Tigers’ Chris Paddack looks forward to facing Twins, one week after they traded him

DETROIT – It was one week ago when Chris Paddack was hugging teammates inside the Twins clubhouse, their first player unloaded in a trade deadline deal.

There was Paddack on Monday at Comerica Park, again offering hugs to his former teammates and coaches, but this time in a Detroit Tigers uniform. Paddack, who is scheduled to pitch against the Twins on Tuesday night, greeted what was left of his old roster during pregame batting practice.

“Honestly, I’m super excited,” said Paddack, who allowed one run in six innings during his Tigers debut, getting the victory Wednesday against Arizona. “It’s going to be some [trash] talking and some inside jokes that we created over the last three or four years, some smiles, some emotion let out, but they’re trying to win the battle and I’m trying to win the battle. It’s going to be a fun little competition.”

Paddack, dealt to Detroit along with minor league pitcher Randy Dobnak for 19-year-old catching prospect Enrique Jimenez, could pitch against the Twins twice in two weeks. The Tigers will play a four-game series Aug. 14-17 at Target Field.

Watching the Twins’ trade deadline moves from afar, Paddack was as surprised as most people.

“I didn’t expect that,” he said. “I saw mine coming. I’m a free agent next year. I get they were in a spot to maybe get rid of some guys and make some decisions.”

The Tigers are coming off a series at Philadelphia in which Paddack watched Jhoan Duran and Harrison Bader debut for their new team, the Phillies. Bader received a standing ovation during his first plate appearance in front of his home crowd.

“The guys were asking me, ‘Was it this good in Minnesota?’ I was like, ‘We had some good crowds, some good light shows and some fun games, but it wasn’t 46,000, lights turning off and the whole stadium is rocking,’” Paddack said. “I was trying to hold in the smiles for him because he’s on the wrong side, but that’s what it is about.

“That’s why we play this game. You get goosebumps when you get those opportunities.”

Paddack, 29, is grateful he’s pitching for a first-place team. He raved about Detroit’s facilities inside a home clubhouse that was remodeled two years ago.

“I mean, look at it,” he said. “From clubhouse to kitchen to weight room, I think the training room is next, it’s top tier. It goes to show little things for players, for our bodies and our mind, the space that they create for us in here, it’s important. It’s just crazy what winning some games can do for an organization. Their front office is all-in on this group and started making some upgrades.”

The Twins put starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson on the 15-day injured list with an illness Monday. Woods Richardson, who was initially scheduled to pitch Sunday, has dealt with a “stomach issue,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.

“It’s something that had him getting looked at by the [doctors] numerous times over the last week,” Baldelli said. “He’s been struggling, and pushing him to the point where he’s not able to get his baseball activity done. It’s been a challenging one.”

Darren McCaughan was called up to fill Woods Richardson’s roster spot. McCaughan has pitched five innings in three of his last five outings, so he could fill a spot in the battered Twins rotation.

Luke Keaschall, sidelined since April with a broken forearm, is expected to rejoin the Twins lineup Tuesday.

Keaschall met the Twins in Detroit on Monday, a short drive after the Class AAA St. Paul Saints wrapped up a series in Toledo, Ohio. Keaschall, 22, will be limited to second base and designated hitter, but it’s his bat and speed that could provide a jolt to a rebuilding roster.

“It’s like any injury, you’re frustrated, and you find a way to deal with it,” Keaschall said. “But I’ve got a lot of good people surrounding me, kept me in a good head space. I’m just happy to be back.”

The Twins claimed righthanded pitcher Thomas Hatch off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Monday. He’s expected to meet the team in Detroit on Tuesday.