Gleeman and The Geek

Aaron and John recap their Initials Game matchup with the help of Marney Gellner, and then talk about Royce Lewis' return to the Twins' lineup, when (and where) Byron Buxton might return, Ryan Jeffers' breakout season, young bats stepping up, and the state of the increasingly shaky bullpen.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' inability to handle even the slightest success, Carlos Correa's season-long struggles, how much they should rely on veterans vs. youngsters down the stretch, Bailey Ober possibly running out of gas, and how the rotation could look come playoff time, and the 12th anniversary of the podcast.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' empty trade deadline, Joe Ryan hiding a hamstring injury, Dallas Keuchel joining the rotation, and top prospect Brooks Lee getting bumped up to Triple-A

Aaron and John breakdown the Twins trading Jorge Lopez to the Marlins for Dylan Floro and look ahead to what other moves to expect before the trade deadline.

Aaron and John talk about how the Twins are handling Byron Buxton's struggles, Edouard Julien hitting so well they can't get rid of him, how to approach the trade deadline, Emilio Pagán and Max Kepler doing good work, and how friends can become enemies in a "loser retires" match.

Aaron and John preview the Twins' options and approach ahead of the August 1 trade deadline, break down the remaining schedules and odds in the AL Central as the second half begins, and discuss the good fortune of landing Walker Jenkins in the draft.

Aaron and John talk about Pablo López joining Joe Ryan in the shutout club, the Twins having MLB's best ERA, Jose Miranda replacing an injured Royce Lewis whether he's ready or not, and what happens in a players-only meeting.

Aaron and John talk about Joe Ryan ending the Twins' frustrating homestand on a high note, Byron Buxton breaking out of a slump while still not playing center field, Kenta Maeda returning to the rotation, and what to expect from the Dallas Keuchel signing.

Aaron and John talk about another week of the Twins hovering around .500, Byron Buxton's return, Jorge Polanco's latest injury opening the door for Edouard Julien, what to make of Trevor Larnach at this point, and Sonny Gray disagreeing with Rocco Baldelli's decision to pull him after a rough inning.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins clinging to their spot atop the worst division in baseball, why there are no easy solutions for the slumping, strikeout-prone lineup, Alex Kirilloff and Ryan Jeffers providing rare bright spots, and how much longer the Twins can possibly stick with Max Kepler.