Notebook: Target Field to House Fans in 2021

Final: Twins 5, Braves 8

Box Score ǀ Savant

Twins Takeaways

Standout Pitcher: Taylor Rogers (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K)

Standout Hitter: Luis Arraez (2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI)

Fastest Pitch: Glenn Sparkman (96.2 MPH)

Max Exit Velocity: Nelson Cruz (107.6 MPH)

Arraez, Cruz Impress at the Plate

It should come as no surprise to see Luis Arraez and Nelson Cruz raking against Spring Training pitching, but they certainly did that today. Arraez had two doubles to right field in his three at-bats: the first was a borderline single that Luis hustled into a double and the second was a shot down the foul line that drove in two.

https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/1370463250496819204

Arraez gets the nod for standout hitter of the day, but if we were to go off exit velocity, Nelson Cruz was the best hitter on the field. Cruz’s two hits were just singles, but they were both mashed, leaving the bat at 104.7 MPH and 107.6 MPH respectively. Cruz has already shown Twins fans enough this spring, with his homer on his debut and a massive foul ball a few days ago, but two more rockets off the 40-year-old’s bat are certainly encouraging.

Duffey Struggles Again

Tyler Duffey allowed three earned runs on four hits in his only inning of work. The runs came in on a three-run Sean Kazmar Jr. homerun. Duffey has now allowed 11 hits, six earned runs, and three homers in 3 2/3 innings this spring and opponents are now hitting a whopping .524 against him.

https://twitter.com/IAmRickGraham/status/1370476048488529929

Stats with this small of a sample size can be easily dismissed, but a 3-4 MPH drop in velocity is cause for at least some concern. If Duffey’s fastball is just a few ticks slower on the radar gun moving forward, his curveball – his out pitch – may become much less effective. I’m still not sure it’s wise to start worrying about 3+ Grapefruit League innings, but watch this space.

Other pitchers fared better; Taylor Rogers, Alex Colomé, and Lewis Thorpe were all effective in their outings. Michael Pineda got hit hard in his 2 2/3 innings, but limited the damage to only one earned run on his record. Six strikeouts from Big Mike certainly helped. Glenn Sparkman and Andrew Vasquez struggled, allowing three earned runs (and an inherited run) in their combined 1 1/3 innings.

Simmons Makes His Spring Debut

Andrelton Simmons, whose arrival in spring camp was delayed due to visa issues, started at shortstop and batted second in the Twins lineup against the Braves. Simmons was hitless in three at-bats, but, predictably, looked more comfortable in the hole than any Twin in recent memory.

Tomorrow: Twins at Rays, 12:05 CST, Dobnak vs. Hill

State of Minnesota Allows 10,000 Fans at Twins Home Games

Today, Minnesota governor Tim Walz announced that fans will be allowed to attend games at Target Field in a limited, socially distanced capacity. Ten thousand fans, or around 25% of full capacity, will be allowed at each game to start the season.

https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1370385124391538689

Team president Dave St. Peter said on today’s TV and radio broadcast that tickets for Twins games will be sold a month at a time to allow for flexibility as guidelines and protocols inevitably shift throughout the season.

https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1370458683193257984

The St. Paul Saints will also welcome fans, with 2,100 able to attend each game at CHS Field.

For more on this announcement – including an offering from Twins Daily’s latest (and only) TikTok star – check out John Bonnes’s article here.

Nick Markakis Retires

Nick Markakis announced today, via The Athletic, that he is retiring from baseball. The 15-year Orioles and Braves veteran amassed 2,388 hits in his career and retires with a .288 batting average.

https://twitter.com/danconnolly2016/status/1370345652266401794

MLB COVID-19 Cases Remain Low

Your weekly MLB testing update is as follows: there are two new cases out of 14,704 tests.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1370450601704890379

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