Los Angeles has its own attrition — Yoan Moncada and Gustavo Campero are both done for the year — but the Angels have actually been the healthier, hotter team lately, and they've got the freshest memory of beating this exact pitching staff.
Minnesota has been eliminated from playoff contention for roughly a week now, and it shows: 1 win in the last 5, with a run of blowout losses to Cleveland and New York sandwiched around it. The Angels, extending the longest active playoff drought in the sport, are nonetheless playing better baseball in September than their record suggests, having taken 3 of their last 5 and beaten these same Twins a day before this one.
Weather's a non-factor — 73 and clear at Angel Stadium, 6 mph wind — so this one comes down to whichever bullpen holds up better on fumes this late in a lost season.
- Day-To-DayTrevor Larnach (LF) — Larnach (wrist) is not in the lineup Thursday against the Angels.09/17
- 10-Day-ILKaelen Culpepper (SS) — The Twins placed Culpepper on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain.09/16
- 10-Day-ILByron Buxton (CF) — Buxton will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Sept. 18, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.09/11
- 15-Day-ILAnthony Banda (RP) — Banda underwent surgery to repair his left lat strain and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.07/09
- 60-Day-ILMike Paredes (SP) — The Twins transferred Paredes (oblique) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Saturday.08/02
- 60-Day-ILCole Sands (RP) — Sands will undergo arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to remove loose bodies and bone spurs from his right elbow, Jack Azoulay-Haron of ElEmergente.com reports.07/31
- 60-Day-ILDavid Festa (SP) — Festa (shoulder) will undergo a season-ending double surgery Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.07/29
- 60-Day-ILMick Abel (SP) — The Twins plan to re-evaluate Abel (elbow) on Sept. 1, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.07/20
- 60-Day-ILPablo Lopez (SP) — The Twins placed Lopez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero (OF) — Campero (hamstring) isn't expected to play again this season, MLB.com reports.09/13
- 10-Day-ILNolan Schanuel (1B) — Schanuel (intercostal) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake this weekend, Erica Weston of Angels Broadcast Television reports.09/11
- 15-Day-ILSamy Natera Jr. (RP) — The Angels reinstated Natera (back) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.09/16
- 15-Day-ILGeorge Klassen (SP) — The Angels placed Klassen on the 15-day injured list Sunday with left low back inflammation.08/30
- 60-Day-ILYoan Moncada (3B) — Moncada (knee) isn't expected to play again this season, MLB.com reports.09/13
- 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz (SP) — Kochanowicz's Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was deemed "successful," per MLB.com.06/27
- 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson (RP) — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon (3B) — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
Nobody's chasing a wild card here. It's evaluation baseball for both dugouts, with a rotation spot or a September call-up's roster spot the only real stakes on the line.