As soon as Joe Ryan started feeling sick this week, the Twins started making contingency plans for his scheduled start Thursday afternoon.

An off day Monday meant that they could work around it without having to make a roster move, bumping up both Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack a day and still pitching them on normal rest. Ober, who found out Wednesday that he would start on Thursday’s game, held the Orioles to two runs (one earned) in five innings pitched in the Twins’ 5-2 win in the series finale.

During Thursday’s game, the Twins announced that Paddack would start Friday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants before slotting Ryan back into the rotation on Saturday.

“As soon as Joe wasn’t feeling well, we had to talk to the other starters about adjusting their schedules, just in case they had to pitch,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Ultimately (we) wanted to give Joe a chance to hydrate, feel better, see just how quickly he recovered.”

Ryan, he said, was likely dealing with the same thing that outfielder Harrison Bader was days earlier. Bader was scratched from Tuesday’s game and did not start on Wednesday but came in to pinch hit late. He was back in the starting lineup on Thursday.

Ryan came to the ballpark on Wednesday and threw, but it became clear that he wouldn’t be able to start and the Twins quickly pivoted to Ober. Ober said he knew on Tuesday that Ryan was feeling sick and started preparing for both the Orioles and the Giants.

“Bailey’s always prepared,” Baldelli said. “Anything you ask him to do, he doesn’t get thrown off — by anything, really.”

Buxton at leadoff

The Twins’ search for a leadoff hitter saw them use four different players in the lineup spot on their last seven-game road trip.

Against righties, Trevor Larnach did it twice. The other two players they had lead off against righties, Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper, are now at Triple-A. Byron Buxton led off in the final game of the road trip against lefty Garrett Crochet and did so again against southpaw Cade Povich on Tuesday.

Now, he’s drawn the assignment the past two games against right-handed starters, as well. Buxton is no stranger to hitting leadoff, having hit there 114 times in his career, more than any other spot in the batting order except ninth.

Days earlier, Baldelli expressed his desire that someone could take the role and run with it.

“Some guys seem to really like it. Some guys seem to really not like it,” Baldelli said. “You’re always looking for someone that you can pencil in on most days and just let them go out there and do the job. I’m not looking for one type of hitter to do the job; you’re looking for guys to go out there, get on base and be productive for you. That’s really it. It’s not too in-depth, but that’s what you’re looking for.”

And Buxton has been doing that of late.

Briefly

Willi Castro made his first start in right field as a Twin on Thursday. … Royce Lewis remains hitless since returning from the injured list, going 0 for 9 since coming back on Tuesday. … Jhoan Duran sealed the save on Thursday and now has four in the month of May after collecting just two in April.

Related Articles

Twins pull ahead late with Brooks Lee’s big hit, sweep Orioles

Twins center fielder Byron Buxton joins exclusive company with latest feat

Twins rout Angels, lose Luke Keaschall to forearm fracture

Byron Buxton homers again, but Twins swept out of Atlanta

Alex Verdugo goes 4 for 4 as Braves beat Twins, 4-3