Cory Moen

Agreed. My guess would be they try him out as a starter early on and if that doesn't work, the fall back of being a one inning guy who is a fastball/slider reliever is a real possibility. If he develops a third pitch, whether that be the change or they try something different might be the key to sticking as a starter versus moving to the bullpen.

Hopefully he has success with the Cubs! Always neat to see a local guy get a shot!

The Minnesota Twins have selected RHP Steele Murdock with their 5th round pick at 139th overall in the 2026 MLB Draft. The slot value for the pick is $536,900. Murdock is a right-handed pitcher out of UC San Diego. He had 104 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched this past season with the Tritons. Murdock was ranked #140 on MLB Pipeline’s pre-draft rankings. He throws a three-pitch mix including a fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball grades as above average, and his slider grades as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He’s touched as high as 99 mph on his fastball while his slider and changeup sit in the mid-80s. He’s had a high walk rate in college, so this is something he will need to work on at the professional level. View full rumor

Agreed. Roden should get a run for a bit in a corner outfield spot. I like him as an option there!

Once the game got underway, Joe Ryan had to work around immediate trouble. The Angels put two runners aboard in the opening inning, but Ryan stranded both and never let the early traffic snowball. The Twins wasted little time providing him with some run support. Kody Clemens drew a four-pitch walk to open the second inning, bringing Royce Lewis to the plate. One pitch later, Lewis launched his 10th home run of the season, giving Minnesota an early 2-0 lead. Luke Keaschall added another run later in the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Victor Caratini, extending the lead to 3-0. Luke Keaschall added another run later in the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Victor Caratini, extending the lead to 3-0. The Angels answered in the third when Jorge Soler ripped an RBI double to cut the deficit to one, but Ryan settled right back in. Over his final three innings, Ryan allowed just two baserunners while continuing to attack the strike zone. It wasn't his most overpowering outing, but it was another example of why he's been one of the American League's most dependable starters this season. The only blemish after Ryan departed came in the seventh. Making his Twins debut after arriving from Toronto earlier this week, Tommy Nance surrendered a two-out RBI single to Nolan Schanuel after Zach Neto stole second, allowing the Angels to tie the game at three. Nance also recorded a pair of strikeouts in the inning. The tie lasted only a few minutes. Royce Lewis opened the bottom of the seventh with a double before Victor Caratini followed with another double into the gap, putting the Twins back in front 4-3. Alan Roden kept the line moving with an RBI single one batter later, giving Minnesota an important insurance run. That was all the bullpen needed. Woo-Suk Go handled the eighth, and Yoendrys Gómez closed things out in the ninth for his 11th save of the season and 10th since joining the Twins. One number that stood out when the afternoon ended: 11. That's how many runners the Angels left on base. Ryan and the bullpen bent more than a few times, but they consistently made pitches when traffic mounted. That's often the difference between winning and losing games like this. What's Next? The Twins will try to secure the series win Sunday before the All-Star break. Taj Bradley (8-3, 3.67 ERA) gets the ball for Minnesota against José Soriano (8-5, 3.40 ERA). Bradley enters the finale throwing some of his best baseball of the season. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts and is coming off a dominant seven-inning, 10-strikeout performance against Cleveland. After Sunday's finale, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton will head to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game while the rest of the Twins get a much-needed breather before opening the second half with a road series against Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs. {C}%3C!%2D%2Dbr%20%7Bmso-data-placement%3Asame-cell%3B%7D%2D%2D%3E--> TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Rojas 0 0 47 0 0 47 Morris 13 0 0 25 0 38 Rogers 17 15 0 0 0 32 Adams 0 20 0 12 0 32 Funderburk 0 20 10 0 0 30 Gómez 3 19 0 0 18 40 Go 0 0 18 0 21 18 Nance 0 0 0 0 27 27 View full article

Yeah, I don't think any of the top 3 are bad to get "stuck" with. All three have a load of potential. Every team just places different value in different skill sets so it will be interesting to see what the White Sox and Rays do and then the choice the Twins make after that. I'm sure they've discussed all possibilities but I'm excited for any of the top three to be the selection!

