Twins Minor League Report (7/9): Pitching Takes the Day Off

TRANSACTIONS
On Wednesday, the Twins placed RHP Marco Raya on the Injured List. On Thursday, LHP Connor Prielipp was played on the Injured List with a blister. They called up LHP Kendry Rojas and activated RHP Bailey Ober. 

With catcher Ryan Jeffers expected to return on Friday, Kyler Fedko has been optioned.

Wind Surge infielder Jake Rucker and Kernels LHP Ross Dunn began rehab assignments with the FCL Twins on 

The organization also signed 19-year-old RHP Wisarly Reinoso from the Dominican Republic. He was assigned to the DSL Twins. 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 7, Iowa 21  
Box Score
In many games, seven runs will be enough to win. However, when your opponent scores six runs in one inning and nine runs in another inning, it’s not going to be a good night. 

Ryan Gallagher started for the Saints and gave up one run over the first three innings. Likely, he was feeling pretty good about how he was pitching against several of his former Cubs teammates. However, he recorded just two outs in the fourth inning. In total, he was charged with six runs on eight hits (2 homers) and two walks. He struck out five batters. 

Eduardo Salazar came on with two runners on and allowed both to score. He gave up one more run on three hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Matt Bowman is back again with the Saints. He started the sixth inning and got two outs. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits and a walk. Trent Baker came in with two runners on and left them stranded. Baker gave up two runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Jake Higginbotham got the eighth inning. The lefty was charged with six runs on four hits and two walks. He got two outs. David Banuelos came in with a runner on and allowed him to score. He also was charged with three runs on three hits (including a homer) before getting the final out. 

The Saints batters scored their seven runs over six different half-innings. They had 11 hits and walked five times in the game. Ben Ross went 2-for-5 with his 20th double and seventh home run with the Saints. That gives him 27 doubles and 12 homers overall this year.   

Walker Jenkins went 2-for-5 with his 10th double. Hendry Mendez went 2-for-4 with a walk and two doubles. Orlando Arcia (13) and Aaron Sabato (21) also hit a double in the game. Sabato walked twice.

Brett Bateman was the Cubs eighth-round pick in the 2023 draft out of the University of Minnesota. The Mounds View High School graduate has steadily moved up the organizational ladder and has spent the entire 2026 season in Des Moines, with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In his two starts against the Saints this week, the center fielder is 7-for-10 with a walk and 3 doubles. Overall, he is hitting .302/.431/.409 (.840) with 15 doubles, a triple, two homers. In 65 games, he’s walked 51 times and struck out 52 times. He is also 17-for-19 on stolen base attempts.   

For more on Bateman and other prospects in the (former Twins outfield prospect) Jason Kanzler-led Cubs farm system, check out our sister site North Side Baseball.  Many of the Iowa Cubs are in their Top 20 Cubs Prospect rankings, or like Moises Ballesteros was near the top of the rankings for a long time. He went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double. Bateman, who has consistently landed just outside their top 20, went 3-for-6 with a double. #9 prospect Jonathan Long went 5-for-5 with a walk, two doubles and a home run. B.J. Murray was 3-for-5 with a walk. #11 prospect James Triantos went 3-for-5 with a walk and a double. Owen Miller was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Christian Bethancourt went 3-for-5 with a double, two homers and five RBI. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 6, Northwest Arkansas 13
Box Score
Like above, when your offense scores six runs and has 12 hits and seven walks, they should win a lot of games. A little later, you’ll see why they didn’t score more runs. Unfortunately, the Naturals scored three in an inning, five in an inning, and they scored two runs twice. 

Sam Armstrong started and gave up eight runs on seven hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up two homers including the 17th homer of Carson Roccaforte whose three-run shot ended Armstrong’s outing. 

Sam Ryan came on and got the final out of the fourth. He worked a scoreless fifth inning, but then he got just one out in the sixth inning. He left the mound with the bases loaded. Hunter Gregory came on and allowed just one of the inherited runners to score. Ryan worked 1 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits and two walks. Gregory worked 1 2/3 innings and had three strikeouts. He was charged with no runs, no hits and no walks. Ruddy Gomez worked the final two innings and gave up two more runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out three batters. 

Caden Kendle led the offense. He went 3-for-4 with a walk. Marek Houston was 2-for-6 with his second double. He already has 11 stolen bases with Wichita. Jaime Ferrer went 2-for-5 with his sixth double. Andrew Cossetti went 0-for-2 but walked three times. Jay Thomason went 2-for-4 with a walk and his first Double-A home run. Kyle DeBarge added his 10th home run of the season. Garrett Spain added a double.   

Unfortunately, the Surge went just 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base. 

It’s been a long season for the Wind Surge. Manager Nico Giarratano was ejected from the game in the sixth inning. 

Seven players on the NW Arkansas roster are in the Royals Keep Top 20 prospect rankings. Five of them are pitchers, though none of them threw on Thursday. #8 prospect Carson Roccaforte went 1-for-3 with two walks. He hit his 17th home run and stole his 16th base. #18 prospect Daniel Vazquez, a shortstop who was the team’s DH in this game, went 2-for-5 with two RBI. 

KERNELS CHRONICLE 
Cedar Rapids 1, South Bend 9
Box Score
The Saints and Wind Surge both put up solid offensive performances, but their pitching staffs gave up a lot of runs and big innings. The Kernels followed suit with the exception that the Kernels offense had just one run on three hits in the game. 

