• Only four former Montreal Expos remain in the big leagues nine years after the team moved to Washington, and the Twins will have faced three of them before their first homestand is over. Lefthander Scott Downs (2000-04 Expos) faced one batter April 2, when the Twins played the White Sox; Kansas City's Bruce Chen (2002) lost at Target Field on Friday; and Maicer Izturis (2004) comes to town with Toronto on Tuesday. Barring a trade, the Twins are unlikely to see the fourth surviving Expo this year, the Mets' Bartolo Colon.

• The list of ex-Twins in the major leagues figures to grow as the season goes on. Johan Santana and Luis Ayala, both under contract to the Orioles, are working their way back from injury and hope to be in Baltimore around midseason. There are also a few free agents who were cut as spring training ended. Jose Mijares opted out of his contract with the Red Sox in order to find a major league job. Jamey Carroll (Nationals) and Jon Rauch (Royals) lasted until the final few days of training camp before being let go.

• Cleveland's Danny Salazar beat the Twins on April 4, but his next start was bizarrely successful — and terrible. Against the White Sox on Thursday, Salazar faced 18 Chicago hitters, allowing three singles, a double and two home runs, while also walking two. The other 10 batters? Every one of them struck out. Cleveland didn't record an out on a ball put into play against Salazar.