Similar to 2025, the 2026 MLB draft will feature 20 rounds, with a slight adjustment to its weekend format. Prior to 2025, the draft was a two-day event, with 40 total rounds. Last year, the draft was over three days, and this year it will be over two days. The first four rounds (which is one more than last year’s first day) will be later today, starting at 1:00 ET. You can catch the first 10 picks live on NBC or on Peacock. Picks 11-40 can be found on MLB Network or streaming on MLB.com or on MLB.TV starting at 2:30 ET. Starting at 4:00 ET, picks 41-135 will complete day one of draft coverage, and those can be watched the same way as picks 11-40. The rest of the draft will take place tomorrow, starting at 11:30 am ET, and can be found on MLB.com or on MLB.TV. While 16 rounds may seem like a lot in one day, last year it was 17 on the second day, and in prior years, they had 20-round days. The Twins will make five picks on day one. 3rd Overall (Round 1) 43rd overall (Round 2) 74th overall (Competitive Balance Round B) 79th overall (Round 3) 107th overall (Round 4) Jamie Cameron, Twins Daily’s MLB Prospect Guru and Draft Expert, has a mock draft board that can be found here. The Twins will have the fifth-largest bonus pool ($16,929,600) in the league. The pool is determined by assigning a slot value to each pick in the first 10 rounds. In rounds 11-20, players can sign for up to $150,000 and not count toward the bonus pool number. As a reminder, teams can exceed their bonus pool allotment by up to five percent before incurring any future pick penalties. No team in the bonus pool era has ever exceeded that five percent threshold. More information on the entire draft and the pick allotments for the Twins' specific picks can be found in the Twins Draft Primer Article. Twins Daily will also feature the Twins Draft Tracker, which will be kept up to date not only during the draft but through the entire signing period, so keep coming back for updates! View full article

The Twins have optioned outfielder Kyler Fedko to Triple-A after Thursday's loss against Cleveland. This likely makes room for Ryan Jeffers to return from the injured list in the upcoming series against the Angels. Fedko was on the major league roster for about three weeks, where he played in 14 games, going 0-16 with eight strikeouts. His first major league hit will have to wait, as he will be back with Triple-A St. Paul this weekend. He was mostly used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in his appearances with the Twins. View full rumor

Bailey Ober has completed his rehab assignment and been returned to the active roster prior to the finale against the Guardians. He threw 8 1/3 innings in two rehab starts with Cedar Rapids and St. Paul. Prior to going on the injured list, Ober had 12 starts for the Twins, with a 4.59 ERA and 4.98 FIP. He's had his ups and downs but the hope is that he can provide some veteran depth in a rotation that has showed promise at times. Along with Ober being reinstated, LHP Kendry Rojas was recalled from Triple-A. He's bounced between the majors at Triple-A this year. In his time in the majors, he has looked promising, throwing 16 1/3 innings over six appearances. In that time, he has struck out 18 hitters, but also walked 13. If he can improve the walk rate, there is plenty of promise in the young lefty, either as a starter, or more likely as a relief option going forward. The last move made was that Connor Prielipp has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a finger blister on his left middle finger. Prielipp has been solid in the rotation this year, most recently pitching on Wednesday, giving up three runs over five innings pitched in a game the Twins won in walk-off fashion. On the year, Prielipp has a 5.00 ERA and a much better 3.90 FIP. In 66 2/3 innings, he has recorded 71 strikeouts over 13 appearances. The timing of the injured list stint could be beneficial with the All-Star Break right around the corner, so Prielipp could miss fewer games as long as the blister doesn't turn into a longer-lasting issue. He was not scheduled to start until after the break, so he won't miss a start until after the All-Star break is finished. View full rumor

