Twins' Kody Clemens: Sticking in lineup Sunday

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Clemens will start at second base and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Earlier this weekend, the Twins got Harrison Bader back from a four-game absence due to a finger injury and Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner from stints on the injured list, but their returns haven't yet had a negative effect on Clemens' playing time. Clemens will start at his third different position of the series and will pick up his sixth consecutive start overall, with manager Rocco Baldelli getting creative in finding ways to keep the 29-year-old's bat in the lineup. Since being acquired from the Phillies on April 25, Clemens has produced a monstrous .957 OPS, though he's begun to cool down a bit with a .158/.238/.316 slash line over his last six games. In the long term, Clemens will likely struggle to hold down a regular spot in the Minnesota lineup, especially if the struggling Royce Lewis eventually breaks out of his extended slump at the plate.