Joe Ryan pitched at Target Field on Thursday as scheduled, but the atmosphere was a little different from what he had planned for. The righthander threw a normal bullpen session, then trudged across the outfield in a silent and empty Target Field.
Had things gone a little differently the night before, he would have been making final preparations for his winner-take-all start in Game 3 against the Blue Jays, in front of a decibel-busting crowd hungry for a series victory.
The series has been won, however, and another is about to begin. So is it safe to assume that Ryan's next start will come Saturday afternoon in Houston?
The Twins' position: We'll get back to you.
"There are definitely some considerations any time you go into a series — matchups and who lines up, where your bullpen guys are going to slot," Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said. "As it stands today, we'll work through that over the next 24 to 48 hours."
Hesitation over announcing pitching plans is nothing new for the Twins, and given the heightened stakes in the postseason, it's no surprise the Twins' scouting and baseball research departments are reviewing every possibility. And it remains possible that Ryan, who allowed nine runs in 10 innings during his two starts against the Astros this season, could be passed over for the tone-setting assignment.
Kenta Maeda, for instance, hasn't faced the Astros since 2021, but pitched five shutout innings against them in the 2020 playoffs. Bailey Ober also hasn't faced Houston since 2021, but posted a 2.08 ERA in his four starts last month.
"Obviously, Joe is going to be a big part of this, as is Kenta, Bailey, Pablo [López], Sonny [Gray]. We have so many guys on this staff that could start games, and big games, for us," Falvey said. "They're going to need to pitch well."
López is all but certain to start Game 2 on Sunday, going on normal four days of rest, because it would allow him to also start a series-deciding Game 5 if necessary. But whoever starts Game 1 will not be on normal rest for a potential Game 4 on Wednesday, which means the Twins almost certainly will start four different pitchers in the first four games.
So will the Astros, of course, who announced Thursday that longtime Twins nemesis Justin Verlander will start Game 1, and All-Star lefthander Framber Valdez will pitch Game 2.
"We'll work [our plans] out over the next couple of days," Falvey said, "and make sure we're all synced up going into Saturday."
Domino effect
Adding Ober to the roster would also prompt another decision: Who gets removed?
Falvey hinted that it won't be a pitcher.
"We haven't finalized anything. We'll talk about what we just did with a 14-and-12" split, meaning 14 position players and 12 pitchers, Falvey said. "You'll see more 13-and-13 this round. Those will be the conversations we're probably going to have over the next 24 hours."
Lingering injuries could have an impact, but if the other spots remain the same, outfielder Andrew Stevenson seems to be the most logical choice to be deactivated for the Division Series round.
It's happened to Stevenson before. In 2019, Stevenson pinch ran for Ryan Zimmerman and scored the tying run for the Nationals in the one-game wild-card playoff. Then he watched the NL Division Series, Championship Series and World Series from Washington's dugout, on the team but no longer on the playoff roster.
Buxton likely out
Byron Buxton will accompany the Twins to Houston and will work out, but it appears unlikely that he will be activated for the series after sitting out the wild-card series because of a sore knee, especially since that would require another roster transaction. There is no certainty that Royce Lewis, still slowed because of his strained left hamstring, will be able to resume playing third base, which also affects the team's lineup flexibility.
Still, Falvey didn't completely rule out Buxton's return.
"He'll continue to work out. He'll get some live [at-bats] and things we can do on the field," Falvey said. "That'll be the plan, and we'll assess that come Saturday, just like we did the last series."
Carlos Correa's right hand, struck by a 99-mph fastball Wednesday, shouldn't be a problem, Falvey said. "It's the postseason and he's ready to go," Falvey said.
Buddy up
As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lay on the ground at second base after being picked off to end the fifth inning Wednesday, the Twins jogged off the field and everyone focused on the Blue Jays' challenge of the out.
Everyone but Willi Castro, who made an unusual detour. As he jogged past Guerrero, he noticed the Jays star's helmet lying 10 feet away. Castro stopped, picked up the helmet and gently placed it beside Guerrero.
Just being polite to a friend, Castro said Thursday.
"I came up with him in the minors. I know him pretty well," Castro said. "I didn't say anything, I know he was upset. But I saw the helmet was far away, so I helped him out."
