The Minnesota Twins took to the field for their AL Central matchup against the Chicago White Sox without their regular catcher. Do-Hyoung Park tweeted out moments before the game that Gary Sanchez was a late scratch.
Ryan Jeffers replaced Sanchez behind the plate, batting ninth against the White Sox.
There was no indication of why the Twins removed Sanchez from the lineup so close to first pitch.
Looks like Gary Sánchez was a late scratch from the lineup. Ryan Jeffers will catch and hit ninth.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) April 23, 2022
Sanchez’s tenure as a Twin is off to a tepid start. Through ten games, the former Silver Slugger has a .653 on-base plus slugging percentage, albeit with eight runs batted in and two runs scored. Still, the free-swinging catcher has 13 strikeouts through 37 at-bats.
Jeffers diminishes the Twins’ chances against the White Sox. The third-year player is slugging just .133 through 30 at-bats, striking out ten times with just four singles.
The Twins closed as slight home underdogs, but the teams are scoreless in the early innings. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook for a live line on the contest.
