(Sports Network) - Raise your hand if you had the Cleveland Indians leading the American League Central and the Minnesota Twins in last place after four weeks of baseball.

Regardless of preseason prognostications, the Twins (9-15) have dug themselves a nice early-season hole, falling seven games off the pace in the division along with the Chicago White Sox. With a 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay in the nightcap of Thursday's double-header, Minnesota suffered its first series sweep of the season. The Twins were out-scored by a 29-6 margin in those three games.

Granted, the season is still in its infantile stages and there is sure to be a lot of shuffling in the standings over the next 5 months. But for now, manager Ron Gardenhire continues to have his hands tied by a number of injuries.

Left fielder Delmon Young was a late scratch for Wednesday's game with a bothersome strained oblique and ended up on the disabled list, retroactive to April 19. The good news is he is eligible to return next Wednesday in Chicago. The bad news is Jim Thome and Jason Repko have also been unable to play this week due to what the team is calling minor injuries.

Like Young, Thome is dealing with a strained oblique and could be looking at a DL stint. Repko, who would be in line to play left field until Young returns, is trying to avoid the DL with a quad injury. Already, the injuries have forced Gardenhire to move right-fielder-turned-second-baseman Michael Cuddyer back to the outfield. And if the manager can't get Repko or Thome back in the lineup sometime this weekend, the team could make a move to add a 13th pitcher. In that case, Kevin Slowey would likely be called upon as he is nearing a return from right shoulder bursitis.

In the wake of all of that, compounding matters is the growing uncertainty surrounding the health of catcher Joe Mauer. The four-time All-Star told reporters Thursday night that his recent viral infection caused him to lose 15 pounds. That revelation happened to come on the same day Mauer, out since April 12 with bilateral leg weakness, was eligible to come off the disabled list.

However, that isn't happening any time soon. The Twins have not given any timetable for his return, as Mauer has yet to throw or hit, let alone eye up a Minor League rehab assignment. According to head trainer Rick McWane, Mauer didn't help matters by going into the season after only a handful of spring training games as he tried to make his way back from offseason knee surgery.

"It wasn't a matter of his knee not being ready, he just didn't -- I don't think -- have the repetitions, catching or in anything else," McWane told the Star Tribune. "Once the season started, he started to wear down. Then he got sick on top of that. So it was just a perfect storm of several things that happened at same time."

Meanwhile, the debate about how long he can continue being an everyday catcher has been a hot topic in Minnesota. Mauer, who is in the first year of his eight-year, $184 million contract, said he has not given any thought to a position switch.

"I just think I can help the team a lot more behind the plate," Mauer said. "Thats what I signed here to do is catch. I think we re a better ballclub when I behind the plate. I just kind of had a bad storm the last couple weeks. I feel confident once I get healthy and get where I need to be that it wont be a problem."

In the meantime, the Twins surge ahead to Kansas City, where they will take on a Royals team that is coming off an 0-6 road trip to Texas and Cleveland. It is the first of a nine-game road swing for Minnesota.

STRUGGLING TIGERS LOOKING TO MAKE UP GROUND

The Detroit Tigers (12-13) have been unable to build much momentum throughout the season's first month. That was again the case this past week, as Detroit followed up a four-game winning streak by suffering a three-game sweep at home against the lowly Seattle Mariners, owners of the worst record in the majors entering the series.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they are one of four teams struggling immensely right now in the AL Central as they remain tied for second place with Kansas City.

They'll have a chance to turn things around against the division-leading Indians this weekend. The Tigers will dodge two of Cleveland's injured starters, Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot, as they hope to bridge the gap to first place. In any case, manager Jim Leyland is certainly not taking the Tribe lightly.

"When I see Cleveland, I see a team that's just like everybody else; if they get pitching, they're going to be good," Leyland told the Detroit Free Press. "So far, they've pitched very well. When people talk about Cleveland, they've never gotten the credit they deserve."

TRIBE UNTOUCHABLE AT HOME

Entering Friday, the Cleveland Indians were the only team in the AL Central not in the midst of a losing streak. In fact, the Tribe (16-8) has won three in a row to suddenly build a 4 1/2-game lead in the division.

So far, the winning formula has been quite simple: take care of business at Progressive Field, where Cleveland has won 10 in a row. The Indians polished off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals at home with an 8-2 victory on Thursday.

They have also gotten top-notch pitching and entered Wednesday 13-3 when they get a quality start (6+ innings, 3 runs or less allowed). The team's 16 quality starts rank second in the American League.

The Tribe will need more solid pitching to fend off the second-place Tigers in a three-game home set this weekend. But they will have to do so without starters Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot, both of whom are on the DL with elbow problems. On top of that, the resurgent Travis Hafner (.342, 4 HR, 11 RBI) was scheduled for an MRI on Friday, one day after being a late scratch from Thursday's lineup with right ankle inflammation.

ROYALS COOL OFF AFTER TORRID START

As the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end. The Kansas City Royals are currently finding that out as their losing skid has reached six games. Overall, the team has dropped nine of its last 11 outings.

After jumping out to a share of the division lead behind a 10-4 start, Kansas City (12-13) has fallen below .500 and now trails Cleveland by 4 1/2 games thanks to this week's three-game sweep at the hands of the Indians.

The team will be happy to return to Kauffman Stadium after its 0-6 road trip. In those six losses to Texas and Cleveland, the Royals were out-scored, 46-22, as they allowed 17 home runs. The taxed bullpen is tied with Toronto for the most innings pitched (85 2/3) in the AL entering Friday.

"It's been a rough week," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "It hasn't been a fun week. Get home, start something."

The team returns home Friday to begin a nine-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins, who limp into the series opener in last place in the division standings.

WHITE SOX IN NEED OF SOME HOME COOKING

Not a whole lot went right for the Chicago White Sox during their 3-8 road trip, which wrapped up with a 12-3 shellacking at the hands of the New York Yankees on Thursday. Also on Thursday, reliever Tony Pena reported discomfort in his right elbow, and center fielder Alex Rios aggravated a left big toe injury.

Other than that, the trip was all sparkles for the White Sox (10-16), who have fallen to last place in the division along with Minnesota. An offense that got off to a very promising start suddenly cannot buy a hit. The team has scored three runs or fewer in 13 of the past 14 games and has failed to score in the first three innings during 12 of the past 13 outings. The Sox are hitting just .190 as a team over the last 16 games, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Beginning Friday night against the Orioles, Chicago is home for its next six games. And given the way things have gone on the road of late, the team must take advantage of that and come away with some wins. Of course, it all starts at the plate.

"We're just in a mental funk, and I saw it a week ago," hitting coach Greg Walker told reporters before Thursday night's game. "We just start seeing guys with a bad look in their eyes, and it happens so quickly. I've seen it before. And the way we approach it, we just get mad and go fight, and that's where we're at."