Kennedy set to return for Royals in second game of doubleheader
MINNEAPOLIS -- Weather has been a tough opponent for the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins this season.
Saturday's home game against the Kansas City Royals was postponed with rain in the forecast all day long. The game will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on Sunday. The two teams will play the makeup game 30 minutes after the conclusion of the regularly scheduled 1:10 CT game.
It's the second postponement this year between Minnesota and Kansas City and the fifth of the season for the Twins, who have played the fewest games in the majors. Minnesota has had three home games postponed this season.
The Twins are 6-0 against the Royals this season after Friday night's 4-3 win in 10 innings.
"I think going against any team right now, we're pretty confident," Minnesota starter Hector Santiago said.
Phil Hughes (4-2, 5.23 ERA) will start the first game on Sunday for the Twins and rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 5.79) will start the makeup game. Mejia has not been added to the active roster yet as Minnesota has waited on the weather to determine how Mejia will be activated. He is on the roster of Triple-A Rochester and is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in Triple-A this season.
Hughes' career record vs. Kansas City is 8-5 with a 5.01 ERA in 15 games (14 starts). He is 1-0 with 6.35 ERA against the Royals this season.
Mejia, who has made one career appearance (0-0, 7.71) against Kansas City, could be activated as the 26th player for the doubleheader, but the team is still trying to decipher how they will change the roster. The Twins also need a starter for Monday in Baltimore after Wednesday's game against Colorado was postponed and made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday.
Ian Kennedy is on the 10-day disabled list and will be activated to start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. Kennedy is returning from a right hamstring strain.
The Royals recalled rookie right-hander Jake Junis from Triple-A Omaha to start the first game. Junis will be making his first big-league start but pitched two innings in relief in earlier stints with the team.
Kennedy's career record vs. Minnesota is 4-2 with a 3.74 ERA in nine starts. He is 0-1 against the Twins this season with a 4.35 ERA.
"He's good to go, but we'll wait," Royals manager Ned Yost said Friday.
Yost did say Kennedy (0-3, 3.03) would pitch whenever the game is played.
"This is in our division," Yost said. "They're leading our division, this is a pretty good series."
Yost told the Kansas City Star that Sunday's scheduled starter, Jason Hammel (1-5, 6.20), would be pushed back to start Monday in New York.
Adding to the pitching questions, starter Nate Karns left Friday's game with stiffness in the top of his pitching arm.
"Of course, he's getting looked at," Yost said Saturday. "But we have no updates. ... It's muscle. It's stiffness, and it's really pinpoint in one spot."
