Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham (knee) is back in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox after missing Sunday's game, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
Insight: Willingham, who is hitting just .211 with a 12.6 percent line-drive rate and a 14.3 percent HR/FB this season, had a cortisone shot in his knee Saturday night for his nagging knee soreness.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham is not in the lineup Sunday. He's dealing with left knee soreness, according to Tyler Mason of FoxSportsNorth.com.
Insight: Willingham has had a rough season -- his K rate is up, his average is just .211 and his ISO is .201. He has posted just a 12.6 percent line-drive rate, a 14.3 percent HR/FB and a 24.3 percent infield flyball rate. He had a cortisone shot in his knee Saturday night for the nagging knee soreness and hopes to play Tuesday.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has collected eight hits in 22 at-bats (.364) against Tigers starter Doug Fister, who will be on the mound Sunday against Minnesota.
Insight: Morneau is hitting .292 with 38 homers, but he has just two home runs this season and his HR/FB is a career-low 2.8 percent. Due to the lack of power, he's a poor fantasy option outside AL-only leagues, but Sunday is a good time to get him in the lineup if you own him.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham has hit two homers and gone 6-for-20 (.300) with three walks in his career against Tigers starter Doug Fister.
Insight: Willingham has had a rough season -- his K rate is up, his average is just .211 and his ISO is .201. He has posted just a 12.6 percent line-drive rate, a 14.3 percent HR/FB and a 24.3 percent infield flyball rate. Sunday will present a favorable matchup for him, but if he doesn't start heating up soon, fantasy owners might want to move on.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe came off the DL and went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs Saturday against Detroit.
Insight: Plouffe had not appeared in a game since May 21 a left calf strain. The third baseman had one of the top line-drive rates in baseball at 28.7 percent when he went on the DL, and yet his BABIP is only .299 and his average is .270 after Saturday's game.
Description: Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno limited Detroit to two runs on seven hits over seven innings Saturday in a 6-3 Twins victory.
Insight: Deduno has gone 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in five starts since being called up from Triple-A. He'll likely get Cleveland on the road in his next start.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe is probable for Saturday's game against Detroit after being actibvated from the disabled list.
Insight: Plouffe hasn't appeared in a game since May 21st. He's batting .254 with four homers and 17 RBI. he hit 24 home runs last season and will have to get hot fast if he is going to match that total.
Description: Baltimore second baseman Alexi Casilla is probable for Saturday's game against Boston while dealing with a torn ligament in right index finger.
Insight: The light-hitting second baseman has very little fantasy value. He did steal 21 bases last season, but he's a lifetime .249 hitter with a .636 OPS.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham is 7-for-13 against Tigers righthander Rick Porcello with a pair of home runs and a 1.821 OPS.
Insight: We keep waiting for Willingham (.214, 10 HR, 31 RBI) to explode into the 35 HR, 110 RBI guy we saw all last season. Perhaps this favorable matchup can help.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer has never gotten a hit off Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels in six at-bats.
Insight: There probably aren't a lot of guys who have held Mauer, a lifetime .323 hitter, under wraps. And even fewer are left-handers - he's hitting .353 against southpaws this season.
Description: Minnesota center fielder Aaron Hicks has been moved to the DL.
Insight: Hicks is out with a strained hamstring. Oswaldo Arcia (.255, 4 HR, 11 RBI in 30 games) has been called up from Triple-A to take over for Hicks in center field.
Description: The Twins have recalled Oswaldo Arcia from Triple-A to replace injured center fielder Aaron Hicks.
Insight: Arcia has shown a couple of glimpses that he can play at the major league level, but overall his numbers aren't worthy of attention from fantasy owners. One note, he's been much better on the road (.333, .975 OPS) than at home (.271, .592 OPS). The bad news, however is Minnesota's next nine games are at Target Field.
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks is is doubtful for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia with a strained left hamstring.
Insight: After a historically bad start (3-for-53), Hicks has been improving, batting .202 in May and .280 in June. It appears that the Twins' patience is starting to pay off.
Description: The Twins have promoted top prospect Miguel Sano (3B) from High-A to Double-A, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Insight: Sano, who is rated as the No. 11 prospect on MLB.com's list of the top-100 prospects in baseball, is hitting .330 and slugging .655 with 16 homers in 206 at-bats this season, so he has certainly earned the promotion. The 20-year-old still needs to work on his defense and plate discipline and is unlikely to make the majors until next season.
Description: The Nationals picked up 10 hits and scored seven runs (six earned) in 4 2/3 innings off Twins starter Scott Diamond Sunday.
Insight: Diamond has been shelled for 79 hits and 35 earned runs in 60 2/3 innings. For someone who pitches to contact as much as Diamond, a .350 BABIP is devastating. However, the right-hander's line-drive rate is actually lower than the league average so he should see better luck soon.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has faced Washington ace Gio Gonzalez just five times, but did take him deep twice in one game back in 2009, when Gonzalez pitched for Oakland.
Insight: Morneau isn't the 30-HR guy he was in 2009 and Gonzalez is a much improved pitcher, so we suggest ignoring their head-to-head history.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has faced Washington ace Gio Gonzalez just five times, but did take him deep twice in one game back in 2009, when Gonzalez pitched for Oakland.
Insight: Morneau isn't the 30-HR guy he was in 2009 and Gonzalez is a much improved pitcher, so we suggest ignoring their head-to-head history.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer owns a .625 lifetime average against Royals righthander Wade Davis.
Insight: It seems like we write a note almost every day about how good Mauer (.329, 5 HR, 18 RBI) is against the pitcher he's facing. Thursday he'll look to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is a career .462 hitter with a pair of home runs versus Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie.
Insight: Mauer is doing what Mauer does - hit for high average. He's batting .332 this season which is fourth in the AL behind only Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis and Jhonny Peralta. We would like to see him with more than 18 RBI at this point, but that's a function of the Twins top of the lineup which hasn't gotten on base enough in front of him.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (flu-like symptoms) is probable for Tuesday's game against Kansas City.
Insight: Morneau missed two games because of the illness. He's no longer the power hitter he once was, but he's batting a respectable .288 and has knocked in 34 runs. He's 5-for-8 against Kansas City starter Luis Mendoza.
Description: Minnesota OF/1B Chris Parmelee hasn't done much this season that's fantasy worthy, but he is 4-for-5 with a home run when facing Royals starter Luis Mendoza.
Insight: Parmelee is batting .233 with five homers and 14 RBI, but outfielders with a .674 OPS don't usually excite fantasy owners. This matchup, however, appears to be favorable.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe is out with a strained calf. The Twins are expected to move him to the disabled list, which would sideline Plouffe until the middle of June. SOURCE: Tyler Mason, Fox Sports North
Insight: Plouffe hasn't appeared in a game since May 21st. Jamey Carroll will start at third Thursday against the Brewers.
Description: Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno tossed seven innings and allowed one earned run on four hits Wednesday against the Brewers to grab his first victory of the year.
Insight: Deduno broke out during the World Baseball Classic, allowing just one run and posting a 17/5 K/BB in 13 innings to help the Dominican Republic win the tournament. He allowed six runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first start this season, but since it came against the Tigers we're willing to give him a pass. He's worth owning in AL-only leagues.
Description: Though he was just activated from the 7-day concussion disabled list, Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with left calf tightness, according to Tyler Mason of FOXSportsNorth.com.
Insight: Wednesday was the first day Plouffe was eligible to come off the DL. He hasn't played since May 21. The infielder has one of the best line-drive rates in the majors this season at 28.7 percent but his BABIP is just .286. Once his luck begins to turn, his .254 average will increase. That is, if he can ever get back on the field.
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks is batting .202 with five homers in May.
Insight: That doesn't seem all the good, but considering he hit .113 with zero homers in April, we'll take it. The rookie is batting .161 with 17 RBI, 21 runs and four steals in 155 at-bats this season. We'll see if the Twins' patience with the 23-year-old pays off or if they eventually have to send him down.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe has been activated from the seven-day concussion list.
Insight: Wednesday was the first day he was eligible to return. Plouffe had a monster June last season (.327, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 1.126 OPS) and hopefully he can repeat that performance in the upcoming weeks.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer crushed his third home run of the season Saturday in a win against the Tigers.
Insight: Mauer (.347, 3 HR, 15 RBI) had an 0-for-8 stretch earlier in the week but since then he's gone 8-for-17 with two RBI. Only Joey Votto (.355) and Miguel Cabrera (.385) are hitting for a higher average this season.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is just a .174 hitter (4-for-23) versus Detroit right-hander Doug Fister.