Walker Jenkins was named to the MLB Futures Game, which will be played on Sunday, July 12, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He will join fellow top prospect Kaelen Culpepper in representing the Twins in the game. Jenkins is clearly deserving of this honor, as he is the Twins' top prospect and has proved why thus far in 2026. This year has been slowed by injury, but he has looked the part of a top prospect at Triple-A, hitting .272/.390/.430 over 31 games played. His .820 OPS is solidly above average, and he has added two home runs with 11 RBIs as well. He's also shown his athleticism with seven stolen bases on the year as well. While many Twins fans are hoping he makes his Major League debut sooner rather than later, you will get your opportunity to see him on a Major League Field come July 12. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan - 4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (91 pitches, 57 strikes (62.6% strikes)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA (via Fangraphs): Joe Ryan (-0.49), Tristan Gray (-0.06), Brooks Lee/Austin Martin (-0.05) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a series win against the lowly Colorado Rockies, the Twins won the first game of the series against the Astros in a tight 5-4 win. The Twins took the field looking to climb closer to .500 and stay in the midst of the playoff picture, just over halfway through the season. They sent ace Joe Ryan to the mound; the Astros countered with offseason trade acquisition Mike Burrows. The Twins showed a good approach against Burrows in the first inning, loading the bases with a single and two walks prior to Victor Caratini being hit by a pitch to take a 1-0 lead. Ryan Kriedler, playing center field for an ailing Byron Buxton, added to the lead with a single to left field. The Astros made a little bit of noise right away in their own right, getting two runners on base in the bottom of the first before Ryan was able to get out of the inning without giving up any runs. Astros third baseman Raynel Delgado led off the bottom of the third with a double, and it looked like the Astros might score after a groundout moved him to third base with one out. Ryan had different plans, striking out Yordan Alvarez and then inducing a groundout off the bat of Isaac Paredes. The Astros broke through in the bottom of the fourth, however, in decisive fashion. After an RBI single off the bat of Yainer Díaz cut the Twins' lead to 3-1. Ryan struck out Nick Allen, but then walked the next two hitters, making it 3-2. Demoralizingly (and, as it turned out, fatally), Ryan appeared to be out of the inning on a called third strike to Jose Altuve, but Altuve challenged the call. It flipped from a vital strikeout to an RBI walk and brought Alvarez to the plate with the sacks still packed. Then, Yordan Alvarez did what Yordan Alvarez does. The Twins answered with two two-out hits of their own in the top of the fifth, as a single by Kody Clemens and a double by Josh Bell trimmed the deficit to two runs. The bullpens for both teams were lights-out, not giving up any runs—which meant that the Twins never got any closer. For the Twins, Eric Orze and Marco Raya threw two scoreless innings apiece, while a contingent of four relievers for the Astros threw innings six through nine, finishing off with Josh Hader completing his eighth save of the season. What’s Next? The Twins will play a rubber match against the Astros on Wednesday evening, sending Taj Bradley (6-3, 3.98) to the mound, while the Astros will counter with Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36 ERA). Bradley is coming off of two solid starts against the Diamondbacks and Rockies and will look to continue a solid overall year to this point. In his most recent start against Colorado, he threw seven innings, giving up two runs and striking out seven in a Twins win. After tomorrow’s game, the Twins will spend an off day in New York prior to a three-game set against the Yankees. FRI SAT SUN MON TUE P Raya 0 40 0 0 25 65 Banda 11 0 14 0 0 25 Morris 6 0 12 0 0 18 Funderburk 20 25 0 0 0 45 Orze 14 0 0 0 23 37 Gómez 0 0 4 7 0 11 Rogers 0 9 0 0 0 9 Adams 0 0 0 35 0 35 View full article

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEduardo TaitEmmanuel RodriguezDasan HillRiley QuickKendry RojasHendry MendezMarek HoustonGabriel GonzalezBrandon WinokurKhadim DiawCharlee SotoRyan GallagherQuentin YoungKyle DeBargeCJ CulpepperBilly AmickKyler FedkoAdrian Bohorquez

