Week in Review: Adding Reinforcements, Seeking More

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/22 through Sun, 7/28
***
Record Last Week: 4-2 (Overall: 58-46)
Run Differential Last Week: +9 (Overall: +51)
Standing: 2nd Place in AL Central (4.5 GB) 

Last Week's Game Results:

Game 99 | MIN 7, PHI 2: Ober, Twins Win Convincingly Over High-Powered Phils
Game 100 | PHI 3, MIN 0: Wheeler Shuts Down Offense, Duran Lapses Late
Game 101 | MIN 5, PHI 4: Kepler Caps Comeback With Walk-Off Single in Ninth
Game 102 | MIN 9, DET 3: Twins Bury Tigers Behind Pablo and Power Hitting
Game 103 | DET 7, MIN 2: Offense Goes Silent After Lewis's Early Blast
Game 104 | MIN 5, DET 0: Another Ober Gem Helps Clinch Another Series

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NEWS & NOTES

As expected, the Twins got back three crucial roster pieces over the past week in a wave of game-changing roster reinforcements. 

First up was Brock Stewart, activated for the final game of the Phillies series on Wednesday. To make room for Stewart's activation from the 60-day IL, infielder Diego Castillo was designated for assignment; he passed through waivers and returned to Triple-A. Stewart looked a bit rocky in two appearances, allowing four earned runs over 1 ⅔ innings (that's one more run than he'd allowed in his first 41 outings as a Twin), but hopefully it's more a reflection of rustiness than any lingering arm issues.

Friday brought the much-anticipated activation of Royce Lewis, who'd been sidelined since early July with an adductor strain. To make room for Lewis, who started at third and batted cleanup in the series opener against Detroit, Jair Camargo was optioned back to St. Paul. Lewis went 3-for-9 with a homer and a double in two games against the Tigers before sitting on Sunday (though he did draw an intentional walk as a pinch-hitter in the ninth).

On Saturday it was José Miranda rejoining the fray, coming off the injured list following his bout with a lower back strain. He replaced Edouard Julien, who was sent back to Triple-A following a very discouraging stint in the majors. Miranda went 1-for-4 in his first game back, then took a fastball to the helmet in his first at-bat on Sunday and exited the game. A scary moment. He passed preliminary testing for a concussion, and was diagnosed with a head contusion. Hoping all is well and Miranda can get back into the lineup relatively quickly.

We wondered last week who would fill in for injured Chris Paddack in the fifth rotation spot, which fell on Wednesday against the Phillies. It turned out to be David Festa, although he didn't make a traditional start, instead entering midway through the first inning to relieve opener Steven Okert. Festa pitched very well, allowing just one run in 4 ⅓ innings with seven strikeouts. Ronny Henriquez shuttled back to Triple-A to make room for Festa, who may stick around for a bit depending on what plays out at the deadline.

Also arriving in St. Paul last week: Justin Topa, whose rehab assignment is progressing toward completion. The 33-year-old righty, who posted a 2.83 ERA out of the Mariners bullpen last year before being sent to Minnesota in the Jorge Polanco trade, has yet to make a regular-season appearance, bothered by knee issues since spring. But he's positioning himself as another potential sneaky second-half reinforcement.

HIGHLIGHTS

With the trade deadline now bearing down on us, there's plenty of talk about the need to add another starter – and rightfully so – but the rotation acquitted itself very nicely over the past week. The back half came through brilliantly in a daunting matchup against the Phillies, with Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and Festa combining to allow only three runs in 17 ⅓ innings. On Friday, Pablo López fired seven innings of two-run ball against Detroit, improving to a 2.84 ERA with only three homers allowed in his past six starts. Joe Ryan delivered another quality start on Saturday, striking out eight Tigers with only one walk allowed. Then Ober capped the week with another gem against Detroit on Sunday.

Ober is on top of his game like we've never seen before. He gave up a two-run homer to Bryce Harper in the first inning on Monday (that'll happen), but then locked in to fire 14 consecutive scoreless frames against Philadelphia and Detroit, allowing just two hits. Ober has quietly emerged as one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the big leagues, pairing an elite bat-missing capability with his signature top-notch command to stymy opposing lineups. In his last seven starts, Ober is 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 59-to-9 K/BB ratio in 48 ⅓ innings.

Matt Wallner keeps on crushing to jolt an offense that has been lagging around him at times. The outfielder went 5-for-12 last week with two doubles, two homers, and three walks. He leads the team in OPS since returning from Triple-A in early July, and deservingly made his first MLB start as No. 3 hitter on Sunday. 

A couple of other noteworthy offensive performances: Christian Vázquez made the most of his 12 plate appearances, notching five hits (including a home run) and two walks, while Carlos Santana put forth another strong week with three multi-hit games. Also: Byron Buxton notched three more extra-base hits; he's slugging .684 in July.

LOWLIGHTS

The lineup hasn't been clicking like it once was, and that starts at the top. Willi Castro was mired in a big slump prior to reaching base four times in Sunday's win, with a .189 average in July. He has only three extra-base hits over the past month, all doubles, and continues to be one of the league's worst hitters with RISP. Castro's defensive struggles at shortstop have caused him to seemingly cede the interim starter job there to Brooks Lee (who's looked pretty good!). 

