ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A few of the 2022 Twins, in all likelihood, were on the field during batting practice today, getting a glimpse of what they hope is their future. After today's noon game in Fort Myers — a loss to the Red Sox, they said — Minnesota's Gulf Coast League team, made up mostly of teen-agers who just signed last month or last year, boarded buses and rode to Tropicana Field to meet the current Twins.
Many of the Twins knew some of their young counterparts, because international players who signed last summer took part in minor-league camp this spring. So there were plenty of handshakes all around, and Twins manager Paul Molitor spent several minutes chatting with longtime GCL Twins manager Ramon Borrego. It was particularly fun to watch the Twins-to-be watch Miguel Sano, who at 23 is only a few years older than them, take batting practice. You could hear them ooooo-ing when Sano launched a 400-foot homer off the upper-deck facade in left field.
With no GCL games on Sunday, the young Twins will stay for the game, and get to watch a 2012 GCL alum, Jose Berrios, make his sixth major-league start. He'll face Rays ace Chris Archer, who despite a 5-15 record and 4.38 ERA will probably retake the AL strikeout lead tonight. Archer enters the game with 161 strikeouts, second only to Detroit's Justin Verlander, who struck out nine Mets on Friday to run his total to 164.
Eddie Rosario returns to the lineup for the Twins after last night's pinch-hitting heroics, and Danny Santana is back as well. Here are the lineups for tonight's 5:10 Central start:
TWINS
Dozier 2B
Mauer 1B
Kepler RF
