Cody Christie

He failed as a shortstop. He failed as a starting pitcher. By the time he was in his late 20's, red flags surrounded his professional career. Nathan underwent shoulder surgery and couldn't find success in the upper minors. How did the Twins identify one of the best relief pitchers in history?The San Francisco Giants started Joe Nathan's professional baseball career by making him a sixth-round pick in the 1995 MLB Draft. Nathan played his high school and college career as a shortstop and he became only the second player ever selected out of Stony Brook University. It was a humble beginning for who would become one of baseball's all-time best closers. Nathan began his professional career as a 20-year old in Low-A. In 56 games, he hit .232/.320/.345 with 12 extra-base hits. He struggled on the defensive side of the ball by committing 26 errors in 252 chances (.897 fielding percentage). The Giants had seen enough, as this would be Nathan's lone professional season at shortstop. He would spend the 1996 season transitioning to the pitching mound. Transitioning To The Mound His pitching debut would come a full season later (1997) at the Low-A level where he split time as a starter and a relief pitcher. He posted a very good 2.47 ERA but his other numbers showed he was still transitioning to pitching. In 62 innings, he posted a 1.26 WHIP and only had 6.4 strikeouts per nine. There were positive signs but still plenty of areas for improvement. San Francisco envisioned Nathan as a starter and he spent the entire 1998 season in that role. His time at High-A saw him compile a 3.32 ERA with 1.21 WHIP. He had a 118 to 48 strikeout to walk ratio over 122 innings. After being promoted to Double-A, he struggled in four starts. He allowed 15 runs in 15.1 innings with 10 strikeouts and nine walks. He was almost a year and a half younger than the competition in the Texas League so the Giants still viewed him as a strong prospect. During the next season, Nathan spent more time at the big league level than in the minor leagues. At Double-A and Triple-A, he posted 4.32 ERA and struggled with a 1.39 WHIP. His MLB time wasn't much better as he allowed 42 runs in 90.1 innings (4.18 ERA). In 14 of his 19 appearances, he was used as a starter but he did finish two games and earn his first big league save. Broken Prospect There was still hope for Nathan's prospect status as the calendar turned to 2000. However, he would become a broken prospect over the next handful of seasons. By the end of 2001, he was a 26-year old coming off shoulder surgery with a 7.29 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. During this time he walked 70 and struck out just 54 in 108 innings. There were plenty of red flags surrounding him. These red flags wouldn't go away in 2002. Nathan was a year older at age-27 and he was a year removed from major shoulder surgery. He got hit around for a 5.60 ERA while walking 74 and striking out 117 in 146 innings. For his final two seasons at Triple-A, he was not a good pitcher and he was already in his late 20's. As a scout, this would not exactly scream that this was the type of pitcher a team should go after. Diamond In The Rough Luckily, the Twins saw something in Nathan that the Giants might have missed. During his last season in San Francisco, he played the entire year at the big league level, making 78 appearances out of the bullpen. He posted an ERA under 3.00 for the first time at any level since 1997. This was enough for Minnesota to consider him a potential closer and get him included in the trade for AJ Pierzynski. Bullpen pitchers can take a lot of routes to becoming effective big league players. Nathan's minor league journey was full of ups and downs before he transformed into one of the best relievers in baseball history. Click here to view the article

Lofty expectations surrounded a young, high school outfielder when the Twins drafted Byron Buxton with the second overall pick in 2012. Most national entities ranked him as the best player in the draft class. His run to the big leagues included some ups and downs but there was still hope, even at the beginning of this year, for all of his tools to turn him into a star player. This season has been full of some of the same ups and downs that he saw in his minor league career. However, might Buxton have finally turned the corner? Can he live up to those lofty expectations from five years ago?Broken It's no secret how bad Buxton looked at the plate during the early part of this year. Through the season's first 15 games, he hit .082/.135/.122 with 24 strikeouts. Things started to get a little better in May as he was hitting .171 through May 21 while getting on base over 26% of the time. He was averaging more than a strikeout per game and he could hardly use his speed on the bases because he wasn't getting on base frequently enough. Buxton had dug himself quite the hole. Even as the