Insight: It's possible that Mauer could get the day off after catching nine innings last night and having an unfavorable matchup for Saturday afternoon's game.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe passed his concussion test Wednesday and did cardio Thursday with no issues, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
Insight: Plouffe took a blow to the head while he was sliding into second base Tuesday night. He said he was placed on the 7-day disabled list due to his initial wooziness rather than an actual concussion.
Description: Minnesota shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. is not expected to play on Friday after leaving Thursday night's game with a sprained right index finger.
Insight: The third-year infielder has yet to prove he's much any fantasy-worthy value batting .242 with a .659 OPS. He does have six steals in six tries. Eduardo Escobar should get the start.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham has had some good results against Tigers righthander Rick Porcello.
Insight: He's 6-for-10 against Porcello with four RBI and just one strikeout. If you've been looking for an excuse to get Willingham (.205, 6 HR, 19 RBI) into your starting lineup, here it is.
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks went 3-for-4 with a solo homer Wednesday against the Braves.
Insight: Hicks has been better in May than he was in April, but not by much. He hit .113 with 26 K in April, and is batting .206 with four homers in May.
Description: Twins starter Vance Worley served up 10 hits and eight runs in 3 2/3 innings Wednesday and earned a one-way ticket to Triple-A Rochester.
Insight: Worley was the Twins' Opening Day starter, but has a 1-4 record with a 6.20 ERA and 1.89 WHIP. Fantasy owners should have jumped ship a long time ago.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday afternoon.
Insight: Plouffe took a blow to the head while he was sliding into second base and came away a little wobbly. Given the team's history with Justin Morneau is a similar situation, they will play it safe and put Plouffe on the seven-day concussion list.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is not in the lineup for Wednesday afternoon's game with Atlanta.
Insight: Typical day game after a night game off, but since Mauer is 4-for-5 in his career against Braves starter Paul Maholm, fantasy owners can be rightly disappointed.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham is 2-for-16 (.125) against Braves veteran left-hander Paul Maholm.
Insight: Willingham hit a home run on Monday to break up Julio Teheran's shutout bid and is 2-for-6 in the series. Still, it would be best to avoid this matchup as he's batting just .154 over the past two weeks.
Description: The Twins will recall Samuel Deduno from Triple-A Rochester to start Friday's game against the Tigers.
Insight: Deduno broke out during the World Baseball Classic, allowing just one run and posting a 17/5 K/BB in 13 innings to help the Dominican Republic win the tournament. He went 6-5 with a 4.44 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in 79 innings last year and shouldn't have much fantasy value outside AL-only leagues.
Description: Minnesota 1B minor league prospect Chris Colabello is pounding the ball at Triple-A Rochester, batting 360 with 12 HR, 38 RBI and a 1.089 OPS in 45 games.
Insight: The Twins have the heir apparent to Morneau down on the farm and it appears that he's ready to get his shot at the major league level. Don't be surprised if they make Colabello the starting DH before the season is out.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is just 1-for-7 versus Atlanta right-hander Tim Hudson.
Insight: It isn't often that this career .323 hitter has a bad matchup, but today is one of them. In fact, the heart of the Twins lineup; Mauer, Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham are a combined 4-for-37 (.108) off Hudson. Tuesday doesn't figure to be a good offensive game for Minnesota.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham is an ugly 1-for-20 (.050) against Braves veteran right-hander Tim Hudson.
Insight: Willingham is struggling over the past two weeks, but did hit a home run on Monday to break up Julio Teheran's shutout bid. Avoid this matchup.
Description: Baltimore second baseman Alexi Casilla is a career .583 hitter (14-for-24) versus Yankees ace CC Sabathia, including 2-for-3 in an April 12 matchup.
Insight: The light-hitting second baseman has very little fantasy value, so this might be his only chance to help a fantasy lineup all season. He did steal 21 bases last season in 299 official at-bats, but he's a lifetime .249 hitter with a .635 OPS.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings Saturday against Boston and has given up 17 hits and 12 runs in his last two starts.
Insight: Diamond has little margin for error with his 88-89 mph fastball, and he clearly hasn't had his good command over his last two starts. He has walked six batters in that span after walking three in his first five starts combined.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer has hit safely in all 14 games this month and is batting .456 in 57 at-bats during that span.
Insight: Mauer has been dealing with some back stiffness but he returned to the lineup Saturday after missing Friday's game and went 2-for-5. Mauer has a favorable matchup against John Lackey of the Red Sox Sunday; Mauer is 11-for-27 (.407) against the right-hander.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is back in the lineup Saturday against the the Red Sox.
Insight: Mauer (.349, 2 HR, 13 RBI) missed Friday's game due to back stiffness. He'll serve as the DH Saturday. He's just 1-for-10 with six K against Saturday's scheduled starter Ryan Dempster, but it will be difficult to sit him since he has hit safely in all 13 games this month and is batting .462 during that span.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is 1-for-10 with six strikeouts in his matchups with Boston hurler Ryan Dempster.
Insight: Mauer (.349, 2 HR, 13 RBI) is dealing with back stiffness and missed Friday's game and this matchup should have fantasy owners sitting him for the Saturday game as well.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is out with a stiff back.
Insight: With Mauer sidelined, Ryan Doumit (.216, 3 HR, 16 RBI) will do the catching Friday night against Boston. Mauer (.349, 2 HR, 13 RBI) should be back later in the series.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .500 hitter (8-for-16) against Boston starter Clay Buchholz.
Insight: The bad news is that all eight hits were singles. Morneau still isn't hitting for power (2 HR), but he is batting .306 and knocking in runs (28).
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham is an ugly 1-for-18 (.056) with five strikeouts versus White Sox starter Jake Peavy.
Insight: Willingham is just 1-for-22 over his last six games and dealing with a sore wrist. This bad matchup isn't likely to help any of those numbers. Avoid.
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks is questionable for Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox with a sore right wrist.
Insight: The Twins have been very patient with Hicks even though the rookie is batting .137 with 325strikeouts in 102 at-bats. He is batting .231 over the past seven days.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham has missed the past two games with a sore wrist and is questionable for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Insight: He was hitless in his last four games, so perhaps we now know the reason for his recent slump. Willingham is hitting .208 with 34 K, but he has five homers, 24 walks and a .830 OPS.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .444 hitter (4-for-9) against Baltimore starter Jason Hammel with all four hits being doubles.
Insight: Morneau is batting .302 over the past two weeks and still knocks in runs, but without the power of the past. He's no longer any every day fantasy starter, but today is a favorable matchup.
Description: Joe Mauer has had a productive series against Boston (7-for-14, five 2B) and he should have another strong game Thursday against John Lackey.
Insight: The Twins catcher has ten hits in 23 at bats against the Red Sox righthander (.435). Mauer is a .324 career hitter at Fenway Park.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond beat the Red Sox with seven scoreless innings Tuesday night. The lefty didn't walk a batter, struck out two and gave up just three hits (all singles).
Insight: Diamond started the season on the DL after having elbow surgery in the offseason and allowed four runs on right hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first start, but he has gotten back to what made him successful last year. He rarely walks anyone (15/3 K/BB in 29 2/3 innings), throws more than 50 percent groundballs, and pitches well with men on base (74.5 LOB%).
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks is sitting out Tuesday, according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune.
Insight: Neal called it a "manager's decision." The Twins have been very patient with Hicks even though the rookie is batting .124 with 32 strikeouts in 89 at-bats.
Description: Minnesota All-Star catcher Joe Mauer is hitless in seven at-bats versus Boston starter Ryan Dempster with five strikeouts.
Insight: When a career .322 hitter, who strikes out just 12 percent of the time, puts up statistics like these, you have to pay attention. Avoid this matchup.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .500 hitter (7-for-14) against Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz.
Insight: Morneau is batting .252 with eight extra-base hits in 103 at-bats. That's not enough from a power position like first base for fantasy owners. He's no longer a every day fantasy option in most mixed leagues, but Monday's matchup is favorable.
Description: Twins starter Kevin Correia failed to go at least seven innings for the first time this season Saturday against the Indians.
Insight: Correia brought a 3-1 record and a 2.23 ERA into the game but gave up six hits and four runs in five innings. Correia also had tremendous Aprils in 2011 and 2012, but struggled the rest of those seasons.
Description: Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks went 1-for-3 with a solo homer Saturday against the Indians.
Insight: It was the first homer of his major league career. The rookie won the center field job after a strong spring, but he started off 2-for-48 (.042) with 20 strikeouts and was bumped out of the leadoff spot. He's still looking for his first multi-hit game.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Seattle due to illness
Insight: Youngster Chris Colabello will get the start who was having an excellent season at Rocheste (.358, 12 HR, 39 RBI in 46 games)r before being called up last week. He's just 1-for-11 in five games with the Twins.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer (.287, 2 HR. 8 RBI) is not in Wednesday afternoon's starting lineup.
