Twins to call on demoted starter for help as Rangers come to town

The Minnesota Twins will turn to a familiar face to try to patch their injury-riddled starting rotation.

Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson is expected to be promoted from Triple-A St. Paul in time to start Tuesday's series opener against the Texas Rangers in Minneapolis. Woods Richardson is set to replace right-hander Zebby Matthews, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday because of a right shoulder strain.

In eight appearances (seven starts) with the Twins earlier this season, Woods Richardson went 2-2 with a 5.02 ERA before being demoted May 15. He made 28 starts in the majors last season, finishing with a 5-5 mark and a 4.17 ERA.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is happy with his team's recent effort even if the results have not been perfect. Minnesota lost its first two games of a weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays before regrouping to win Sunday's series finale 6-3.

After a day off Monday, the Twins hope to make it back-to-back wins.

"I liked what we did (against Toronto)," Baldelli said. "I think it was our team adjusting and getting better as the series went on because we knew what we were facing. We don't play these guys that often, but I liked that we were able to take care of business."

Meanwhile, Texas will aim to spoil the Twins' good feelings.

The Rangers enter Tuesday's series opener coming off back-to-back wins on the road against the Washington Nationals. They are going for their first three-game winning streak since May 10-15, when they won six in a row against three opponents.

Marcus Semien has provided a boost to the Rangers with his recent red-hot stretch at the plate. Over his past nine games, he is hitting .517 (15-for-29) with three doubles, three homers, nine RBIs and a pair of stolen bases.

Semien has increased his batting average from .173 to .218 during the nine-game stint.

"I'll just continue to work hard and show up every day," Semien said. "There's going to be ups and downs. There were a lot of downs early, and now I'm having a better week."

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy praised the veteran infielder.

"He's got a quick bat," Bochy said. "He does pull the ball a lot, and that's OK. That's what has served him well, and he's had a tremendous career. When your timing's off, it's hard to maybe do some things you normally do.

"He looks like he's got so much confidence up there now. He's seeing the ball well. He's taking walks. We wanted him to be who he is."

Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle (5-3, 2.02 ERA) is scheduled to make his 14th start. He is looking to bounce back from a loss against the Tampa Bay Rays in his last outing, when he allowed four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Mahle is 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA in five career starts against the Twins.

This will be Woods Richardson's second career start against the Rangers. In his first matchup on Aug. 16, 2024, he earned the victory and gave up two runs on three hits in five innings for a 3.60 ERA.