Logan Morrison won’t be in the lineup Friday when the Minnesota Twins continue a four-game series with Tampa Bay at Target Field.
Minnesota placed its designated hitter on the disabled list Thursday after he was diagnosed with an impingement in his left hip, an issue Morrison said he’s been dealing with for a few days but isn’t expected to be serious.
With the All-Star break coming up, Morrison, who spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay, would miss a minimum of six games and would be eligible to return July 22.
“I expect to be back in 10 days,” Morrison said. “Pretty minor, just aggravation of kind of a chronic thing that has been going on. A little rest, some medicine, should be fine.”
It’s the latest setback in an already disappointing season for Morrison, who signed a one-year contract with the Twins during spring training. Morrison, expected to provide some pop to Minnesota’s offense, has struggled at the plate all season and is batting .193 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs.
He’s not blaming the hip for his lack of production but manager Paul Molitor suggested it could be the reason for other problems that have kept Morrison out of the lineup at times this season.
“Maybe subconsciously you’re kind of compensating for it, and the next thing you know, your back’s a little sore and your groin gets tight and some of those type of things,” Molitor said. “But he’s been managing it fairly well. I don’t think it’s in the excuse category at all for him, but we’ve been talking about this for a while.”
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi (4-6, 4.28 ERA) gets the start Friday and will face his former team for the first time. He was traded by the Rays to the Twins during the off-season. Odorizzi is trying to finish the first half on a high note and has a 1.06 ERA over his last three outings. That stretch had brought his name into the mix as the trade deadline approaches but after winning seven of their last eight games, the Twins (42-49) are brushing off the notion of a fire sale.
“It’s a tough spot to be in for (the front office),” Odorizzi said. “I don’t really envy it. We just have to take care of our business and let them do their thing. I like the way we’re going right now. You can start to see that confidence come out from everybody. We’re playing the right way.”
After having their own five-game winning streak snapped Thursday in the rain-delayed series opener, the Rays (48-45) will look to get back to their winning ways behind Nathan Eovaldi (3-3, 3.35).
The right-hander was perfect through six innings his last time out, marking the second time this season he’s no-hit an opponent for six innings or more.
A single by the Mets’ Brandon Nimmo to lead off the seventh brought that bid to an end and despite getting out of the inning without any further damage, manager Kevin Cash decided to turn to the bullpen.
“We came out of spring training saying any opportunity to limit his workload, we would take it,” Cash said. “He definitely could have gone more.”
Evoldi is 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA in four career starts against the Twins but hasn’t faced them since June 26, 2016.
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