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Week in a Nutshell Last week saw the Twins face a couple of AL Central opponents. A week after losing two of three to the White Sox in Chicago, they saw the Sox for another three games, this time at home. They then welcomed the last-place Kansas City Royals in a four-game set. They went 3-4 in an up-and-down week, taking two of three from Chicago but then allowing the limping Royals to claim three of four. The Twins will start this week with an off day, before visiting the Tigers in Detroit. This weekend, they'll loop back to Target Field and encounter the Cardinals. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/1 through Sun 6/7 Record: 3-4 Run Differential: -5 Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (7 GB) Game-by-Game Results: Game 61 | MIN 9, CWS 6: Twins Snap Five-Game Skid Behind Tristan Gray's Grand Slam Tristan Gray: 1-3, HR, 5 RBI Game 62 | MIN 6, CWS 4: As Connor Prielipp Learns Ropes, Twins Rally Past White Sox Keaschall, Gray, Jackson: 6-12, 5 RBI Game 63 | CWS 8, MIN 0: Twins Get Shut Out for The First Time This Season In Loss to White Sox Buxton, Lee, Larnach: 0-11, 1 BB Game 64 | KC 8, MIN 6: It was Like Tug-of-War Between Two Pigs in the Mud Caratini: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI Game 65 | MIN 5, KC 3: Sixth Inning Ambush Fuels Comeback Win Matthews: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K Game 66 | KC 3, MIN 2: Late-Inning Momentum Swings and Costly Mistake Decide the Game Ryan: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K Game 67 | KC 6, MIN 5: Cameron Dominates Twins Again, Rally Falls Short As Royals Take Series Morris: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K NEWS & NOTES One of the bigger news items from this past week was the Twins trading right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. This came after the Twins designated him for assignment or release after Woods Richardson started 0-7 with a 7.74 ERA and a 6.17 FIP. As they try to cobble together a viable bullpen, meanwhile, they acquired righty reliever Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lawrence has made three appearances for the Twins, throwing 2 ⅔ innings, striking out four with three walks, and giving up zero runs. Royce Lewis was recalled after tearing up Triple-A pitching. He's played two games (one at second base and one at first base) since being recalled. He'll probably move around the diamond for a while, depending on who else is in the lineup on any given day. The Twins pulled the trigger quickly on returning him to the big leagues, and will have to hope he rediscovers the magic that made him a good hitter until about August 2024. HIGHLIGHTS The Joe Ryan Experience has continued, with Ryan throwing another very good start against the Royals on Saturday. This came after throwing six innings against the White Sox on Monday night, giving up four runs over six innings—good enough for his fourth win on the season, though not good enough to satisfy Ryan. He's been solid for the majority of the year, with a 4-3 record and a 3.07 ERA over 14 starts. The closer it gets to the trade deadline, the more Ryan's name will come up in national conversations. Another highlight from the week came in that Monday night contest, when Tristan Gray hit a grand slam in the fourth inning off White Sox starter David Sandlin. The grand slam helped the Twins to a 9-6 win over the second-place Sox. On Friday, Zebby Matthews threw seven innings, giving up two runs, which was a nice bounce-back after a tough previous appearance. This was a solid start for a rotation suddenly looking for more depth, after some of the depth has disappeared due to injuries or poor performance. LOWLIGHTS Unfortunately, Byron Buxton was taken out of the game on Friday night after making a catch and running into the wall in center field. He was officially removed with an injury to the same shoulder he injured earlier in the season. He is considered day-to-day, and the Twins are hoping and expecting him to return for Tuesday’s series opener against the Tigers—but it's not a great sign that he wasn't available to pinch-hit with the game on the line Sunday afternoon. The Twins' bullpen has been a storyline all year, and the inconsistencies showed this past week. The bullpen threw 27 innings over the seven games, which is more than you typically want a shaky bullpen to throw over a seven-game stretch. They had a few good outings, but the 5.24 relief ERA and their -0.60 WPA tell the real story. The latter figure was fourth-worst in the majors. TRENDING STORYLINES Another thing to keep an eye on is how Connor Prielipp is adjusting to hitters adjusting to him. His start against the White Sox on Tuesday was a nice (though not dominant) rebound after two difficult outings. The follow-up on Sunday was similarly good, but equally un-great. Prielipp has had ups and downs, but his development into a solid starting pitcher is one of the most important things to track throughout this season for Minnesota. Matt Wallner is looking to follow in Lewis’s footsteps and earn a call back up to the big-league club. He's been crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of .275/.359/.897 since being demoted in mid-May, with five home runs, six doubles, and eight walks over 80 at-bats. If he continues this hot stretch, he could be back at Target Field in short order. Speaking of crushing Triple-A pitching, former first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper has looked the part of a top prospect this year, hitting 14 home runs in 56 games played with the Saints, recording a .862 OPS along with 13 stolen bases. With Lewis changing positions and Brooks Lee moving to third base, don’t be surprised to see Culpepper with the Twins in the very near future, if he continues to produce at the level he has so far this year. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins start the week with a long-awaited off day. Their last day off was Thursday, May 21. They'll head to Detroit and play three games against the Tigers, who have (surprisingly) struggled this year. Both clubs are looking to turn things around before it gets too late. The Twins would love to take advantage of a struggling rival before hosting the second-place Cardinals. It should be a fun and interesting week. MONDAY, JUNE 8: OFF DAY TUESDAY, JUNE 9: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Taj Bradley vs RHP Troy Melton WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10: TWINS @ TIGERS - TBD vs LHP Framber Valdez THURSDAY, JUNE 11: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Zebby Matthews vs RHP Keider Montero FRIDAY, JUNE 12: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD SATURDAY, JUNE 13: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD SUNDAY, JUNE 14: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD View full article

