Seth Stohs

Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Tuesday, starting with some awards and the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS Taking LHP Lewis Thorpe’s spot on the Twins roster is RHP Randy Dobnak. RHP Ryne Harper returned to the Red Wings after being optioned on Saturday. OF Alejandro de Aza activated from the injured list for the Red Wings. LHP Charlie Barnes sent down to Pensacola. SS Jordan Gore began a rehab in the GCL. As you will see below, he might be trying something new. Not really a transaction, but the Twins announced that Byron Buxton's Cedar Rapids rehab has hit a setback. For more information, click here. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo 5 Box Score Kohl Stewart started and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out six batters. Brusdar Graterol came on for the sixth inning. After a walk and a hit batter, he got a fielder’s choice. However, the next batter connected on a three-run homer. Graterol got the final two outs, the third out on a strikeout. Trevor Hildenberger came on and gave up just a single over two scoreless innings. The Red Wings tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning. Down 5-0, they scored three runs, but fell short. Tomas Telis went 2-for-4 and drove in the first ninth inning run. Zander Wiel followed with a two-run homer, his 22nd of the season. He went 2-for-3 with a walk in the game. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 4, Jackson 2 Box Score Bailey Ober has been quite the story in 2019. After pitching well in Ft. Myers, when healthy, he has now been really good in three starts with the Wahoos. On this night, he gave up only an unearned run on four hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out 11. https://twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall/status/1166524981032845312 Another story of note, Stephen Gonsalves came in for the eighth inning. He gave up an unearned run on a walk and a hit batter in his inning. He struck out two. Alex Phillips came on and got the final three outs for the save. Pensacola scored all three of their runs in the first inning. Alex Kirilloff scored on a ground out from LaMonte Wade. Mark Contreras added a two run single. Ryan Jeffers went 2-for-3. Trevor Larnach went 1-for-3 with a walk. It was the final game of the home schedule for Pensacola. After taking Wednesday off, they will begin their final series of the season. https://twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall/status/1166543322606985216 MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 - Ft. Myers 2, Dunedin 3 Box Score Lachlan Wells started the first game. He gave up two runs on five hits in the first five innings. He walked two and struck out four. Tyler Watson gave up one run on one hit in one inning. Yeltsin Encarnacion led the offense. He went 3-for-3 and drive in a run. The Miracle had just seven total hits. Game 2 - Ft. Myers 5, Dunedin 2 Box Score In game two, the Miracle got a strong start and a big blast. Trey Cabbage and Jose Miranda provided much of the Miracle offense. Miranda went 3-for-3 with a walk and his 24th and 25th doubles. Trey Cabbage went 2-for-3 with a walk and his fifth-inning, three-run homer proved to be all that they needed to get the win. On the mound, Dakota Chalmers put together another solid start and picked up his first Miracle win. He gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out eight batters. Zach Neff recorded his sixth save. He struck out three over two innings of work. He gave up one run on two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 3 Box Score The Kernels nearly went to extra innings for a second straight night, but instead, Spencer Steer played hero in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off single. Steer went 2-for-5 in the game. Wander Javier provided a big hit, his tenth home run of the season. Luis Rijo had another impressive outing in August. He gave up just one run on four hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out six batters. Jose Martinez went the next 1 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. Dylan Thomas came out and got the final two outs of the eight inning and all three outs in the ninth frame. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 3, Greeneville 1 Box Score Ruben Santana spent three summers playing in the Dominican Summer League before coming to the States this year. On Tuesday night, Santana led off the game with the first home run of his professional career. Fidel Castro tied the game in the third inning with a home run for Greeneville, but in the fourth, the E-Twins responded with two runs. Seth Gray had an RBI double, followed by an RBI single by Trevor Jensen. Gray hit his 14 and 15th doubles. Max Smith added his 12th double. Brent Headrick made the start for the Twins. He worked two scoreless innings and didn’t give up a hit. He walked two and struck out one. Ryan Shreve came in and gave up one run on four hits over the next four innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. Denny Bentley worked the next two innings and kept Greeneville from adding any runs. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. Tyler Beck worked a scoreless ninth inning. He gave up a hit and a walk but struck out three batters. Wednesday is the final day of the Appalachian League regular season. I’d explain how the E-Twins can make the playoffs, but Nick Badders did all the work, so let’s let him. https://twitter.com/BadderUpSports/status/1166523310433296384 GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 - GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 2 (10 innings) Box Score The game was suspended on Monday in the bottom of the fourth and resumed on Tuesday morning. On Monday, non-drafted free agent Evan Gillespie started the game and gave up just two hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out four. When the game resumed on Tuesday, Jordan Gore was on the mound. He faced five batters. He walked three and struck out two batters before exiting the game. Yes, this is the same Jordan Gore who began the season as the starting shortstop of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. In a game he pitched for Pensacola earlier this season, he was regularly hitting 96 mph on the radar gun. Anthony Escobar turned 19 a couple of days ago. He went the final 5 1/3 innings He gave up two runs on four hits to record the win. He struck out three without issuing a walk. In the game, Luke Raley went 3-for-5. Brent Rooker went 1-for-3 before exiting. Alex Craig had a single and two walks. LaRon Smith hit his fifth double, and Jesus Feliz hit his ninth double. Game 2 - GCL Twins 6, GCL Rays 4 Box Score Regi Grace made the start and gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out seven batters. Danny Moreno came on and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Junior Navas gave up a run on three hits in the sixth inning. Steve Theetge worked a perfect seventh inning for his first pro save. The GCL Twins scored six runs with just five hits. However, in what was certainly an enjoyable game to watch, they walked 12 times. Jesus Feliz, Eric Jones, Francisco Martinez, Alec Craig and Jim Caceres each walked twice. Feliz added his third triple. In rehab news, Luke Raley was 1-4 with a sacrifice fly. He again played center field. Brent Rooker went 1-for-3 with a walk. DHd after playing left field in Game 1. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Bailey Ober, Pensacola Blue Wahoos Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Ft. Myers Miracle PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 1-4, 2B(9), K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, R, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - 1 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 1-3, BB, R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Game 1 (1-4, R, 2 K) #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - GCL Rehab Game 1 (1-3), Game 2 (1-3, BB, 2 R) #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (lower leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 2-3, R #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Injured List #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - Season Complete #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Did Not Play. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:35 CST) - RHP Preston Guilmet (2-6, 4.81 ERA) Pensacola - No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (DH @ 4:00 CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (6-4, 3.04 ERA), TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (1-1, 1.80 ERA) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Braves (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games or any other minor league topics you would like.

Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday, starting with some awards and the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS The Red Wings announced that LHP Stephen Gonsalves ended his rehab and was transferred to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Also, OF Brent Rooker began a rehab appearance with the GCL Twins. OF Nelson Roberto was promoted from the DSL to the GCL. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Buffalo 5 Box Score Charlie Barnes made the start for the Red Wings. He gave up five runs on nine hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out two. Fernando Romero, Jake Reed and Sam Clay each threw a scoreless inning. Drew Maggi went 2-for-4 with a walk. Mike Miller was 2-for-4. Zander Wiel was also 2-for-4 and added his 38th double of the year. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 4, Jackson 2 Box Score The Wahoos used a three-run bottom of the eighth inning to take the 4-2 win. Travis Blankenhorn, LaMonte Wade and Mark Contreras each knocked in a run in the inning. It was a bullpen game for Pensacola on Monday. Adam Bray started and gave up two runs on two hits over 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three batters. Anthony Vizcaya tossed scoreless 3 1/3 innings. He gave up just two hits, hit a batter and struck out two. Jovani Moran struck out three batters over the next 1 2/3 innings, and Jonathan Cheshire got the final four outs, two on strikeouts. Wade went 1-for-3 with a walk and the ninth-inning ground rule double. Ryan Jeffers added his fifth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Dunedin Box Score A scheduled doubleheader with the Blue Jays was again rained out. They are hoping to play doubleheaders each of the next two days. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 6 (11 innings) Box Score The Kernels fell behind late, tied it in the bottom of the ninth, then tied it again in the bottom of the tenth. Unfortunately, they did not have an answer in the 11th inning to take the loss. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and down by a run, Spencer Steer doubled in a run, but a runner was thrown out at home to send the game to extra innings. Steer then scored on a ground out in the 10th inning to tie the game and send it to the 11th. Steer led the offense. He went 2-for-5 with his 10th and 11th doubles. Wander Javier went 2-for-3 with two walks and his ninth double. Gabe Snyder also had two hits. Kody Funderburk started. The southpay gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five batters. Nate Hadley came on and gave up just one hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out two. Ricky Ramirez worked one inning and gave up a run on two hits and a walk. Alex Schick worked three innings. He gave up an unearned run in the 10th and another in the 11th. (As you know, that means that the runners that started the inning on second base scored.) UPDATE - I apologize for not providing the Byron Buxton update initially. Here it is. He did not play last night due to wet playing conditions. He is expected to start, and play CF, for the Kernels tonight (Tuesday). E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 1, Greeneville 0 Box Score Right-handed pitcher Cody Laweryson was the Twins 14th-round pick in June out of the University of Maine. On Monday night, he tossed six shutout innings. He gave up just three hits and didn’t issue a walk. He also struck out 15 batters in the game. https://twitter.com/ETwinsBaseball/status/1166155925545267200 Owen Griffith came on and worked the final three innings, keeping the shutout, and recording his first pro save. He gave up just one hit and struck out five batters. The Twins got their lone run when Janigson Villalobos hit his sixth double of the season to drive in Anthony Prato with the game’s only run. Will Holland went 2-for-3 and stole his eighth base. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins, GCL Rays Box Score The game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Twins leading 2-0. The full story will come in Tuesday’s minor league report. However, a couple of quick notes from the early innings. First, non-drafted free agent Evan Gillespie tossed four scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out four batters. Luke Raley was 1-for-2 as he continued his rehab. He played center field. Brent Rooker made his first rehab appearance. He was 1-for-2 before the rains came. He played left field. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Cody Laweryson, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier, Cedar Rapids Kernels PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 0-3, R, 2 K, SB(5) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-3, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 1-4, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 2-3, 2 BB, 2B(9) #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Game suspended #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (lower leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 1-3, R, 2B(5) #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - No Game Scheduled #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-6, 2 K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Injured List #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - Season Complete #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 0-4, R, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:35 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (8-5, 5.23) Jackson @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - RHP Bailey (2-0, 0.64 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (DH @ 1:00 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells (2-4, 4.15 ERA), TBD Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (7-2, 2.82 ERA) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games or any other minor league topics you would like.

Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Saturday, starting with some awards and the transactions of the day. But before we do that, in case you missed it, Twins prospect and 2019 draft pick Edouard Julien injured his elbow in the Pan Am Games and will have Tommy John surgery in the next couple of weeks. AWARDS On Friday, the Midwest League and Appalachian League announced their postseason All-Star teams. Kernels 1B Gabe Snyder was named to the Midwest League team. E-Twins OF Max Smith was named to the Appy League team. TRANSACTIONS Mariana Guzman posted early on Saturday morning the news that RHP Edwar Colina had been promoted to Triple-A Rochester. The Twins optioned RHP Ryne Harper and promoted RHP Cody Stashak to the big leagues. RHP Danny Moreno came off of the GCL's 60-day injured list. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Syracuse 2 Box Score It was a good offensive night for the Red Wings as they got contributions from a lot of players. Willians Astudillo is now hitting .474 with the Red Wings after a 2-for-5 performance which included his first double. Wilin Rosario went 3-for-5 with his 23rd double. He’s now hitting .310. Ian Miller went 2-for-5 with his third double and he stole his fifth bag. Ronald Torreyes went 2-for-5. Also, Zander Wiel hit his 36th double, a noteworthy milestone. httptwitter.com/JoshWhetzel/status/1165428945241722885 It was a bullpen game for the Red Wings. Preston Guilmet started and tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out three batters. Trevor Hildenberger came in. He faced six batters and got all six out. Jake Reed pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks. He struck out two batters. Brusdar Graterol got the final out of the seventh inning but not before allowing the inherited runner to score. He worked a scoreless eighth frame. He struck out one batter in the four outs he recorded. Ryan O’Rourke pitched a scoreless ninth inning. