Barstool Bush
Predictions

Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers

By Bush StaffUpdated 67d ago·2 min read
Minnesota TwinsMIN(34-40)
Texas RangersTEX(35-37)
12—2
FINAL
123456789RHE
MIN
20350000212170
TEX
000110000282

Zebby Matthews (2-4, 5.20) gets the ball for the Twins opposite Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.56) in Arlington. On paper that's a mismatch in Texas's favor — Rocker has been the steadier arm all year and Matthews is coming off a 7-earned-run bludgeoning in Detroit. But the lineup Rocker is trying to protect keeps shrinking.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Twins(34-40)
WWLWL
12
Rangers(35-37)
LWLLW
2
Best BetTwins +115
Pregame

Texas is favored at -136 but the lineup taking the field tonight isn't the one those odds were built around — no Seager, no Carter, no Helman, no Jansen. Twins at +123 with a fresh win in their pocket is the better number, even with Matthews on the bump.

The Rangers played Monday's opener without Corey Seager, who landed on the 7-day concussion IL after a home-plate collision with Royals catcher Carter Jensen last Thursday. Stack that on Evan Carter (oblique) and Michael Helman (hand) both hitting the 10-day, plus catcher Danny Jansen, and a 35-37 club is suddenly playing shorthanded against a Twins team that just took the front end of the series 4-2.

Minnesota Twins
Zebby Matthews
(4-5)·4.15 ERA
Jun 11 @ Tigers
L
6.0IP
7ER
4K
1BB
81P
06/16 Lineup
Texas Rangers
Kumar Rocker
(2-6)·3.83 ERA
Jun 11 @ Royals
ND
4.2IP
2ER
3K
2BB
83P
06/16 Lineup
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
(12)
  • Day-To-DayKaelen Culpepper (SS) — Culpepper was promoted to Double-A Wichita after hitting .293/.385/.479 with nine home runs and 15 stolen bases in 54 games for High-A Cedar Rapids.06/15
  • Day-To-DayWalker Jenkins (CF) — Jenkins (shoulder) could start a rehab assignment with Single-A Fort Myers as soon as Saturday, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.06/12
  • 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.05/08
  • 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.05/08
  • 10-Day-ILRyan Jeffers (C) — Jeffers had the cast and stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand and has resumed throwing, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.06/03
  • 15-Day-ILMick Abel (SP) — Abel (elbow) struck out five and permitted two hits and no walks over three scoreless frames in his first rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.06/11
  • 15-Day-ILKendry Rojas (RP) — Rojas (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.06/10
  • 15-Day-ILCole Sands (RP) — The Twins returned Sands (forearm) from his rehab assignment Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.06/09
  • 15-Day-ILBailey Ober (SP) — Ober has a mild flexor strain and will be shut down for 10-14 days, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic06/01
  • 60-Day-ILDavid Festa (SP) — The Twins announced June 1 that Festa (shoulder) has started a throwing progression, MLB.com reports.06/11
  • 60-Day-ILGarrett Acton (RP) — no05/19
  • 60-Day-ILPablo Lopez (SP) — The Twins placed Lopez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers
(13)
  • Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott (SS) — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.04/07
  • 7-Day ILCorey Seager (SS) — The Rangers placed Seager on the 7-day concussion injured list Monday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.06/15
  • 10-Day-ILMichael Helman (CF) — The Rangers placed Helman (hand) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.06/14
  • 10-Day-ILEvan Carter (CF) — The Rangers placed Carter (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Saturday.06/13
  • 10-Day-ILDanny Jansen (C) — Jansen is not in the Rangers' starting lineup against the Guardians on Friday.06/06
  • 15-Day-ILJalen Beeks (RP) — Beeks (2-1) earned the win in relief Saturday against the Cubs after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out one with no hits or walks allowed.06/11
  • 15-Day-ILChris Martin (RP) — The Rangers placed Martin on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement.06/01
  • OutDeclan Cronin (RP) — Cronin (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.05/08
  • OutNabil Crismatt (SP) — Crismatt will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery (SP) — Montgomery (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.06/04
  • 60-Day-ILRobert Garcia (RP) — The Rangers transferred Garcia (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.06/01
  • 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.05/23
  • 60-Day-ILCody Bradford (SP) — Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports05/10

Minnesota's not exactly whole either — Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, David Festa and Mick Abel are all on the shelf, which is half the reason Matthews is even getting this start. The Twins have rattled off 3 wins in their last 4 to claw back toward .500 at 34-40, and the bats showed up Monday for the kind of road win they've struggled to bank all year.

Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
(34-40)
Jun 16W@ Rangers4-2
Jun 14Wvs Cardinals5-4
Jun 13Lvs Cardinals6-9
Jun 13Wvs Cardinals9-8
Jun 11L@ Tigers0-11
Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers
(35-37)
Jun 16Lvs Twins2-4
Jun 14W@ Red Sox6-4
Jun 13L@ Red Sox3-6
Jun 12L@ Red Sox1-10
Jun 11W@ Royals4-2

The Rocker piece is the swing factor. He's only gone past 5 innings twice in his last handful of starts and was lifted at 83 pitches in his last outing against Kansas City, so the Texas bullpen is going to get touched again. With Chris Martin and Jalen Beeks both down, that's not the group you want carrying middle innings against a lineup that just put up 4 on you a night ago.

Globe Life is a hitter's park, the total opened at 8.5, and Matthews has been allergic to clean innings. If Minnesota gets to Rocker early, the Twins are in business of grabbing a series win before Wednesday's off day. If Rocker carves it up the way his ERA suggests he can, this thing turns into a bullpen game neither side really wants.

Sources

MLBMinnesota TwinsTexas RangersPolymarketKalshiZebby MatthewsKumar Rocker