Danny De Andrade had the lone extra base hit, his eighth double. Jose Salas went 1-for-2 with a walk. He stole a base and scored the lone run. Graham Brown drove in Salas with a single. 

Kolten Smith made his first appearance with the Kernels. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up four runs (2 earned) on three hits and two walks. He had four strikeouts. 

Cole Peschl came in and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits. Jesse Bergin struck out four batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit. Yehizon Sanchez gave up five runs on three hits, two hit batters, and a walk in 2/3 inning. Brian Zeldin came on and got the final out on a strikeout. 

Five South Bend Cubs players are on the Northside Baseball Top 20 Cubs Prospect rankings.19-year-old Josiah Hartshorn, the org’s #4 prospect, went 0-for-3, was hit by a pitch twice and two RBI. #7 prospect Kane Kepley didn’t play on Thursday, but he has already reached 40 stolen bases.   

MIGHTY MATTERS
Ft. Myers, Bradenton (postponed)
Box Score  
The game was postponed by rain. The teams will hope to play two games on Friday. 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 5, FCL Rays 6
Box Score  
The Twins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. In the third inning, the Rays scored four to take the lead. The Twins responded with two runs in the top of the fourth to reclaim the lead 5-4. Both bullpens did well, throwing nothing but zeroes on the board from the fifth through eighth innings. Unfortunately, the Rays scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to take the win. 

Yovanny Duran singled to lead off the game. He stole second and scored on a Jake Rucker single. Carlos Taveras singled Rucker to third. Rucker scored on a Jhomnardo Reyes sacrifice fly. With nobody on and two outs in the top of the second, Yovanny Duran was walked. After a pitching change, he stole second and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt. He scored on a Rucker double to make it 3-0. 

LHP Ross Dunn was the Twins 10th round pick in 2023 out of Arizona State. He pitched in 19 games (16 starts) for Fort Myers in 2024. He made one start in 2025 for the Kernels but was removed from the game in the fourth inning. He didn’t pitch again until Thursday morning in Fort Myers. It was his first rehab appearance after Tommy John surgery. He struck out two batters over two scoreless, hitless innings. 20 of his 27 pitches were strikes. 

Omar Mantano came in for the third inning and was charged with four runs on four hits and two walks and recorded just two outs. Jake Covey came in and stranded two runners on base. He went 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and had eight strikeouts. 

In the top of the fourth, Daiber De Los Santos reached on a one-out walk and went to second on a wild pitch. De Los Santos actually was picked off at second base, but a throwing error allowed him to score the tying run. Yovanny Duran followed with a walk. He also was picked off, but he was able to get to third on a throwing error by the first baseman. Rucker came up and came through again. He hit a triple to make it 5-4. 

Santiago Rojas came in and tossed two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and had a strikeout. 

Matt DesMarets came in for the bottom of the ninth inning. He gave up two runs on two hits, a hit batter, and a walk. He struck out two batters but recorded just two outs before the winning run scored. 

The rehabbing Jake Rucker went 4-for-4 with a run and three RBI. He had two singles, a double, and a triple.

Duran went 1-for-3, walked three times and scored three runs. His two stolen bases give him 25 for the season. 

DSL Twins 3, DSL Yankees 19
Box Score  
Keeping with the theme of the day, the DSL Twins were shellacked by the DSL Yankees. Seven Twins pitchers gave up at least one run in this game. (If you want to relive it, feel free to click on the box score.)

The Twins scored three runs and had five hits, and nine walks Misael Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with his fourth double. Jendy Martinez walked three times. Enmanuel Merlo, Luis Duarte, and Anibal Beltre each had a single and a walk. Juan Holmann walked twice. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter(s) of the Day  
Ben Ross (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2B(20), HR(7), R, 2 RBI, K
Jake Rucker (FCL Twins, Rehab): 4-for-4, 2B, 3B, R, 3 RBI. 

Pitcher(s) of the Day 
Jake Covey (FCL Twins): 3 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 54 pitches, 31 strikes (57.4%)

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) - 2-for-5, 2B(10), 2 R, K (batted second, played DH)
#4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4 (batted second, played DH)
#5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-for-6, 2B(2), 2 RBI, K, SB(11) (batted first, played SS)
#7 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 47 pitches, 25 strikes (53.2%)
#9 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(6), R, RBI, K, (batted fifth, played LF)
#10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-1 (PH and played RF)
#12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K (batted fifth, played 3B)
#13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 0-for-5, K (batted second, played catcher)
#15 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 3 2/3 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 89 pitches, 59 strikes (66.3%) .
#18 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K (batted fifth, played RF)
#20 - 2B/SS Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, HR(10), R, RBI, K (batted sixth, played 2B)   

UPCOMING PROBABLES
Friday, July 10
St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08 pm CT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (3-3, 4.91 ERA)
NW Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Cory Lewis (0-3, 4.95 ERA)
South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - LHP Cesar Lares (0-3, 16.71 ERA)  
Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (DH @ 3:35 pm CT) - RHP Callan Fang (3-1, 1.35 ERA), TBD
FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (11:00 am CT) - 
DSL Rockies @ DSL Twins (10:00 am CT) -  

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 46-48
St. Paul Saints: 49-39
Wichita Wind Surge: 28-54
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 34-47
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-36
FCL Twins: 27-22
DSL Twins: 6-20 

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

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!