The Twins have acquired RHP Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations. Basically, this means the Twins paid a little extra to jump the teams ahead of them on the waiver wire to ensure they would acquire Lawrence. Lawrence has thrown 22 innings for the Pirates this year, and his results have been not great leading to the Pirates designating him for assignment on May 29. Over the 22 innings, Lawrence has 25 strikeouts, but has also given up 12 walks while surrending 20 runs (13 earned) in that time frame. Lawrence throws three pitches, a sinker, a sweeper, and a four seam fastball, throwing primarily the sinker (42.2%) and sweeper (39.6%). Lawrence will provide some depth in a bullpen that desperately needs it. The Twins are hoping his results can improve in a new situation. Last season, he looked much better out of the Pittsburgh bullpen, throwing 17.2 innings with 23 strikeouts and a 0.51 ERA and a 2.25 FIP. If he can get back to those type of results, he could earn some higher leverage spots in a bullpen that has struggled. View full rumor

The Twins announced a set of roster moves, recalling LHP Kody Funderburk from Triple-A St. Paul and reinstating RHP Cody Laweryson from the 15-day injured list. In corresponding moves, LHP Kendry Rojas was placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation, and Travis Adams was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. Funderburk has had mixed results this year, pitching in five games with St. Paul and throwing five innings, where he gave up five runs while recording seven strikeouts. Earlier in the year at the major league level, Funderburk threw 16 innings for the Twins, where he struck out 10 hitters, earned a save, and had a much better 2.81 ERA, but his underlying metrics weren't as stellar (5.44 FIP). Laweryson has thrown 6 1/3 innings prior to the injury, striking out eight hitters, with a 2.43 FIP and a 0.789 WHIP. It's a small sample size, but he could be someone who serves as a solid option out of a bullpen, looking for solutions in various areas. Rojas was scratched from his most recent start and is having an MRI, which will reveal how serious the elbow injury is. Adams has had mixed results this year, mostly as a multi-inning reliever, throwing 10 innings for the Twins, striking out 12, but has given up eight runs, and a 4.77 FIP in that small sample size. He will likely return to the majors when a fresh arm is needed in the future. View full rumor