Twins pitchers reunite with team at major league complex

The Twins' pitchers are finally back where they belong: in the majors.

The major league clubhouse, that is.

At spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., pitchers took up residence in the minor league complex as the team needed to make more room for social distancing between lockers. But now that the roster has trimmed, Wednesday was a reunion.

"It's definitely a better feeling when you have the whole group together," designated hitter Nelson Cruz said. "We have time to talk and to meet the new guys that we're playing with. It feels more as a team now."

Pitcher Michael Pineda said while he knows of new signing Andrelton Simmons, he has yet to have a conversation with him. That might have finally changed Wednesday.

Manager Rocco Baldelli is hoping having all of his players in the same room will make them "more locked in and focused" for the final week or so of spring training.

Matt Shoemaker, who started the Twins' 9-1 loss to Boston on Wednesday, said being separated from the catchers has made game-planning a bit tougher.

"When you're in that clubhouse together, you're talking daily, even if you're not pitching that day," Shoemaker said. "Whether you're talking about baseball or your home life, just building relationships with guys is super important."

Baldelli said he thought "guys honestly miss each other" when they're apart, maybe even more so since 2020, with a shortened season and interrupted spring training last year as well.

"There was a lot of smiling going on for guys coming over for the first time," Baldelli said. "There were some guys that were just excited to come over, and I think it amps them up a little bit."

MLB changed its baseballs slightly ahead of this season, including loosened tension in some of the wool windings and a lighter weight. And while testing found these balls travel as many as two feet less when hit more than 375 feet, Baldelli said he has yet to really hear of a big difference from his players.

"I haven't seen much that differentiates this ball from the balls we've used previously," he said. "We're looking into this at the moment. … It's played fine. We've seen balls hit out in the middle of the ballpark. It's tough to see unless it's a drastic change."

Baldelli said his opinion could change once the Twins are a month or two into the regular season, as that will be the true test. He added the team has kept some of the game balls and used them for batting practice as well.

All 162 Twins games will air on TV this season, most under a newly named station.

Bally Sports North will be the new name of Fox Sports North in a rebranding on March 31. BSN will broadcast 156 games, including Opening Day when the Twins play at the Milwaukee Brewers on April 1.

Some national broadcasts will coexist with BSN. FS1 will carry six games, ESPN four games, with the June 12 game vs. Houston on Fox and the April 28 game at Cleveland on YouTube.

The Twins TV broadcast crew will remain play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer with lead analyst Justin Morneau; Roy Smalley and LaTroy Hawkins will also serve as analysts. Marney Gellner and Audra Martin will be sideline reporters.

Anthony La Panta or Annie Sabo will host pre- and postgame shows, with Glen Perkins and Tim Laudner as analysts.

Pineda pitched four innings against Red Sox minor leaguers Wednesday in a back field "B" game with no final score reported.

Pineda said he threw 70 pitches and felt "really strong" as he builds toward a start on the Twins' season-opening road trip in April.