The Minnesota Twins go into Saturday with Taj Bradley listed as the starter against Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET, and the Twins carry a 36-41 record into the matchup.
Bradley is listed at 5-3 with a 4.14 ERA. Minnesota needs him to hold up a rotation spot while the club tries to climb out of a third-place position in the AL Central.
Zac Gallen at Chase Field
Gallen gets the ball for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 39-36 and second in the NL West. That leaves Saturday as a direct contrast between a team above.500 and one trying to reverse its slide in the standings.
The setup also gives the Minnesota Twins a clear read on where Bradley stands against a division contender. If he handles the assignment well, Minnesota can carry that into the next stretch with a starter whose numbers have stayed in view.
Injured list pressure
The roster picture is heavier than the pitching matchup alone. Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Cole Sands, Mick Abel, Kendry Rojas, Pablo Lopez, Garrett Acton and David Festa are all on the injured list, while the Arizona Diamondbacks list Jordan Lawlar, James McCann, Ryne Nelson, Mike Soroka, A.J. Puk, Cristian Mena, Blake Walston, Corbin Burnes, Andrew Saalfrank, Carlos Santana and Justin Martinez.
That many absences narrows the margin for error on both sides. Minnesota is trying to manage a losing record with Bradley at the front of the assignment, while Arizona keeps a winning mark despite the long injury list around Gallen.
Saturday night in ET
The practical part for readers is simple: the game is set for Saturday night in ET, and the pitching matchup is already listed. Anyone tracking the Minnesota Twins gets the first useful answer before first pitch — Bradley will take the mound against Gallen, and the standings pressure sits on both clubs as they enter Chase Field.
