Twins

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.

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.

The front office dropped another banger of a transaction this week, and the Twins Daily community didn't miss a beat in the forums.

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

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?

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.  

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.

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.

Luis Arráez sometimes looks more like a court jester than a batter. His performances at the plate seem almost acrobatic as he chases outside the zone, providing a dance move after laying off a pitch. How else can one describe the short king of the team? At a (reported, though Seth Stohs believes it to be true) 5 foot 10 inches—the shortest hitter on the Twins roster— Arráez often feels like the little batter than could.

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. 

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.

Minnesota's starting pitching started the year strong, but some poor performances and injury concerns have raised questions about the rotation. Do the Twins need to look into available starting pitchers on the trade market?