The Tigers offense has struggled, partly because of the left knee injury that landed Victor Martinez on the disabled list May 19. But the designated hitter started taking batting practice last week and ran in the outfield. It's hard to use batting practice as a gauge, but the Tigers were encouraged. Martinez will eventually head out on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
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Twins fans probably would rejoice if Alex Gordon left the division. The Kansas City left fielder and defensive savant is in the final year of his contract, and last week confirmed that there are no talks going on between his agent and the Royals. Gordon has a $16 million player option for 2016 but likely will decline it.
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Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis battled minor injuries last season and it affected his production. This year he's healthy and doing damage. Since May 1, Kipnis is batting .392 with four home runs, 20 RBI, 18 doubles and 34 runs scored.
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The White Sox were feeling pretty good following a three-game sweep of the AL West-leading Houston Astros. Their pitching is starting to improve. Rookie Carlos Rodon has had quality starts in five of his six outings. Chicago now has four lefthanders in its rotation, which could make for an interesting series with the Twins, a team that has done well against lefties.
