Joe Ryan starts opener as Twins, Guardians meet with first place on the line

Joe Ryan returned from the COVID injured list a week ago and was roughed up in a 5-0 loss in Seattle, giving up a pair of homers in 4²⁄₃ innings.

The Twins rookie righthander will take the ball tonight in the opener of a three-game series against the Guardians at Target Field (6:40 p.m., BSN). Ryan is 5-3 with a some glittering numbers — a 2.81 ERA and 1.05 WHIP — as the first-place Twins hold a slim one-game lead on Cleveland entering a stretch where the teams will meet eight times in 10 days.

Aaron Civale (2-3, 7.84) is coming off a rehab stint after being sidelined by a glute injury and will start for the Guardians.

AL batting leader Luis Arraez (.361) leads off for the Twins, with center fielder Byron Buxton hitting second and shortstop Carlos Correa third.

Royce Lewis, whose first season ended because of a torn knee ligament, had surgery in Texas today.

Cleveland has won 15 of its past 19 games to cut into the Twins lead over the past three weeks.

Jose Ramirez, who leads the AL in RBI, returns to the Cleveland lineup after being sidelined over the weekend because of a sore thumb.

Steven Kwan, LF

Amed Rosario, SS

Jose Ramirez, 3B

Josh Naylor, 1B

Oscar Gonzalez, RF

Andres Gimenez, 2B

Austin Hedges, C

Myles Straw, CF

TWINS LINEUP

Luis Arraez, 2B

Carlos Correa, SS

Max Kepler, RF

Gary Sanchez, DH

Gio Urshela, 3B

Alex Kirilloff, 1B