Insight: Typical of most catchers, he'll get the day game off after a night game. Mauer was 4-for-8 against Wednesday's scheduled starter Anibal Sanchez.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday afternoon.
Insight: Plouffe was a big surprise in 2012 putting up 24 homers in 422 at-bats last season, but he's started slowly in 2013, batting .217 with two home runs and four RBI in 20 games.
Description: Twins starter Vance Worley served up 10 hits (3 HR) and six runs in 4 2/3 innings Tuesday against the Tigers.
Insight: Worley has not enjoyed the American League so far. He has given up 46 hits and 23 earned runs in 28 2/3 innings this season and is 0-4. He shouldn't be used in any fantasy leagues until he shows some improvement.
Description: Minnesota C/DH Ryan Doumit is hitless in 11 at-bats versus Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
Insight: This would be a good day for the Twins DH to take off. He's already off to a poor start, batting .197, and this won't help. Avoid the matchup.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is one of the few big leaguers who has been successful against Tigers ace Justin Verlander with a career .373 batting average, three homers and a 1.072 OPS.
Insight: Mauer is batting an un-Mauer-like .289, but has always hit Verlander. The problem is he's likely the only one.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham went deep in the first inning Monday night but that was his only hit of the ballgame.
Insight: Willingham has homered in three of the last five games and has five on the year. His average is just .246, but he has a .949 OPS due to 13 walks and 10 extra-base hits in 19 games.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is hitless in seven at-bats against Detroit right-hander Max Scherzer with five strikeouts.
Insight: Plouffe was a big surprise in 2012 putting up 24 homers in 422 at-bats last season, but he's started slowly in 2013, batting .226 with two home runs and four RBI in 18 games. Avoid this matchup.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .500 hitter with three homers and a double in 10 at-bats versus Detroit starter Max Scherzer.
Insight: Morneau is batting .263 with seven extra-base hits in 80 at-bats. He's no longer a everyday fantasy option in most mixed leagues, but the Monday matchup is extremely favorable.
Description: Twins starter Kevin Correia fired eight shutout innings Sunday against the Rangers to improve to 3-1.
Insight: Correia has thrown at least seven innings in all five of his starts this season and has a 2.23 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Correia has done this the last three Aprils as well only to struggle the rest of the year, so don't go out of your way to acquire him.
Description: Twins starter Kevin Correia fired seven innings, allowed five hits and two runs, walked one and struck out five in a win over Miami Tuesday afternoon.
Insight: Correia has been fantastic over four starts this year, throwing at least seven innings in all of them and carrying a 2.86 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Correia has done this the last three Aprils as well, only to struggle the rest of the year, so don't go out of your way to acquire him.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is 4-for-10 against Miami right-hander Ricky Nolasco with a 1.000 OPS.
Insight: After missing a week with flu-like conditions, Willingham has gone 3-for-8 with four RBI in his last two starts. With this favorable matchup he should be in all fantasy lineups.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer would probably be the first hitter to bat .400 since Ted Williams if he could face Gavin Floyd every day. Mauer is 19-for-43 (.442) with four doubles, a triple, three homers and 10 walks against the White Sox right-hander.
Insight: Mauer is on a 10-game hitting streak and has 10 hits in his last 14 at-bats, and Floyd has little chance of cooling him off.
Description: After being crushed for 25 hits and 14 earned runs over his first 12 innings this season, Twins starter Vance Worley held the White Sox to one run on five hits, walked two and struck out seven in seven innings Saturday.
Insight: Worley keeps the ball on the ground, but batters have put good wood on his pitches. He had a 24.2 percent line-drive rate last season and a 25.5 percent line-drive rate over the first three starts this year, so it's not hard to see why he has seen a BABIP above .340 since last year.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is hitless in 15 at-bats against White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy.
Insight: Willingham hasn't played since Saturday due to the flu and with this unfavorable matchup might get one more day off to rest. He's started slowly, batting .222 with a pair of homers, but 13 Ks in 36 at-bats.
Description: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau is just a .188 hitter (3-for-16) against White Sox starter Jake Peavy.
Insight: Morneau isn't the 30-plus home run guy he used to be four years ago and his .762 OPS won't rank very high at the first base position. There are better options out there.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is just 1-for-12 against Angels starter Tommy Hanson with four strikeouts.
Insight: Willingham missed Monday and Tuesday due to the flu and with this unfavorable matchup might get one more day off to rest. He's started slowly, batting .222 with a pair of homers, but 13 Ks in 36 at-bats.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham (flu) is not in Tuesday's lineup.
Insight: Willingham also missed Monday's game. He owns a .105 average (2-for-19) against Angels starter Jason Vargas, so he didn't have much incentive to play Tuesday anyway.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is just 2-for-19 against Angels left-hander Jason Vargas with seven strikeouts.
Insight: Willingham did not play in Monday's game, reportedly due to an illness, but is expected to return on Tuesday. He is coming off a career year for power numbers (66 extra base hits, 30 HR, 110 RBI). Avoid this matchup, but Willingham is a very good fantasy option this season.
Description: Minnesota OF Josh Willingham is just 2-for-16 against Angels veteran right-hander Joe Blanton with half his at-bats ending in strikeouts.
Insight: Willingham is coming off a career year for power numbers (66 extra base hits, 30 HR, 110 RBI). He's batting just .222 through the first 11 games, but he's still showing the power (.889 OPS). Avoid this matchup, but Willingham is a very good fantasy option this season.
Description: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire admits that the team has discussed moving rookie outfielder Aaron Hicks down in the order, but he will remain in the leadoff spot for now. SOURCE: LaVelle E. Neal III, Star Tribune
Insight: Hicks hit .286, 21 doubles, 11 triples and 13 homers, walked 79 times and swiped 32 bags at Double-A last season and he batted .370 with four home runs in 73 at-bats this spring to win the center field job, but he has started off 2-for-35 (.057) with 16 strikeouts. It doesn't get much colder than that.
Description: Twins lefty Scott Diamond will make his season debut Saturday against the Mets. He said he's good to throw 100 or more pitches if need be, according to Tyler Mason of FOX Sports North.
Insight: Diamond used a 1.61 BB/9, 53.4 percent groundball rate and 73.3 percent strand rate last season to produce a 3.54 ERA. He had surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow in December and started the season on the DL.
Description: Baltimore second baseman Alexi Casilla is a career .571 hitter (12-for-21) versus Yankees ace CC Sabathia.
Insight: The light-hitting second baseman has little fantasy value, so this might be his only chance to help a fantasy lineup all season. He did steal 21 bases last seasom in 299 official at-bats, but he's a lifetime .250 hitter with a .639 OPS.
Description: Twins rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks will get a night off Tuesday.
Insight: Hicks hit .286, 21 doubles, 11 triples and 13 homers, walked 79 times and swiped 32 bags at Double-A last season and he batted .370 with four home runs in 73 at-bats this spring to win the center field job, but he has started off 2-for-30 (.067) with 13 strikeouts.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is 12-for 26 (.462) against Royals starter Ervin Santana with five extra base hits and a 1.231 career OPS.
Insight: Mauer had a good 2012 for the Twins (.319, 10 HR, 85 RBI), but is off to a slow start this season batting a very un-Mauer-like .231 through six games. Hopefully this favorable matchup can wake up his bat.
Description: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau owns a 1.298 career OPS against Kansas City starter Ervin Santana with three homers and a .333 batting average in 18 at-bats.
Insight: Morneau isn't the 30-plus home run guy he used to be four years ago, but he is off to a solid start with a .364 batting average. The difference is that his OPS is still only .916 and he has yet to hit a home run this season.
Description: Twins rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks has started off 1-for-22 with 10 strikeouts.
Insight: He has been leading off but he likely will be moved down if he continues to struggle. Hicks hit .286, 21 doubles, 11 triples and 13 homers, walked 79 times and swiped 32 bags at Double-A last season and he batted .370 with four home runs in 73 at-bats this spring to win the center field job.
Description: We only have eight at bats to base it on but history tells us that Josh Willingham usually does pretty well when Rick Porcello is on the mound.
Insight: He's 5-for-8 against Porcello with two doubles. Willingham is one of the more underrated power hitters in the league, having produced 64 HR and 208 RBI over the past two seasons. He'll have a chance to add to those totals Thursday against the Tigers.
Description: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau hasn't had much luck in his career against Rick Porcello (4-for-23, three strikeouts).
