Minnesota @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 30, 2010 ) Minnesota 9, Cleveland 3
The numbers haven't been pretty since Justin Masterson joined the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians had high hopes for the right-handed pitcher when they acquired him from Boston in the deal that sent Victor Martinez to the Red Sox at last season's trade deadline.
The results haven't been there so far as Masterson takes the mound against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night. He's 1-11 in 15 appearances - 14 starts - in a Cleveland uniform. The only win came on Aug. 20 last season when he defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Masterson has lost nine straight decisions and the Indians are 1-3 in his four starts this season.
To complicate matters even more, the bullpen has been overworked in all of Masterson's outings. His longest start has been six innings. He has pitched five innings once and four innings in two other starts.
The Indians, like the Red Sox, have had debates on whether the 25-year-old Masterson should be a starter or a reliever. The Indians, with few other options in the majors or at Triple-A Columbus, are committed for now to keep him in the rotation, but the results need to change at some point.
The Twins will have some questions of their own when Jeff Manship, called up from Triple-A Rochester, makes his first start of the season. The right-hander takes the spot of Nick Blackburn, who was placed on the family medical emergency list Friday.
Kevin Slowey was moved up a day to start Friday and got the win, but the Twins needed a pitcher for Saturday. Manship was 2-2 with a 3.48 ERA in four starts for Rochester. He made 11 appearances - four starts - for the Twins last season, going 1-1 with a 5.69 ERA.
Manager Ron Gardenhire used four relievers for an inning apiece in Friday night's 9-3 win, so it will be important for the 25-year-old Manship to get through the early part of the game at the very least.
Manship's stay could be brief. The Twins hope Blackburn will be back when the team returns to Minnesota to begin a homestand on Monday.
Justin Morneau returned to the lineup Friday and hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat off Fausto Carmona. Morneau hadn't played since leaving Tuesday's game with back stiffness.
While the Twins, who are coming off their first series loss of the season in Detroit, rolled through April on top of the AL Central, the Indians struggled once again in the season's first month. Cleveland has had a losing record in April the last three seasons. The Indians have lost four of five and already trail the Twins by 5 1-2 games.