Twins Minor League Report (8/22): Carson Tinney Continues to Impress

TRANSACTIONS  
The Twins signed veteran RHP Ron Marinaccio to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Saints. The Reds recently DFAd him. He cleared waivers and elected free agency on Thursday. The Twins signed him on Saturday. He has pitched in 149 big-league games over the past five seasons. He spent three years with the Yankees. He pitched for the Padres some in 2025 and began the season with 33 appearances for San Diego. He then pitched four games for the Pirates and four games for the Reds. He will join the Twins bullpen depth in St. Paul, looking for another opportunity. 

The Saints also placed Kendry Rojas on the injured list with a strained right oblique. 

Catcher David Banuelos was placed on the temporary inactive list. Catcher Ian Daugherty was activated from the Saints development list. 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 15, Columbus 11
Box Score
After scoring just one run on Friday night, the Saints offense returned with a vengeance on Saturday. The pitching was certainly not great, but St. Paul had innings with four runs scored and six runs scored. 

The Saints got on the board first in the second inning with a familiar result. Tristan Gray hit a home run for the fourth day in a row. 

Walker Jenkins led off the third inning with a walk. After two strikeouts, he stole second. Emmanuel Rodriguez and Aaron Sabato walked to load the bases. Hendry Mendez responded with a two-run single to right field to make it 3-0.

However, the Clippers scored five runs in the third and three runs in the fourth inning to grab an 8-3 lead. German Marquez started and tossed two scoreless innings before giving up five runs on five hits (including three homers) and a walk in the third inning. He walked three batters in a scoreless first inning. 

Ron Marinaccio made his organizational debut. In the fourth inning, he was charged with three runs on three hits (one homer) in the inning. 

But that Saints offense is potent. They scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning to reclaim the lead 9-8. The inning started with a Ben Ross double. With one out, Emmanuel Rodiguez hit his ninth home run with the Saints. 

With two on and two outs, Cody Morissette doubled to drive in Sabato and Gray. Noah Cardenas followed with his 12th home run of the season to give the Saints the 9-8 lead. 

Woo-Suk Go pitched a scoreless fifth, but when given a lead, he gave up two runs on a hit, a hit batter, and two walks in the sixth inning. 

Down 10-9 through six innings, Sabato led off the top of the seventh inning with a double. He moved to third on a groundout and then scored the 10th run on another grounder. Morissette and Cardenas walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Walker Jenkins walked in the go-ahead run. 

The Saints kept adding on in the eighth. Rodriguez walked and stole second. Mendez walked. Tristan Gray hit into a fielder’s choice, but because of a throwing error, the bases were loaded. Morissett stepped to the plate and launched a grand slam to give his team a 15-10 lead.  

Marco Raya pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He gave up a solo home run and struck out three batters. Matt Bowman struck out three batters in a hitless, scoreless ninth inning. 

Morissette went 2-for-4 with a walk, his 14th double, his 11th home run, and six RBI. Walker Jenkins went 2-for-4, two walks and 15th stolen base. Aaron Sabato went 2-for-5 with a walk and his 27th double. Ross added his 22nd double and a walk. Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with three walks to go with his ninth home run and fifth stolen base. Cardenas walked in addition to his 12th home run of the season. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 7, Frisco 5
Box Score
The Surge scored three in the first and three in the second and then held on, keeping Frisco from completing the comeback.

Jake Rucker led off the game with a walk and went to second on a throwing error. Caden Kendle followed with a walk. Brandon Winokur came up and drove in a run with his second Surge double. Kendle scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Spain. Andrew Cossetti walked. A Kyle DeBarge sacrifice fly to drive in Winokur with the third run.

Jay Thomason led off the second inning with a single. He went to third on a Graham Brown double. With one out, Rucker launched his eighth home run to give them a 6-0 lead.

Chris Vallimont started and gave up two runs on six hits. He had five strikeouts with no walks. Darren Bowen came on and gave up three runs (2 earned) on two hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Jacob Webb got four outs and gave up just one hit. Mitch Mueller struck out three batters over two, one-hit innings. 

In the fifth inning, Caden Kendle hit his eighth home run to add on some insurance. Kendle is now hitting .382 (1.122) walked and homered in the game. 

