GOOD NEWS: He is Back……
There’s a strong chance you watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles if you grew up in the 1990s. The original plot of the comic strip, which was later adapted into a Saturday morning cartoon, involved a struggle between an extraterrestrial known as The Kraang and a bunch of turtles that were bought by a Japanese ninja named Hamato Yoshi.
After Yoshi and the turtles were doused with “The Ooze” chemical by the Kraang, the young turtles developed superhuman strength. After a rat crept up Yoshi’s leg during the battle, its DNA was mixed with Yoshi’s to create Splinter. Together, they developed into a pizza-loving, law-abiding gang who defeated Master Shredder and The Kraang to save the universe.
You’ve come to the correct website, so don’t worry if you’re wondering if you’re still reading about the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota’s lineup was as defenseless as a young turtle turned faceup in the sun just a month ago. Ryan Jeffers then carried a massive summer sausage into the Twins dugout.
As players like Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Jeffers reached a new level of play, the sausage helped the Twins survive when Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and other players were sidelined. However, it has also assisted bench guys like Carlos Santana and Willi Castro in getting back on track and helping the Twins win 17 of their last 20 games.
It is unknown (and possibly inappropriate for this family-friendly website) what “The Secret of the Sausage” is. But on April 22, Jeffers brought that enormous Cloverdale timber inside the clubhouse, and something occurred.
The Twins were 29th in batting average (.195), slugging percentage (.329), on-base percentage (.281), and on-base percentage (.609) going into a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. Even worse, the Twins were 7–13 and falling behind a division that had started the season with a collective avalanche.
Though it’s absurd to assume that an inanimate object might inspire a clubhouse, The Kraang most likely thought the same thing before he transformed a random turtle into Michelangelo. Santana has to be near the top of the list if we were to determine who has benefited the most from the sausage.
One of the faces of the payroll cut last winter was Santana, who inked a one-year, $5.25 million contract in free agency. Over his first 17 games, Santana hit.133/.224/.150 with no home runs and two RBI, looking more like Tony Batista than Nelson Cruz in the early going.
Supporters of the Twins are adept at spotting a free agent lemon. Santana was headed toward being this year’s Joey Gallo, unable to produce. That all changed, though, when Jeffers brought in the sausage.
Santana has been a threat in the 20 games that have passed, hitting.278/.342/.625 with seven home runs and 19 RBI. Eleven of his twenty hits have resulted in extra bases. His 15.1% strikeout rate has been a blessing for a lineup that was about to shatter its own season strikeout record.
Santana’s defense has been just as important as his bat. The Twins have experimented with a number of first base options since C.J. Cron departed town after a few seasons, including unorthodox choices like Donovan Solano and Luis Arraez.