calendar was flipping to July, his offensive numbers were struggling to recover. He had a .552 OPS, 0.88 ISO, 47 wRC+, and a 31.8 percent strikeout rate. Something needed to click and Twins hitting coach James Rowson may have been the man with the cure. Booming Rowson explained Buxton's revamped approach at the plate in simple terms. "Plate discipline comes from being aggressive, not from being passive at the plate," he said. "We're looking to hit, not take. If I don't think that's a pitch I can drive, I want to take it. I think that he's starting to come into his own to distinguish the difference between those two pitches." Buxton needed to stop worrying about his overall numbers and start focusing on each at-bat. He's now starting to use his lower body to generate more power and the results have been clear. Buxton has a 1.003 OPS since July 1 with nine home runs, two triples and four doubles. His speed has become a factor as he's swiped 11 bases in that time without being caught. Golden Future Athleticism will always be a key part of Buxton's game. As I wrote last week, he could be well on his way to his first Gold Glove. His 23 defensive runs saved ranks second among AL outfielders. According to Statcast's Catch Probability, he's made more four star catches (26-50% chance of being caught) than anyone in baseball and he's caught the highest percentage of those opportunities as well. Buxton might not be the Paul Bunyan-like slugger that fans saw in Toronto this weekend but he seems to have found something special in the season's second half. The Twins are in the hunt of the playoffs and a 23-year old Buxton is living up to some lofty expectations. Do you think Buxton has turned the corner for good? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Defense has been one of the key aspects of Minnesota's turnaround in 2017. On their way to over 100 losses last season, there were plenty of defensive flaws. However, this year's version of the Twins has given more playing time to some younger, more athletic players while some veteran players have made strides in the right direction. How do the Twins stack up this season? How many players could be candidates for Gold Glove Awards?Defensive metrics have come a long way over the last decade. With organizations and other private companies tracking every batted ball, the amount of information available to fans is at an all-time high. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has developed the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). According to SABR's website, the SDI "draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts." This rankings were through games played in the first half of the season. Catcher: Jason Castro SDI Ranking: 4.6 (2nd in the AL) While Castro hasn't completely lived up to his billing, he has been good behind the plate. Only Martin Maldoado of the Angels ranks higher than Castro. There's a chance that Castro could end up being a finalist for the Gold Glove but he is in a tight race with Sandy Leon and Yan Gomes all being within 0.6 SDI points. Last season, Castro compiled a negative SDI score so he has made some very strong strides this season. First Base: Joe Mauer SDI Ranking: 3.0 (2nd in the AL) Mauer has been known for his athletic ability since he was a multi-sport athlete in high school. When Mauer was forced to move out from behind the plate, many thought he would be able to develop into a very good defensive first baseman. This season might be the culmination of all of his hard work since switching positions. Only former Twin Danny Valencia ranks higher than Mauer. He has also accumulated almost double his SDI score from 2016. Center Field: Byron Buxton SDI Ranking: 12.7 (1st in the AL) Anyone who has watched the Twins this season knows how good Buxton has been on the defensive side of the ball. With his recent offensive turnaround, it's hard not to get excited about his bright future. Of all of the players in the AL, only Mookie Betts has compiled a higher SDI score through the season's first half. Lorenzo Cain is the closest center fielder to Buxton but he has less than half the SDI score that Buxton has compiled. Buxton could start clearing a spot in his trophy room but there are other things that go into the voting process. Right Field: Max Kepler SDI Ranking: 3.9 (2nd in the AL) In the early part of the season, I identified Kepler as one of a trio of players who was helping spur Minnesota's defensive turnaround. Kepler trails only Mookie Betts in the AL right field rankings but he is over 10 SDI points behind the AL leader. This will be a tough hill to climb in the second half but it doesn't take anything away from the strong season Kepler has put together in the outfield. In the minor leagues, he started fewer games in right field than in any other outfield position. If he continues to make strides at his new position, a Gold Glove could be in his future. Minnesota hasn't had a Gold Glove winner since 2010. Could Mauer or Buxton end the streak? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Building a winning culture in an organization starts in the minor leagues. There has been a lot of losing in Minnesota leading into this season's surprise hunt for the playoffs. However, the Twins have been building up a solid young core throughout the organization which has started to garner some results.Nate Rowan, the PR guru for the Rochester Red Wings, tweeted out an interesting fact. Entering play on Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins affiliates had the best collective winning percentage in the minors at .595 (396-270). This was a percentage point ahead of the Yankees (453-309). Could the Twins affiliates continue their winning ways? RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Louisville 13 Box Score Rochester pitchers allowed runs in each of the first four innings including a big seven-run fourth frame to put themselves well behind in this one. Stephen Gonsalves was roughed up as he was charged with six earned runs in only three innings. He gave up three home runs and walked three on the way to his first Triple-A loss. It was the first time he allowed six earned runs or more since last July and it was the first time in his professional career he allowed multiple home runs. Heck, he only allowed three home runs all of last season. Things didn't go well for Mason Melotakis in relief of Gonsalves. He couldn't make it out of the fourth inning and was charged with seven earned runs. He walked four and struck out one. Luke Bard and Leonardo Reginatto combined for 4.1 shutout innings. Bard struck out three in 2.1 frames and Reginatto was perfect over the final two. Niko Goodrum and ByungHo Park each went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. JB Schuck and Anthony Recker each had multi-hit games. Shuck added his 24th double and a pair of RBI. In the entire game, the team didn't record a walk while going 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 11, Tennessee 6 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out multiple runs in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings to outlast Tennessee. Even with 17 hits, Brian Olson was the lone Lookouts batter to record an extra-base hit. Seven of the nine batters in the line-up recorded multiple hits and all but two batters had at least one RBI. Jonathan Rodriguez and Andy Wilkins each reached base four time while scoring three runs apiece. T.J. White went 3-for-5 with five RBI. Lewis Thorpe made his Double-A debut and tossed six innings. He allowed four runs on five hits (two home runs) while striking out seven and walking two. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Sam Clay ran into some trouble in the ninth as he walked five batters, so Gabriel Moya was called on for his 22nd save. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Tampa 3 Box Score Fort Myers jumped out to an early lead in this one with Sean Miller getting things going in the first. He singled in front of a pair of walks by Brandon Lopez and Brent Rooker. Miller scored on a balk to put the Miracle up 1-0 but the offense went cold until the late innings. Brady Anderson started for Fort Myers and kept the game close. Errors by Zander Wiel and Mitchell Kranson meant that only one earned run was charged to Anderson. He threw five innings and struck out one but was still saddled with a tough-luck loss. Anthony McIver, Michael Kohn and Alex Muren each pitched a shutout inning to keep the game close. With one out in the eighth inning, Wiel tried to make up for his error earlier in the game. He clocked his 11th home run of the season to cut the lead to 3-2. Rooker would get a shot in the ninth with two runners in scoring position but he would be called out on strikes to end the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Beloit 2 Box Score Royce Lewis and Travis Blankenhorn each posted a four-hit game as part of a season-high 23-hit effort for the Kernels. All 10 Kernels batters reached safely. Cedar Rapids plated one run in the first, second and fourth innings before exploding for six runs in the fifth. Lewin Diaz went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Jimmy Kerrigan, Shane Carrier and Joe Cronin all had multiple extra-base hits with Kerrigan falling a home run short of the cycle. Tyler Beardsley was able to coast through six innings by allowing one earned run on eight hits. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk. He hadn't earned a win since May 3 so this one had to feel good. It was the first time Beardsley hadn't allowed multiple earned runs since July 8, which was only a three-inning stint. Ryan Mason allowed one earned run in his two innings of work. Max Cordy finished off the ninth by striking out the side. