It's back to work today for the Twins, who open a three-game series tonight at Colorado.
With the Twins hanging just below the .500 mark, there's all sorts of speculation on what they'll do leading up to baseball's July 31st trade deadline.
One thing certain, all-star Bryon Buxton isn't going anywhere.
"I'm a Minnesota twin for the rest of my life, so that's the best feeling in the world knowing," the centerfield said at this week's All-Star festivities in his hometown of Atlanta. "I get to walk into a clubhouse and it's going to say Twins for the rest of my life. I'm a Twin, that's home."
Fellow All-Star Joe Ryan has been in the rumor machine as a player that could be shopped by the Twins if they fall out of the race for a postseason spot. The young righthander would be an extremely valuable piece for a contender.
"Being someone that could get traded, it would be exciting," Ryan explained. "I mean, I do love Minnesota and I love where I'm at, so it would be sad. Definitely hard to go. But, at the end of the day, it's never up to me."
Ryan (9-4, 2.72 ERA) has continually come up as a potential target for the Red Sox and would certainly be of interest among the contending clubs.
We'll have a better idea on what the Twins will do by the end of this road trip, which includes three games against the Dodgers following the series against Colorado.
It'll certainly be a unique challenge for the Twins on this trip. Talk about a range of competition: The Rockies have been one of the worst teams in modern MLB history. The Dodgers are one of the World Series favorites.
Minnesota Twins (47-49, second in the AL Central) vs. Colorado Rockies (22-74, fifth in the NL West)
Denver; Friday, 7:40 p.m. Pregame at 7:00 p.m. on 830 WCCO and the Audacy App (in-market restrictions apply)
PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: Chris Paddack (3-8, 4.95 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 70 strikeouts); Rockies: Kyle Freeland (1-10, 5.44 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 67 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Twins -168, Rockies +140; over/under is 11 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies host the Minnesota Twins on Friday to start a three-game series.
Colorado has a 10-36 record in home games and a 22-74 record overall. The Rockies have a 7-14 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.
Minnesota is 47-49 overall and 19-29 on the road. The Twins are 35-13 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Friday's game is the first meeting between these teams this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Hunter Goodman has 17 home runs, 20 walks and 52 RBIs while hitting .277 for the Rockies. Tyler Freeman is 15 for 42 with three doubles and an RBI over the last 10 games.
Byron Buxton leads the Twins with 21 home runs while slugging .574. Carlos Correa is 11 for 36 with three doubles and two RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockies: 3-7, .239 batting average, 6.14 ERA, outscored by 29 runs
Twins: 6-4, .251 batting average, 3.40 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runs
INJURIES: Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar: 10-Day IL (oblique), Kris Bryant: 60-Day IL (lumbar), Jeff Criswell: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Twins: Bailey Ober: 15-Day IL (hip), Pablo Lopez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Zebby Matthews: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Luke Keaschall: 60-Day IL (forearm)