The Minnesota Twins are currently 54-50, two games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. They are in a great position heading into a weekend series against the lowly Kansa City Royals. However, the Twins will not be able to make a sustained playoff push without their MLBbros contributing to the cause.
Michael A. Taylor
Micheal Taylor has been enjoying his best month of the season in July. With a batting average of .268 and OPS of .821, Taylor has helped the Twins go 13-8 so far this month (as of July 27). Providing stability at the bottom of the lineup, the MLBbro has been a welcome addition to the Twins in his first year. His solid play in the outfield has also allowed the team to use the injury plagued Buxton at the DH position.
Buxton Struggles Post All-Star Break
The Twins are hoping that some of the recent struggles that have plagued their slugger, MLBbro Byron Buxton, will go away. Post All-Star break, Buxton has batted only .091, tallying only three hits in 33 at-bats. There are some concerns with his lower-than-normal OPS (.702). He still has significant power, evidenced by 30 of his 57 hits being extra-base hits. Eliminating some of the strikeouts will go a long way in helping Buxton to get back to himself down the stretch.
Boasting an exit velocity that ranks in the 77th percentile shows that he is hitting the ball hard, just not in the right spots, so a breakout is almost inevitable.
Nick Gordon Injury Update
MLBbro Nick Gordon has not played since May 17th. He fractured his right shin and has been on the IL ever since. He is slated to resume baseball activities as early as next week. His versatility will be a welcome addition, especially as a playoff stretch piece that comes from inside the clubhouse, rather than via a trade. The Twins will need all hands on deck to keep their playoff hopes alive and to fend off the pesky Guardians. The return of another solid young player like Gordon, could help them in many ways.
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