Byron Buxton is back. Royce Lewis is coming off a big game. Six-foot-nine-inch Bailey Ober is ready to climb to the top of the mound.
The Minnesota Twins (78-68) know they face a crucial weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds (71-77) starting Friday night in Minneapolis, and they hope they have the pieces in place to make it a successful one.
Minnesota holds a 3 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the final wild-card spot in the American League. The Twins cannot afford to slip with 16 games left.
“There’s urgency,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We’ve got to find ways to win any way possible.”
In steps Buxton, the electrifying and oft-injured outfielder who has not played since Aug. 12 because of a hip injury. The Twins plan to activate him from the injured list Friday.
The 30-year-old Buxton is hitting .275 with 16 homers, 49 RBIs and six stolen bases in 90 games this season. His .862 OPS ranks second among qualified hitters on the team, trailing injured Carlos Correa.
Buxton’s arrival offers a jolt of energy to Lewis and other Twins regulars.
“It’s exciting,” said Lewis, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in Wednesday’s 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. “I think it’s great for everyone because it’s a glimmer of hope, no matter how we were feeling or what was going on in the past.”
Reds right-hander Julian Aguiar (1-0, 5.06 ERA) will try to spoil the Twins’ good feelings. The rookie from Long Beach, Calif., is expected to make his sixth career start.
Aguilar is coming off a no-decision against the New York Mets on Sunday. He allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two in 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
This will be Aguilar’s first career start against the Twins.
Minnesota will counter with Ober (12-6, 3.77), the hulking right-hander who has 162 strikeouts in 155 innings. He has allowed one earned run in 13 innings over his past two starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals.
Ober, 29, is 0-0 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts against Cincinnati.
The Reds will try to bounce back from a 6-1 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Cincinnati managed just four hits, none of which went for extra bases, and Jonathan India drove in the team’s lone run.
Reds manager David Bell praised Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray for getting the better of the Cincinnati lineup. Gray was teammates for the previous two seasons with Ober on the Twins.
“Sonny was really good early,” Bell said. “We created the opportunity early there in the inning, and we weren’t able to come up with the big hit. Sonny did a good job of limiting the damage there and pitching out of it.”
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz could test the Twins’ catchers if he gets on base. De La Cruz has 64 stolen bases this season, 16 more than the next-closest player in the big leagues (Shohei Ohtani, 48).
Reds outfielder Will Benson’s status for the series opener is uncertain after he left Thursday’s game because of a finger injury. Benson was hit on the left middle finger as he tried to put down a bunt.
–Field Level Media