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 4, Jackson 8 Box Score Bryan Sammons was back on the mound for the Blue Wahoos. The lefty started the game with four scoreless innings. However, he ended up giving up three runs on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four. Marcos Diplan gave up three runs on two hits over 1 2/3 innings. Alex Phillips gave up two runs on three hits (two HRs) with two walks and three strikeouts. Anthony Vizcaya gave up a hit in his scoreless inning. Ryan Costello provided much of the Blue Wahoos offense. The slugger knocked his seventh Pensacola home run, a two-run shot. Ryan Jeffers went 1-for-2 with two walks. Alex Kirilloff hit his 17th double. LaMonte Wade went 1-for-4 with a walk in another rehab game. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Chris Vallimont made his fourth Miracle start since joining the organization on July 31st. On this night, he gave up one run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out nine. He improved to 4-5 overall in the Florida State League, but with the Miracle, he is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA. In 22 1/3 innings, he has walked four and struck out 28 batters. Moises Gomez continues his terrific season with 2 1/3 perfect innings. He struck out three. Then Yennier Cano came on and worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save. Gilberto Celestino had another multi-hit game. He went 2-for-5 with his third and fourth doubles. Andrew Bechtold went 2-for-5 with his eighth double. Yeltsin Encarnacion went 2-for-3 with a walk. Jose Miranda and Brian Schales each had two hits as well. The Miracle won their fifth straight game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 2 Box Score Tyler Webb has done it a couple of times already, once in E-Town and soon after with the Kernels. The Kernels were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. They tied the score on a fielding error. Webb came to the plate and lashed a single to score Matt Wallner and give the Kernels the walk-off win. And a celebration ensued. https://twitter.com/JimCrikket/status/1165449496647610368 Andrew Cabezas started for Cedar Rapids. He tossed six shutout innings, overcoming six hits and four walks. He struck out just one. Jose Martinez gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over two innings. Ricky Ramirez struck out two in a perfect top of the ninth inning to earn the Win. Jared Akins went 2-for-4 with an RBI. DaShawn Keirsey added a triple. Byron Buxton is expected to DH for the Kernels on Sunday afternoon and then play center field on Monday night. From there, it is to be determined. He may be ready to play in Chicago on Tuesday. https://twitter.com/CRKernels/status/1165360235856502790 E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 4, Danville 2 Box Score Seth Gray has played hero for the E-Twins several times this season. On Friday night, his walk-off homer was his second of the year. On Saturday night, he hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The Twins added one more and got the nice road win. Willie Joe Garry gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning with his fifth home run. Charlie Mack went 2-for-3 with his eighth double. Anthony Prato went 2-for-4. Ben Gross, the Twins 10th-round pick, put together the best start of his young career. He struck out seven batters over five shutout innings. He gave up just two hits and didn’t issue a walk. Denny Bentley came on and did well too. He struck out three over two scoreless innings. Brent Headrick came on for his second pro appearance. He gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk and recorded just two outs, one on a strikeout. Tyler Beck came on and got the final four outs to give the team the win. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Red Sox 10 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves made another rehab start in the GCL. On this day, he was able to complete three innings. He gave up just two hits and no runs. He struck out four and did not issue a walk. Venezuelan Danny Moreno came on and made his first appearance of the year. He tossed a scoreless inning .He gave up just one hit, and he struck one batter out. It as a rough one for Miguel Rodriguez. In 2 2/3 innings, he gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks. He struck out five. Matthew Swain came in and gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in his inning. He struck out two. Steven Theetge struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Luke Raley continued his rehab and went 1-for-4. Victor Heredia hit his first home run. Jim Caceres, Erick Rivera and Jesus Feliz each hit a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Ben Gross, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Seth Gray, Elizabethton Twins PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 1-5, RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-5, 2B(17), K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (22 pitches, 15 strikes) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Did Not Play #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (lower leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 1-2, 2 BB, RBI #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 1-4 #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Injured List #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 1-3, BB, RBI, K, SB(19) #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 0-4, 3 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05 CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-3, 3.28 ERA) Jackson @ Pensacola (5:05 CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (4-3, 2.69 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (12:00 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells (2-4, 4.15 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (7-2, 2.82 ERA) Danville @ Elizabethton (4:05 CST) - TBD GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games or any other minor league topics you would like.

