The Minnesota Twins hit the road for Game 40 of their season, facing off against the Cleveland Guardians at 1:10 pm CDT. You can catch the action on Twins.TV, or tune in on TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, or the Audacy app.

After 40 games, the picture is becoming clearer—and it's not a pretty one for Twins fans. By now, we usually have a solid read on a team's identity, and Minnesota's story hasn't changed much since the 34-game mark. Back then, the assessment was blunt: the team was, in no uncertain terms, struggling. That sentiment still holds.

Since our last update, the Twins managed to split a series with the Blue Jays, but then handed the Washington Nationals their first home series win of the season—a painful echo of last year's struggles against the Colorado Rockies. To make matters worse, the Cleveland Guardians jumped them on Apple TV, adding another layer of frustration. For all the talk about the American League Central being wide open, Minnesota finds itself dead last in the division with a 16-23 record, dangerously close to being the outright worst team in the league.

That brief bright spot against Detroit and Boston feels like a distant memory now. The Twins are beginning to look exactly like the bits-and-pieces roster that preseason analysts warned us about—a team that's struggling to find its footing and identity.

One silver lining today: Joe Ryan takes the mound in what could be one of his final starts with the team. If nothing else, we can look forward to his future. Ryan has racked up 40 strikeouts so far—one for every game the Twins have played. (No, he didn't get a strikeout per game—he doesn't pitch that often, but the stat is still a fun nod to the milestone.)

On the other side, Guardians starter Tanner Bibee is still searching for his first win of the year after an 0-5 start through eight outings in 2026. For a Twins team desperate to turn things around, this matchup might be as good an opportunity as any to get back on track.