Smeltzer expected to start for Minnesota at Kansas City

Updated Aug. 7, 2020 3:20 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Minnesota Twins (10-3, first in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (4-10, fifth in the AL Central)

Kansas City, Kansas; Friday, 8:05 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: Devin Smeltzer (1-0, 11.57 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 7 strikeouts) Royals: Jakob Junis (0-0, 4.15 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 2 strikeouts)

LINE: Twins favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 9 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Twins visit the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

The Royals went 31-45 in division play in 2019. Kansas City hit .247 as a team last season while averaging 8.4 hits per game.

The Twins went 50-26 in division games in 2019. Minnesota hit .270 as a team and averaged four extra base hits per game last season.

The teams meet for the first time this year.

INJURIES: Royals: Glenn Sparkman: (right forearm), Randy Rosario: (undisclosed), Mike Montgomery: (lat strain), Foster Griffin: (forearm), Chance Adams: (undisclosed), Bubba Starling: (right forearm), Franchy Cordero: (undisclosed), Kelvin Gutierrez: (elbow).

Twins: Jake Odorizzi: (back), Zack Littell: (hamstring), Rich Hill: (shoulder), Homer Bailey: (biceps), Josh Donaldson: (calf).

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