Twins-Royals Game Washed Out; Doubleheader Set For Sunday
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have another game to make up.
They've got more juggling to do with the rotation, too.
The Twins postponed their game against the Kansas City Royals because of rain, prompting a doubleheader to finish the series on Sunday. The announcement was made about an hour before the scheduled first pitch on Saturday afternoon, and the rain in the area never let up over the course of the rest of the day.
With both teams due to leave town, the Twins scheduled a traditional doubleheader with one admission for fans and only 30 minutes between games. This is their first single-ticket twin bill at home since May 26, 2001, at the Metrodome when they scheduled in advance a turn-back-the-clock doubleheader with both the Twins and Oakland Athletics wearing old-fashioned uniforms.
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The wet weather put the pitching staff in flux for both teams.
Right-hander Phil Hughes will take the mound for the Twins in the regularly scheduled game, which will begin at 1:10 p.m. local time, but the Royals opted to wait until Sunday morning to name their starter.
They originally planned to use right-hander Jason Hammel, but he could be pushed back in the rotation. There's some uncertainty about right-hander Nate Karns, who pitched five innings on Friday night but departed with stiffness in the top of his pitching arm. Manager Ned Yost said Karns would undergo further testing.
For the second game, left-hander Ian Kennedy will come off the disabled list, where he's been since May 5 with a strained right hamstring, to start for the Royals opposite Twins rookie Adalberto Mejia.
Neither Kennedy nor Mejia had been added to the 25-man roster on Saturday, giving the Royals and Twins flexibility. Each team can add a 26th player for the doubleheader, and Mejia could be that designated extra player. Either way, the Twins must also decide on a starter for their game on Monday night at Baltimore.
The rotation was jumbled because their game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night was postponed by rain, forcing a split doubleheader on Thursday. The Twins have now had five postponements this season, with three at home. One of them was at Kansas City on April 29, a game rescheduled for a doubleheader with the Royals on July 1.
The upstart Twins (21-17), who lead the Cleveland Indians by a half-game in the AL Central, have played the fewest games in the major leagues.
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