Jose Berrios will start today for the Twins (7:10 p.m., FSN) in dire need of finding the form that has made him a two-time All-Star.
Also, third baseman Josh Donaldson, sidelined because of a calf injury, was activated this afternoon and will be hitting second in the lineup at Target Field for the rubber game against White Sox. Infielder Ildemaro Vargas was designated for assignment.
Berrios (2-3, 4.75 ERA) was lifted last Wednesday with two outs in the sixth against Cleveland after giving up a double and a walk. But in 5 2/3 innings, he gave up three runs, all coming in the third inning on Jose Ramirez's home run that was just over the wall and just inside the foul pole.
What's as bad as the home run were the four walks he issued. He's now walked 18 batters in 36 innings. While his 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings is the highest rate of his career, his 4.5 walks per nine innings is by far his worst.
Berrios needs to reestablish his relationship with the strike zone in what has become a critical stretch of the season for a Twins team that has fallen out of first place in American League Central division and has looked more vulnerable than it has since manager Rocco Baldelli took over before the 2019 season.
Righthander Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 9.00) will start for Chicago tonight. The White Sox surge resulted in two American League awards for August ... first baseman Jose Abreu was named player of the month and center fielder Luis Robert is the rookie of the month.
Twins reliever Danny Coulombe, who had been designated for assignment, has cleared waivers and will be back in St. Paul.
