The Twins, who defeated Kansas City last night at home, have a record of 26-11 against the Royals since the start of 2009. The Royals, who might have the best talent in the minor leagues, are expected to be among the worst teams in baseball this season but so far have a 6-4 record.
Erratic 27-year-old left-hander Francisco Liriano starts today for the Twins. Capable of being very difficult to hit, Liriano has a 7.71 ERA so far this season and at times shown poor control of his pitches. The Twins could be patient with Liriano for awhile but it’s debatable whether management will commit to him for a long-term contract after this season when his present deal ends.
A good guess from reports is that injured second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka will be back in the lineup by late May or early June. In addition to rehabilitating his injured left leg, he can benefit from the down time by learning more about the major league environment and improving his English.
Twins outfielder-first baseman Michael Cuddyer has also played 63 games at second base during his career, most recently on Sunday. He has made only three errors at second, all of them in 2004.
Luke Hughes has played in three games for the Twins since being recalled from Rochester to help replace Nishioka. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on his KSTP Radio show on Sunday that Cuddyer and Hughes have about the same range in the field.
Among the offseason decisions the Wild face is whether to renew the contract of popular forward Andrew Brunette who signed a three-year deal with the team in 2008.
Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Western Hockey League and defenseman Adam Larsson from the Swedish Elite League were named the top NHL 2011 draft-eligible skaters from North America and Europe after NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its final rankings on Monday. The entry draft will take place at the Xcel Energy Center with the first round on June 24 and subsequent rounds June 25.
The April 11 issue of Sports Illustrated ranks Ohio State No. 2 and Wisconsin No. 10 in early 2011-12 college basketball rankings. Minnesotans Jordan Taylor, a for sure 2011-12 preseason All-American point guard, and Mike Bruesewitz, predicted to be a featured forward in the offense, are the only Badgers mentioned in a brief summary about the team.
Bruesewitz had his carrot top fro shaved to raise money for the National MS Society in the fight against multiple sclerosis.