Good late morning and early afternoon, Twins fans. Here are a few nuggets for your digestion before this afternoon's game.
Twins Option Tyler Robertson to Triple-A, Anthony Swarzak Recalled
Chris Davis' grand slam on Friday certainly didn't help Roberton's cause at such an early juncture this season, but this decision is certainly based off of more than just one plate appearance. He certainly didn't put all of those runners on base and of the three outs he's recorded two have come on strikeouts. The reality is that, with Anthony Swarzak ready to go and the Twins in need of a pitcher capable of going two or three innings on short notice, somebody was going to be sent down. Robertson has options, which makes him a viable candidate.
Speaking of Swarzak, Bryz had a great picture of him in yesterday morning's Baseball & Breakfast. Hopefully the Twins don't need to turn to him too often. A fool's hope, certainly.
Pedro Hernandez, Starting Pitcher
I thought that Hernandez and Eduardo Escobar would both be in the lineup today, but Escobar is on the bench. It just seemed like a good opportunity to show off both of the pieces the organization picked up in return for Francisco Liriano last year. Oh well, back to Hernandez.
In his one Major League appearance, he started for the White Sox. He allowed 12 hits in four innings, including three homers, that led to eight runs. The good news is that he only walked one player, so that's nice. What else can we tell you about Hernandez?
He's a southpaw who can hit 91 or 92 with his fastball but generally sits 89 or 90, and he compliments it with a decent changeup and a below average slider. Baseball Prospect Nation has more:
He pounds the strike zone but has yet to consistently keep the ball down, leaving him prone to home runs. Some scouts I have spoken with like his change-up as an average pitch while his slider is below-average and lacks the bite to miss bats at the upper levels.
That's enough for now. Your game thread will be up in just a few!