UPDATE: Luis Arraez, who injured his right knee while trying to field a sinking liner in Chicago on Tuesday, has been placed on the injured list. Jake Cave, out since May with a fractured disc in his back, has been activated in his place.
Jose Berrios hasn't faced the Angels often, and perhaps that's a good thing. His lone starts against them in his All-Star years of 2018 and 2019 were perhaps the worst of his seasons, giving up five runs each time.
He was better against them in Anaheim earlier this season, though he gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Jose Rojas (who is currently at Triple-A), and later gave up an RBI hit to a former Twin, Drew Butera.
He'd like to do better tonight, and so would the Twins — and perhaps not only because the Twins would like to win a series for the first time since the All-Star break, a possibility thanks to Friday night's comeback win. It's Berrios' final start before the trade deadline, so any team considering meeting the Twins' price for a two-time All-Star will be watching closely.
Byron Buxton was at Target Field today, as he is most days while he waits for his fractured left hand to heal. He's still wearing a splint and being careful with the hand, so hasn't yet begun any baseball workouts yet, more than four weeks after suffering the injury.
Shohei Ohtani — 2-for-7 in his career against Berrios, including a long home run in 2019, but strikeouts in both at-bats in May — is back in the Angels' lineup today, after taking Friday off. Lefthander Patrick Sandoval, who has never faced the Twins, starts for the Angels.
Here are the lineups for tonight's (6:10 p.m.) game:
ANGELS
Fletcher 2B
Ohtani DH
Upton LF
Walsh 1B
Iglesias SS
Marsh CF
Stassi C
Eaton RF
Mayfield 3B
—
Sandoval LHP
==
TWINS
Polanco 2B
Rooker DH
Kepler RF
Donaldson 3B
Sano 1B
Jeffers C
Larnach LF
Celestino CF
Simmons SS
—
Berrios RHP