Lefthanded pitchers keep lining up, and taking down Twins hitters

Rib injuries are painful anyway, but Kyle Garlick says he has been hurting a little more lately. Not because of the ribs, but because of what he's missing.

"It's pretty frustrating, knowing that I pretty much play only against lefties, that we've seen four of the five [opposing starters] be lefties" on last week's California road trip, said Garlick, whose career OPS against lefthanded pitching is .890. "I mean, I want to be out there."

The Twins wouldn't mind, either. Their offense has been sputtering this month against the unusual stretch of lefthanded opponents. The six lefthanded starters who have faced the Twins, entering Monday's game against Royals lefty Kris Bubic, have a collective 2.45 ERA in those games, having given up only nine runs in six starts.

"Well, we haven't scored runs, and we've been facing a lot of lefthanded pitching. There's no way around those two things," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We have to adjust."

Trouble is, with so many injuries sapping their depth, the Twins have been forced to keep using some of the slumping hitters and simply hope they pull out of it.

Max Kepler, who until hitting two singles and a double off Bubic in his first three at-bats Monday night, hadn't collected a hit against a lefthander since July 14, going 0-for-13 with one walk in that time. But he's hardly the only one.

Switch hitter Jorge Polanco, one of the Twins' most productive bats against lefties in 2021, is 5-for-46 (.109) against lefthanders since July 12; Monday's sacrifice fly was only his second RBI against them despite batting with 18 runners in scoring position in that time. Gary Sanchez, despite being a righthanded power hitter, has had problems with lefties all season, batting .182. Even Luis Arraez, the American League's leading hitter, is 3-for-16 (.188) against lefthanders in August.

Especially since the rash of lefthanders isn't over. In addition to Bubic on Monday, the Royals will use lefty Daniel Lynch on Wednesday, and All-Star Martin Perez, a former Twin, figures to start Friday for the Rangers. That's nine lefthanded opponents with nearly two weeks left in August, more than any month this season.

"It's unusual. We're so used to seeing righthanders, it seems strange," Jose Miranda said. "We've seen some pretty good ones lately. But anytime there's a lefty on the mound, we think we have a pretty good shot."

Brent Rooker and his wife, Allie, were still unpacking in their St. Paul apartment last April when the call came.

"It was wild. Everything changed all at once," Rooker said of moment the Twins informed him he had been traded, along with Taylor Rogers, to the Padres. "It was the beginning of a chaotic season for me, but I've enjoyed it."

Especially since it led — after stops in El Paso, San Diego and Omaha — back to the big leagues. Rooker, who slugged 19 home runs in just 61 games for the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres' Class AAA affiliate, was traded again at the deadline two weeks ago, the Padres addressing their need for a backup catcher by swapping Rooker to Kansas City for Cam Gallagher.

Rooker, the Twins' second first-round pick in 2017, hit 10 home runs in 65 games in Minnesota, but he was made expendable by the presence of Trevor Larnach and Alex Kirilloff among outfield prospects. He understood that, too, he said.

"I'm incredibly thankful for the Twins' whole organization. They drafted me, let me play in the big leagues for the first time," the 27-year-old Mississippi State alum said. "I've got a ton of friends here. I'm just glad to get another opportunity, with an exciting, young team."