According to the newspaper article (using the "Translate" tool to translate from French to English), Julien first injured his elbow while playing for Team Canada in the recent Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. In the article, Julien notes that during a pre-game round of infield, he was manning second base (he played mostly third base at Auburn).He noted that during the work "in my elbow, I felt a pop." Julien tells the reporter that trainers thought maybe it was a displaced nerve, but an MRI showed the tear in the ulnar ligament. Instead of participating in the Twins instructional league work and offseason strength and conditioning programs, Julien said he expects to undergo about an eight-month rehab process. Much of the rehab will be done with Twins trainers in Ft. Myers. According to the article, Julien will have the procedure done by Dr. James Andrews in early September. ---------------------------------------------------------- Julien was a freshman All-American as a freshman in 2018 when he hit .275/.398/.556 (.954) with seven doubles and 17 home runs. His 69 RBI set the school's freshman RBI total set by Hall of Famer Frank Thomas over 30 years ago. Julien was arrested that summer for public intoxication, a misdemeanor. In 2019, he hit. 248/.378/.435 (.812) with 14 doubles and nine homers. Julien, along with Twins fifth-round pick Will Holland, manned the left side of the infield and helped Auburn to the 2019 College World Series. The Twins drafted him in the 18th round in June. It came as a surprise to many when Julien signed on the final day that he could. A couple of weeks earlier, he had tweeted a pledge that he was going to go back to Auburn for another year. However, after the draft-eligible sophomore played six games in the Cape Cod League, the Twins had some bonus money available as the deadline approached and ultimately signed Julien for $493,500, nearly $375,000 over the $125,000 limit for players drafted after the 11th round. He never did get a plate appearance after signing and before going to the Pan Am Games. The Twins have had their fair share of Tommy John surgeries by position players. Miguel Sano and Alex Kirilloff have missed a season due to the surgery. Akil Baddoo had Tommy John surgery earlier this season and is expected to be ready for spring training.

The Twins defense has been a topic in the second half, particularly in the infield. So I thought it might be fun to take a look at how the Twins stack up by this metric in its most recent analysis (through games of August 18th). Catcher Unfortunately for today’s article, there is a game- or innings-played minimum in this analysis, so the Twins don’t have a player at these positions that qualify. Regarding that Rafael Palmiero Gold Glove, this would have been nice back then! I think that the Twins feel good about their defense behind the plate. Jason Castro may not be quite what he was in previous years, but he’s still strong. And by all accounts, Mitch Garver has vastly improved his defense, specifically his ability to present pitches. While we can probably agree that their time split has probably helped keep them both fresh throughout the season, it means that neither qualifies for this. Pitchers I have always thought that Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson are terrific defensive players. I think both show good range and athleticism. I still believe that, even if this data shows both in the bottom four in the AL, separated only by Lance Lynn. However, it also shows that Martin Perez is second on the list, behind only Mike Leake of the Mariners. First Base CJ Cron comes in at 1.0. I don’t know and won’t take the time to figure out exactly what that means or how it’s calculated. However, it’s a positive number which means he could be considered average or a little better than average. I think that’s fair. He got a lot of credit for some scooping early in the season. He hasn’t picked as many of late, but I generally think he’s more than adequate at the position. And, I think we can all acknowledge that he’s not A’s first baseman Matt Olson with the glove. Second Base Jonathan Schoop comes in at a -2.1 SDI, so again, a little bit below average. That ranks ninth of qualifying second baseman. I think we can all agree that his arm is plus-plus. His range may not be real great as he’s easily the biggest player on this list. Of course, in the last month, Schoop has lost much of his playing time to Luis Arraez. Third Base And, I don’t think any of us have any thought that Miguel Sano would rank terribly high among defensive third baseman. It would be nice to see what his numbers would look like though. Meanwhile, Marwin Gonzalez does show up on the list at 5.1 SDI. Sano has played 66 games at third base. Marwin Gonzalez has played 40 games at third base. In other words, Gonzalez’s numbers must include his time all over the diamond. But, frankly, that makes his 5.1, a decent amount to the positive, even more impressive. Shortstop Jorge Polanco has certainly