Minute Maid Park in Houston is considered one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in Major League Baseball, which means Miguel Sano will be back in the lineup Friday night when the Twins play the Astros.
Manager Paul Molitor gave Sano a day to rest his sore hamstring Thursday, but he told Go 96.3’s Dana Wessel that Sano should be back in the lineup as the designated hitter in Houston.
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Sano has been a terror at the plate with 15 home runs in just 52 career games. He pinch hit in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 6-4 loss to the White Sox, so, really, it’s only 51 games. And he should have 16 home runs if not for the catwalk in Tampa Bay getting in the way of a no-doubt-about-it shot.
Sano has been Ruth-like
No joke here. Sano is being compared to Babe Ruth, sort of. According to MLB.com, Sano has a batting average of .427 when he puts the ball in play. And going back to 1900, there have been more than 26,000 players with at least 200 at bats, and Sano’s .427 clip on balls in play is No. 1 on that list.
Small sample size, but incredible nonetheless.
Hicks returns
Outfielder Aaron Hicks will join the Twins in Houston Friday night as he returns from the disabled list.
Paul Molitor just told me Aaron Hicks will be activated and be with the team in Houston tonight.
— Dana Wessel (@DanaWessel) September 4, 2015
ROSTER MOVES: The #MNTwins have reinstated Aaron Hicks from the DL & recalled LHP Logan Darnell. Both players will be in Houston tonight.
— Dustin Morse (@morsecode) September 4, 2015
Twins Daily notes that Hicks was on fire at the plate during his rehab stint at Triple-A Rochester, capping things off in his last game there with a 4-for-4 day, including two singles a double and a three-run homer.
Aaron Hicks is back Friday. Byron Buxton is hitting .189 and Torii Hunter is hitting .161 since July 1. OF playing time will be interesting.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 3, 2015
Hicks could be mixed into the leadoff spot as soon as Friday.
