Fade bait: Twins can`t deal with injuries

Fade bait: Twins can`t deal with injuries   

 

By Josh Hansen
Sun, Jul 16, 2006  

 

A set of bad breaks is slowing down Minnesota`s speedy outfield. But the bleeding doesn`t stop there.

 

Lew Ford, Shannon Stewart and most notably, Torii Hunter, are all nursing their respective injuries and with the exception of Hunter, will be out of Minnesota’s lineup for at least today’s series-opener with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Both Stewart and Ford are on the 15-day DL after an MRI on Hunter’s left foot revealed a stress fracture, he was also placed on the 15-day DL Sunday.

 

“For that team, there is no margin of error. Pretty much anything less than a 100 percent healthy roster is bad news,” says Covers Expert Larry Ness.

 

Minnesota’s small-ball, small market attitude doesn’t afford the Twins any options should someone like Hunter, arguably the X-Factor among those injured, hit the DL for a prolonged length of time.

 

Hunter left Saturday’s game after two innings with shooting pains in his left foot. X-Rays taken after the game were inconclusive but team officials believe the injury is related to Hunter`s season-ending injury from last year.

 

The Twins did nothing except drop six of the next seven without Hunter in 2005, but finished with a respectable 28-31 record in the two months he missed with a broken ankle.

 

A similar outcome is in the cards considering Minnesota’s upcoming schedule.

 

Beginning today, the Twins play the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before heading to Cleveland, Chicago and then back home versus Detroit. While Minnesota is a league-best 32-11 at home, playing those teams on the road will present a problem for the Twins, who rank among the bottom five in road scoring.

 

“It will hurt them when they go on the road more than at home because they’ve built their team to play around that dome,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “That will hurt them more especially when they run into some tough pitching against Chicago.”

 

Adding insult to injury is Minnesota’s 11-21 record versus Central division opponents.

 

After the upcoming four-game set with the Devil Rays, the Twins play eight games versus division opponents, lining Minnesota up for a second half decline, according to Ness.

 

“Look at their Central record and overall record versus the American League and it doesn’t bold well for the second half,” says Ness.

 

“This upcoming stretch, is not one in which you’d expect to see them win many games.”