J.A. Happ has been splendid since joining the New York Y

ankees — so good that he is undefeated.Happ looks to stay undefeated as a Yankee on Monday night when he pitches in the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.Since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 26 for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney Jorge Posada Jersey , Happ is 5-0 with a 3.10 ERA in seven starts. He also is a leading candidate to get the ball should the Yankees hold onto their current spot in the standings and host the American League wild-card game.More Twins coverageGiants bench coach Meulens to interview with TwinsAfter disappointing season, Sano begins critical offseason for TwinsPhotos of the Week: 9/30/18 – 10/6/18Top Tweets: Local teams give shoutouts to Twins’ MauerLove for Twins’ Mauer off the charts after emotional dayOverall, the 35-year-old free-agent-to-be is 15-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 26 starts this season, his last under a three-year, $36 million contract signed with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2016 season.His resurgence since donning pinstripes has led some to wonder whether he’d be open to returning to New York next season. It is a notion Happ isn’t ready to address just yet, but also hasn’t completely ruled out.“I’d hate to get too far into that, but the one thing that I’ll say is, I’ve been impressed since I came over here with how things have worked so far, and all the baseball-related things have been a positive,” Happ told reporters last week. “So I think I’d be foolish to cross anybody off the list. But, yes, certainly, judging by how the first month has gone, it would be a place that I for sure would consider coming back if there was interest.”Happ bounced back from a rough outing against the Detroit Tigers to hold the A’s to a run and two hits in six-plus innings on Tuesday. The Yankees are 3-3 on their nine-game trip and 2 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the wild-card race.The Twins will still be without former Yankee Tyler Austin. The first baseman missed Minnesota’s weekend series with the Kansas City Royals because of back stiffness. He’s expected to take batting practice Monday but isn’t likely to start against the Yankees, who dealt him to the Twins on July 30 for right-hander Lance Lynn.In 20 games since, Austin posted a .243 average (17-for-70) with seven home runs and 11 RBIs along with an .865 OPS. He was sidelined last week, though http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey , by a bout of back tightness that kept him out of action during a weekend series with the Royals.Twins manager Paul Molitor is optimistic that Austin will return to the lineup sometime during the series.“Obviously, I probably wouldn’t play him right out of the gate after a couple of days off,” Molitor said. “Hopefully, we’ll see him before the end of that series. He’s heading in the right direction.”Miguel Sano will be out for at least the opener, too, as he waits for his bruised left knee to show improvement. Sano injured it last week while sliding into second against the Astros and also sat out the Royals series.An MRI showed no structural damage to the knee, but the Twins are taking their time with the third baseman.“We’re hopeful,” Molitor said. “Each day hopefully he has a little less soreness he has to be concerned about and can start trying to do some things on the field.”Right-hander Kyle Gibson gets the nod for Minnesota, which is 3-7 in its last 10 games after Williams Astudillo hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning of a 3-1 win on Sunday.After posting a 5.28 ERA in August, Gibson bounced back with a solid showing against the Astros last week, allowing just two runs — solo home runs — in seven innings.Gibson is 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees. After only a few changes, there’s suddenly some hope in the Orioles organization."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Commentary & AnalysisOrioles ProspectsOrioles Game RecapsOrioles News and RumorsCamdencastCommentary & AnalysisThere’s reason for cautious optimism in BaltimoreNew,7commentsAfter only a few changes, there’s suddenly some hope in the Orioles organization.ByAlex ChurchDec 12, 2018,9:00am ESTShareTweetShareShareThere’s reason for cautious optimism in BaltimoreTommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsIn a vacuum, it’s difficult to comprehend the level of optimism in Baltimore right now. When the Orioles dreadful 2018 season came to a close Johnny Damon Jersey , a stench of failure and uncertainty emitted from the organization. After only a few months, and even fewer changes, things still seem to be looking up. The writing appeared to be on the wall regarding Buck Showalter’s position down the stretch, but it wasn’t as clear what the Orioles would do with Dan Duquette and his expiring contract. When the Orioles announced they would be moving on from Duquette, there was suddenly reason to believe that changes were coming in Baltimore.The last time the Orioles had openings at manager and general manager the positions did not garner a great amount of respect. Many feared that Baltimore was a toxic situation, and that issues could arise with ownership. Duquette and Showalter showed that success was possible in Baltimore when they won more regular season games than any American League team in a five year period. The negative stigma surrounding the Orioles continued to dissipate after the July 31 trade deadline. The Angelos family issued a statement that Baltimore was finally going to dedicate itself to improving in the international market and with analytics. While some wondered if these were just words intended to help ease the pain of losing top talent like Manny Machado and Zach Britton, many hoped the Orioles would practice what they preached. The club gained several prospects at the trade deadline, and stocked up on international bonus money. The optimism surrounding the Orioles took a brief hit when the club missed out on Victor Victor Mesa and his brother Victor Jr., but that disappointment evaporated when the club finally announced the new leader of the front office. When the Birds hired Mike Elias as the new executive vice president and general manager, the decision was highly lauded by fans and media alike. The Orioles had managed to corral an up-and-coming talent widely respected for his use of analytics and scouting.Elias exuded confidence from the jump, boasting to fans that he knew how to chair a rebuild because he had done it before. Fans looked at how he helped convert the Astros into world champions after multiple 100-loss years and thought, “why can’t he do that here?”There’s also something to be said about the joint message John and Louis Angelos sent throughout the hiring process. They were open with the fans about goals moving forward and secured a man who fit the mold. As they sat on both sides of Elias at their living-room style introductory press conference, they replaced their aging father as the faces of ownership in Baltimore. Elias has said all the right things during his brief tenure in Baltimore. Whether he’s responding to fan questions on a reddit AMA, or speaking directly to the media, Elias has demonstrated poise while discussing his future plans. He’s responded to direct questions, but refused to put the team in a box.The news that Elias would be bringing Sig Mejdal with him to chair the sabermetrics department added fuel to the fire. Mejdal, a former NASA engineer Masahiro Tanaka Jersey , is the epitome of new aged analytics and the direction that the Orioles are heading. Every fan knew that a rebuild was coming. After all, the team only won 47 games last year. But it takes more than hitting rock bottom to kick off a rebuild. The decision to hire Elias and Co. truly signaled a new beginning in Baltimore. Simply put, it’s a lot easier to watch a team lose 100-plus games is you know there’s a plan in place. All of a sudden, there’s a bright future to distract from the present. It’s an odd sense of relief, but one that fans can already feel. While the Orioles have Elias’s time in Houston to look to as a template, every rebuild is different. The “trust the process” attitude will certainly be tested, but it’s a proven method. Orioles fans can focus a little more on the number one draft pick and a little less on Chris Davis’s contract. A little more on Yusniel Diaz and a little less on the fact that Adam Jones is no longer around. A little more on Hunter Harvey’s progress than Zach Britton attempting to work his way back from the DL. While the Orioles have yet to hire a manager, it will be difficult for that decision to break the wave of confidence. Unless, of course, the orioles manage to botch the process. Nearly any choice will be acceptable, because the Orioles aren’t prioritizing winning games right now. As long as the talent is being developed, that’s a win in 2019. A rebuild requires a different style of fandom. You become desensitized to losses, you try to focus more on the big picture, and you probably pay a little more attention to our minor league recaps. But that’s the type of fan we all have to try and be right now. The rebuild truly started the day Elias took the job, and it’s okay to be hopeful for the future.