Insight: That computes to a .174 batting average and it's a large enough sample size to determine that Porcello presents a real matchup problem for Morneau. He's gone 2-for-7 to start the season.
Description: Minnesota righthander Vance Worley had his next start moved up to Saturday. SOURCE: Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Insight: He was originally scheduled to pitch on Sunday but Cole DeVries needs an extra day to recover from a forearm injury. Worley tossed six innings in a season-opening loss to Detroit on Monday.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is one of the few big leaguers who has been successful against Tigers ace Justin Verlander with a career .351 batting average, three homers and a 1.017 OPS.
Insight: Mauer (.319, 10 HR, 85 RBI) had a very good year for the Twins after a disappointing 2011 campaign, but is expected to bat in the No. 2 hole this season which could hurt hit RBI production.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau missed Thursday night's exhibition because of a tight back.
Insight: Nothing to worry about. It's only a precaution. The injury seems very mild and we should see Morneau back in uniform Friday afternoon against the Red Sox. He isn't in danger of missing Monday's season opener versus Detroit.
Description: The Twins will go with right-hander Vance Worley as the Opening Day starter. Minnesota acquired Worley from Philadelphia in the deal for Ben Revere last December.
Insight: Worley went 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA while dealing with elbow trouble last season, but he had a 3.85 FIP. His ERA was inflated by a .340 BABIP.
Description: Aaron Hicks will open the season as the Twins' starting center fielder.
Insight: Darin Mastroianni was expected to win the job but instead Hicks impressed by hitting .350 in spring training. The 23-year-old hit .286 with 13 HR and 61 RBI last season at Double-A New Britain. He also swiped 32 stolen bases.
Description: Twins lefty Scott Diamond has been placed on the disabled list and is expected to return in mid-April.
Insight: Diamond had surgery to remove a bone chip from his throwing elbow in December. He was an unexpectedly high quality starter before the All-Star break, going 7-2 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. After the break he stumbled with a 5-6 record and a 4.31 ERA and 1.298 WHIP.
Description: Twins lefty Scott Diamond is expected to throw his first full bullpen session of the spring on Thursday, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com
Insight: Diamond had surgery to remove a bone chip from his throwing elbow in December. He's expected to be ready for Opening Day after going 12-9 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is dealing with a sore right calf and could be out for a short time, but the injury isn't considered serious.
Insight: Plouffe was a big surprise in 2012 putting up 24 homers in 422 at-bats last season after posting just eight in 320 at bats the previous year.
Description: Free agent starting pitcher Carl Pavano says the snow-shoveling accident that he was involved with this winter nearly cost him his life.
Insight: Pavano reportedly lost six and a half liters of blood and was "hours away from going into cardiac arrest." Fortunately, Pavano is now out of the hospital and expected to make a full recovery. He went 2-5 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 starts for the Twins in 2012.
Description: Minnesota pitcher Anthony Swarzak will miss about a month with two broken ribs, according to beat writer Tyler Mason.
Insight: The Twins have used him as both a starter and long relief guy, but fantasy owners have never had him on their radar. He's got a career 5.03 ERA, 1.436 WHIP and only strikes out 5.3 batters per nine innings. None of those numbers are fantasy worthy.
Description: Righthander Carl Pavano will miss 6-to-8 weeks after rupturing his spleen in a snow shoveling accident.
Insight: Pavano was oddly effective for the Twins in 2010 (17-11, 3.75 ERA) but has since regressed by posting an 11-18 record and a 4.67 ERA over the last two seasons. The 37-year-old is still a free agent and this news probably won't make his search for a new team any easier.
Description: Tyler Mason of Fox Sports North reports that Twins starter Scott Diamond has undergone surgery to remove a bone chip from his left elbow.
Insight: He's expected to make a full recovery by spring training. Diamond was one of Minnesota's most consistent pitchers last season, compiling 12 wins and a 3.54 ERA in 173 innings.
Description: Former Oakland starter Rich Harden has agreed to a minor league deal with the Twins.
Insight: Harden used to be a front of the rotation starter but injuries have driven his career trajectory off course. There's a small chance he could crack Minnesota's starting rotation but we're not holding out much hope. The 31-year-old missed all of last season while rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Description: The Twins have signed right-hander Mike Pelfrey to a one-year contract. SOURCE: Jon Heyman, CBSSports.com
Insight: Pelfrey went 50-54 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 153 games (149 starts) over seven seasons with the New York Mets, who drafted him with the ninth overall pick in 2005. However, he only made three starts in 2012 before having Tommy John surgery. Pelfrey is the third starter Minnesota has added this offseason after Vance Worley and Kevin Correia.
Description: Righthander Kevin Correia has signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Twins.
Insight: Correia was his typical up and down self for the Pirates in 2012, finishing the year with a 12-11 record and a 4.21 ERA. Moving from the NL to the AL can sometimes be a rude awakening for starting pitchers, though Target Field is usually considered to be one of the more pitcher-friendly venues in the major leagues.
Description: In order to get Ben Revere, the Phillies have reportedly surrendered young right-handers Vance Worley and Trevor May. SOURCE: Newark Star-Ledger
Insight: Worley went 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA while dealing with elbow trouble last season, but he was 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA as a rookie in 2011. Moving to the American League will be offset by pitching at Target Field, one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball.
Description: Minnesota has declined its 2013 team option on righthander Matt Capps.
Insight: Capps began the season as the Twins' closer but couldn't stay healthy. He appeared in just 30 games in 2012, finishing the year with a 3.68 ERA in 29 1/3 innings pitched. Now Capps will become a free agent and should find work again rather easily given his solid track record (138 saves since 2006).
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer ended the year with MLB's highest on base percentage at .416.
Insight: That's Mauer's highest OBP since 2009 when he won the American League MVP award. Detroit's Prince Fielder finished second with an OBP of .412. Mauer (.319, 10 HR, 85 RBI) had a very good year for the Twins after a disappointing 2011 campaign. Even though he'll be 30 next April, Mauer remains one of the best catchers in fantasy.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is a career .364 hitter versus Tigers ace right-hander Justin Verlander (20-for-55) with three homers and a 1.043 OPS.
Insight: After a weak August when he batted just .275, Mauer has bounced back with a hot September batting .384 with a 1.060 OPS. Start him despite the great pitcher on the mound.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond has gotten back on track in his last two starts after allowing 19 runs in a four-start stretch from Aug. 28 to Sept. 16. He took a no decision Friday despite allowing one earned run on six hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Insight: In many years Diamond's 12-8 record and 3.54 ERA might be enough to win the AL Rookie of the Year (Jeremy Hellickson won is last season with 13 wins and a 2.95 ERA), but Mike Trout will prevent that. Still, fantasy owners have benefitted greatly from owning the strike-throwing lefty this season.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham may miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, according to Josh Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Insight: Willingham felt a "pinch" in his sprained shoulder ligament Friday. The Twins only have five games remaining after Friday's game with Detroit, so it's not worth it for the team to rush him back.
Description: Minnesota C/DH Ryan Doumit is just 2-for-13 (.154) with six strikeouts against Yankees lefty C.C. Sabathia.
Insight: As long as Dpumit continue to maintain is catcher eligibility he'll keep his fantasy value. He's batting .276 with 16 HR, 67 RBI and a .775 OPS.
Description: The MRI on Twins left fielder Josh Willingham's left shoulder showed no structural damage, according to Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.
Insight: Willingham has a shoulder sprain and won't return until Friday at the earliest.
Description: Twins left fielder Josh Willingham was removed from Monday's game against the Yankees after straining his left shoulder and is questionable for Tuesday's game. He will undergo an MRI.
Insight: Considering that Willingham is a career .143 hitter against Yankees starter Phil Hughes with four strikeouts in just seven at-bats, he'll probably get the day off.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is hitless in nine at-bats against Yankees starter Phil Hughes.
Insight: Mauer is a lifetime .323 hitter, who leads the league in OBP this season (.415) so this matchup is just a rare unfavorable one that should be avoided.
Description: Twins reliever Matt Capps has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, though there's no guarantee he returns to the closer role.
Insight: Hard-throwing lefty Glen Perkins has 10 saves, a 1.57 ERA and 0.59 WHIP since the All-Star break, and Capps wasn't exactly lights out prior to going on the disabled list with rotator cuff irritation.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is having another excellent season, but Saturday's matchup with Doug Fister isn't likely to yield positive results for the Twins star.
Insight: Mauer is hitting .321 with 10 homers and 79 RBIs this season but just .105 (2-for-19) with one RBI against Fister.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe has been awful since returning from a thumb injury in mid-August but he went 2-for-4 with a solo homer Thursday against the Indians.
