On Wednesday we got news that two months after acquiring him, Chris Paddack had undergone the 2nd Tommy John surgery of his career. Despite the obvious disappointment, the book on this trade is far from written.

It was 1920, alcohol would soon be banned, big band Jazz would become the popular music of the time, and Republican Warren G. Harding would take the office of the Presidency in March the following year. His opponent, James Cox, has melted away in the sands of time; the tragic victim of losing in a country that has no time for losers. Cox's running mate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, could have easily been the nominee for the Democrats, but the politically wise Roosevelt sensed the shifting tides and understood that he would never win in 1920. Woodrow Wilson burned any goodwill left with the American public, and the last time a Democrat took office after another Democrat was James Buchanan in 1857. FDR still wanted to be president, but his time would have to wait. 

The Twins put together a good offensive performance early and survived a late rally from the Royals to take game one of the series in Kansas City. Devin Smeltzer had another convincing start and rookie Jose Miranda hit a clutch double late.

The Mighty Mussels were the only Twins affiliate to pick up a win on Friday and, for good measure, they decided to grab two.

In this week’s AL Central Division update we see the consistency of play across the division that may go unmatched the rest of the way. Four of five teams are 5-5 over their last 10 with the Guardians being just 4-6. Minnesota still leads the division as we look to close out the second month of the season.

Aaron and John talk about Carlos Correa returning, Royce Lewis being sent back to Triple-A, Byron Buxton getting days off, Alex Kirilloff trying to get right in St. Paul, and Chris Paddack having elbow surgery. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. 

Minnesota’s pitching staff has started the year off strongly, but multiple unexpected arms have contributed this season. Devin Smeltzer is on the road back to prove he belongs at the MLB level.

Even the double negative of injury and demotion failed to slow the Twins this past week, and conversations in the TD forums kept pace.

'I’ve never been more angry,' said Bradford.

Take your pick with where your attention was going tonight on the farm for the Twins. Two top pitching prospects were on the bump, Royce Lewis returned to the Saints, Trevor Larnach was on a rehab assignment, and Cedar Rapids put up runs in bunches. There was a lot to be excited about.

Josh Winder is a solid pitcher. His talent and discipline make him a predator on the mound, taking down his opponents and making it look easy. He has been preparing for being a starter since he was a young travel ball pitcher. With the news that Chris Paddack is out for the remainder of the season, Winder may just be the pitcher for the job.

As we creep ever-so-slowly forward to the annual baseball draft, there are a few storylines that have taken a front seat. We finally have an answer to one of the draft’s biggest questions. We’ll cover that and more in this week’s update.

Minnesota entered the season as a clear underdog in the AL Central, but other teams have struggled to start the year. Where can the Twins make the biggest improvement to help separate themselves in the standings?

St. Paul and Wichita each played extra-inning games. Fort Myers played a double-header. A top-seven pitcher made a start and was very solid. One player who desperately needed to show some power broke out of a slump in a significant way. A top-20 prospect delivered a walk-off homer. Read all about them and more in tonight’s Minor League Report.

With an incredible offensive outburst, the Twins needed only six innings to score eleven runs and blowout the Athletics in Oakland this afternoon. Sonny Gray was lights out as well, and Minnesota secured another series victory.

It’s happening, and that's not a great thing. Carlos Correa is returning to the Minnesota Twins lineup this afternoon and star prospect Royce Lewis is being optioned to Triple-A. The hope is that this wouldn’t be the outcome, but it’s now what we’re faced with. The Twins only have one plausible way to save face on this. Make it short.

Byron Buxton revealed that the Twins and he are working a plan to keep him healthy for at least 100 games, a mark he has only reached one time in his career. This has raised the question whether can he be worth his 7-year, $100M+ contract if he only plays that much? The answer is yes, but before we dive into why, let’s look at Buxton through a stat that traditionalists love: RBI.  

In a move that will likely surprise many when you wake up on Wednesday morning, the Twins announced after last night's loss that Carlos Correa will be activated on Wednesday. To make room, Royce Lewis will be optioned to St. Paul.