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Recent content from La Velle E. Neal III
Bullpen blow-up: Twins swept by Rays on Gomez' walk-off homer
What the past few days have reinforced is that no Twins reliever is immune from grooving a fat pitch. Or blowing a save. Or being walked off against.
Hughes' return to mound for Twins doesn't go as he hoped
Returning to action for the first time since having surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, Hughes lasted only 3 ⅓ innings Sunday in his first start in 11 months.
Twins relievers melt down at end of 10-1 loss to Rays
The Rays broke open the game with five runs in the seventh inning.
Ex-Twin Span finds right role with hometown Rays
Denard Span, drafted 20th overall in 2002 by the Twins, was expected to be one of the veteran influences on the Rays, and leads the club with 17 RBI from the leadoff spot.
Berrios right at home before LaMarre's 16th-inning game-winner
Jose Berrios, who grew up near San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium, pitched seven dominant innings and led the celebration as Ryan LaMarre's bases-loaded single gave the Twins a 2-1 victory.
Homecoming homer: Lindor's blast sparks Cleveland over Twins
Francisco Lindor crushed a hanging 3-and-2 curveball from Jake Odorizzi over the right field wall, the first of four Cleveland homers on an emotional night in San Juan.
In Puerto Rico, baseball is an outlet amid hurricane's aftermath
Puerto Rico is full of passionate baseball fans. As the island gets back on its feet following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, the game has been its crutch.
Twins-Cleveland series preview
These will be the Twins' first games since Thursday when they defeated the White Sox; three weekend games were snowed out.
Mauer reaches 2,000-hit milestone in Twins shutout
Joe Mauer collected his 2,000th career hit Thursday in a 4-0 win over the White Sox, a game Jose Berrios took over with 11 strikeouts.
Twins brace for another blast of winter
Winter continues to ignore the calendar, and that will be quite evident at Target Field this weekend when the Twins are to finish a series with the White Sox but might be forced to scramble the schedule.
Twins pitcher Santana gets doctors' OK to begin throwing
Ervin Santana, who had surgery to remove a calcium deposit from his middle finger on Feb., 6, has not bounced back as fast as he or the Twins had hoped.
Mauer prepares to add another keepsake to his collection
Sometime this week, Joe Mauer should become the 10th current major-leaguer to reach the 2,000-hit mark, and one of three players to get that many with the Twins.
Slow go continues for Morrison as Twins fall 11-4 to Seattle
It was 27 degrees at first pitch, and the Twins never got to heat up for a comeback falling to the Mariners. Logan Morrison's struggles to start the season are now at 1-for-19.
Berrios' strong start for Twins falls apart in middle innings
Jose Berrios tore through the Seattle batting order the first time through, retiring all nine batters he faced with ease, including four strikeouts.
Twins starting the season with a power surge
Brian Dozier already has four home runs, and the team is averaging two per game.
Twins' starter Santana headed to New York for a checkup
Twins righthander Ervin Santana is expected to head to New York sometime next week for a checkup on his surgically repaired middle finger, and also get cleared to start some sort of throwing program.
MLB Insider: La Velle E. Neal III makes his predictions for '18 season
Snow or shine, the new season is here. And that means it's time for a prediction column.
Always in position, Escobar is there when Twins need him
On Thursday, when the Twins open the 2018 season in Baltimore, Eduardo Escobar will be the starting shortstop after Jorge Polanco drew an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.
Just another start? Odorizzi calm about Opening Day honor
Picked up in a spring training trade from Tampa Bay, Jake Odorizzi comes across as a guy who doesn't allow his pulse to quicken.
Twins leave spring training confident, but decisions are lingering
Sunday was a little strange in that the Twins packed up to leave Florida, but there was still work to do before Thursday's opener in Baltimore.
Twins leave Florida with concerns about Rosario
Eddie Rosario's arm still has totally recovered by a spring training injury and he's leaving from with a .188 spring training batting average.
Division preview: Cleveland is current king of the AL Central
Did the Twins do enough to catch the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central Division?
Development of young hitters is key to Twins offense
The Twins offense was unspectacular for two-thirds of the season but surged during the final third. Can the improvement continue?
Call 9-1-1? Twins added depth in minors to better avoid emergencies
The Twins will feel much better about reaching down to the minor leagues for help this season.