Insight: Plouffe only has four homers and 15 RBIs with a .214 average in his last 42 games, compared to 19 jacks, 36 RBIs and a .253 average in 66 games prior to the injury.
Description: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau will sit out Thursday's series finale against Cleveland.
Insight: Morneau is just one for his last 14 at the dish, dropping his season average to .274. Joe Mauer (.324, 10 HR, 79 RBI) will get the start at first Thursday with Ryan Doumit (.281, 16 HR, 67 RBI) behind the plate.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham belted his 35th home run of the season Wednesday night on his way to a four-hit performance against the Indians.
Insight: Willingham had been in a 3-for-19 slump prior to Wednesday's game in Cleveland. The former Marlins and Nationals outfielder is now third in the American League with 110 RBI.
Description: Minnesota catcher/first baseman Joe Mauer is a career .450 hitter (9-for-20) with a homer and a 1.150 OPS against Cleveland starter David Huff.
Insight: After a week off, Mauer went 2-for-3 on Sunday with a homer and a double. He has an RBI in each of his last four games and should be ready for another productive day on Tuesday.
Description: After spending a week on the bench nursing a sore back, Minnesota catcher/first baseman Joe Mauer collected two hits Sunday in his return to action including a first inning solo home run.
Insight: Mauer has driven in at least one run in each of his last four games. Now he'll have an off-day Monday before the Twins open their next series Tuesday night in Cleveland.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham is just a .111 hitter in nine career at-bats against White Sox ace Chris Sale with five strikeouts.
Insight: Willingham has posted career highs in HR (34) and RBI (105) on the way to the best season of his nine-year career. He'll move way up on fantasy draft boards next season.
Description: Minnesota's Joe Mauer will miss his third game in a row Thursday when the Twins host Kansas City. The All-Star catcher is still dealing with a sore back.
Insight: Drew Butera (.219, 1 HR, 5 RBI) will handle the catching duties with Mauer on the sidelines.
Description: Twins outfielder Ben Revere is a .400 career hitter against Royals starter Luiz Mendoza.
Insight: Revere (.301) is a good hitter for average and fast enough to bunt his way on so it wouldn't be surprising if he posted a three or four-hit game Thursday against Mendoza (7-9, 4.63 ERA). Just don't expect any home runs. Revere has still never hit one in 920 major league at bats.
Description: Twins center fielder Denard Span went 3-for-5 with a triple in his return from the disabled list Wednesday against Kansas City. Span had been out since August 27th because of shoulder and collarbone injuries.
Insight: Span (.290, 3 HR, 35 RBI) doesn't have much power (three homers in 445 at bats) but his batting average has been right around .300 all season and that certainly has value in fantasy.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is a .519 hitter (14-for-27) against Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar with a pair of homers and a 1.507 OPS.
Insight: Mauer is doing what he always does, hit for high average, but without much power. He still needs one more home run to reach double-digits which would only be the third time in his career to accomplish that feat. He's a must start on Wednesday.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau smacked a pair of homers Sunday in an 8-7 win over the Indians.
Insight: Morneau now has 10 RBI in his last 10 games. While Morneau remains a longshot to reach 100 RBI for the season, his 73 RBI in 115 games is a huge improvement over the 30 he tallied in 2011.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Denard Span (shoulder) is expected to return from the DL Wednesday, according to the Star Tribune.
Insight: Span only played 13 games in August and he hasn't played since Aug. 27. The outfielder will carry a .328 second-half average when he returns, but he might be brought along slowly. Mixed league owners can ignore the Twins outfielder for now.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham is just a .111 hitter in nine career at-bats against Cleveland right-hander Jeanmar Gomez.
Insight: Willingham has been one of this season's biggest fantasy surprises with the bat, hitting a career high 33 HR with 98 RBI in 130 games. He's struggled a little lately batting just .214 this week with a .508 OPS so let him have Friday off to recharge his batteries.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham, who is hitless in 15 career at-bats against Jake Peavy of the White Sox, is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Chicago.
Insight: Willingham has been one of this season's biggest fantasy surprises with the bat, hitting 33 HR and knocking in 98 RBI in 129 games. He's struggled a little lately with just a .781 OPS over the past four weeks.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham is hitless in 15 career at-bats against Jake Peavy of the White Sox.
Insight: Willingham has been one of this season's biggest fantasy surprises with the bat, hitting 33 HR and knocking in 98 RBI in 129 games. He's struggled a little lately with just a .781 OPS over the past four weeks. Avoid this matchup on Wednesday.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham has only faced White Sox starter five times, but he's banged out four hits including a pair of homers and five RBI.
Insight: Willingham has been one of this season's biggest fantasy surprises with the bat, hitting 33 HR and knocking in 96 RBI in 128 games. He's become a must start, particularly in a favorable matchup like this one.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham is questionable for Monday's game, but may be available to pinch-hit. He's dealing with a strained hamstring.
Insight: Willingham has been one of this season's biggest fantasy surprises with the bat, hitting 33 HR and knocking in 96 RBI in 127 games. When healthy he's become a must start.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is not in the lineup for Friday night's game against Kansas City.
Insight: Mauer has a stunning .394 average against the Royals this season but Friday he'll get the night off in favor of Ryan Doumit (.285, 14 HR, 60 RBI).
Description: Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham looks like a lock for fantasy success on Thursday. He's hitting .400 for his career against Seattle starter Blake Beavan.
Insight: Willingham's fifth inning solo homer on Wednesday night was his 32nd jack of the season. If he keeps up at this torrid home run pace, Willingham could reach 40 homers for the first time in his career.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe bopped his 20th long ball of the season Wednesday in a 10-0 blowout win over the Mariners.
Insight: Incredibly, this was Plouffe's first home run since July 3rd, a span of 28 appearances in a row without a home run. Despite the slump, the 20 round-trippers establishes a new career-high for the 26-year-old third baseman.
Description: Righthander Samuel Deduno came up big Wednesday night in Minnesota's 10-0 win over the Mariners at Target Field.
Insight: Deduno (5-2, 3.72 ERA) allowed just two hits over seven shutout frames, reaching a career-high nine strikeouts. He'll be back to pitch on Monday against the White Sox.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer cleared waivers on Wednesday.
Insight: Mauer has a full no-trade clause in his contract so the odds of him getting traded are slim to none, though the Red Sox showed us anything is possible after they dealt Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers last weekend. Mauer, who is in the second year of an eight-year deal, is having another productive season, hitting .308 in 121 games this season.
Description: Twins left fielder Josh Willingham may be having a "career year," but he's hitless in 16 at-bats against Seattle lefty Jason Vargas with seven strikeouts.
Insight: Willingham is having a great season, banging out a career-high 31 HR with a .899 OPS, but this is an unfavorable matchup to be avoided.
Description: Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau is just a .138 hitter (4-for-29) with seven strikeouts versus Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez.
Insight: Morneau is batting .322 since the All-Star break with six homers and 23 RBI in 38 games. Avoid this matchup, but plan on using the Twins first baseman a lot down the stretch as it appears he's found his old form.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is the rare hitter with success against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez. He's a lifetime .448 hitter (13-for-29) against Hernandez with a pair of homers and a 1.308 OPS.
Insight: Ho hum, another .300 season at the plate for Mauer. He'll never duplicate his 2009 MVP season which included 28 home runs, but he's still great at getting on base. Start him on Monday.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond has been suspended six games by Major League Baseball for throwing at Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton on Thursday night.
Insight: Diamond is appealing the league's decision so it's possible that he could have his suspension shortened.
Description: Twins center fielder Denard Span won't start Friday night's game against the Rangers.
Insight: Span played for the first time in over a week Thursday in the series opener, collecting two hits and a pair of stolen bases. We're not sure if Span is still feeling the effects of the collarbone injury that caused him to miss nine games earlier this month or if sitting Span on Friday was Minnesota's plan all along. We should know more after tonight's contest.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham is questionable for Friday's game against Texas because of a stiff neck.
Insight: Willingham's average has slipped to just .260 for the year, but fantasy owners really can't complain as he has already hit 31 HR and knocked in 91 runs, while posting a career-high .908 OPS.
Description: Minnesota lefthander Scott Diamond was ejected from Thursday's contest in the third inning after throwing over the head of Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.
Insight: Diamond threw at Hamilton in retaliation for Roy Oswalt hitting Joe Mauer with a pitch earlier in the game. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire went out to argue and was also tossed. Diamond (10-5, 3.04 ERA) could be suspended for his next start so stay tuned.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham will miss Thursday night's game against Texas because of a stiff neck.
