Rain has delayed the Atlanta Braves-Minnesota Twins series opener at Target Field, with the tarp down and both dugouts waiting out the weather Monday night.
The Twins announced the delay on the team’s social media account at about 7:30 p.m. The original start time was set at 7:40 p.m. ET, 6:40 CT.
“We will be starting tonight’s game in a rain delay and we will provide more details when they become available,” the Twins wrote.
At about 7:05 p.m. CT, the Twins announced as estimated start time of 7:30, or 8:30 p.m. ET.
According to the National Weather Service, “a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Minnesota until 12 AM CT.” Those parts did mot appear to include Hennepin County, however, the location of Minneapolis and Target Field. In fact, other areas of Minnesota would be pelted with “two inch sized hail,” according to the NWS.
The AccuWeather forecast for Target Field showed rain continuing through 8 p.m. CT, but clearing shortly thereafter.
“This is the worst rain delay of all-time,” wrote one fan on social media. “There is a super light misty drizzle and then no rain for 90 minutes. Why would you delay the game? To give the rain time to get here?”
The delay hit a matchup between two teams pointed in opposite directions. Atlanta arrived at 74-50, holding a 7 1/2-game lead in the National League East, while Minnesota sat at 60-65 and mired in a three-game losing streak, according to Bleacher Nation‘s injury report and probable starters breakdown.
Monday’s forecast made a delay predictable. FOX 9 meteorologist Cody Matz had flagged scattered thunderstorms developing during the evening, with highs near 84 degrees giving way to humid overnight conditions and storms capable of producing wind gusts over 60 mph and hail up to an inch. Parts of the western Twin Cities metro sat under a Level 1 marginal severe risk entering the evening.
| MINNESOTA TWINS STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Bailey Ober (RHP, #17) • 7-4, 4.64 ERA, 67 K | ||||||||
| August 17, 2026 • Target Field, Minneapolis, MN • 7:40 PM EDT (Delay) | ||||||||
| # | Player | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | Luke Keaschall | RF | R | 7 | 36 | 14 | .266 | .734 |
| 2 | Byron Buxton | CF | R | 25 | 45 | 7 | .257 | .847 |
| 3 | Ryan Jeffers | C | R | 10 | 40 | 1 | .284 | .883 |
| 4 | Josh Bell | DH | S | 16 | 72 | 1 | .253 | .735 |
| 5 | Royce Lewis | 1B | R | 13 | 44 | 11 | .243 | .746 |
| 6 | Kody Clemens | 2B | L | 21 | 57 | 8 | .230 | .750 |
| 7 | Brooks Lee | 3B | S | 18 | 66 | 7 | .245 | .724 |
| 8 | Kalaʻi Culpepper | SS | R | 1 | 2 | 0 | .250 | .762 |
| 9 | Alan Roden | LF | L | 0 | 10 | 0 | .236 | .614 |
| Lineups subject to change. Game subject to weather delay. | ||||||||
What the Delay Means for MartÃn Pérez and Bailey Ober
Atlanta had sent left-hander MartÃn Pérez to the mound, riding 16 consecutive scoreless innings across his last three starts, against Minnesota right-hander Bailey Ober. Pérez entered at 8-6 with a 2.96 ERA. Ober carried a 7-4 record and a 4.64 ERA.
A delay of any real length tends to end a starter’s night regardless of how he’s throwing, since teams rarely let a pitcher sit for 30 or 45 minutes and then return to game speed. That issue hits Minnesota harder. The Twins are already without Joe Ryan, Pablo López, Mick Abel, David Festa, Cole Sands and Anthony Banda, all sidelined for extended stretches, per the same Bettors Insider report. Atlanta has its own absences in Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Robert Suárez and Reynaldo López, but has weathered the losses with more organizational pitching depth.
| ATLANTA BRAVES STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Martín Pérez (LHP, #33) • 8-6, 2.96 ERA, 80 K | ||||||||
| August 17, 2026 • Target Field, Minneapolis, MN • 7:40 PM EDT (Delay) | ||||||||
| # | Player | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | Drake Baldwin | C | L | 20 | 62 | 3 | .274 | .808 |
| 2 | Ronald Acuña Jr. | DH | R | 13 | 32 | 16 | .244 | .791 |
| 3 | Matt Olson | 1B | L | 36 | 77 | 3 | .264 | .891 |
| 4 | Michael Harris II | CF | L | 20 | 68 | 7 | .288 | .798 |
| 5 | Mauricio Dubón | LF | R | 10 | 61 | 6 | .262 | .700 |
| 6 | Ozzie Albies | 2B | S | 20 | 64 | 2 | .251 | .731 |
| 7 | Mike Yastrzemski | RF | L | 9 | 34 | 1 | .228 | .702 |
| 8 | Austin Riley | 3B | R | 15 | 58 | 7 | .224 | .670 |
| 9 | Bryce Jarvis | SS | L | 1 | 11 | 0 | .223 | .593 |
| Lineups subject to change. Game subject to weather delay. | ||||||||
When the Braves and Twins Could Resume Play
No official restart time had been announced as of this writing. A rain delay differs from a postponement in that the expectation is to resume the same day once the storm cell clears, with umpires and grounds crews watching the same radar as everyone else at Target Field.
Should the wait stretch long enough to force a postponement, the game would likely get folded into a doubleheader later in the three-game series, adding strain to bullpens on both sides already picking up innings for injured starters. FOX 9‘s forecast called for the worst of Monday’s activity to clear overnight, with Tuesday cooling into the 70s and only isolated storm chances in the afternoon.
Both clubs have plenty riding on the six weeks left in the season. Atlanta is chasing a top National League seed, while Minnesota needs a strong finish just to stay in range of an American League Wild Card spot.
Target Field’s cavernous center field tends to eat up would-be home runs, though Byron Buxton’s power and Brooks Lee’s emerging bat give Minnesota a puncher’s chance regardless of who’s on the mound, according to a Fubo News breakdown of Monday’s matchup. Matt Olson has carried Atlanta’s offense most of the summer, with 36 home runs and 88 runs scored entering the series.
A prolonged delay adds one more variable neither manager wants to plan around this late in a long summer.
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