struggled in the field the last couple of weeks, but until that point, his defense went generally unnoticed, which is a good thing. His SDI is -0.3, which would say that he’s been about average in 2019. I fact, he fits in at seventh out of 12 AL shortstops. Old Friend Niko Goodrum of the Detroit Tigers ranks third at 4.0 SDI. Right Field Max Kepler is tremendous in right field, and good in center field. He comes in at 6.1 SDI, second among AL right fielders behind only Red Sox Mookie Betts (8.9). While Betts will likely win another Gold Glove, Kepler absolutely should be a finalist and get serious consideration. I’m sure having 34 homers already and playing on a winning team help his case. Center Field Despite missing a decent amount of time this season, Byron Buxton’s 8.9 SDI ranks atop the list of 14 American League center fielders. In fact, Rays OF Kevin Keirmaier ranks second at 6.3 SDI and recently-released Billy Hamilton is third at 5.7. In fact, Buxton’s 8.9 SDI ranks fourth among all AL players, regardless of position. He ranks behind only A’s 3B Matt Chapman (13.0), Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez (11.9) and Rays SS Willy Adames (9.9). Left Field Saving the best for last? No, but saving the most interesting - at least to me - for last. Eddie Rosario’s defense has been a bit of a roller coaster throughout his career, and even in the 2019 season there have been plenty of ups and downs. Rosario posts a -2.4 SDI, so again, below zero. But what does that mean? He ranks fifth of ten qualifying left fielders. Only two AL left fielders have a positive SDI, and Royals Alex Gordon has a 0.2 SDI. So, I feel fairly comfortable saying that Rosario’s defense this year hasn’t been good, but it isn’t terrible. But to the big story… The top defensive left fielder according to the SABR Defensive Index is Oakland A’s Robbie Grossman. And not just by a little bit. Grossman has a 5.8 SDI, well ahead of Gordon’s 0.2. So what do we make of that? Does it completely ruin any value that SDI has in your mind? Does it mean that Grossman is actually playing really good defense in 2019? Truly, I don’t know how to read that, and don’t want to read into it. But it is statistical, analytical, based on the same information that every other left fielder is evaluated by. So, what do you think? It feels like - aside from the Grossman thing - this data kind of verifies what we probably thought of the Twins defensive play in 2019. It verifies that Byron Buxton is amazing and that Max Kepler is really good. Marwin Gonzalez has provided defensive value wherever he’s played. Beyond that, there are several very average defenders, and despite his recent struggles, Polanco has been OK for most of the year. What else do you see from this data?

Nick Gordon had a strong spring training, but when teams broke camp to start their seasons, he found himself on the Rochester IL with a stomach ailment and missed all of April. He returned to the Red Wings at the start of May and began hitting right away. In 70 games this season, he has hit .298/.342/.459 (.801) with 29 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He also stole 14 based in 17 attempts. It was a terrific showing, especially after the struggles he endured in the second half of 2018 for Rochester when he hit just .212/.262/.283 (.544) in 99 games in the International League. Gordon has always worked hard to improve in the offseason. He continued to work out with his brother (Dee) and others such as Francisco Lindor under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. However, he also took his struggles at minor league baseball’s highest level last year and learned from it. It has paid off with his much-improved stat line in 2019. Gordon said, “I’ve felt more like myself, knowing that last year I let a lot get to me and I changed a bunch of things. This year, it’s about trusting what I did (in the offseason) and what I’ve done.” Gordon, still just 23 years old, was competing with and against players several years older than him and many with big league service time. He continued, “Not getting into my own head. They (opponents) are going to be good, and I have to be good. You can’t just go out and beat up on everybody and then get down when you don’t. It doesn’t work that way. Just needed to stick to the things I worked with and the things I did during the offseason and stick with them, stick to a routine.” Unfortunately, as August started, Gordon was hit in the back leg by a pitch and was placed on the IL the next day.While it looked like a “normal” back-knee hit by pitch, it was anything but that. https://twitter.com/TFTwins/status/1157471405597974528 “I actually couldn’t walk. It was a little tough to walk for a week. It was difficult, a lot of pain. It was very unusual, kind of a freak accident.” As for a return, he hopes to get back “as soon as possible,” but he understands that it will be “however long it takes.” The reality is that Gordon has been very healthy for the most part since being the Twins first-round