while throwing a curveball in an exhibition game against Team USA's Andrew McCutchen on March 8, and the diagnosis was announced three days later by Levine and May. But May will seek a second opinion from Meister, who has been the Rangers' team physician since 2004. May, who was the frontrunner for the fifth spot in the rotation, remains likely to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, but he wants to see if there are alternatives, as other pitchers such as Masahiro Tanaka and Garrett Richards have avoided the surgery with platelet-rich plasma injections and stem-cell injections. May, though, is believed to have a full tear of the ligament, which would require surgery. It's generally a 12-month rehab process, so the earlier May undergoes the operation, the more likely he would be available for Opening Day 2018. Worth noting • Left fielder Eddie Rosario went 0-for-2 with a walk and an RBI sacrifice fly in Team Puerto Rico's 6-5 win over Team USA on Friday night at the World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico, which also has Twins Jose Berrios, Hector Santiago and Kennys Vargas on its roster, advanced to the semifinals with the win. • Right-hander Ervin Santana is set to make his Classic debut on Saturday night in a must-win game for both Team Dominican Republic and Team USA, as the winner advances to the semifinals. • MLB Network held their "30 Clubs in 30 Days" visit at Twins camp on Saturday, interviewing players such as Brian Dozier and manager Paul Molitor. • Twins right fielder Max Kepler exited Saturday's game against the Red Sox with an abrasion on his left pinkie when he slid into third base in the first inning. X-rays came back negative, and he's day-to-day. Vargas sets new Statcast standard for Twins

Andrew Simmons | MLB | March 18, 2017 Kennys Vargas spent the majority of last season at Triple-A, but the switch-hitter also showed off his slugging ability in the big leagues, smacking 10 home runs in 47 games for the Twins. The 26-year-old, who this spring is competing for a spot in Minnesota's lineup, put his powerful bat on full display on Saturday afternoon in Puerto Rico's 13-2 victory over Venezuela in the second round of the World Baseball Classic. Vargas went 2-for-5 with a walk and an impressive two-run homer in the win, as Puerto Rico improved to 6-0 in the tournament on its way to the semifinals.

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Vargas' squad will face the Netherlands on Monday at Dodger Stadium (9 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB.TV), looking to advance to Wednesday's championship. With Puerto Rico already holding an 11-2 lead in the top of the ninth on Saturday at San Diego's Petco Park, Vargas stepped in left-handed against Venezuela righty Hector Rondon, who grooved a 95.6-mph fastball up and out over the plate. Vargas pounced on it for a two-run shot. With an exit velocity of 114.4 mph and a low launch angle of 21 degrees, the ball wasted no time whistling over the right-field wall with a projected distance of 380 feet. That exit velocity was higher than any recorded on a home run by a Twins player during the Statcast™ Era (2015-16), topping a 114.2-mph rocket Miguel Sano hit at Tampa Bay last Aug. 7. Vargas had set his personal best of 113.1 mph from the right side of the plate back on April 16, 2015, against the Royals at Target Field. In fact, Vargas homer would have been tied with Mike Trout and Justin Upton for the 18th-hardest exit velocity on a homer by any MLB player last season. Only 11 individual players hit one harder, led by Carlos Gonzalez at 117.4 mph. Meanwhile, the 21-degree launch angle was Vargas' second lowest on a homer in the Statcast™ Era, behind a 20-degree shot against the White Sox on May 3, 2015. Vargas' 15 long balls during that time have averaged 28 degrees. Falvey's eye for pitching key for Twins

Phil Rogers | MLB | March 18, 2017 ORT MYERS, Fla. -- Derek Falvey had one foot out the door while fully engaged in his job last fall. He couldn't be in two places at one time, but he was doing two jobs at the same time. On the last Monday of the 2016 season, Falvey, who turns 34 on Sunday, was selected as the Twins' executive vice president and chief baseball officer following an extensive search. He was officially hired the day after the season ended, but Falvey was granted a chance to stay with the Indians throughout the postseason. Who knew that would include 136 innings of baseball, including a 10th inning in Game 7 of the World Series? Falvey worked with the Indians' scouts, pitching coaches and catchers to develop plans of attack against hitters from the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Cubs. In his spare time, he studied the Twins and tried to develop a rebuilding plan after the 103-loss season that led to the firing of long-time general manager Terry Ryan. "It was surreal in so many ways,'' Falvey said at Minnesota's Spring Training complex. "I don't know if you could have ever planned or scripted a month like that in job transition It was while walking back down to the Indians' clubhouse after the Cubs' historic victory in Game 7 of the World Series that the former Division III pitcher was struck by an awareness that he really was leaving Cleveland -- 10 years after he had joined the teams as an intern. "I remember briefly running into Theo [Epstein] as they were going to their clubhouse,'' Falvey said. "I remember congratulating him and going into our clubhouse. It was mixed emotions, I'll say that. Trying to take it all in while realizing the next step was coming.'' Falvey's appeal for the Twins was tied largely to his work helping the Indians identify, develop and prepare pitchers. It was the depth of Cleveland's pitching staff -- and throughout the organization -- that allowed manager Terry Francona to maneuver his team to within one run of a World Series championship despite losing two of his top three starters -- Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco -- along the way. Minnesota hasn't ranked higher than 10th in the American League in staff ERA since 2010, and in '16, it ranked last with a 5.09 mark. Finding arms to build around seems like the first priority for Falvey. It would be somewhat surprising if the Twins didn't use the first overall pick in the upcoming Draft on Florida's Alex Faedo, Vanderbilt's Kyle Wright or another talented, polished college pitcher. But Minnesota also has the 35th and 37th picks overall, so Falvey could go with a hitter with the top pick and then use the next two on pitchers he'd fallen in love with while joining scouting director Sean Johnson on forays around the country in April and May. Falvey says the Draft process will be a "team effort'' involving staffers at many levels of the organization. He and Thad Levine -- who was hired

