No Scott Darling Jersey , his reward was an immediate matchup against two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

”Yeah, welcome back, right?” Mauer said with a laugh.

The six-time All-Star returned to the lineup on Friday after missing 25 games with a strained neck and concussion-like symptoms sustained when he was injured diving for a foul ball last month.

And while facing Kluber might not be an ideal first step back, the struggling Twins, who have one of the league’s weakest offenses, were thrilled to have Mauer back in their lineup.

”It’s good for any manager to have a chance to put a guy like Joe’s name down there,” said manager Paul Molitor, who had Mauer batting first against Kluber in the opener of a three-game series against the AL Central-leading Indians. ”Yeah, he’s in a good place, he’s excited to be here and we welcome him back. Hopefully, he can give us a little bit of a boost.”

The Twins came in seven games under .500 and batting just .238 as a team. They also entered the series with only three runs in the past 19 innings.

That’s not ideal against Kluber, who is 5-0 with a 0.76 ERA against the AL Central this season.

”Obviously, he’s one of the best in the game,” Mauer said. ”That’s the big leagues. You’re going to face the best night in and night out. It’s a tough matchup first game Youth Sebastian Aho Jersey , but the one tomorrow (Carlos Carrasco) is pretty tough, too. I’m just excited to be back.”

Mauer has been symptom-free for a week. He went hitless in 10 at-bats over three games in a rehab stint with Triple-A Rochester, but the three-time batting champion feels ready to go.

”It’s been going good,” said Mauer, who was batting .283 with one homer and 11 RBIs when he got hurt. ”Obviously, I went down there and got in a couple of games and did everything I had to do to get back here. I’m excited to check off those boxes, get a couple of at-bats and play in the field for nine innings.”

Mauer said he didn’t have to make any diving stops in the field at Rochester, and that he won’t alter his game just because of the recent injury.

”My experience is when you try to do that you end up getting hurt,” he said. ”I got the full clear to go and I’m excited for that.”.

—

DENVER — When Andrew Suarez starts Wednesday for the San Francisco Giants, he will try to help them avoid being swept by the Colorado Rockies and solidify his spot in the Giants’ changing rotation.

Colorado left-hander Tyler Anderson (5-3, 4.23 ERA) will oppose Suarez (3-4, 4.18).

Before his team lost 8-1 on Tuesday to the Rockies, Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that Johnny Cueto will be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list to start Thursday against St. Louis and Jeff Samardzija will come off the 10-day disabled list and start Saturday against the Cardinals.

Cueto (elbow strain) went 3-0 with an 0.84 ERA in five starts for the Giants this season. His last start for the Giants came April 28, and he pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in two rehab starts for Triple-A Sacramento.

“Johnny’s set to go Authentic Teuvo Teravainen Jersey ,” Bochy said. “He passed all the tests, checked every box off. Been throwing the ball well. Hasn’t given up a run there. Bullpen (session Monday) went fine. Been hitting, bunting. I talked to Johnny. He said, ‘I’m ready to go. I feel better now than before (the injury).’ When you get one of your big guys ready to go, you pitch him.”

Bochy said Cueto would be limited to 85 pitches Thursday, and Derek Holland, if he doesn’t come out of the bullpen in the Rockies series, would back up Cueto.

Samardzija will pitch for the Giants for the first time since May 29. Bochy said that Dereck Rodriguez, who was scheduled to pitch Thursday, will instead start Friday. Madison Bumgarner, of course, will take his regular turn Sunday. That leaves Suarez or Chris Stratton for the final spot in the rotation. Both pitchers have minor league options.

Suarez might have the advantage because he has pitched well lately. He went 2-0 in six June starts, and in his last outing Friday at Arizona, he allowed one run in six innings. Suarez made his Coors Field debut and first start against the Rockies on May 28 and allowed four runs (three earned) in five innings in a no-decision after heeding advice from catcher Buster Posey.

Suarez said Womens Victor Rask Jersey , “I remember the last time we were, before my bullpen, Buster came up to me and he was like ‘As long as you keep throwing it right, it’ll be fine. But if you try too much, that’s the problem you’ll have. Your stuff isn’t as good.’ I just made sure to just throw it normal.”

Meanwhile, Stratton gave up a career-high 11 hits and a career-high eight runs in 5 2/3 innings Tuesday. In his past six starts, Stratton is 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA.

Anderson threw a career-high eight scoreless innings with one walk and eight strikeouts Wednesday at Los Angeles in a 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Anderson is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA in his past five starts with six walks and 32 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings. He’s 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in four career starts against the Giants, including a no-decision May 20 at AT&T Park where he gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Rockies lost 9-5.

The Rockies have won 14 of their past 16 games from the Giants (45-42) at Coors Field. The Rockies (43-43) have climbed back to .500 by winning five of their past six games. They have been getting outstanding starting pitching, the latest effort being seven scoreless innings Tuesday from Antonio Senzatela in his first start this season for the Rockies.

The Colorado starters have pitched well in six of the past eight games, going 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in that stretch and allowing 12 earned runs and 31 hits in 50 1/3 innings with 11 walks and 41 strikeouts.

“We’re only going to go as far as they do,” Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “They’re pitching great. They’re giving the offense a chance. Quick innings, which is huge.”