First pitch is 1:10 PM CT at Rate Field, and the Twins have a rookie lefty trying to stop the bleeding. Kendry Rojas (1-0, 1.26) gets his second MLB start after a 4-inning, 2-hit, 3-K debut against Houston on May 18. He goes against Davis Martin, who has quietly become the best story in the White Sox rotation.
Martin sits 7-1 with a 2.04 ERA, which is genuinely absurd for a guy on a rebuilding club. His last time out he gutted out a win in San Francisco — 5.2 innings, 4 earned, 7 strikeouts on 98 pitches — so he wasn't his sharpest, but he kept finding outs. That's been the theme. The Twins, who just got no-doubt embarrassed yesterday when David Sandlin retired 18 straight in his MLB debut and Chase Meidroth slammed his first career grand slam, now have to figure out a starter they haven't seen yet this year.
The series itself has been a roller coaster. Twins took game 2 with a 5-3 win, then ate the 15-2 sandwich in game 3. The split-personality stuff is what you get with both of these teams — 27-29 and 28-27 entering Thursday, two clubs that can look like contenders one day and a Triple-A scrimmage the next. Polymarket has the Sox as moderate home chalk and the over/under sits at 7.5.
- 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 needs surgery to remove a fractured left hamate bone and is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCole Sands RP — Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said that Sands (forearm) played catch on consecutive days last week and is expected to spend about a month on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
- 15-Day-ILMick Abel SP — Abel (elbow/triceps) resumed playing light catch Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
- 15-Day-ILCody Laweryson RP — Laweryson (forearm) worked around a walk to deliver a scoreless inning in his rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A St. Paul.
- 60-Day-ILGarrett Acton RP — no
- Day-To-DayMason Adams RP — The White Sox announced that Adams underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILAustin Hays LF — Hays (calf) will play in at least two more rehab games with Triple-A Charlotte before he is evaluated for a potential return, MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILEverson Pereira RF — Pereira (pectoral) resumed throwing Monday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILNoah Schultz SP — Schultz (2-4) took the loss against the Giants on Sunday, allowing six runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one batter across four innings.
- 15-Day-ILJordan Hicks RP — Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right lat strain.
- 60-Day-ILKy Bush SP — Bush (elbow) had a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is unlikely to return until the second half of the season, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDrew Thorpe SP — Thorpe (elbow) recently underwent an appendectomy but has resumed throwing, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILKyle Teel C — Teel (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined an additional 3-to-6 weeks after suffering a sprained LCL in his right knee during a rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
The injury sheet is where this gets dicey for Minnesota. Pablo Lopez is on the 60-day, David Festa won't be back before the All-Star break, and catcher Ryan Jeffers needs hamate surgery that'll cost him 6-to-8 weeks. That's why Rojas is even getting the ball. Chicago is shorthanded too — Noah Schultz hit the 15-day IL this week after getting torched by the Giants — but their rotation is currently running on Davis Martin and vibes, and the vibes are good.
If you're watching for a tell: Rojas only threw 46 pitches in his debut, so he's on a short leash. Get to him early or it turns into a bullpen game fast. Martin, meanwhile, has earned the leash. Take the under at 7.5 if you trust both starters; lean Sox if you trust the recent form. Either way, the Twins need to find some bats they didn't pack for this trip.