KUZ STAYS READY

Inactive now for each of the first eight games, Mindaugas Kuzminskas is keeping his hopes up that he’ll eventually crack the team’s rotation.

“As soon as the team needs me, I’m ready,” the 28-year-old Kuzminskas said before the game. “It’s hard to stay positive, but when the team is winning — and I hope we do win — that helps a lot.

“I’ve been in situations like this before, and I know how to handle it. You’ve got to look forward, not back.”