MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Just seven games into his debut with the Minnesota Twins, with only four hits to show for it, Josh Donaldson found himself sidelined by a strained calf.
After missing exactly half of this pandemic-shortened season, the big-swinging, sure-fielding third baseman was back in the lineup and looked as though he never left.
Donaldson returned from the injured list with two hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who backed Jose Berrios with three home runs and beat the Chicago White Sox 8-1 on Wednesday night.
“I’ve torn biceps, shoulders, hammys and stuff like that and been able to kind of still play and compensate in different areas for that, but with a calf, that’s the most frustrating part, because you don’t know until it’s fully healthy how to progress,” said Donaldson, the marquee winter addition for the defending AL Central champion Twins on a $92 million contract.
Jake Cave and Miguel Sano hit solo shots, Eddie Rosario had a two-run homer and Berrios (3-3) pitched six sharp innings for the Twins. Two of Chicago’s four errors directly contributed to Minnesota’s highest score in 19 games.
White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez (0-2) struggled again, getting only five outs before Donaldson’s two-run double in the second prompted a call to the bullpen. Chicago (22-15) fell one game behind AL Central leader Cleveland (23-14), with Minnesota (22-16) in third place, 1 1/2 games back.
Berrios struck out eight batters, with only three hits allowed and two walks.
“It was a fantastic start from beginning to end from him, something we really needed,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
The Twins stopped a six-game losing streak on Tuesday, directly boosted by the return of starting pitcher Michael Pineda from suspension and center fielder Byron Buxton from a sore shoulder.
“They come to the clubhouse and regroup with us and try to do what we do, have fun and do our work,” Berrios said. “You can see it last night and tonight.”
Lopez has logged just 9 2/3 innings in four turns this season, having missed about a month because of shoulder soreness. He managed to keep the Twins from scoring after loading the bases with no outs in the first, but Cave took him deep in the next inning on a drive that grazed the glove of center fielder Luis Robert as the rookie tried to snag it over the wall in front of the bullpen. With no crowd noise, the first sign the ball was gone came from a Twins reliever who thrust both arms in the air from behind the fence.
Lopez threw 53 pitches.
“Some of his making, some not of his making, and we’re trying to get him back on track,” manager Rick Renteria said, hinting that Lopez’s place in the rotation would be re-evaluated.
The right-hander, speaking through a translator, wasn’t happy about Renteria’s decision.
“I don’t understand the reason he put me out of the game in the second inning. I guess he has a reason,” Lopez said. “I guess he wants the best for our team, but I don’t understand why.”
Comments