Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are in first place in the American League Central even though third baseman Miguel Sano has yet to play this season after he suffered a right heel laceration.

His status is set to change.

The Twins announced they reinstated Sano from the injured list and placed catcher Mitch Garver on the 10-day IL with a high left ankle sprain he suffered in Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Sano was an All-Star during the 2017 season, which saw him slash .264/.352/.507 with a career-best 28 home runs and 77 RBI. However, he spent time in the minor leagues and dealt with a knee injury last year, appearing in just 71 games and posting a .199 batting average, 13 home runs and 41 RBI.

It was a disappointing follow-up effort to his first All-Star appearance, although he flashed an improved bat during his rehab assignment in 10 games in the minor leagues with a .316 average, two home runs and four doubles.

If he can bring that offensive output to the major leagues, an already formidable Twins squad can create more separation in the AL Central than their four-game lead.

The loss of Garver is significant, though, because he was in the middle of a breakout season with a .329/.418/.747 slash line and nine home runs.

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz left Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers with a left wrist injury.

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Cruz will undergo an MRI on Monday.

The 38-year-old spent time on the injured list last season after slipping down the dugout steps in a 6-5 loss against the Cleveland Indians in the second game of the season.

In 144 games with the Seattle Mariners last season, he posted a .256/.342/.509 slash line with 37 homers. The Twins were able to sign Cruz to a one-year deal in the offseason, adding him to a lineup that finished 23rd in MLB with 166 homers.

Through 34 games with his new team, Cruz is hitting .276/.362/.520 with seven home runs.

Durability hasn't been an issue for Cruz, even in his veteran years. The last time he didn't reach 150 games in a season was with the Texas Rangers in 2013, and that was due to a 50-game suspension for his connection to the Biogenesis scandal.

The Twins are off to a great start in 2019, owning the AL Central's best record (25-14), after a disappointing 78-84 record last season. Losing Cruz's power in the middle of the lineup will hurt their offense. Manager Rocco Baldelli can use a rotation of Eddie Rosario, Marwin Gonzalez and C.J. Cron at DH for the time being.

Jorge Polanco got his weekend off to a great start by becoming the first Major League Baseball player to hit for the cycle in 2019 on Friday. 

The Minnesota Twins shortstop completed his masterpiece by hitting a double off Philadelphia Phillies reliever Adam Morgan down the left field line in the top of the seventh:

Per MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park, Polanco hit the 11th cycle in Twins history and became their first player to do it since Michael Cuddyer in 2009. 

Polanco has established himself as a key player for the Twins since making his MLB debut in 2014. Last season, the 25-year-old had a career-high .345 on-base percentage (excluding his nine games across 2014-15) and slugged .427. 

Based on the early results for Polanco in 2019, highlighted by his cycle, he could be in store for even bigger things moving forward.          

The Minnesota Twins confirmed Monday they signed utility man Marwin Gonzalez to a two-year contract. 

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday the deal is worth $21 million

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first broke the news that an agreement had been reached.

Landing Gonzalez didn't come easy, though. Heyman reported in early November that the 29-year-old had a "monster market" and that "practically every team" had interest.

After spending the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Houston Astros, this will be the first time he has changed uniforms.

Gonzalez enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2017, posting career highs in average (.303), on-base percentage (.377), home runs (23), doubles (34) and RBI (90). That strong performance played a key role in helping the Astros win their first World Series title that year.

While he wasn't able to duplicate those numbers last year, he still put up a respectable stat line.

Gonzalez hit .247 with 16 home runs, 25 doubles, three triples and 68 RBI in 145 games for Houston in 2018. Not only did he produce runs at the plate, but he also provided value with his versatility on defense, having played every position except pitcher and catcher. He has played shortstop more than any other position, though.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported Thursday that Minnesota had explored a three-year deal for the versatile free agent. Ultimately, though, the two sides reached an agreement on a shorter contract.

Signing Gonzalez gives first-year manager Rocco Baldelli options to work with. Third baseman Miguel Sano has yet to make it through an entire big-league season healthy and even struggled so mightily last year that he was demoted to the minors—and all the way to Single-A. Having Gonzalez available to shift over to the hot corner could turn out to be a valuable insurance asset.

This is just the latest move made by the Twins this offseason in an effort to boost their offense. Minnesota previously signed six-time All-Star Nelson Cruz to fill their designated-hitter vacancy and 2017 All-Star Jonathan Schoop to handle second base.

The Minnesota Twins reportedly agreed to contract extensions with both outfielder Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco on Thursday.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Kepler's extension is worth $35 million over five years with a sixth-year option for $10 million, including a $1 million buyout. Passan added that Polanco agreed to a five-year, $25.8 million deal with two club options.

The 26-year-old Kepler is set to enter his fifth MLB season and has spent his entire career with the Twins. Last season, the Germany native hit just .224, but he popped a career-high 20 home runs, scored a career-high 80 runs and registered 58 RBI.

Kepler's most productive season to date was 2017, when he slashed .243/.312/.425 with 19 homers, 69 RBI and 67 runs.

Minnesota had previously avoided arbitration with Kepler for 2019 by signing him to a one-year, $3.1 million deal.

Polanco, 25, has appeared in games across five MLB seasons, but he has only been a significant part of the Twins' roster over the past three.

Last season, Polanco appeared in 77 games and hit .288 with six home runs and 42 RBI. It was a significant drop-off from his career year in 2017, when he slashed .256/.313/.410 with 13 homers, 74 RBI, 60 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.

Part of the issue for Polanco in 2018 was the fact that he was suspended 80 games for violating MLB's policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

Both Kepler and Polanco are penciled in as starters and important parts of Minnesota's lineup in 2019 and beyond.

After surprisingly making the playoffs in 2017, the Twins took a step back last season by going 78-84. With the additions of sluggers Nelson Cruz and Jonathan Schoop, as well as the continued development of their younger players, however, Minnesota has a chance to be far more competitive in 2019.