Terry Ryan’s media availability was far more in-depth on Saturday than it was on Friday. Ryan touched on a number of subjects, including Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and an update on Alex Meyer, among others.

As a brief aside, this is a fantastic bit of access for Twins reporters. I’ve asked around other teams’ reporters and have yet to hear one say they have any sort of access to decision makers, or anything even close to it. Sometimes the context around Terry’s quotes can be tough to gauge, but he understands that media has a job to do, and is very accommodating and accountable to that.

• Ryan said Friday that Alex Meyer would throw a bullpen on Sunday, and the hope is to get him back on the mound sooner rather than later. “I would hope soon,” Ryan said. “He’s on the right path.” Ryan said that Meyer would resume starting once he returns, and that he didn’t require any sort of MRI or anything of the sort to determine the status of his shoulder. “He was just tired in the shoulder area. I guess he’s feeling pretty good. We’ll get him back out there.”
• Ryan said that Trevor May is struggling with location lately. “He’s pitching up around the belt,” Ryan said. “It’s as simple as that. The stuff is good but you can’t pitch around the belt. Everybody knows his stuff is good. He’s still having trouble commanding the fastball, and if you can’t locate it — especially against a club like this which is power oriented — well, obviously they’re comfortable in the box right now. They look awfully good. Coming in, they were struggling.”
• Ryan was asked if a role change could take some of the pressure off May: “We’ve moved him a little bit here. We’re trying to make sure he gets every opportunity to right himself — it’s hard. We moved him to the pen last year and he flourished. Molitor has put him in there a little earlier and a little later — we’re trying. We’ll get him right. Now it’s a matter of getting everything under control. Your emotions and mechanics. Let’s get down to business and get some people out. The good thing is that he’s receptive. He wants to be a guy. There’s no doubt he’s a competitive guy. He’s angry when it doesn’t go well, but he doesn’t get too down. He’ll bounce back. He has the temperament to be a guy. He wants to win.”
• Byron Buxton is still expected back in the Rochester lineup today. Ryan had a detailed answer about what he wanted to see from Buxton down there: “I’d like to see him take competitive, dangerous at-bats,” Ryan said. “The running, the throwing, the fielding and the base stealing….that’s all in pretty good shape. He’s hitting for a high average down there. I’m looking for him to drive the ball more. Looking for him to make sure he lays off balls outside of the zone. Things like that. We all want Buxton to come back sooner rather than later, now it’s just up to him. (Max) Kepler’s doing some of those things too.”
• Ryan said Kepler could handle center if needed, and briefly mentioned that he’s started to heat up after a slow start, which included not playing a ton when up with the Twins. Over Kepler’s last 10 games at Rochester, he’s hitting .366/.447/.634 with three triples, two doubles and a home run.

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.

All Articles