When it comes to betting on Preakness Stakes this week, you'll know that Calvin Borel is one to watch as he steers Super Save through the field. For Minnesota, their "jockey" is AL MVP Joe Mauer, who is back as the starting catcher for the Twins after an injury.
Mauer missed eight games with a bad bruise on his left heel on April 30th, and he returned as a pinch-hitter in a 6-1 win over Baltimore last Saturday. He was then assigned to the designated-hitter position in a 6-0 shutout of the Orioles on Sunday, before returning to the lineup as the catcher in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox, going 3-for-4 with a double. The Twins are simply a much better team when Mauer is ready to go, even if they have another former AL MVP in Justin Morneau at first base. As much as Mauer adds at the plate, coming in third in the American League with a .359 average and fifth with an OBP of .419 (Morneau leads the league at .479), he may bring more behind the plate as he handles a Minnesota pitching staff that won't overpower anyone, instead using command and a solid gameplan by Mauer and the Minnesota pitching staff.
The Twins actually fared well without their star, going 5-3 in the eight games in which he didn't start, but four of those games came against Cleveland and Baltimore, and two of the losses came against the Orioles. If the Twins are going to keep pace in the American League betting ranks, they'll need to keep Mauer on the field as much as possible.
