Twins add lefty Moran to bullpen before taking on Royals

The Twins' best bullpen left-hander is done for the season, so the team has turned to its best minor-league bullpen left-hander to finish the season.

Jovani Moran, who struck out 109 batters in just 67 1/3 innings this season at Class AA Wichita and AAA St. Paul, was added to the roster on Saturday and "we might just get him out there tonight," Rocco Baldelli said.

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican, the Twins' seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft, has dominated at both levels this season, posting a 1.91 ERA at Wichita that got him promoted over the All-Star break, and putting up a 3.03 ERA with the Saints.

"This is a guy you could see growing into a real role here," Baldelli said, especially with Taylor Rogers sidelined by a ligament injury in his pitching hand. "But his career hasn't even started yet, so we're going to let him take the mound and get comfortable."

The Twins made room for Moran by sending Andrew Albers back to St. Paul. They added Moran to the 60-man roster by transferring Randy Dobnak, who also is dealing with a torn ligament in his pitching hand, to the 60-day injured list, ending his 2021 season.

On the field, the Twins will welcome Michael Pineda back to the starting rotation after missing three weeks with a strained quad. Nick Gordon, mostly an outfielder with the Twins, will start at shortstop for the first time as a major leaguer, and the Twins, who lost to the Royals in extra innings on Friday, will try to end their two-game losing streak.

Here are the lineups for tonight's 6:10 game, which will be preceded by ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks:

ROYALS

Merrifield 2B

Lopez SS

Perez C

Benintendi LF

Santana DH

Taylor CF

Olivares RF

Alberto 3B

Dozier 1B

—

Singer RHP

==

TWINS

Arraez 3B

Buxton CF

Polanco 2B

Donaldson DH

Kepler RF

Gordon SS

Sanó 1B

Cave LF

Rortvedt C

—

Pineda RHP