None of this is meant to downplay Castro, who's played to the utmost of his ability and been hugely valuable. But he's not a flawless player, and he's been getting maximum exposure as an everyday leadoff man with constantly fluctuating defensive assignments. Some of those flaws are bound to come through. At the plate, it's now a matter of adjustments being made on his part, and maybe we started to see that on Sunday.

Lee is another once-hot hitter who's cooled off here in the thick of the summer. He did produce a three-hit game on Friday, but was otherwise 2-for-19 and he has gone 11 straight games without an XBH, often battling to get the ball out of the infield. The MLB learning curve spares almost no man, even those as polished and talented as Lee, who is likely in line to return to the minors once Carlos Correa is activated. That might still give him a couple of weeks to turn around the skid.

As Vázquez keeps showing signs of life at the plate, Ryan Jeffers is trending in the opposite direction. He was 3-for-18 last week and had a number of rough at-bats. It's been a stark drop-off for Jeffers, who was a dangerous power bat early in the season and now poses little threat at the plate. Pitchers are making quick work of him by taking command of undisciplined, reactive at-bats. Jeffers is swinging at a career-high 32% of pitches outside the zone. 

In fairness, the offense was good enough for the Twins to win both their series this past week. They're going to get a boost as Lewis and Miranda fully work their way back in, and Correa's return is hopefully not too far off. But for this team to reach its full potential in the second half and overcome their deficit in the division, the Twins need to get back to the baseline of consistent contributions up and down the lineup, with everyone chipping in. 

On the pitching front, as good as the starting rotation has looked, Minnesota's bullpen is showing its warts. Jhoan Durán delivered perhaps his worst outing of the season on Tuesday, entering in the ninth inning of a tie game and allowing three earned runs to take the loss. Durán was all over the place, throwing just 11 of 27 pitches for strikes while allowing four base runners and recording only two outs. He did bounce back with a scoreless inning on Wednesday.

Josh Staumont has allowed five earned runs in his past five appearances after allowing zero in his first nineteen. Okert inspires no confidence – he gave up three hits and a walk while recording two outs in his two appearances, and has a 7.59 ERA since the start of June. Stewart was uncharacteristically human in his first week back from a prolonged IL stint, splashing cold water on the idea that he'd immediately slot back in and bolster the back end of the bullpen.

One way or another, this relief corps is going to need some help for the stretch run, whether internal or external. They do have some bullets in the chamber with Louie Varland still starting at Triple-A (for now), Topa on the comeback trail, and Paddack theoretically back at some point. But then there is also the following option.

TRENDING STORYLINE

The trade deadline arrives on Tuesday, with multiple reports of spending limitations throwing a damper on Minnesota's outlook. Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY suggested last week that the Twins are "hamstrung in their pursuit of trade acquisitions unless they’re able to dump a contract," which matches up to earlier reporting from ESPN's Jeff Passan that the Twins front office is forced to walk an "add-and-subtract" tightrope in trying to add at the deadline.

Following an offseason in which the Twins slashed payroll by $35 million, this sucks to hear. It's another morale-crushing development at a time where ownership could do themselves a big favor by investing in their product and helping push a legitimate contender to the next level. But up until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, that's all just words and hearsay. Actions speak louder. This certainly seems like an opportunity for this franchise to make a positive statement, rather than further diminishing their brand and the enthusiasm of their fans. 

To prep yourself for the next couple of days, here are some recommended trade deadline previews and analysis from our writers. There will of course be plenty more coverage in the next couple of days.

• Prospects, Players, or Patience? The Twins Must Choose, by Cody Christie 
• Chris Paddack’s Injury Necessitates Action for Twins, by Greggory Masterson
• Three Uncontrollable Factors Are Helping the Twins' Competitors, by Eric Blonigen
• Jack Flaherty Is the Ideal Trade Deadline Acquisition For the Twins, by Cody Schoenmann
• These 5 Twins Will Be More Important Down the Stretch Than Any Trade Additions, by Ted Schwerzler
• Twins Establish GoFundMe for Trade Deadline, by Randballs Stu (🤣)

LOOKING AHEAD

The Twins head from Detroit to New York, where they're set to face off against a resurgent Mets team that has heated up to push into playoff contention. Notably, the Twins are scheduled to face a pair of lefty starters in that series. Afterward, it's back to Target Field for a softer matchup against the White Sox, who've lost nine of 10 to Minnesota this season. Chicago's two best starters are on the docket in Erick Fedde and Garrett Crochet, but we'll see if one or both are gone by the time that series rolls around. Fedde and Crochet are hot commodities on the trade market with the Sox in clear seller mode.

MONDAY, JULY 29: TWINS @ METS – RHP Simeon Woods Richardson v. LHP Jose Quintana
TUESDAY, JULY 30: TWINS @ METS – RHP David Festa v. LHP Sean Manaea
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31: TWINS @ METS – RHP Pablo Lopez v. RHP Luis Severino
FRIDAY, AUG 2: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Erick Fedde v. RHP Joe Ryan
SATURDAY, AUG 3: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – LHP Garrett Crochet v. RHP Bailey Ober
SUNDAY, AUG 4: WHITE SOX @ TWINS – RHP Chris Flexen v. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson