Twins Reveal Lineup as Emmanuel Rodriguez Makes MLB Debut Against Guardians

After they lost the first game of the series, the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians are slated to play the second game of their three-game set.

With the Twins sitting 5.5 games of a wild-card spot and the Guardians being one of the teams they need to jump if they intend to make the postseason, that makes the gravity of Saturday's game even greater. The Guardians are in the thick of the division fight and will be playing hard to get this win. It's important the Twins come out today with some intensity.

For the Twins, it will be left-hander Connor Prielipp. This season, Prielipp holds a 4-7 record with a 5.25 ERA. Prilepp got skipped in the Twins rotation last time through, which resulted in Prielipp being used in the bullpen, where he gave up two runs and took the loss against the Tigers last Monday. In two starts and 10.0 innings pitched against the Guardians, Prielipp has posted a 3.60 ERA.

For the Guardians, it will be RHP Daniel Espino. This season, Espino has a 0-0 record with a 2.70 ERA. Based on his innings pitched, Espino is the opener for the Guardians. It's expected that both Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi will make appearances in the game to provide length for the Guardians. The Twins need to take advantage of the pitching chaos that the Guardians are going to throw at them.

First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT at Target Field. The game will be televised on TwinsTV.

Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup

Luke Keaschall -- RF
Brooks Lee -- 3B
Kody Clemens -- 2B
Josh Bell -- DH
Royce Lewis -- 1B
Kaelen Culpepper -- SS
Victor Caratini -- C
Austin Martin -- LF
Emmanuel Rodriguez -- CF

Lineup Notes

Emmanuel Rodriguez bats ninth in his MLB debut. He will play center field as Walker Jenkins gets an off day.
Ryan Jeffers gets the day off, with Victor Caratini taking over the catching duties.

Roster Moves

Minnesota Twins center fielder Emmanuel Rodriguez. Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before the game, the Twins called up OF Emmanuel Rodriguez from Triple-A St. Paul. Rodriguez is one of the Twins' top-100 prospects. This season in AAA, Rodriguez was slashing .289/.417/.511 with a .928 OPS. The hope is that Rodriguez will be another rookie to provide a spark in the Twins lineup. They are going to need to give him a steady helping of playing time, which they were not committed to doing with either Gabby Gonzalez or Ben Ross, who was optioned to AAA as the corresponding move.

Matchups to Watch

Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee. Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Travis Bazzana vs. Connor Prielipp

Travis Bazzana has had a really solid rookie campaign, though he's cooled off in the second half. In his career against Prielipp, he is 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. The one was a two-run home run. If Prielipp is to be successful in the outing, he will need to control Bazzana because, with the rest of the Guardians' lineup being largely solid, sometimes the best plan is to go for the attack against the rookie.

Brooks Lee vs. Slade Cecconi

The Twins need to take advantage of the matchup today. They should be able to get to the Guardians' bullpen, and that starts with Brooks Lee. In his career against Cecconi, Lee is 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. The Twins need a big day from Lee, and they've gotten production from him a lot as of late. The hope is that continues to

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