Insight: Willingham's average has slipped to just .260 for the year but fantasy owners really can't complain as he has already eclipsed his previous career high in home runs and is getting close to earning a new career-best in RBI as well.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe's return from a thumb injury has not gone well. In nine games, Plouffe has just two hits in 33 at-bats.
Insight: Plouffe's .061 average likely has crippled fantasy teams over the past 10 days. Sit him down until he turns it around.
Description: Twins center fielder Denard Span won't be on the field Monday night against Oakland. He's still dealing with injuries to his shoulder and collarbone.
Insight: Span had an MRI on his collarbone Monday and he'll have another one on his shoulder tomorrow. Despite not playing in over a week, Minnesota is still holding off on placing the Span (.287, 3 HR, 34 RBI) on the disabled list.
Description: Minnesota center fielder Denard Span is out for Sunday's game and says he isn't sure when he'll be able to return from the shoulder injury that has kept him out of the Twins' past six contests.
Insight: Though the Twins remain optimistic that Span (.287, 3 HR, 34 RBI) will be able to avoid the DL, if they do end up placing him there the move would be retroactive to August 12th, meaning Span would be eligible to return as soon as August 27th.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham may be having his best pro season with 31 homers and 89 RBIs, but his career performance against Mariners starter Jason Vargas leaves something to be desired.
Insight: Willingham has never recorded a hit off Vargas in 14 career at-bats. Leave him on the bench Saturday.
Description: Twins center fielder Denard Span won't be available for Friday's game against the Mariners. He's still struggling with a sore collarbone.
Insight: Darin Mastroanni (.287, 3 HR, 15 RBI) is getting the start in center field tonight in Span's absence. Span is hoping to be back in the lineup by the end of the series.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is 4-for-7 (.571) with three home runs against Detroit starter Max Scherzer.
Insight: Morneau has been hot since the All-=Star break. It looks like he's finally become a viable fantasy-worthy first baseman again. Though the sample size is small, his success against Scherzer makes him a must start.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, a career .323 hitter is just 2-for-16 (.125) versus Detroit starter Doug Foster.
Insight: Mauer (.321, 7 HR, 58 RBI) isn't much of a power threat but he has never had a season where he has hit below .287. Tuesday is a rare unfavorable matchup.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is 5-for-11 (.455) with a 1.273 OPS against Detroit starter Doug Fister,
Insight: Morneau is batting .346 with a .959 OPS since the All-Star break to bring his numbers close to his career levels. It looks like he's finally done with the concussion problems and has become a viable fantasy-worthy first baseman again.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Denard Span is out for Monday night's series opener against the Tigers. He's struggling with a sore right shoulder.
Insight: X-rays Sunday didn't reveal anything serious so Span (.287, 3 HR, 34 RBI) should be fine to play again within the next couple of days. Ben Revere (.314, 0 HR, 25 RBI, 28 SB) will move over to Span's position in center field with Darin Mastroianni (.282, 2 HR, 11 RBI) occupying Revere's usual post in right.
Description: Twins center fielder Denard Span is doubtful for Monday's game against Detroit with a sore right shoulder.
Insight: Span scores runs (59) and steals bases (12), but has little power limiting his fantasy value. He's having his best season since 2009 (.311, 97 runs, 8 HR, 68 RBI, 23 SB), which is the last time he was truly fantasy-worthy.
Description: Injured Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe (right thumb) is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday night.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs in 74 games) has shown surprising power this season and his .855 OPS makes him a viable starting third baseman for many fantasy teams.
Description: You don't want to put your trust in Twins center fielder Denard Span on Sunday. He's hitting only .125 in 24 lifetime at bats versus Rays starter James Shields.
Insight: Span has hit .353 against Tampa Bay this season but he's not likely to increase that mark Sunday against Shields.
Description: Minnesota backstop Joe Mauer has enjoyed a great deal of success against Tampa Bay righthander James Shields throughout his career. He's batting an even .400 in 25 trips to the plate against him.
Insight: Mauer (.317, 7 HR, 57 RBI) isn't much of a power threat but he has never had a season where he has hit below .287. Look for him to have a nice game Sunday versus Shields (10-7, 4.08 ERA).
Description: Outfielder Denard Span will be on the sidelines for Minnesota's game against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Insight: After struggling to a .264 average in 70 games with the Twins in 2011, Span has enjoyed a nice bounceback year in 2012, hitting .287 with 12 SB in 103 appearances.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe is expected to begin his rehab assignment on Saturday night at Triple-A Rochester.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs) has shown surprising power this season and his .855 OPS makes him a viable starting third baseman for many fantasy teams.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond won his 10th game of the season Monday with seven strong innings (7 H, 2 ER) against the Indians.
Insight: Diamond (10-5, 2.91 ERA) has succeeded due to stellar control, walking just 16 batters in 114 1/3 innings. There's no reason to expect that will end, even if his ERA does rise a bit by the end of the season.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Ben Revere kept his hitting streak alive with a four-hit effort Monday versus Cleveland.
Insight: All four of the hits were singles, which is typical of the slap-hitting Twins outfielder. Obviously Revere's slugging percentage isn't off the charts, but it's tough for fantasy owners to complain when he's hitting .481 for the month and .364 since the All-Star break. Revere will try to extend the streak to 21 games on Tuesday.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is heating up. He homered twice Monday in Minnesota's 14-3 triumph over the Indians.
Insight: Morneau has gone 11-for-20 at the plate over his last five games, raising his average from .257 to .275 in the process. His days of being a perennial MVP candidate are over but Morneau can still be a very productive fantasy first baseman when he's healthy.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Ben Revere extended his hitting streak to 18 games with three hits in five at-bats Saturday against the Red Sox.
Insight: Revere is an elite speed option, posting 26 steals and a .323 batting average in 72 games this season. As long as you receive power production from other parts of your fantasy lineup, Revere can help out.
Description: Twins starter Samuel Deduno held the Red Sox scoreless on just two hits over six innings Thursday to improve to 3-0.
Insight: Deduno has been effectively wild in his five starts this season, recording a 19/20 K/BB ratio in 29 innings but also putting up a 2.48 ERA. AL-only owners can take note of Deduno's performance, but mixed leaguers can steer clear as this is likely a mirage.
Description: Twins catcher and first baseman Joe Mauer will take the night off Thursday against Boston.
Insight: It's just a day of rest for Mauer ( .321, 6 HR, 50 RBI), who hasn't taken a day off since June 21. He's having a terrific bounce-back year after a disappointing 2011 campaign (.287, 3 HR, 30 RBI).
Description: Minnesota center fielder Denard Span went 4-for-5 Tuesday night and he could be in for an equally impressive performance Wednesday against Jake Peavy. He's hitting .400 in his career against the White Sox righthander.
Insight: He's batting .486 during his current nine-game hitting streak and has raised his batting average from .276 to .297 in that span. Wednesday presents another favorable matchup for Span so expect the hot-hitting to continue for the 28-year-old.
Description: Look for Twins outfielder Ben Revere to extend his hitting streak to 15 games Wednesday against the White Sox. He's a .417 lifetime hitter against righthander Jake Peavy.
Insight: Revere's power is basically nonexistent (no homers in 759 career at bats) but he is getting hits and has always been a stolen base threat (24 thefts in 69 games this season). Expect Revere (.317, 0 HRs, 20 RBIs) to continue wreaking havoc Wednesday versus Peavy (8-7, 3.15 ERA) and the first-place Chi Sox.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham went 0-for-3 in Tuesday night's game and he's likely to go hitless again on Wednesday. He's 0-for-12 in his career versus Chicago starter Jake Peavy.
Insight: Willingham (.272, 27 HRs, 79 RBIs) is on the verge of establishing a new career-high in homers but he figures to do more harm than good today against Peavy (8-7, 3.15 ERA). You shouldn't start him Wednesday unless you absolutely have to.
Description: Minnesota center fielder Denard Span has 18 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Insight: Span had four hits and a stolen base Tuesday against the White Sox after almost getting traded to the Reds earlier in the day. Despite the hot streak, Span is better suited to be an injury replacement for fantasy owners rather than an everyday OF3.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham has just three career at-bats against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, but he's managed to belt to home runs.
Insight: Willingham (.271, 27 HRs, 78 RBIs) faced Quintana for the first time on July 24 and blasted two home runs off him. The outfielder has four round-trippers and 10 RBIs in his past five games and 14 homers in 96 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season. He's a must-start player most days but Monday is a great matchup for the Twins outfielder.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau homered for the second time in three games as part of a three-hit game Sunday against Cleveland.