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away from the Rangers to serve as general manager -- are working to change the feel of what has seemed like a traditional front office. "We're changing a little bit of the culture here,'' Falvey said. "We're trying to embrace working across the markets, lot of horizontal interaction, between scouts, pro staff, our front office, interaction in the clubhouse.'' Shoulder problems limited Falvey's career at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. He graduated with an economics degree but opted to scout players in the Cape Cod League rather than pursue a job. That led him to Falvey's internship with the Indians, who allowed him to dive even further into the study of pitching and pitchers. Falvey inherits a 40-man roster that includes intriguing position players including Miguel Sano, Max Kepler and Byron Buxton, along with second baseman Brian Dozier, who Ryan shopped but did not deal at the non-waiver Trade Deadline last summer. Falvey discussed deals for Dozier with the Dodgers and other teams this past offseason but held onto him, believing the market for him will be even better in July than it was after his 42-homer season. "I can tell you I'm happy to have him here, because he's a meaningful part of that clubhouse,'' Falvey said. "I commend Terry for really being thoughtful about that. We'll continue to be thoughtful and make decisions that benefit the long-term future of this franchise.'' Falvey also faces a decision on manager Paul Molitor, the popular Hall of Famer who replaced Ron Gardenhire after the 2014 season. Molitor was third in the AL Manager of the Year Award voting after '15, when the Twins went 83-79, improving by 13 wins. But he's in the last year of his contract, and Falvey says the team needs to play better this season. "We've talked a little bit internally about [how] at times last year we beat ourselves,'' Falvey said. "It was not a fundamentally sound team.'' Time to start doing something about that. Twins News: Jay, Veterans, Stubbs, Breslow

Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors | March 18, 2017 Here’s the latest from Minnesota… Left-hander Tyler Jay, the sixth overall pick of the 2015 draft, will be used as a reliever going forward, Seth Stohs of Twins Daily reports. The decision was mutually made between both Jay and the Twins. Jay mostly pitched in relief in college, yet the Twins were intrigued enough by his four-pitch arsenal that they spent the high pick on him in order to test him as a starter. The southpaw pitched well in 13 starts at High-A ball last season before battling some neck issues over five appearances (two of them starts) and 14 innings at Double-A. Baseball Prospectus ranked Jay as 98th on their recent list of the 101 best prospects in baseball, and he also appeared on top-100 lists from MLB.com (60th) and Baseball America (80th) prior to the 2016 season. Jay was drafted one spot ahead of Andrew Benintendi in 2015, and 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link) that the Twins “had very little interest” in the outfielder who is now the game’s consensus number-one prospect. Notables such as Carson Fulmer and Ian Happ were picked in the next two spots after Benintendi. In fairness to Minnesota, however, Jay was highly regarded by the major prospect scouting pundits headed into the 2015 draft, so he likely wouldn’t have fallen much further than sixth had the Twins passed. The Twins made a point of adding veteran leadership to their young clubhouse this winter, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. Matt Belisle, Ryan Vogelsong, Chris Gimenez, Drew Stubbs and Craig Breslow were all signed to minor league deals or low-cost MLB deals this offseason, providing Minnesota with inexpensive but experienced players who can help on the field and also serve as mentors. “The idea at this stage of my career that I could impact an organization for longer than I may be playing for it is pretty powerful and pretty compelling,” Breslow said. “I’ve started to think about all of the players who have helped shape my career. I certainly look to them with incredible deference. If I have the opportunity to fill that role for somebody, it’s a legacy I would be really proud of.” Also from Berardino’s piece, he notes that Stubbs will earn $1MM on his minor league deal should he crack the Twins’ big league roster. Stubbs has bounced around with the Braves, Orioles, Rockies and (multiple stints with the) Rangers over the last two seasons, playing in 137 games and hitting .207/.302/.365 over 234 plate appearances. Breslow’s contractual opt-out date is early next week, though Berardino tweets that the Twins will add him to their 40-man roster. Trevor May will be moved to the 60-day DL (due to his torn UCL) in order to create space.

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Dundas Dukes to play at Target Field in Town Ball Classic

Matt Paulsen | NorthField News | March 18, 2017 Memorial Park, where the Dundas Dukes take the field, is routinely cited among the best ballparks in the state but this season Dukes will have the chance to play in one of the best in Major League Baseball. It was announced Tuesday afternoon that the Dukes will be participating in the Town Ball Classic at Target Field on Saturday, June 24. Dundas will take on Chaska in the Class B game. Tickets are $10 and are good for the entire day of baseball. Along with Dundas, the Classic will feature Raymond vs. Sobieski in the Class C game, and Baseball 365 vs. the Minneapolis Angels in the Class A game. The Classic was designed to celebrate town team baseball, which has been a tradition in Minnesota since the 1920s. Over 300 teams make up the three-class system. The event features some of the greatest town ball games in the state. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Twins Community Fund. The fund is dedicated to getting more kids in the game by providing resources and programs to communities throughout Twins Territory. While the Classic will certainly be a challenge on the big stage, the Dukes are no strangers to success. They have won five state championships, including seven state runner ups. Their most recent championship came in 2015. “This is a great opportunity for the community and the Dukes,” Dundas co-manager/player Mike Ludwig said. “We are thankful to get a chance to play up there and it is a great showcase event for town baseball. The Dukes will open the 2017 season at Memorial Park against St. Louis Park starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.