Berrios pitches Twins past Pirates; likely to start game in Puerto Rico in front of family, friends
"It would mean a lot," the righthander said. "… I'm so excited to be available to pitch there."
Gibson finds a rhythm in tuneup for regular season
Since the Twins were off Tuesday, Kyle Gibson went to the minor league side to stay on schedule and threw six scoreless innings for Class AAA Rochester.
Rule 5 pick Tyler Kinley makes bid to stick with Twins
A distant relative of a former president, the righthanded reliever has impressed the team during spring training.
Polanco suspended 80 games and postseason for drug policy violation
Twins starting shortstop Jorge Polanco tested positive for stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance that also led to the suspension of Twins pitcher Ervin Santana in 2015.
Clean outing for Hildenberger an encouraging sign
The reliever threw a scoreless inning against Philadelphia.
Twins have no shortage of shortstops in their system
The Twins have a track record of drafting and signing shortstops, many of whom end up at another position when they reach the majors.
Hughes beats Yankees as he battles for spot in Twins' rotation
Phil Hughes gave up one run over four innings in the Twins' 2-1 victory.
Twins jump on Red Sox early in 8-1 win; Escobar belts home run
Seven Twins batted in the first inning, scoring four runs to knock out Boston righthander Chandler Shepherd.
Twins at camp: Relievers seem to like possibility of riding cart into games
Twins relievers Tyler Duffey, Ryan Pressly and Trevor Hildenberger on Wednesday engaged in cart-related banter, joined at times by Zach Duke and Addison Reed.
Twins pitcher Slegers, at 6-10, is showing growth potential
Aaron Slegers went through a dramatic growth spurt - seven inches between junior and senior year of high school - that hindered his progress in baseball. But he's become something of a late bloomer.
Biggest winner from Morrison joining Twins? Could it be Mauer?
Logan Morrison's arrival means Joe Mauer could spend more time as the Twins' designated hitter in 2018, with the result being fewer days off for the veteran.
Jose Berrios' second spring start for Twins sharper than first
He gave up three hits and pitched into the third inning against the Pirates.
Size and speed: Buxton tries to become a thief of the highest order
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton spent the offseason working to merge superior speed with improved technique. He wants to pack on a few pounds, too.
Sano interviewed by MLB investigators in assault inquiry
Miguel Sano missed the Twins' workouts Tuesday after his representatives informed the team of his appointment with MLB's security departments
Morneau settles into role as newest Twins' alumni 'coach'
Justin Morneau is joining Torii Hunter, LaTroy Hawkins and Michael Cuddyer as special assistants, which includes returning to the field at spring training.
What to keep an eye on as spring games begin for Twins
Now that the games have started in Florida, Paul Molitor and the Twins coaching staff will look to keep the team in line while monitoring several position battles and other issues.
Odorizzi joins Twins while drawing high praise
Chris Archer, now Jake Odorizzi's former Rays teammate, promises that the Twins are getting more than a midrotation stabilizer.
Odorizzi fills a need for Twins, just not biggest one
The Twins didn't get the ace they want but got a solid rotation piece.
Twins willing to give veteran Sanchez a low-risk look
Anibal Sanchez is 28-35 with a 5.15 ERA over his past four seasons. He has been demoted to the bullpen, then to the minors. At age 34, he might not have much left to offer as a pitcher.
MLB's pace of play proposals rile Twins
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is prepared to announce pace-of-play changes in time for spring training games that begin next Friday — with or without union support.
Twins sign veteran pitcher Sanchez for spring training tryout
Anibal Sanchez, 33, pitched a no-hitter for the Marlins in 2006. Last season for the Tigers he was 3-7 with a 6.41 ERA for Detroit last season.
Introductions in order on Day 1 of Twins camp
The first spring training workout of pitchers and catchers often is spent trying to figure out what new players are in camp. This year for the Twins, the turnover among the major and minor league coaching staffs is obvious.
Levine: Sano will report on time, cleared for baseball activities
Miguel Sano will report to Twins training camp Sunday with the rest of the position players while still being investigated by MLB for an alleged assault of a freelance photographer.
New Twins pitching coach looking for whatever works best
Garvin Alston plans to help each of the pitchers realize what works for them, then use that knowledge to try to shut down hitters.
Rays' Archer in Twins' sights as spring training nears
After failing to land Yu Darvish, who ended up signing with the Cubs, the Twins are looking at several other free-agent pitchers, as well as exploring trades with multiple teams.
Position by position look at the 2018 Twins
What everyone will be watching when the Twins kick off spring training this week in Florida.
Perkins, Levine discuss front office role with Twins
The Twins already have Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, LaTroy Hawkins and Justin Morneau as special assistants to baseball operations, but they will discuss adding recently retired Glen Perkins.
Twins reliever Perkins retiring after 12 MLB seasons
Glen Perkins has been quiet since the end of the season, but general manager Thad Levine said on the Twins Caravan that the three-time All Star has decided to retire.
End of the road? Several Vikings veterans mulling retirement
Thirtysomethings Newman, Berger, Robison to weigh pros and cons of return.
Twins, Gibson appear headed to arbitration over $355,000 dispute
Unable to reach an agreement on a contract for this season, Kyle Gibson and the Twins are headed to arbitration sometime next month.
Johan Santana elected to Minnesota Twins' Hall of Fame
Santana won two Cy Young Awards with the Twins and was named three times to the American League All-Star team.
Jim Kaat will join Twins as special assistant
The 79-year-old broadcaster pitched 25 seasons in the major leagues, including 15 with the Twins organization.
Justin Morneau officially retires, joins Twins as special assistant
"I was fortunate to live my dream every day," said Justin Morneau, 36, the former Twins first baseman who was the American League MVP in 2006.
Twins agree to terms with veteran lefthander Duke
The reliever had Tommy John surgery in October 2016 but returned to the major leagues last July.
Twins have interest in Napoli for hitting, clubhouse presence
The Twins have contacted Mike Napoli's agent about a contract for 2018, in hopes of reaching a deal that the veteran turned down last year when he went to Texas.
Twins are still part of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes
It could be another month before free-agent pitcher makes a decision.
Twins take Tyler Kinley in Rule 5 Draft, lose Burdi and Bard
With the third overall pick, the Phillies selected righthander Nick Burdi, the Twins' 46th overall pick in 2014.
Bullseye: Twins to sign veteran reliever Rodney
Fernando Rodney, who will be 41 on Opening Day, is headed for his 16th major league season and will play for his ninth team. He had 39 saves for Arizona last season.
Winter Confidential: Day 3 with the Twins at the winter meetings
Word spread on Tuesday when it was learned that righthander Tyler Chatwood had a clause in his contract that calls for a $2 million salary increase, from $12 million to $14 million, if he received one — one! — vote for Cy Young.
Twins trying to sort out their options for closing games
The team is interested in veteran Fernando Rodney and former closer Brandon Kintzler among others, while knowing that a future closer could already be in the organization.
Restocking their system gives Twins some trade pieces this winter
Trading for a starting pitcher could require multiple prospects — and the Twins might have enough to make things interesting after acquiring young talent over the last several months.
Morris tells writers no hard feelings over years of Hall of Fame snubs
Jack Morris and Alan Trammell went through 15 years of rejection by baseball writers on their ballots before they were voted in by a 16-person Hall of Fame committee.
Twins have new look, new attitude heading into winter meetings
With an emerging core of position players, Twins executives head to Florida this week for the annual winter meetings looking to make moves that could help them gain ground in the American League
Jack Morris gets another shot at Baseball Hall of Fame
After falling short on the writers' ballot, his candidacy goes before the veterans committee.
Twins get prospects from Mariners, Angels for international bonus money
If the Mariners or Angels end up landing Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, they can thank the Twins.
Twins offer contracts to all their arbitration-eligible players
Kyle Gibson, Eduardo Escobar among six players in line to return in 2018.
Japanese star Ohtani will not sign with Twins
The Japanese pitcher-outfielder is mostly showing interest in teams on the West Coast.
Twins hiring McClure as senior pitching adviser; Park departing
Former major leaguer Bob McClure will join the Twins as their senior pitching adviser, according to a source with knowledge of the hire.
Pitching appears to top Twins' priority list as free agency opens
Entering their second year in charge, Twins' baseball executives have made sweeping changes to every area of the organization — except to improve the roster.
Twins lose Rosario, Palka to waiver claims
The Twins lost a pair of players who had been highly regarded in recent years.
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