Brian Dozier isn't in the Twins' lineup today, and don't look for him tomorrow, either. The Twins' second baseman is still feeling the effects of rolling his ankle while fielding a sixth-inning ground ball Friday night, and while Twins manager Paul Molitor termed it a "mild" sprain, "He's hobbling a little bit today. He's got some swelling," Molitor said. "I'd be a little surprised if we see him tomorrow, to be honest. But we'll see how the next couple of days unfold and see if he can be ready after the off day."
It's only the second game Dozier has missed this season.
On the other hand, Byron Buxton said during batting practice that "I feel 10 times better than yesterday," and thinks he can play today if necessary. He's not in the lineup either, in the wake of his multiple crashes into the outfield wall on Thursday, but the headaches and soreness he felt yesterday are gone, Buxton said.
Today's pitching duel looks like a mismatch, with reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello facing Nick Tepesch, who hasn't pitched in the last 16 days. Tepesch will be making his Twins debut, and appearing in only his second major league game since 2014, but Molitor said he believes the 28-year-old righthander is experienced and talented enough to keep the game close.
"He watched Phil [Hughes] pitch last night and he understands a plan that possibly could give you a chance to hang around and give your team a chance to win the game," Molitor said.
And the Twins have one other thing going for them: Porcello's epically lousy support. The Red Sox have not scored a run while Porcello's been on the mound in his last four starts, which explains why he already has as many losses this season, four, as he had all of last year. This despite a streak of 18 quality starts in his last 19 outings.
Here are the lineups for the first-place Twins' 1:10 p.m. game:
RED SOX
