Week in Review: Mixed Feelings

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 5/29 through Sun, 6/4
Record Last Week: 4-3 (Overall: 31-29)
Run Differential Last Week: +3 (Overall: +45)
Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (3.5 GA)

Last Week's Game Results:
Game 54 | MIN 7, HOU 5: Lewis Powers Twins to Win in Extras
Game 55 | HOU 5, MIN 1: Twins Lineup Fails to Launch in Houston
Game 56 | MIN 8, HOU 2: Bats Erupt, Varland Throws a Gem
Game 57 | MIN 7, CLE 6: Twins Lose (Players), but Win in Walk-off Fashion
Game 58 | MIN 1, CLE 0: Bailey Ober Crushes Cleveland on Apple TV… Again
Game 59 | CLE 4, MIN 2: Gray Allows First Home Run of Season, Twins Lose
Game 60 | CLE 2, MIN 1: Seventh Inning Costs Twins Again

NEWS & NOTES
It was another busy week on the Twins transaction front. Royce Lewis made his highly anticipated return a year after his second ACL surgery as the Twins transferred Nick Gordon (tibia) to the 60-day IL, freeing up the 40-man roster spot for the former No. 1 pick. 

The team activated Max Kepler (hamstring) from the injured list and optioned Matt Wallner, who had reached in eight straight plate appearances last weekend at Target Field. The Twins sent Kenta Maeda (elbow) and Caleb Thielbar (oblique) to St.Paul on rehab before activating Thielbar for Sunday’s finale. Gilberto Celestino (thumb) is on the recovery trail, joining Low-A Fort Myers for a rehab assignment. 

Jorge Polanco (hamstring) returned from his second stint on the IL and Edouard Julien re-joined the Saints in a clean swap at second base. Julien was 2 for his last 16 with seven strikeouts and two walks before the demotion. Joey Gallo’s left hamstring remained a problem and landed him on the IL after Friday’s game. With a slew of left-handed starters on the schedule, Kyle Garlick received the call and joined the team Saturday. 

And finally, the Twins placed Cole Sands (shoulder impingement) on the injured list Sunday in the move to activate Thielbar. 

HIGHLIGHTS
It takes a special person and player to miss an overwhelming majority of the last three seasons, endure back-to-back knee surgeries, and still return as an instant star-level talent. In his first game back Monday in Houston, one year to the day of his second ACL tear, Lewis blasted a three-run homer in his second at-bat. Lewis proclaimed he felt “something special” was going to happen in the game and… that was an understatement. 

With the Twins trailing by one with two on and two out in the ninth, Lewis lined an opposite field single off Ryan Pressly to tie the game. It was an exceptional swing on an exceptional slider from one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Twins went on to win in extras en route to a fantastic road series victory. 

A grossly similar script to last year’s headaches played out again in Thursday’s series opener with the Guardians. Cleveland barraged Pablo López with singles, erasing the Twins’ advantage and turning a three-run lead over to its fantastic bullpen. Lewis remained unfazed, blasting a two-run, game-tying homer to the centerfield berm off Trevor Stephan in the eighth. 

The Twins went on to walk-off the Guards on a Willi Castro sacrifice fly. Without Lewis, this week looks starkly different. It feels like the Twins just added one of their best all-around players, with Lewis flashing his elite athleticism at third base and in the batter’s box. 

In a scary and distressing turn, Lewis tumbled mightily in a scary collision with Gabriel Arias late Sunday. Luckily, Royce walked off under his own power after several minutes on the ground. Rocco Baldelli said it doesn’t appear Lewis is concussed or seriously injured.  

The Lewis and Alex Kirilloff duo Twins fans have dreamed on forever is finally taking hold. Kirilloff went 7-for-17 with seven walks in 25 plate appearances on the week. AK is hitting .304/.439/.468 in 26 games, combining patience with an elite slashing ability that made him one of the top prospects in the game just a few years ago. 

Jhoan Durán remains unbelievable. The Twins’ superstar reliever pitched two scoreless frames in Monday’s extra innings win over the Astros, striking out Yordan Álvarez on a disgusting 99 mph splinker to finish the game. Duran went multiple innings again in Friday’s win, dicing up the Guardians in a 1-0 Twins shutout win. Bailey Ober was also tremendous with six scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.33. Ober now owns a 3.47 ERA in 39 MLB starts and looks more like a frontline starter than a depth one. 

Louie Varland is making a similar case. The St.Paul native shoved with seven scoreless innings on the road in Houston on Wednesday, working with a mid-90s heater and a nasty cutter. Varland has a 3.51 ERA and 23% strikeout rate through seven starts. Of note, Joe Ryan owned a 3.55 ERA with a 25% strikeout rate in his rookie campaign last season. 

LOWLIGHTS
If there’s been a worse start to a $200 million contract, I’d like to see it. Carlos Correa went 1-for-12 with six strikeouts and one walk in another horrific week. Correa missed all but seven innings in a vital series with Cleveland as he nurses lingering pain from his plantar fasciitis. Correa is hitting .207/.299/.372 while leading the American League in double plays as essentially a replacement-level player. 

Byron Buxton is hitting .177 and slugging .318 since the start of May. He’s been largely terrible with 27 strikeouts and just six runs driven in over that span, making all his starts at DH. To add injury to insult, Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee drilled him in the ribs with a 97 mph fastball in Thursday’s series opener. Buxton had to sleep in a rocking chair and missed the rest of the series. 

Speaking of long-term building blocks, Pablo López has been entirely underwhelming. López unraveled Thursday night and has allowed 31 earned runs in 45 ⅓ innings since signing his four-year, $73.5 million extension. Jorge López hit a new low… and a gatorade cooler. The Twins’ prized 2022 deadline relief addition has coughed up five home runs over his last 3 ⅓ innings. 

The Twins’ belief in Kepler continues to prove misguided after he returned from the injured list to go 3-for-26 with seven strikeouts and zero walks. With Wallner crushing at Triple-A and Trevor Larnach on the mend from pneumonia, it’s worth wondering just how long the Twins will let this ineptitude happen. Kepler is not under team control beyond this season with a $10M club option (and $1M buyout) left on his extension. He's a corner outfielder hitting .192 with a 76 wRC+ in 140 plate appearances. In any other circumstance, a DFA would seem likely. Given how the Twins have stuck by Kepler, though, that seems improbable. 

TRENDING STORYLINE
It sounds like Buxton, Correa, and Kirilloff will all return to the lineup early this week. The Twins offense remains inconsistent at best and feeble at worst. Can they finally click with all of their guns in the lineup?

LOOKING AHEAD
On paper, this is one of the most difficult weeks of the year. The Rays and Blue Jays await on an American League Beast road trip following the off-day. The Twins will miss Shane McClanahan in a dash of good fortune but may have to solve Tyler Glasnow and Kevin Gausman. 

TUESDAY, 6/6: TWINS @ RAYS – RHP Louie Varland vs. RHP Zach Eflin
WEDNESDAY, 6/7: TWINS @ RAYS – RHP Pablo López vs. RHP Yonny Chirinos
THURSDAY, 6/8: TWINS @ RAYS – RHP Bailey Ober vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow
FRIDAY, 6/9: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS – RHP Sonny Gray vs. LHP Yusei Kikuchi
SATURDAY, 6/10: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS – RHP Joe Ryan vs. RHP Alek Manoah
SUNDAY, 6/11: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS – RHP Louie Varland vs. RHP Kevin Gausman