Minnesota Twins at Athletics

Minnesota's fighting for its playoff life. Sacramento's just trying to survive August with a healthy 25-man roster.

This series sits three days out, and both clubs still have a full set to play first — the Twins host the Padres, the Athletics are on the road against the Astros — so nothing here is locked in stone. But the shape of these two teams is about as clear as it gets in late August.

Minnesota's front office pivoted to buyer mode at the deadline, bringing in lefty A.J. Minter to shore up the bullpen rather than tearing things down like they did a year ago. That's the backdrop for whoever takes the mound in this one — a team still building toward October, not playing out the string.

The Athletics, meanwhile, are doing the opposite. Sacramento is buried in last place and has been besieged by injuries all year, with the roster picture changing again just this week. There isn't much drama left in whether the Athletics compete for anything besides draft position.

Minnesota's own injury list isn't pretty either. Joe Ryan has been working back from a glute strain and Austin Martin is dealing with a hamstring issue, and the rotation behind Ryan has been picked apart by long-term injuries to Pablo Lopez, David Festa, Mick Abel and Mike Paredes. Still, the Twins have kept finding ways to win series without much room to spare, and Byron Buxton has been a steady middle-of-the-order threat all season.

Sacramento's collapse is more structural than a bad week. Jacob Wilson is done for the year with a shoulder injury, Tyler Soderstrom just landed on the 60-day IL, and names like Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and Luis Severino have been out for weeks. That's a lineup running on replacement parts against a Minnesota club that still has something to play for.

Both teams have a full series to get through before they meet — Minnesota against San Diego, Sacramento against Houston — and either could look different by the time first pitch rolls around Monday. But barring a dramatic reshuffle, this reads like a team fighting for a wild card spot catching a club that's already bracing for next year.

Sources