If you only looked at the AL Central standings to inform you of how things are going in the division, you would see a pretty predictable picture even in the midst of an unpredictable season.
The Twins are 14-8 after 22 games, leading the way in this shortened 60-game season. Cleveland is one game behind at 13-9, while an improving Chicago squad is 11-11. Detroit and Kansas City are below .500 and likely to fall even lower.
Cleveland's record includes a weekend sweep of Detroit, which would further indicate that all is normal and well. But ...
Cleveland's season also has the potential to go haywire because of what is being reported as a clubhouse rift.
You probably heard two of Cleveland's starting pitchers _ Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac _ broke Covid protocol and went out recently in Chicago. Both players have been optioned to the club's taxi squad for at least 10 days. And their teammates are reportedly very upset at them.
Per ESPN.com's Jeff Passan, one Cleveland veteran even said he would opt out of the season if the players were allowed back on the team right away. Per that report:
"Despite their production, 39-year-old left-handed reliever Oliver Perez said he would leave the team if Clevinger and Plesac returned to the roster in Detroit, sources familiar with the meeting said. Other players, sources said, felt similarly. Shortstop Francisco Lindor, the four-time All-Star considered the heart of the team, was outspoken as well, sources said. The most critical issue, sources said, was the breach of trust. While Clevinger and Plesac have tested negative for COVID-19, the potential exposure of the team to the coronavirus _ including pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who was treated for leukemia last year _ frustrated the team."
Passan expanded on his reporting in his most recent "20 Questions" piece that went live Monday. He wonders if the Cleveland case is at least a sign that MLB and its union are on the same page regarding the seriousness of the virus _ and whether that bodes well for the idea of a postseason bubble of sorts.
But back to Cleveland. In the short-term, they obviously haven't suffered so far. They swept Detroit without either pitcher. Maybe both of them come back soon, lesson learned, and everyone moves on.
For a team that relies so heavily on pitching, though, this has the potential to throw the season off-track _ probably not enough to derail a playoff push, since both Cleveland and the Twins have a 99% probability of reaching the postseason under the expanded format, but perhaps enough to give the Twins a clearer path to the division title.
