First pitch is 1:10 PM ET at Comerica, with Zebby Matthews (2-3, 4.15) drawing Keider Montero (2-4, 3.95) in a getaway game neither rotation can really afford to lose. Matthews is coming off a 7-inning, 2-ER win over the Royals on 4 walks and just 2 strikeouts, which is the kind of line that screams regression but also gets you the W. Montero got chewed up by Seattle his last time out — 4 ER in 5 with a single strikeout — so the Twins have an actual edge on the mound for once.
The series so far has been a tale of 2 nights. Detroit drilled Minnesota 10-4 on Monday behind a Dillon Dingler 2-homer night, then the Twins flipped it 6-4 on Tuesday with Byron Buxton tagging his 20th of the year through a 67-minute rain delay. Both bullpens have been worked, which is exactly why a 12:10 local first pitch with a question-mark starter is sweat-inducing for both managers.
Neither of these teams is trending. The Twins are 31-38 and have lost 3 of their last 5 with the only wins coming against Detroit and a Royals club that gave them everything they could handle. The Tigers at 28-40 are even worse off — they're 11 games under after a 7-3 stretch where they actually looked alive, and then this Twins series came in and reminded them they're a sub-.500 team for a reason.
The injury list is where this game gets genuinely ugly. Detroit is starting Montero instead of Tarik Skubal (elbow), Casey Mize (adductor), Justin Verlander (hip), Jackson Jobe (elbow), and Reese Olson (out for the year) — that's basically a whole rotation in the trainer's room. Minnesota counters with Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober on the shelf, plus Ryan Jeffers behind the plate, so Matthews is the depth-chart winner here by default.
- Day-To-DayWalker Jenkins CF — Twins manager Jeremy Zoll said Saturday that Jenkins (shoulder) is "reporting improvements daily" and could begin light baseball activity in about a week, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune 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.
- 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.
- 15-Day-ILKendry Rojas RP — Rojas (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILMick Abel SP — Abel (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILCole Sands RP — The Twins returned Sands (forearm) from his rehab assignment Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
- 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 Athletic
- Day-To-DayDugan Darnell RP — The Tigers announced Sunday that Darnell (hip) has been playing catch five times a week and is also taking part in a running progression, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayJosue Briceno C — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 10-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Baez (ankle) has been shut down from baseball activities for an unspecified length of time, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal SP — Skubal (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCasey Mize SP — Mize (adductor) tossed five innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while striking out five during his rehab start with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILBurch Smith RP — Smith (shoulder) started a throwing program Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILKenley Jansen RP — Jansen (pelvis) will make a rehab appearance for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander SP — Verlander (hip) is scheduled to make a second rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Comerica plays big, the lineups are thin, and the over has to climb past a Detroit team that just got shut out 4-0 by Seattle last week. Add in a noon start where bats are notoriously slow, and there's a real path to this being a 4-3 type of afternoon. If Matthews can carry his command from the Kansas City start, the Twins have the pitching edge to take the series.