Twins vs Rangers News and Notes

Probables (all games FSN)

• Thursday, 7:10pm: Vance Worley vs. Nick Tepesch
  
• Friday, 7:10pm: Scott Diamond vs. Justin Grimm
  
• Saturday, 3:10pm: Pedro Hernandez vs. Derek Holland
  
• Sunday, 1:10pm: Kevin Correia vs. Alexi Ogando

Rangers Notes

• Tepesch left his last start after Jesus Montero nailed him in the wrist with a line drive in Seattle, but he threw a bullpen session and is good to go for today.
  
• We won't be seeing All-Star starter Matt Harrison pitching for the Rangers for awhile. He's out, probably until after the All-Star Break, after having surgery to fix a herniated disk in his back. Nor will we see Colby Lewis, who is still recovering from last summer's elbow surgery, but is back to throwing bullpen sessions.
  
• Utility man Jeff Baker hurt himself crashing into the wall the other day, but after missing Wednesday's game, he'll be available this weekend, according to ESPN Dallas.

Twins Notes

• After another terrible start, Mike Pelfrey's 7.94 ERA is bad enough, but it's worth remembering that he gave up zero earned runs in his first start of the year. Since then, he owns an 11.57 ERA in 11.2 innings over three starts, a stretch in which opposing hitters are batting .414 against him.
  
• I admit, I do not understand Wilkin Ramirez's injury. He's pinch-hit just once since being hit with a pickoff throw, and didn't play at all Tuesday, despite the doubleheader. He's listed as having a "back contusion," which doesn't seem that debilitating; the throw must have hit him in the head. This is starting to feel like hockey, where a player whose head was severed from his shoulders would be described as "day-to-day with an upper-body injury."
• As Phil Miller points out in the Star Tribune today, Brian Dozier is batting .389 in the leadoff role. And Aaron Hicks has a .476 OBP since dropping down in the lineup! (That's eight walks and two hits, good for a .167 batting average, but hey, it's something.)