With 82 losses already in the books, it’s almost certain the Twins will find a way to lose eight of the final 17 games to reach 90 losses for a third consecutive season.
What’s that mean for manager Ron Gardenhire?
General manager Terry Ryan doesn’t place a lot of the blame on Gardenhire. Instead, he told MLB Network Radio that injuries to key players played a large role in another losing season.
“It’s been a difficult year in a lot of areas. We’ve had some injuries and certainly losing a few of these guys for stretches hasn’t helped, particularly a guy like (Josh) Willingham,” Ryan said. “And now (Joe) Mauer’s down. It seems like we’ve had one big piece here missing.”
MLB Network host Mike Ferrin asked Ryan if Gardenhire would return to the Twins next season.
“Yeah, that is going to have to wait, Mike. It’s one of those things where I’ve promised ownership and our people here and Gardy and the staff down there that once the season concludes we’ll get together and make a final call.”