Insight: Morneau has picked up his production in July. In 20 games this month, Morneau is batting .317 with three homers and 12 RBIs. However, his struggles against left-handed pitching and in his home ballpark make him a fringe first base option in deeper leagues.
Description: Twins outfielder Ben Revere extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-hit game Sunday. Revere also stole two bases.
Insight: Revere (.315, 24 SB) is a high-contact speed demon who won't help at all in power or run production. However, it helps that the outfielder isn't just a one-trick pony like some other stolen base options, as he provides a solid batting average at the very least.
Description: Twins outfielder Ben Revere had one of his better games of the season Saturday in a win over the Indians. He finished the night with three hits and two RBIs.
Insight: Revere (.313, 0 HRs, 18 RBIs) will look to extend his hitting streak to 12 games on Sunday.
Description: Twins starter Samuel Deduno surrendered just one run on two hits in seven innings of work Saturday against the Indians. Deduno allowed five walks but he also had six strikeouts.
Insight: He's 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four starts this season and might be worth taking a look at in deeper leagues.
Description: Minnesota left fielder Josh Willingham pounded his 27th home run of the season Saturday versus Cleveland.
Insight: Willingham (.273, 27 HRs, 78 RBIs) now has four jacks in his last four games. He's just three bombs away from establishing a new career high and if he keeps hitting at his current pace, Willingham will finish the year with 44 HRs and 126 RBIs. That's monster production from a player who was picked in the late rounds of most fantasy drafts only a few months ago.
Description: The Cardinals appear to be interested in acquiring Twins lefthander Francisco Liriano before Tuesday's trade deadline.
Insight: Liriano (3-10, 5.31 ERA) hasn't had a very impressive year and the Twins are near the bottom of the division so they wouldn't have much to lose by dealing the 28-year-old lefthander. St. Louis has also expressed interest in acquiring Tampa Bay righthander James Shields (8-7, 4.52 ERA).
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe has been placed on the 15-day DL. Plouffe has been plagued by a sore right thumb and hasn't been in the Twins' lineup since July 20.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs) was actually in the lineup earlier in the day but the Twins scratched him after he aggravated the thumb injury in batting practice. Jamey Carroll (.236, 0 HRs, 29 RBIs) will start at third base for Minnesota on Friday.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe (thumb) is expected to return Friday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs) hasn't played since July 20 due to a bruised right thumb. He's a solid 3B/OF option and an above average 2B/SS in mixed leagues.
Description: Twins starter Nick Blackburn's ERA rose to 7.99 after he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings against the White Sox Wednesday.
Insight: It's amazing the Twins keep trotting this guy out there. He's made 15 starts this season despite his Hall of Shame performance. Make sure you get your fantasy hitters in the lineup when Blackburn is on the mound.
Description: Twins outfielder Josh Willingham hit homers No. 24 and 25 Tuesday against the White Sox.
Insight: Willingham is having a career year, batting .274 with 25 homers and 72 RBIs. He's also getting on base at a .385 clip. He's one of the better OF2 options in fantasy baseball.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe (thumb) may land on the disabled list after he felt discomfort swinging a bat Monday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs) hit 18 homers in 39 games from May 16 to July 3, but he hasn't gone deep in his last 13 games. If he doesn't return in the next two games he'll likely be placed on the disabled list.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau will return from the paternity list Tuesday, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Morneau left the team to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child.
Insight: Morneau (.249, 11 HR, 40 RBI) has been relatively healthy this season, but his fantasy value has been diminished by his failures against LHP (.147 ib 102 at-bats) and at home (.240 with two homers in 150 at-bats).
Description: Minnesota center fielder Denard Span is a career .500 hitter (16-for-32) against White Sox hurler Gavin Floyd.
Insight: Span (.275, 3 HR, 30 RBI) is worthy of a one-day play in this favorable matchup. However, overall his fantasy value is just two categories wide - runs scored (42) and stolen bases (9).
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is 18-for-42 (.429) against White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd with power. He's knocked out eight extra base hits including three homers for a 1.315 OPS.
Insight: Mauer is once again hitting for high average, but without much power. He's batting .332, leads the AL with a .421 OBP, but his six homers aren't all that impressive. As long as he stays eligible at catcher he'll be valuable. The day he becomes a 1B/DH only his fantasy value will drop considerably. He's a must-start on Monday.
Description: Minnesota third baseman Trevor Plouffe will rest his injured thumb again on Sunday, though he could return to action Monday against the White Sox.
Insight: Plouffe (.259, 19 HRs, 38 RBIs) went bonkers in June with 11 HRs and 21 RBIs but he hasn't been quite as explosive in July with just three homers and nine RBIs. He's still batting .302 for the month, which is well above his career average of .241.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is expected to miss Saturday's game against Kansas City with a bruised right thumb.
Insight: Plouffe has produced well above expectations and has become a solid fantasy third baseman. Hopefully this will be a short stay on the sidelines and won't change his swing.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has been put on the paternity leave list.
Insight: Morneau (.249, 11 HR, 40 RBI) has improved on his "lost" 2011 season, but he's still not back to the star we knew from 2006-2010. He may never get back to that level.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is 11-for-23 (.478) against Royals starter Luke Hochevar with a 1.369 OPS.
Insight: Mauer is once again hitting for high average, but without much power. He's batting .329, leads the AL with a .416 OBP, but his six homers aren't all that impressive. As long as he stays eligible at catcher he'll be valuable. The day he becomes a 1B/DH only his fantasy value will drop considerably.
Description: Nick Blackburn has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester. He'll start Friday night's game versus the Royals.
Insight: Blackburn crashed and burned in his first 13 starts of the year for the Twins (4-5, 8.10 ERA) but he's fared much better since his demotion to Triple-A (2-0, 2.57 in four starts for Rochester). Given his mediocre track record over the past few seasons, we don't have a ton of confidence in the 30-year-old righthander heading into Friday's start in Kansas City.
Description: Minnesota's Brian Duensing has been replaced in the starting rotation by Nick Blackburn.
Insight: Duensing (1-6, 5.06 ERA) will head back to the Twins' bullpen while Blackburn (4-5, 8.10 ERA) will get the start Friday versus Kansas City. Duensing went 0-4 with a 10.13 ERA while in the rotation compared to 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 30 games as a reliever earlier in the season, so this moves makes a lot of sense for Minnesota.
Description: Twins DH Ryan Doumit will have the night off Wednesday against the Orioles.
Insight: Doumit (.290, 7 HRs, 41 RBIs) is hitting .364 over his last eight games with six multi-hit performances in that span. The 31-year-old's catcher eligibility makes him a player to hold onto in fantasy.
Description: Twins reliever Matt Capps has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with irritation in his right rotator cuff, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.81 ERA, 14 saves) had just returned from the disabled list several days ago, but evidently this wasn't just routine soreness. He'll have an MRI to determine the severity of his injury.
Description: Twins reliever Matt Capps reported feeling lingering soreness in his right shoulder Tuesday, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.81 ERA, 14 saves) returned from the disabled list several days ago, so this may just be some routine soreness as he gets used to throwing at full strength again. He'll see team doctors to determine the cause of the soreness.
Description: Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire says reliever Matt Capps is close to returning to his role as the team's full-time closer.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.29 ERA, 14 saves) missed some time with a shoulder injury so Saturday's scoreless outing against Oakland was his first appearance for the Twins since June 23. Glen Perkins (1-1, 3.11 ERA, four saves) was used as Minnesota's primary closer while Capps was on the DL.
Description: Twins closer Matt Capps (shoulder) may be able to return to the closer role as the team opens the second half of the season next Friday, provided all goes well during his minor league rehab assignment.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.42 ERA) will pitch Monday and Wednesday with Class-A Fort Myers while the Twins are on the All-Star break.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer owned Wednesday's starter Justin Verlander, but he struggles against Rick Porcello, who will start against the Twins Thursday.
Insight: Mauer is 5-for-22 (.227) with a .655 OPS against Porcello. The catcher is too hot to sit in fantasy leagues, but he may be in line for a poor day at the plate.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Denard Span has nine hits in 26 career at-bats against Tigers starter Rick Porcello.
Insight: None of the nine hits went for extra-bases. Span (.273, 3 HR, 22 RBIs, 39 R, 9 SB) shouldn't be owned in mixed leagues, but AL-only owners should stick the outfielder in the lineup today.
Description: Minnesota catcher/1B/DH Joe Mauer is a career .392 hitter (20-for-51) against Detroit ace Justin Verlander and has even taken him deep three times.
Insight: Mauer is batting over .400 for the past month and leads the league in on base percentage. Don't be afraid to start him against Verlander.
