Terry Ryan addressed the media prior to Thursday night’s game on a number of topics. Here are some of the key bulletpoints:

• The Twins went and got Robbie Grossman for a number of reasons, and have liked him a while. Ryan said the team tried to sign him in the offseason — a claim corroborated by Grossman himself prior to the game — and that the team coveted him because he can play all over the outfield, is a switch hitter and has some big league experience. Grossman was originally signed to supplement the roster at Rochester, but things changed quickly, Ryan said. “Most of the reports that have come in on him in the last 3-4 years say he’s a good ballplayer,” Ryan said. “Takes a professional at-bat. He runs pretty well. He throws pretty well. He was available. He’s relatively young; he’s 26.” Ryan added that while he isn’t a natural center fielder, he can handle it out there due to instincts and an average arm. Molitor and Ryan both expressed some skepticism about seeing him out there as opposed to the corners, however.
• Ryan said the Twins really just need to get Rosario going at Triple-A. “We’ve got to get him organized,” Ryan said. “He had a nice go here last year and he hit a lot of triples and threw a lot of guys out. He provided some production here last year that was desperately needed, and I thank him for that but we’ve got to get him organized now.”
• Ryan suggested the issues this year start with him. “It starts with my chair — I’m aware of that,” Ryan said. “I take that as serious as anything, because I’m the one that makes the decisions.”
• Ryan was asked if he can recall ever being this unpleasantly surprised, and gave a very long and detailed answer. “No,” Ryan said flatly. “And I think that’s a safe question and answer. This has been a difficult time for all of us, including the fans. I know that. But for us to have 10 wins and it’s May 19th? That’s almost unbelievable. But we are here. It’s realistic. Alright, we’ve better hurry up and get going here. This isn’t pretty at all. Yesterday was an ugly game. It felt like we got beat a heck of a lot more than 6-3 in that game, I know that, cause there were a lot of things that happened especially early that just doesn’t seem to be us, but unfortunately it’s been more the norm. Missing cutoff guys. Not picking up the ball and making a throw. Moving runners or at least taking a competitive at-bat. No one around here is asking for above what they’re capable of doing. We’ve got a lot of guys who are capable around here. We’re a quarter in; it’s not early anymore. If you’d have told me we’d be 10-29 at this point….there’s no way. But we are. It’s not been just pitching or hitting….it’s been fielding, baserunning, bad decisions….it’s been a lot of things that have accumulated over the course of the last six weeks. I’m not even talking about injuries. Everybody has injuries, we’ve just got a couple. It hasn’t been that we’ve had a bunch of guys out. We’ve had a couple situations we’ve had to adjust to, but nothing drastic or out of the norm when it comes to the injury front.”
• Ryan was also firm on the idea that he’s still behind Paul Molitor and how he’s handling his business. “He’s got a grasp of what exactly is going on,” Ryan said. “He’s living it. Unfortunately for him he’s the one that’s got to answer to it every day before and after the game. He has not lost his way. I’ve asked him to continue on with what he believes in. I’m sure that he will. There is such a thing as a guy — he’s got an air about him — he cares as much as anybody about this organization. I appreciate that. He hasn’t lost his way. He’s trying different things. He’s moving people around in lineups. He’s moved Mauer, Dozier….those are maybe the most prominent names in our lineup and he’s moving them because things aren’t working too well. He’s giving an effort and he’s not to the point….I don’t want him to the change his personality, because that’s a fake approach and a fake air. We’ve got to figure that starting pitching is the starting point of anybody getting back on our feet. We’ve got to get some starting pitching that’s going to get us into the depth of the game here once in a while. If you get some guys that throw it over, then we’re not picking it up too well.”

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Ryan also provided injury updates on Alex Meyer — will throw a bullpen Friday at Rochester — and Kyle Gibson, who is starting on Sunday and will again over the weekend at Fort Myers with Ryan in attendance. Ryan said he wanted to put eyes on Gibson in Fort Myers before deciding how he’ll progress on his rehab assignment. Molitor suggested Gibson would need three or four rehab starts before he’s ready to return to the Twins.

Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne covers the Minnesota Twins for Zone Coverage and is also the site's senior editor. He hosts the Midwest Swing podcast for the site as well. He and his wife Amanda live in the outer Twin Cities suburbs with their daughter, Harper.

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