Getaway day at Nationals Park, and the Twins would very much like a flight home with at least one win in the bag. Washington just hung 15 on them on Wednesday — CJ Abrams grand slam, three other homers, the works — and Minnesota has to send Simeon Woods Richardson out there to stop the bleeding.
The pitching matchup is the story whether you want it to be or not. Woods Richardson is winless through six starts with a 6.49 ERA and a strikeout rate that's cratered to under 4.5 per 9 — the underlying numbers say there's no obvious fix coming. Irvin isn't exactly a stopper either: he won his season opener and has gone 0-4 since, sitting at 4.93. Over 9 runs as the total feels almost polite.
Washington opens as a slim favorite, which tracks given home field, the momentum from Wednesday's blowout, and the fact that the Twins are 16-21 and visibly leaking oil. The line moving differently between Pinnacle and DK on both the spread and total is worth a look before you fire — there's a half-run gap on each.
- Day-To-DayWalker Jenkins CF — Jenkins was diagnosed Monday with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and will be re-evaluated in 10 days, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayJulian Merryweather RP — Merryweather (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with the Twins' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Tuesday, Theodore Tollefson of ZoneCoverage.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMatt Canterino SP — Canterino (shoulder) will be with the Twins in big-league spring training but isn't expected to pitch during camp as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayCory Lewis SP — Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Lewis (shoulder) is still a couple weeks away from throwing off a mound, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
- 15-Day-ILCole Sands RP — The Twins placed Sands on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILGarrett Acton RP — The Twins placed Acton on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder strain, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILMick Abel SP — Twins manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Abel (elbow) has resumed playing catch and "all signs have been encouraging," Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILCody Laweryson RP — The Twins will place Laweryson on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain, Audra Martin of FanDuel Sports Network North reports.
- Day-To-DayLuis Garcia Jr. 1B — Garcia (wrist/hand) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.
- Day-To-DayTyler Baum DH
- Day-To-DayJarlin Susana RP — Susana underwent surgery last week to repair a right lat tear, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
- Day-To-DayTravis Sykora SP — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
- 15-Day-ILMax Kranick RP — The Nationals signed Kranick (elbow) to a one-year, $800,000 contract Tuesday and placed him on the 15-day injured list.
- 15-Day-ILClayton Beeter RP — Beeter (forearm) has been cleared to resume throwing off the mound, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCole Henry RP — Henry (shoulder) played catch Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray SP — Gray (elbow) has resumed a throwing program, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
The injury sheets matter here. Minnesota is still without Pablo Lopez, Walker Jenkins is day-to-day with a Grade 2 AC sprain, and the bullpen is held together with rehab assignments. Washington gets a partial reprieve — Luis Garcia Jr. is out again with the wrist, but he's avoiding the IL, with Curtis Mead picking up first-base reps against righties.
Bottom line: two pitchers nobody is excited to roster, a Twins lineup that just got humiliated, and a Nats team that finally found its bats. If Minnesota doesn't punch first, this thing could get ugly fast — and given who's on the mound, it might get ugly anyway.