Marwin day to day with facial injury after collision

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins third baseman Marwin Gonzalez was removed from Friday night's 6-0 win over the Tigers after a scary moment in which his head collided with Detroit first baseman Niko Goodrum's knee in the sixth inning. Gonzalez fortunately avoided serious injury after he cleared the concussion protocol and was diagnosed with only a facial contusion after the game.

Gonzalez said that he will be examined again in the morning and is considered day to day.

"I think it's a situation where I think we did luck out in a number of ways," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He's kind of hopping around back there, and it seems like he's doing all right."

Gonzalez hit a ground ball up the middle that deflected off pitcher Tyson Ross, who made a high throw to first base. Goodrum snared the ball on a leap, but his outstretched leg hit Gonzalez's forehead as Gonzalez ran through the bag for an infield single.

"It all happened so fast," Gonzalez said. "I thought for a second that the pitcher hit me with the ball on my helmet. But it was the first baseman."

Gonzalez immediately went to the ground and was attended to by the Twins' medical staff for several minutes before he was able to walk off the field under his own power. He said after the game that he tried to stay in, but the coaching staff removed him, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza.

"I was hoping that my face was OK, that it wasn't broken," Gonzalez said. "I took my time to answer [head athletic trainer] Tony [Leo] when he got there. I was breathing hard for 10 seconds, and I figured I was OK."

Goodrum was also removed from the game, with Brandon Dixon entering at first base for the Tigers.

The 30-year-old Gonzalez entered the game hitting .208/.286/.280 with two homers in 2019 after a slow start, but he had carried a much stronger .310/.394/.345 line in May into Friday night's game.