We might never know if Paul Molitor was serious about the possibility of sending Miguel Sano to the minors to make room for Trevor Plouffe on the active roster. And this is not to say it never could happen in the future, either.
But even if Molitor's suggestion of the demotion a few days ago was nothing more than an empty threat designed as a motivational ploy, it's hard to argue with the short-term results. It's also hard to argue about the impact Sano has on the Twins lineup when he's clicking at the plate, with Sunday's four-RBI barrage in a 6-3 victory serving as prime evidence.
In the four games since this became a point of discussion, Sano has seven hits — including three home runs — to go with three walks. His OPS, which had dipped to .776 (its lowest point since May, when Sano was recovering from a slow start), jumped up to .822 in the process.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