Rucker had a walk and his eighth home run. Winokur and Brown each hit their second Double-A doubles. 

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 3, Beloit 11
Box Score
Not a great game for the Kernels. They scored three runs despite just three hits and six walks.

For the second straight start, Kolten Smith was unable to complete the first inning. He gave up three runs on one hit, one hit batter, and four walks. Both outs he recorded were on strikeouts. 

Ivran Romero came on and gave up three runs (2 earned) on four hits over 2 1/3 innings. Cleiber Maldonado gave up one run on one hit and a walk over two innings. He struck out four batters. Mike McKenna gave up four runs on five hits (two homers). He had three strikeouts and walked none. Michael Hilker tossed two scoreless innings with just a walk and a strikeout. 

The Kernels got on the board in the top of the third innings when Eduardo Tait launched his 21st home run of the season. 

In the top of the fifth, Andy Lugo walked, Yasser Mercedes was hit by a pitch, and Eduardo Tait walked to load the bases. Lugo scored on a sacrifice fly by JP Smith. 

In the sixth inning, Luis Fragoza walked and went to second on a wild pitch. 

Tait went 1-for-2 with two walks and a homer. Luis Fragoza went 0-for-2 but walked twice and stole two bases. 

MIGHTY MATTERS
Fort Myers 5, Palm Beach 2
Box Score
Palm Beach took an early 2-0 lead through the first three innings. In the middle three innings, the Mussels scored two runs. Rains came after seven innings, so the seventh inning is where the game was decided. 

Callan Fang started and gave up one run on two walks over the first two innings. He gave up no hits and struck out three batters. 

Following a nearly 100-minute rain delay, Jackson Sleeper came into pitch. He gave up one run on a solo home run. Over 1 2/3 innings, he gave up just one hit and walked two while striking out two batters. Nick McAuliffe came on and worked 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. He walked two and had three strikeouts. Brian Strange came in for the seventh inning. He gave up no runs and no hits. He walked one and had two strikeouts to earn his first professional save. 

With one out in the top of the fourth inning, Carson Tinney knocked a double. He went to third on a passed ball. Aidan Teel drove him in with a single to center. 

In the sixth inning, Colby Turner and Carson Tinney started things with a single. Teel reached on a fielders’ choice. Tinney stole third base, and Teel stole second. Tinney scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaiah Lane. 

The score was tied 2-2 going into the seventh inning. The first two Mussels batters got out. Murphy Hernandez singled and went to third on a throwing error. (Speed is awesome!) He scored on a Turner single to right. 

Carson Tinney came to the plate and launched a two-run homer to make it 5-2. 

Tinney went 3-for-3 with a walk, his second double, his sixth home run, three runs scored and two RBI. He also stole his first professional base. Turner and Hernandez both went 2-for-4. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter(s) of the Day 
Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 3-for-3, BB, 2B(2), HR(6), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB(1). 
Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-2, 2 BB, HR(21), R, RBI.
Cody Morissette (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB, 2B(14), HR(11), 2 R, 6 RBI. 

Pitcher(s) of the Day
Mitch Mueller (Wichita): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

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

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2 BB, R, RBI, SB(15) (batted first, played DH).
#3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, HR (2), R, RBI, (batted ninth, played SS)
#6 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, 3 BB, HR(9), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB(5) (batted fourth, played CF)
#7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, R, 2 RBI (batted sixth, played LF)
#8 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-2, 2 BB, HR(21), R, RBI (batted second, played Catcher)
#11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 3-for-3, BB, 2B(2), HR(6), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB(1) (batted third, played Catcher)
#12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2B(2), R, RBI, K (batted third, played SS)
#19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K (batted first, played DH)

UPCOMING PROBABLES
Sunday, August 23
St. Paul @ Columbus (12:05 pm CT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (5-6, 6.56 ERA)
Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 pm CT) - RHP Sam Armstrong (7-8, 4.81 ERA)
Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 pm CT) - LHP Cesar Lares (0-6, 13.18 ERA)
Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:00 pm CT) - RHP Eric Hammond (1-4, 4.76 ERA) 

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 63-67
St. Paul Saints: 72-52
Wichita Wind Surge: 50-67
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-73
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 64-53
FCL Twins: 33-26 (Season Complete)
DSL Twins: 19-35 (Season Complete)

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!