The Twins return to Bally Sports North this afternoon looking for their second straight win against the Tampa Bay Rays. And while you don’t need to plunk down your credit card to watch the team play on TV today, Byron Buxton definitely has Twins ownership checking their wallets.

Incentives in Buxton’s new $15M per year contract include at least a $3M bonus if the electric center fielder finishes in the top 10 in the AL MVP vote. With two more home runs last night, the molten-lava hot Buxton now has 17 on the year and it would be hard to imagine Byron finishing lower than 5th in that race. Furthermore, after playing in his 4th straight game last night, Bux is on pace for right around 500 ABs on the year. If he gets 502 at bats, that’s an extra cool half million in his checking account, courtesy of Pohlad Enterprises.

The hottest player on the planet must be making it hard for management to stick to their plan of benching him twice a week, but that’s exactly what the Twins are doing today. Alas, a healthy Buxton in the middle of the hottest stretch of his career will indeed be riding the pine on schedule. Carlos Correa, who is 6-for-his-last-12 with 2 homers, will join Buxton on the bench.

Today the Twins face Shane Baz (0-0, 0.00)  who is making his season debut for the Rays today after having surgery to remove “loose bodies” from his elbow late in Spring Training. Chi Chi Gonzales (0-0, 9.00) will make his second appearance for the Twins. Gonzalez wasn’t too impressive against the Jays last week, going just 3 innings and allowing 3 runs on 4 hits. The Twins and Gonzalez are in a very strange position here, as Chi Chi has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Twins. It's quite possible this will be his last appearance in the Minnesota organization, and for more details you can check out the great thread started by @Rostermanby clicking here.

Play ball! 

Weather: Mid 70s F, scattered showers developing during the afternoon hours.
Money line odds: TB -135, Twins +115
Lineups:

Tampa Bay:

1. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF

2. Manuel Margot (R) LF

3. Randy Arozarena (R) DH

4. Ji-Man Choi (L) 1B

5. Yandy Diaz (R) 3B

6. Taylor Walls (S) SS

7. Brett Phillips (L) RF

8. Rene Pinto (R) C

9. Vidal Brujan (S) 2B

 

Minnesota:

1. Luis Arraez (L) 1B

2. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B

3. Jose Miranda (R) 3B

4. Max Kepler (L) RF

5. Gary Sanchez (R) DH

6. Trevor Larnach (L) LF

7. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF

8. Nick Gordon (L) SS

9. Ryan Jeffers (R) C

 

Another game where Buck and CC are sitting at the same time. I just absolutely hate this. C'mon Rocco...stagger the days off so they're not out of the line up together. 

Chi Chi needs to shine, to see if he might get a week of pay and another start with the Twins, or a job from another team when the Twins do eventually waive him off (with the return of Winder AND Ryan). Of course, he could choose to stay with the Twins still. Chi Chi, pitch like your career depend on every throw!

Nice job, bighat!

Whoever does tomorrow's intro has big...um...hat to fill.

Just another throw away game by our illustrious leader with benching of Buxton and Correa.  

I'm sure those who paid big $$ to attend this afternoon's game are disgusted.

 

Looks like another throw away game. Starting Chi Chi and sitting Buxton, Correa, and Urshela all on the same day? Rocco must have figured this ones in the books as a loss already. Should have just called it a forfeit and saved all the arms in the pen. Sure am glad I didn't pay to go to this game!

Not enough haikus.

Let's turn that around today.

Go Twins, Go Twins, Go!

10 minutes ago, Danchat said:

 

So, am I to infer from that quote that Correa's day off today was "scheduled?"

He's played 3 games, one of those at DH, and isn't in the lineup because a predetermined schedule had him off today?

That can't be, can it? 

 

Count me among those who thinks Rocco is one of the worst managers in baseball.  Not only does he not know how to manage a pitching staff, he doesn't know how to manage his daily lineups.  Buck hits 4 homers in the last two games so let's sit him down and give him a rest..  Correa gets 3 hits including a homer last night, so let's give him a chance to cool down.  And let's have both guys sit on the same day.

Rocco is one of those guys who doesn't know the difference between all the tools in his toolbox.  He thinks they're all the same and can be used interchangably. 

The Twins have this "magic" plan to manage Buxton's health "proactively".  The problem is, with tendonitis, a person can't be sure until they wake up in the morning whether their tendonitis is going to be bad or not.  Yet the Twins have a calendar in which they've already determined Buck's day's off.

And then with pitching, Rocco and Wes will pencil in how many innings their starting pitcher 'should' pitch, with no regard to how that pitcher is throwing or what the pitch count is.  

 

 

 

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Much like Chi Chi Rodriquez

Has five syllables 

 

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Opted out just yesterday

And yet here he is

Chi Chi Gonzalez

I'm OK with five and fly

Unlike other guys

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Where did the Chi Chi come from?

A childhood nickname?

Rocco doesn't want Buck or Correa to get too hot! Spontaneous combustion is a risk we have to mitigate. He's a safety first type manager!

4 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Much like Chi Chi Rodriquez

Has five syllables 

 

I might be the only person on here (or anywhere?) with a set of Chi Chi Rodriguez golf clubs! 

59 minutes ago, CRF said:

Another game where Buck and CC are sitting at the same time. I just absolutely hate this. C'mon Rocco...stagger the days off so they're not out of the line up together. 

Both benched at same time is beyond stupid.  Doubly so when both red hot

Chi Chi Gonzalez

If he does real good today

Does he stick around?

I can not begin to express how much I hate the constant "rest" for Buxton and Correa.

 

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Chi Chi Gonzalez

Where did the Chi Chi come from?

A childhood nickname?

Stolen from my childhood dog.  Now deceased. 

38 minutes ago, darwin22 said:

Just another throw away game by our illustrious leader with benching of Buxton and Correa.  

I'm sure those who paid big $$ to attend this afternoon's game are disgusted.

I'm disgusted having paid zero dollars to watch this game on TV.

1 hour ago, CRF said:

Another game where Buck and CC are sitting at the same time. I just absolutely hate this. C'mon Rocco...stagger the days off so they're not out of the line up together. 

Add in urshala. 

Correa gets that

 

//ducks

Celestino, 2 errors,  nice start

Roku is the best streaming device in my opinion. They have all the apps. 

Welp I’m gonna go change my oil

31 minutes ago, Danchat said:

 

This quote by Rocco is almost making it sound like he's not even making the decision. That's it's part of some master schedule from the powers that be, that can't be changed, and that he's just accepting the fact that this is the way it is and "so be it".  That's just insane. 

2 minutes ago, mrtwinsfan said:

Celestino, 2 errors,  nice start

I have an idea, start Buxton 

Chi Chi Gonzalez 

Opted out just yesterday 

Questionable choice

1 minute ago, CRF said:

This quote by Rocco is almost making it sound like he's not even making the decision. That's it's part of some master schedule from the powers that be, that can't be changed, and that he's just accepting the fact that this is the way it is and "so be it".  That's just insane. 

Maybe they’ll watch the game and see the error of their ways