Twins Minor League Report (5/22): Hendry Mendez Big Day

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

 

TRANSACTIONS   
With Tristan Gray going on the paternity list, the Twins recalled OF Gabriel Gonzalez from St. Paul. Gonzalez made his MLB debut in Boston on Friday night. Impressively, he walked in his first to plate appearances off of Payton Tolle. After a pop out, he recorded an infield single for his first big-league hit. 

LHP Cesar Lares tossed a rehab game with the FCL Twins. 

The FCL Twins also activated infielder Daiber De Los Santos. 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 9, Omaha 5 
Box Score
The Saints got a short start, but the bullpen came through for them and the offense really picked things up. 

Ryan Gallagher needed over 40 pitches to get through a three-run top of the first inning. Overall, he gave up five runs on two hits and five walks over three innings. He had four strikeouts. 

Marco Raya came in to start the fourth inning. He put together easily his longest and best performance of the season. He tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball. He struck out three batters. Drew Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Grant Hartwig struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. 

The Saints stayed in it early and took command of the scoreboard in the latter innings. 

Kaelen Culpepper led off the bottom of the first for the Saints. He reached on an error. He quickly took off and stole second base. Unfortunately, on his headfirst slide, his helmet fell off, hit the bag, and it bounced up and hit Culpepper under the chin, cutting his lip and ending his game. 

Tanner Schobel came in. With one out, Hendry Mendez singled to drive in the first Saints run. He stole second and scored on a Matt Wallner single to center. 

Monticello High School grad Ethan Bosacker came into the game for Omaha. The 25-year-old attended Xavier University in Cincinnati. In 2023, he was the Royals 13th round draft pick. In 2024, he went 13-3 with a 2.45 ERA between Low-A and High-A. In 2015, he went 6-6 with a 4.05 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. He has started, and last year split his appearances evenly. This season, 10 of his 13 outings have come out of the bullpen. In this game, he gave up three runs on six hits over three innings.

In the second inning, Noah Cardenas singled, went to third on Tanner Schobel’s seventh double, and scored on a Mendez groundout.  

In the bottom of the third inning, Matt Wallner led off with a double. Kyler Fedko switched places with him with his eighth double of the year. With two outs, Ricardo Olivar blooped a single to center to drive in Fedko with the game-tying fifth run. 

 

  

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Saints scored two runs. Both Kyler Fedko and Aaron Sabato took bases loaded walks to make it 7-5 Saints.    

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Schobel singled. He scored on Hendry Mendez’s third Saints home run.   

 

 

Mendez led the way. He went 3-for-5 with a homer, three runs, and four RBI. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Fedko went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double. Aaron Sabato was 2-for-4 with his 10th double. Noah Cardenas was also 2-for-4 with his second double. Tanner Schobel went 2-for-4 with his seventh double. 

Check out one of our sister sites, Royals Keep, for more on the Kansas City Royals organization. Here are their Top 20 Royals prospects. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 2, Tulsa 14 
Box Score
This was a rough game for Wichita pitchers, and frankly, it wasn’t much better for the hitters. 

Jaime Ferrer had half of the Wind Surge’s four hits and half of their two RBI. Jose Salas walked twice as well. A quick look at the batting average and OPS of the Wichita lineup, and it really isn’t too surprising.  

 

 

Eli Jones started and gave up six runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. He had five strikeouts. Jarret Whorff came in with the bases loaded, allowed all three inherited runners to score and three more runs  on three hits and a walk before getting out of that fourth inning. Preston Johnson gave up a hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning in his Twins-organization debut. 

Spencer Bengard gave up two runs on three hits over two innings. Jacob Wosinski worked a scoreless inning. Murphy Stehly pitched the ninth inning. Always fun seeing position players pitch. Stehly gave up three runs on four hits in his inning. 

KERNELS CHRONICLE 
Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 5                                                                                                                                                                               Box Score
Brandon Winokur hit his sixth home run of the season in the top of the first inning, but despite a ninth-inning run, they fell just shy. 

The Kernels had six hits and three walks. Four of the six hits went for extra bases. Jacob McCombs went 2-for 4 with his sixth double. Khadim Diaw hit his first triple of the season. Along with Winokur, Andy Lugo added his second home run of the season. 

Dasan Hill gave up only an unearned run on three hits and two walks over two innings. He had four strikeouts. He needed 46 pitches over the two innings. 

Miguelangel Boadas needed just 37 pitches to get through three innings. In three runs on two hits and a walk. He also struck out four batters. Nick Trabacchi gave up one run on three hits over two innings. He struck out four batters and walked none. Paulshawn Pasqualotto gave up two hits in a scoreless inning.  

MIGHTY MATTERS
Ft. Myers 6, Dunedin 7 (10 innings)
Box Score  
The Mussels were behind 4-0 through six innings before attempting a comeback. 

Jason Reitz made the start. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits in one inning. He gave up two runs in the first inning. He went out for the second inning but both batters that he faced reached base and one scored. Merit Jones gave up one of the inherited runners, but he gave the team five innings. He was charged with one run on three hits and a walk. He also walked seven batters.

The Mussels got on the scoreboard Merphy Hernandez singled and stole second. He scored on a single by Enrique Jimenez to make it 4-1.   

 

Mike McKenna came on and gave up one run on one hit and one walk in 1 1/3 innings.