Description: Minnesota catcher/DH Joe Mauer is seeking his first career hit off Detroit starter Doug Fister. He's been unsuccessful in 13 at-bats with only a pair of walks to show for it.
Insight: Mauer is putting together another high average, low power season. He should take advice from Justin Morneau, who is 5-for-9 against Fister.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .556 hitter (5-for-9) versus Detroit starter Doug Foster.
Insight: Morneau (.239, 10 HR, 34 RBI) is not the fantasy star he was a few years ago, but he has hit for a .316 average this week and has a favorable matchup on Monday night.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is out to prove his power surge in early June wasn't a fluke. Plouffe belted two homers Sunday against Kansas City.
Insight: Plouffe has three homers in the last three games and 18 on the year. While it's unlikely he'll repeat his stretch of nine homers in 12 games from the beginning of June, he should be a nice source of power for the rest of the season.
Description: C/DH Ryan Doumit is not in the starting lineup for Minnesota on Sunday.
Insight: Doumit (.276, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs) went 2-4 with a double and an RBI in the first game of the Twins' doubleheader on Saturday. He signed a two-year, $7 million extension with Minnesota late last week.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe collected two hits Saturday in Minnesota's 7-2 win over the Royals including his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.
Insight: Plouffe (.245, 16 HRs, 29 RBIs) entered the month with 15 career homers. He hit 11 in June. Who knows what the rest of the season holds for Plouffe, but he was pretty amazing in the month of June.
Description: Minnesota C/DH Ryan Doumit will not participate in Saturday night's game against Kansas City.
Insight: With Doumit (.276, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs) getting the night off, Justin Morneau (.234, 10 HRs, 34 RBIs) will slide to DH with Chris Parmelee (.186, 0 HRs, 3 RBIs) getting the nod at first base.
Description: Minnesota catcher/DH Joe Mauer is a career .450 hitter (9-for-20) versus Royals starter Luke Hochevar with a 1.227 OPS.
Insight: Mauer is in the middle of a hot streak, batting .411 over the past four weeks, however, his .952 OPS in that span speaks volumes about his lack of power. Of his 23 hits over the last 16 games, 18 were singles and the other five were doubles.
Description: Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn may have won three of his last four starts, but don't be blinded by the wins, he's not pitching well.
Insight: The 3-0 record with a no-decision in his last four starts comes with a 6.00 ERA and 1.666 WHIP. He's also recorded just seven strikeouts in his last 21 innings pitched.
Description: Minnesota catcher/DH Joe Mauer is a career .436 hitter (17-for-39) versus White Sox starter Gavin Floyd with three homers and a 1.362 OPS.
Insight: Mauer, who missed four days last week with a bad quad, is 6-for-12 in the four games since returning to the lineup. He's a must-start on Tuesday.
Description: Twins outfielder Denard Span is a career .517 hitter (15-for-29) against Chicago starter Gavin Floyd.
Insight: Span has been struggling this week, batting just .190 in six games, but this favorable matchup could be just the thing to get his swing going again.
Description: Twins closer Matt Capps has been placed on the DL because of right shoulder tendinitis.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.42 ERA) reinjured himself in a game against the Reds on Saturday. An MRI on Capps' shoulder didn't reveal anything too serious so hopefully the Minnesota righthander can return from the DL when he is first eligible to.
Description: Minnesota closer Matt Capps is still dealing with shoulder soreness. Capps made his first appearance in over a week Saturday against the Reds, allowing one run and one hit in one inning of work.
Insight: Capps could be headed to the DL following this most recent setback. Look for Glen Perkins (1-1, 2.93 ERA) to be the Twins' primary closer in Capps' absence.
Description: Josh Willingham's two-run homer off of Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning gave Minnesota a 4-3 victory over the Reds on Sunday.
Insight: The Twins left fielder is now on pace to finish the year with 34 home runs and 112 RBIs, which would both be career highs. Willingham (.278, 15 HRs, 49 RBIs) went 3-10 in the Cincinnati series.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond bounced back with eight innings of three-run ball Sunday against the Reds to win his sixth game of the season. Diamond allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Insight: Diamond allowed four earned runs in each of his last two starts after starting out 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA. He got back on track Sunday with a solid effort, though he gives up a ton of hits and doesn't strike out many batters so he should only be owned in deeper leagues.
Description: Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Sunday afternoon against the Reds.
Insight: Plouffe is trying to prove his stretch of nine homers in 12 games wasn't a fluke. This is his first blast in eight games since that outburst, though he is batting .276 in 29 at-bats in that span.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer returned to the lineup Saturday at Cincinnati after missing this entire week with a bruised quad. Mauer started at first base and went 1-for-4.
Insight: Mauer is still experiencing pain when he gets into a crouching position, so he may get a day off again tomorrow unless manager Ron Gardenhire decides to sit Justin Morneau for a second straight game.
Description: Minnesota outfielder Ben Revere went 4-for-4 with two steals Friday against Cincinnati.
Insight: Revere came in having gone 0-for-12 in his last three games. Friday's performance raises his average to .320 and he now has 14 steals. Clearly, Revere is going to run whenever he gets on base, so hopefully he can keep picking up hits.
Description: Minnesota C/DH Ryan Doumit went 4-for-4 with a double and a solo homer Friday against the Reds.
Insight: Doumit will start at catcher until Joe Mauer returns from his quad injury. You can likely do better at that position, however, despite Doumit's big night.
Description: Twins pitcher Brian Duensing will start Saturday's game against the Reds.
Insight: Duensing is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 30 relief appearances this season. Though he went 9-14 with a 5.23 ERA in 32 appearances (28 starts) last year, he was 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 13 starts for Minnesota in 2010. He's worth a flier in AL-only leagues.
Description: Minnesota closer Matt Capps could be available Friday against the Reds. Capps has been out since last Saturday with shoulder soreness.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.55 ERA), who is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, has saved 14 games in 15 chances. The closer threw before Wednesday's game against the Pirates and felt a lot better, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is expected to miss Friday's game against Cincinnati. He's been out most of the week with a bruised right quad. Mauer may miss the entire weekend series against Cincinnati, according to ESPN's Phil Mackey, as he still cannot get into a crouching position.
Insight: Ryan Doumit (.253, 6 HR, 30 RBI) starts at catcher in Mauer's place.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer is expected to miss Friday's game against Cincinnati. He's been out most of the week with a bruised right quad.
Insight: Ryan Doumit (.253, 6 HR, 30 RBI) starts at catcher in Mauer's place.
Description: Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer will not play Thursday night against the Pirates. He's been out most of the week with a bruised quad.
Insight: The Twins catcher and former AL MVP is still available to pinch-hit so it doesn't appear that he's headed for the DL. Ryan Doumit (.253, 6 HRs, 30 RBIs) started at catcher in Mauer's place Wednesday night and will probably do so again on Thursday.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer won't play Wednesday night against Pittsburgh. He has been out since with a quad injury since reinjuring himself on Sunday.
Insight: Mauer's status for Thursday's night game against the Pirates is up in the air as well.
Description: Minnesota closer Matt Capps is questionable for Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh. He's still battling a sore shoulder.
Insight: Capps (1-4, 3.55 ERA), who hasn't pitched since Friday has converted 14 saves in 15 chances. Either Jared Burton and Glen Perkins will get any save opportunities in Capps absence.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is questionable for Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh with a bruised right quadriceps. Mauer's quad was banged up in a home-plate collision with Rickie Weeks in the second inning Sunday.
Insight: Mauer continues to be the .300 hitter we all expect, just with doubles power. He's likely never again hit 28 homers as he did in 2009.
Description: Twins first baseman Justin Morneau is a career .407 hitter (11-for-27) versus Pittsburgh starter Erik Bedard with a pair of homers and 11 RBI.
Insight: Morneau (.233, 10 HR, 33 RBI) is not the fantasy star he was a few years ago. Time and a concussion have robbed him of that, but in this matchup he's worth a one-time shot.
Description: Twins starter Scott Diamond dropped his second straight start Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Diamond gave up four earned runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Insight: Diamond (5-3) started out 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA in his first seven starts, but he's been tagged for four runs in each of his last two starts. Diamond was 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA at Triple-A Rochester before he was called up this season, but he went 5-19 with a 5.44 ERA combined between Rochester and Minnesota last year.
Description: Twins catcher Joe Mauer (quad) is available to pinch-hit Tuesday.
Insight: Mauer's quad was banged up in a home-plate collision with Rickie Weeks in the second inning Sunday after missing Saturday's game with a sore hamstring. It should be just one more day on the bench for Minnesota's catcher before he's able to start.