draft pick in 2014 out of high school in Orlando. By season, he has played in 120 games, 116 games, 122 games, and 141 games in 2018. It would be fair to say that he isn’t exactly enjoying his time on the IL either. “It isn’t a good feeling. The days are so much longer. It’s been tough.” But he has chosen not to sulk and to try to get some benefit from it, trying to make it into an opportunity for learning. “It’s been a lot of learning, a lot of self-time and picking up myself and paying attention to things around the game. I’ve taken the time and felt like I’ve learned, so I don’t feel like I wasted time but it’s been kind of frustrating not being out there.” Throughout the season, there have been very frequent Red Wing travelers on the flight between Rochester and Minneapolis. It’s been pretty exciting for him to see teammates get their call to the big leagues. One of his good friends in the Twins organization for several years is LaMonte Wade. They have played with each other each season since 2016. One night in late June, the two were hanging out together. “It was awesome. I was actually with him when he got called. It was a cool experience to see, knowing how hard he worked for it. He goes about it the right way. He wants to be better and he wants to win. When he got that call, that opportunity, I was so excited for him. I was really happy for him.” What did Gordon tell Wade? “I didn’t know what to tell him because I haven’t got that call. It was overwhelming. It was exciting. So I just told him to go up there and do your thing. Play your game. You’re there for a reason!” Has seeing several teammates get that call to the big leagues been motivating for Gordon, or has it been a source of frustration? “I don’t really believe much in being mad about things I can’t control. It doesn’t really frustrate me. Motivation? I mean, I’ve been motivated to get to the big leagues since I was a little kid. There is always more motivation there. When stuff like that happens, it’s more positive than negative (seeing teammates called up). It’s just so great seeing guys I’ve played with for years get a chance at the top level.” But through any frustrations and struggles, Gordon has had a very good support system. As we have discussed with him before, he gets a lot of support and encouragement from his family, including his father (Tom) and brother (Dee). But Nick spoke glowingly of the support players get from within the organization. “We were just talking about it today. There are a lot of guys in our organization that are good people, awesome human beings. It’s awesome to be around. In situations that are tough, your teammates are there.” In Rochester, Gordon is one of the youngest Red Wings. He is able to hear from older teammates who have spent time in the big leagues and experienced the highs and lows of this baseball life. In Ft. Myers, he is working and rehabbing with several other players who are injured. They are able to confide with and in each other. “Everybody understands that this game is hard. Everybody wants to be on the field. They are there for you, have your back. You can’t ask for more than that. I have a lot of guys that I’m close to. There are a lot of guys in the organization that are just awesome.” Gordon said that he stays away from rumors in the game as much as possible. While his name was occasionally mentioned in trade rumors, it was one of his teammates that ended up being traded at the deadline.. Regarding Jaylin Davis, Gordon noted, “He’s awesome. He’s just great. Every single time he steps in the box, a baseball is about to get hit hard. He’s getting an opportunity. He’s a great guy, a great hitter I’m happy for him.” He continued, “”But I didn’t want to see him go. I loved playing with him.” One thing is certain when speaking to Nick Gordon. He has a strong passion for the game of baseball. He speaks with such great perspective, and his perspective has changed to some degree since this time last year. Sure, the passion for baseball remains the same and his drive to play in the big leagues for a long time is still very strong. But he has other priorities in life too. At least one. Last September, Jaxon Nicholas Gordon was born. As excited as Gordon sounds when talking about baseball, you can hear the joy coming through the phone when he talks about his son. Has becoming a father changed his perspective or anything in his day-to-day life? “I would say it is more in my day-to-day. Having my son definitely does show me how to care and I feel like I care more for people. I’ve always loved kids, but I love this kid to an entirely different level. It’s a smile of joy. It’s everything that I wish for. I pray for him. I love him endlessly. It definitely drives me. I spend as much time as I can with him. It’s tough in the season. Down in Florida, I’ve seen him a lot more. He’s an awesome little man.” Congratulations to Nick and his family. Hopefully he can get healthy and get back on the field before season’s end, and maybe get a trip to Minneapolis in September.