Down 5-1, JP Smith led off with a single. Ryan Sprock walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. With one out, Luis Fragoza came up and hit his first home run since joining the Mussels earlier in the week from the FCL. The deficit was down to 5-4.   

 

 Michael Hilker came on and gave up three hits and a walk but no runs in 1 2/3 innings.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, still behind 5-4, JP Smith reached on a throwing error. Ryan Sprock lined a single to the opposite field to drive in the tying run. 

Quentin Young began the top of the 10th inning as the Manfred Man. Fragoza was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Hernandez grounded into a fielder’s choice with Young advancing to third. Dameury Pena followed with a single to right field to give the Mussels their first lead, 6-5.   

 

 Mitch Mueller recorded two outs in the 10th but took the loss with two runs (1 earned) on two hits and two walks.

19-year-old Fragoza went 3-for-4 with the crucial home run and three RBI. He was also hit by a pitch. Young was 2-for-5. Ramiro Dominguez was hit by a pitch three times. 

The Dunedin Blue Jays are the Low-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Check out our sister site at Jays Centre. Here are their rankings of the Top 20 Blue Jays prospects.

COMPLEX CHRONICLE
FCL Twins 7, FCL Red Sox 2
Box Score  
Lefty Cesar Lares returned to the game mound for a rehab start. He went three innings and gave up one run on three hits. He had three strikeouts and no walks. 

Melvin Rodriguez came on and worked the final four innings. He gave up one run on one hit (a solo homer). He walked two and had three strikeouts. Interestingly enough, the home run was the first of the season for Red Sox prospect Franklin Primera. 

The FCL Twins jumped ahead early with a four-run bottom of the first inning. Yovanny Duran led off with a walk. He went to third on Miguel Caraballo’s fourth double. Jhomnardo Reyes drove them both in with his third home run of the season. 

Then Teilon Serrano followed by hitting his first home run of the year to make it 4-1. 

The Twins went four innings without scoring. But in the bottom of the sixth, they completed the bookends with another crooked number. With one out, Yilber Herrera walked and stole second. He went to third on a balk. He scored on a Duran ground out. Caraballo walked and stole second. He scored on a Reyes triple. Reyes scored on the back end of a double steal to give them seven runs in the game.     

Jhomnardo Reyes led the offense. He went 3-for-4 with a walk, his first triple, his third homer, and four RBI. Teilon Serrano hit his first home run and then walked three times. He also stole his third base.                                                           

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day  
Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 3-for-5, HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI 

Pitcher of the Day 
Marco Raya (St. Paul): 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 33 pitches, 23 strikes (69.7%)

 

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today.

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (left shoulder)
#2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, SB(10) (batted first, played SS)
#3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (thumb) - Had surgery.
#4 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 85 pitches, 49 strikes (57.6%).
#5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K (batted third, DH). 
#6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 46 pitches, 25 strikes (54.3%)   
#7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K, (batted first, played SS)
#8 - RHP Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch.
#9 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch.
#10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (Minnesota) - MLB Debut: 1-for-2, 2 BB, R (batted fifth, played LF). 
#11 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List
#12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch.                                      
#13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI (batted second, played LF)
#14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-3, R, 2 K, 2 E (batted sixth, played SS) 
#15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, HR(6), R, RBI, K (batted second, played 3B)
#16 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 89 pitches, 49 strikes (55.1%)
#17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 35 pitches, 22 strikes (62.9%)
#18 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 Day Injured List (right elbow sprain)
#19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, 3B(1), 2 R (batted fifth, played catcher)
#20 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - Did Not Play.

UPCOMING PROBABLES
Saturday, May 23:
Omaha @ St. Paul (6:37 pm CT) - RHP Mike Paredes (0-1, 7.80 ERA)
Tulsa @ Wichita (4:05 pm CT) - TBD (1-3, 4.40 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Ivran Romero (2-1, 7.07 ERA)
Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 pm CT) - TBD
FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (9:00 am CT) - TBD  

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 24-27
St. Paul Saints: 25-23
Wichita Wind Surge: 19-23
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 23-20
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 24-19
FCL Twins: 8-7
DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) 

Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! 

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[Patzky]

Mendez doing the Buck Truck celebration after the HR 😁 Glad the Culpeper injury is minor. Get to know em!

[FlyingFinn]

Saw that Culpepper left in the 1st inning. Oh no!! Glad it's only a cut lip.

[FlyingFinn]

Mendez is adding some power to his game. Only starting 1 game at 1B this year seems to say that isn't his position. That's a bummer as that is where the Twins need help next year.

[arby58]

Quentin Young had 2 more errors - he's now got 16 errors in 111 chances. Get the guy a 1B glove and away from the left side of the infield.

[jmlease1]

18 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Mendez is adding some power to his game. Only starting 1 game at 1B this year seems to say that isn't his position. That's a bummer as that is where the Twins need help next year.

I don't know if that's necessarily true; with the various injuries to Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Roden there's probably just been more playing time available in the OF. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets some more time there later this season. He's certainly hitting like he wants a look in MLB, which is great to see.

I know it's just A-ball and he's still just a kid, but holy cow Quentin Young's glove looks pretty bad so far. 16 errors in 36 games this season? Good grief. 

Congrats to GG on the promotion to MLB! Even if it's only a cup of coffee for now, he made it.