MINNEAPOLIS — If it ain't broken, don't fix it.
That's the mantra the Minnesota Twins are going with as they roll with an almost identical roster for the American League Division Series as they had for the Wild Card round.
The one change is the addition of starting pitcher Bailey Ober, who will get the ball in Game 1 Saturday afternoon against the Houston Astros. The 28-year-old righty went 8-6 during the regular season with a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts.
Ober will have some big shoes to fill after starter Pablo López and Sonny Gray spun a pair of gems against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round. López allowed just one run over 5⅔ innings, while Gray pitched five scoreless innings in the series clincher.
The Astros will go with a three-time AL Cy Young winner in Justin Verlander, who will be making his 35th career postseason start after returning to the AL West champion Astros in a trade from the New York Mets this summer. Verlander was 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 starts this season.
Absent from the Twins' 26-man roster is centerfielder/designate hitter Byron Buxton, who's battle a knee injury all season.
Reliever Kendall Graveman was left off Houston's roster against the Minnesota Twins because of right shoulder discomfort. Graveman, who was acquired in a trade with the White Sox in July, was 2-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 23 appearances for Houston this season.
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