Hector Santiago will face Alex Cobb today, as both pitchers make their spring training debut. It also marks the debut of third baseman Evan Longoria. Since the WBC has led to one more week of camp, teams are slow-rolling their established players into action. Brian Dozier played his first game on Sunday and Joe Mauer will make his spring training debut on Wednesday.
Some of these early spring games have been garbage, with road teams sending over players who will be fighting for jobs in AA ball moreso than the majors. But the scouts here are pleasantly surprised that the Twins have sent a lineup full of projected regulars.
After Santiago, Tyler Duffey, Adalberto Mejia, Ryan Pressly, Matt Belisle and J.T. Chargois are scheduled to pitch. Ryan O'Rourke and Alex Wimmers are here as extra pitchers
Or, in O'Rourke's case, hurlers.
Speaking of Pressly, pitching coach Neil Allen plans to give him extra rest early in camp as he looks at some of the younger pitchers. He's doing that with Brandon Kintzler too. He knows what he has in those guys.
Speaking of Allen, he was on the field early, chatting it up with Rays staffers. Allen was the pitching coach at Class AAA Durham before he was hired by the Twins before the 2015 season. Third base coach Gene Glynn, a former Rays scout, also visited with some of his former coworkers.
And many Twins, including Paul Molitor, greeted Terry Ryan, who's here scouting for the Phillies.
Twins
Byron Buxton, Cf
Jorge Polanco, SS
Max Kepler, RF
Miguel Sano, 3B
Ben Paulsen, DH
Kennys Vargas, 1B
Eduardo Escobar, 2B
John Ryan Murphy, C
Eddie Rosario, LF
Hector Santiago, LHP
Rays
Corey Dickerson, LF
Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Evan Longoria, 3B
BRad Miller, SS
Rickie Weeks, Jr., DH
Curt Casali, C
Tim Beckham, 2B
Nick Franklin, RF
Jake Bauers, 1B
Alex Cobb, RHP
