stringer bell

Unfortunately, Byron Buxton has not been able to regain his health really at least the ill-fated slide in Boston in April 2022. We are move than fourteen month since that injury. As a veteran of three joint replacements, including both knees, since November of 2022, I suspect that Byron has degenerative arthritis in his knee, if not both his knee and hip. My joint replacements were the result of arthritis and it isn't unprecedented for people of Buxton's age to be afflicted with arthritis. The name that comes to mind is Sandy Koufax and he retired from baseball after his age 30 season. I apologize in advance for making assumptions without evidence and perhaps jumping to conclusions, but if the knee wasn't really heped by the off-season surgery, it just sounds too familiar (and sad) to me.

ESPN has Stewart listed on the 15 day IL. Ugh. Edit to add: Ortega appears to have been recalled to replace Stewart.

Add in three pitchers currently on the major league active roster--Balazovic (drafted 2016), Headrick and Winder. Sands is yet another drafted and developed by the Twins (currently on IL). I think Headrick still has a chance to become a rotation piece, while the others look like bullpen guys, but if they are contributing, then fewer spaces need to be filled by free agents and waiver claims.

I'm seeing adjustments made with different personnel. Guys like Castro and Taylor can steal bases and perhaps we add Julien and Lewis to that list. Since the season started, Lewis and Kirilloff have become regulars (at least against RH pitching) and Castro is getting plenty of run filling in. Julien is starting against right handed pitching, while Polanco is injured, as well. The team is strikeout heavy and I dread seeing what Strider will do with this lineup. You can't really buy and sell at the trade deadline. Call me Pollyanna, but I think this team can and will be much better in the second half, with the proviso that the current starting pitching stays healthy. I continue to believe that Carlos Correa will "find it" enough to justify his batting order status. I'm less certain that Buxton will do any more than he has offered in the first half of the season. One way or another, they need better production from first base and the corner outfield spots.

If the Twins had a .300 hitter wth good contact skills and decent power playing a corner opposite three-true-outcomes Gallo, then it would have made sense to take a chance on Gallo. Instead they have a guy with a limited upside who is prone to slumps and has a history of not hitting left handed pitching as the compliment to Gallo. Gallo is going to have moments if he is allowed to keep getting playing time, but he's also going to hit around .200 with very little offensive value besides his power. In the end there is too little production from the corner outfield. If the Twins want to be more than a borderline contender, they need more than Gallo fairly frequent walks and homers.

I checked the Twins’ website and there is an inconsistency. Jorge López I’d not listed at all, while Jorge Alcalá is still listed as being on the 15-day IL. Does this relate to López’ status?

If Rocco is telling the truth, Buxton cannot play in the field. He avoided the question for 40% of the schedule. We haven’t been told the medical details, but his ability to swing a bat and run the bases indicate that he has only a small distance that he can run before being impaired (my analysis).

De León to the 15-day IL. Winder recalled.

Tough loss. Sad to see what happened to De León. Also Buxton. Can we put Julien on the IL for an ailing glove?

Ortega draws the short straw and is optioned to St. Paul. Maeda activated.

Somebody will be sent down to make room for Maeda. My guess is that it is Headrick, but it could be Balazovic, Headrick or Ortega. Edit to add that I think it is likely that the Twins will do another bullpen game before we see Maeda throw twice on the road trip.

Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis are two Twins players that have a lot in common. Both guys were high draft choices who reached top prospect status. Both guys have missed most of the last two seasons with injuries and started this season on the Injured List due to serious injuries suffered last year. Both returned to the team this year and prompted speculation that their arrival might propel the Twins this year. While there is a lot to like, I think neither of these guys is playing like an instant star. I also think that if the Twins aspire to be more than a near-.500 team, it will be because of one or both of these young players. Here's my view of their abbreviated seasons so far this year: Kirilloff had a second surgery on his troublesome right wrist and it was thought that he might be ready to to be on the roster on Opening Day. That didn't happen. Alex didn't face live pitching until late in spring training and he was placed on the Injured List to start the season. Kirilloff used all of his 20-day rehab and hit well at each level with no signs of wrist discomfort or impairment. Still, with the club in first place and Joey Gallo hammering a lot of homers and playing a good first base, Kirilloff was briefly optioned to St. Paul in early May. Injuries quickly opened a spot and Alex was back! In his first week back, he looked like a future batting champion, taking walks, swinging at strikes and frequently hitting the ball hard. He's tailed off since then and hasn't hit for much power. AK has mostly played first base, but has also logged quite a few innings in the outfield corners. Kirilloff has been shielded from left handed pitching, not starting several games against lefties and he's frequently been replaced by a pinch hitter. Significantly, Kirilloff hasn't missed a game due to injury. Lewis suffered his second consecutive torn ACL in June last year and was placed on the 60-day IL when the season started. He also didn't face live pitching during the spring. Royce began his 20-day rehab within a day or two of the earliest date possible and was activated from the Injured List on the first day he was eligible. Lewis made an immediate impact with a homer in his first game and a key late inning hits as the Twins played better for a spell. Royce is currently sporting a batting average over .300 with three homers and a dozen RBI. Good numbers, for sure. He hasn't been turned loose on the base paths yet and he's only walked a couple of times while being prone to the strikeout. Except for one inning in a blowout game, Lewis has exclusively played third base. He's made a number of athletic highlight reel plays, but also made some errors.game due to injury. I think the time for both Lewis and Kirilloff is soon, but not now. Lewis has had many of his best at-bats with the most on the line. Kirilloff is much more consistent in his at-bats, but so far hasn't done that much damage. Lewis is prone to more non-competitive plate appearances, but has risen to the occasion quite a few times already. Baldelli has batted Kirilloff in the top half of the order against right handers and hit Lewis lower (5th -7th). I would expect that Lewis could move to the top of the order when he becomes more selective. Lewis has been given off days since returning to the Twins, probably a wise move considering Royce's injury history. Expecting Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff to lead the Twins to the promised land of a division championship and playoff success is probably asking too much this year. Having them be contributors beside Buxton, Correa and Polanco is a more reasonable expectation. Maybe as soon as next year they might be headliners. I hope and expect that their games will round off--that AK will hit with more power and that Lewis will show a more complete overall game. It's important that they are healthy and their futures still look bright.

In order to have a complete game in this era, with this manager and pitching coach, a lot of boxes have to be checked. 1) No one in the bullpen needs to work. 2) Is the team safely ahead? 3) Is the pitch count under control? 4) Are the opponents starting to hit the starter? All the boxes were checked and Ryan was able to get both a complete game and shutout. Congratulations Joe!

He has, more than once.

I don't think the nature and duration of his injury called for rehab time, especially since he was out close to the minimum time. It's too bad that he's not hitting, but there is no guarantee that things would be better if he had gone to St. Paul for a few games. I'm sure Buxton thinks he can help the team, but right now he's not hitting at all.

My guess was correct. Celestino activated and optioned to the Saints and Alcala transferred to the 60-day IL.

Celestino has been activated off the 60-day IL as of today. Optioned to St. Paul. To make room on the 40-man roster, Alcalá has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Celestino’s rehab time will be over tomorrow. He’ll need to be activated from the 60-day IL and most likely optioned to St. Paul. A 40-man spot will need to be made. My guess is Alcalá to the 60-day IL. Maeda has until about the 29th before his rehab is exhausted.

There’s a long-term commitment to Correa and Buxton. Both Kepler and Gallo can be free agents after this season. The Twins are definitely committed to Buxton and Correa. I’d be shocked if they don’t improve their numbers over the remaining 90 games, and if they don’t improve I’d be even more shocked if they won the division.

I'm a bit concerned about Lewis at third and holding my breath with Julien at second. Lewis has shown plenty of athleticism, but has booted a couple balls and made a few bad throws. Julien just isn't a natural fielder. I know he works hard, but he's already cost a few outs and he's been replaced in the late innings when the Twins have a lead.

I'll drive the bus!!

For the last couple of weeks they've alternated Jeffers and Vázquez with Jeffers getting the odd extra start. I think Jeffers has been the better player in about every respect. I'm pleasantly surprised that Jeffers' throwing hasn't been a real weakness. That was the one area where I thought Vázquez would be clearly superior.

Each of the three games turned on a base running play early in the game. The Tigers not scoring and losing their challenge really changed the game. The Twins played good defense, turned two DPs and gunned a guy down at the plate. That's a winning formula when the offense is slumping. I haven't been one to advocate coaching changes and still don't think Rocco is a bad manager, but Popkins' seat has to be warm. The whiffs are happening at an epic rate, with no letup in sight and the offense just doesn't put the kind of sustained pressure on pitchers that they should.

The club believes a healthy Buxton is essential if they have any chance in postseason. Watching Buck at this point is painful. If someone wants to be critical of the team and of Buxton, now is a perfect time. The more he slumps the more the TD fan base is clamoring for him to play center field. I don't see it happening until at least the All-Star break. I'm confident he'll come out of it and again be a much above-average hitter with plenty of power. We've seen this before and almost certainly will see it again. I don't know if the Twins will succeed with Buxton at DH. I have a hard time believing they can be competitive without him and I'm certain that they won't make the playoffs and be competitive with both Correa and Buxton having BAs in the low .200s and OPS in the low .700s. It really doesn't figure that Correa (28) and Buxton (29) would fall of the table offensively. The Twins have put their bets on those two guys and if they fail, there isn't enough talent to be a winning team.

Sánchez is doing quite well for the Padres.