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Johnson City 8 Box Score The E-Twins were up 2-0 after three innings but the bullpen faltered as the Cardinals scored multiple runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Akil Baddoo walked to start the first and moved to third on a Wander Javier double. Jose Miranda drove in Baddoo with a single but Javier was thrown out at home. Javier started the third with a double and eventually scored on a Kolton Kendrick sacrifice fly but that was the end of the club's scoring. Brusdar Graterol started and only gave up one hit in four shutout innings. He struck out five and walked one. Melvi Acosta took the loss as he allowed five earned runs over two innings. Rickey Ramirez also ran into some trouble as he walked five in 2.2 frames. Juan Gamez was asked to get the final out of the game and he got a strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Beardsley, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Jimmy Kerrigan, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (8-7, 3.56 ERA) Chattanooga vs.Mississippi (6:15 CST) - RHP Zack Littell Fort Myers- Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit (12:05 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Nick Brown (1-1, 4.70 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins are at a crossroads. When Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought into the fold last off-season, there was one stipulation: Paul Molitor would remain manager. One year later and the new regime finds themselves at an interesting point. Should Molitor, a Hall of Fame player and St. Paul native, return for another season? Or does the new regime want to bring in another manager who fits their own mold?The Positive Molitor has managed three seasons and in two of those years he has had the Twins in surprise contention for the playoffs. During his rookie managerial season, the Twins fought off their recent losing trend as the club was in the playoff hunt until the season's last weekend. An 83-79 record was a vast improvement compared to four straight 90-loss seasons under Ron Gardenhire. Players like Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano posted strong numbers at the plate under the leadership of a Hall of Fame hitter. The 2017 campaign has been up and down to say the least. Minnesota somehow finds themselves in the thick of the wild card race even though they have been outscored by over 50 runs. A young core of Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are supplementing a rotation led by Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. For the second time in three years, Molitor has the Twins in position to make the playoffs which is something the Twins haven't seen since 2010. The Negative It's hard to forget how bad the Twins were in 2016. The team fumbled and stumbled their way to a franchise-worst 103 losses. Moving Sano to the outfield was a disaster while the pitching staff was one of the worst in the game. In the end, the Twins fired long-time general manager Terry Ryan. A roster reconstruction was needed and Minnesota's young core needed more time to develop. It was time for a change but the team's ownership stood behind Molitor. As the hunt started for men to lead the baseball operations department, Twins owner Jim Pohlad made it clear that Paul Molitor wasn't going anywhere. Some thought this might have handcuffed the Twins in their search for new front office personnel. However, the Twins have rarely made changes under Pohlad ownership. For example, the team has employed only three managers since the 1987 campaign. With changes happening in the front office, it was an interesting stance for the owner to take, and now the future is murky. The Future Molitor's three-year contract is expiring at season's end and this time Pohlad isn't insisting on him returning as manager. He told the Star Tribune that he wants Molitor back for 2018 but that will be up to Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. Pohlad said, "I know how much they value the relationship between them and the manager, and the engagement with the whole baseball staff. They are going to make the decision." It will be a decision that won't be made until after the 2017 campaign. Falvey and Levine have already been making changes to the front office. Longtime executive and current scout Wayne Krivsky was fired along with four other scouts. Part of the agreement when Falvey joined the Twins was that he couldn't bring any scouts with him from Cleveland during his first year. That calendar year will be expiring soon and the new front office wants some fresh faces. "The Twins are a proud, historic franchise with a lot of people who are deeply connected to the organization," Falvey said. "We didn't want to make a lot of changes at the outset and bring in a whole new staff. We set a new direction and vision, let people know what expectations were of them, and then let people do their jobs. And we're learning a lot about people." Has Molitor met the expectations of the new front office? Do the Twins need to make the playoffs for him to save his job? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Royce Lewis, Minnesota's #1overall pick, did little to disappoint in his Midwest League debut on Saturday. He collected a career-high four hits while scoring twice, driving in a run and stealing a base. He seemed to show Twins faithful that he was ready for the big promotion, skipping over Elizabethton. It was going to be tough to live up to the hype after his fantastic first game. What could he do for an encore on Sunday?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Norfolk 3 Box Score Rochester found themselves down 3-1 as they stepped to the plate in the fifth inning. Lucky enough for them, Tim Melville and a pair of bullpen arms combined for five straight shutout innings to end the game. Melville collected two outs in the seventh before ending his day and was credited with his fourth win. He hasn't lost in over a month and he has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his last five appearances. Nik Turley finished off the seventh and pitched the eighth for his first hold. Alex Wimmers earned his sixth save with a perfect ninth inning. Zack Granite used his speed to create a run in the first inning. He led off with a single and hustled all the way to third on a Mitch Garver single. Kennys Vargas brought him home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. In the fifth inning, Engelb Vielma reached on a fielding error which allowed him to get all the way to second. Daniel Palka used a two-out single to plate the run and cut the lead to 3-2. The sixth inning was when the Red Wings were finally able to take the lead. Kennys Vargas singled to start the inning. Niko Goodrum got a pitch down the middle of the plate and parked it for a go-ahead two-run homer. It was his first home run since July 26th and he set a new career-high with his tenth home run of the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 7 Box Score Fernando Romero was scheduled to start on Sunday but he is closing in on his innings limit for the season. This meant a shift in the Lookouts rotation with Felix Jorge getting the nod on Sunday and DJ Baxendale taking Monday's start. Things didn't go smoothly for Jorge as he failed to make it through five innings for the first time since July 23rd. He left the game after being charged with three earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Randy Rosario cleaned up the fifth inning and pitched the sixth to help keep the Lookouts in the game. Rehabbing Glen Perkins ran into a rough spot in the seventh after having seen Chattanooga tie the game in the top half of the frame. He walked a batter, got a sacrifice bunt, struck out a batter, and walked another batter. With two outs, he was removed with runners on the corners. Sam Clay replaced Perkins and walked the first three batters he faced but both of those runs were charged to Perkins. Overall, Clay was charged with five walks and he was asked to collect only four outs. Nick Gordon started the sixth with his 27th double and then moved to third on a Edgar Corcino single. LaMonte Wade brought him in with a sacrifice fly to start the team's scoring. Max Murphy doubled to start the seventh inning and moved to third on back-to-back walks from Carlos Paulino and Alex Perez. A wild pitch allowed all three runners to advance with Murphy scoring. Levi Michael brought in a run with a ground out. Gordon walked to load the bases again before Corcino singled to drive in another run. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Dunedin 7 Box Score Every batter in the Miracle line-up reached base as the team pounded out 14 hits and 11 runs. Tanner English and Zander Wiel led the way with each reaching base four times. English had a pair of doubles and scored three runs while Wiel fell a home run short of the cycle. Jermain Palacios drove in three runs as part of a multi-hit day. Brandon Lopez didn't record a hit but reached base three times on free passes. Brady Anderson allowed one earned run on four hits with a strikeout and a walk. Keaton Steele pitched three innings as he allowed two hits and one earned run. Tom Hackimer pitched to six batters in the ninth and didn't record an out. He was charged with five runs on two hits with four walks. Alex Muren was called on to collect the final three outs. He allowed one hit and he struck out two. Both runs scored with Muren on the mound were charged to Hackimer. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Quad Cities 6 Box Score Things were looking glum for the Kernels even though the club held an early 3-1 lead. Charlie Barnes got knocked around for five runs in the third inning to see the team's lead evaporate. This included three home runs and one of those home runs was a grand slam. Evan Sanders and Patrick McGuff combined to pitched six shutout innings while only allowing one hit. This kept things close and set up a dramatic bottom of the ninth. With the Kernels down by three, Jimmy Kerrigan and Lewin Diaz singled to start the frame. Caleb Hamilton walked to load the bases before a Shane Carrier run-scoring single cut the lead to two. Trey Cabbage walked in a run and then Joe Cronin sent everyone home happy with a walk-off single. Royce Lewis was held to a 1-for-4 effort but he did score a run. Carrier finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Aaron Whitefield collected his eleventh home run of the year, a two-run shot. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 12, Johnson City 1 Box Score The E-Twins used some timely hitting and a strong start from Melvi Acosta to move 11 games over .500. Acosta earned his fifth win by tossing seven innings of one-run ball. The seven innings were the most he's thrown since July 22nd of last season. Jovani Moran pitched two scoreless innings to end the game while collecting strikeouts for five of the six outs he recorded. No batter in the E-Twins line-up had more than two hits but every starter reached base at least once and scored at least one run. Kolton Kendrick, Andrew Bechtold, Mark Contreras and Matt Albanese all had two-hit games. Contreras drove in four runs including a two-run shot. Three of his four RBI came with two outs in the inning. Bechtold added a pair of doubles to bring his season total to nine. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Melvi Acosta, Elizabethton Twins (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB) Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Fort Myers Miracle (4-for-4, 2 2B, 3 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off-Day Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - RHP DJ Baxendale (0-0, 9.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Lakeland (6:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-4, 2.86 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST) - RHP Tyler Beardsley (3-6, 5.63 ERA) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Nick Brown (1-1, 4.24 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The dust has settled on the trade deadline and Twins fans might be left with a feeling of wanting more. Minnesota made multiple trades as the deadline approached but no major moves to shake-up the organization. Fans were left wondering, Why wasn't the front office more active? For Twins fans, the last week and a half has been a disaster. With the team looking like they were in contention, the front office dealt for Jaime Garcia. He would be in another organization less than a week later as the Twins have found themselves falling out of contention. Garcia is gone and the Twins are left wondering what happened in their recent road trip. With the Twins falling to the wayside, many fans pivoted into the mindset of being sellers. Most of the comments I have seen on social media revolve around what could the Twins get for some of their top trade pieces. Unfortunately, the value for Minnesota's top pieces isn't as high as some fans would like it to be.Brandon Kintzler In the midst of his first all-star season, Brandon Kintzler seemed like a logical trade candidate. His value was high (maybe the highest it has ever been) and he would become a free agent at season's end. Reports had multiple teams being interested in his services but the Twins were "remaining patient" as the likes of Brad Hand and Zach Britton were yet to be dealt. As the deadline came and passed, the Twins pulled the trigger and sent Kintzler to Washington for left-handed pitching prospect Tyler Watson, the Nationals' 17th best prospect according to MLB.com. Teams can see through the cobwebs. Kintzler isn't the same type of closer as last year's big trade pieces, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. Kintzler doesn't have the same type of relief pitching resume but he has been very efficient since taking over the as the Twins closer last season. He wasn't going to bring back a top tier prospect but the Twins did well to get something for a rental piece. Ervin Santana Santana's first half of 2017 made it seem like he would be a strong trade candidate if the Twins became sellers. Through his first 13 starts, he posted a 2.20 ERA while holding opponents to a .154 batting average. During that stretch, he had three complete games and other teams were still looking for their first complete game. His last eight starts have seen him come back down to earth. In them he has a 5.63 ERA while opponents are hitting .315/.366/.579. One positive surrounding Santana is the fact that he isn't a rental player. He is under contract through 2018 for $13.5 million with a $14 million team option for 2019. During the final year of the contract, Santana would be in his age-36 season so he isn't exactly in the prime of his career. However, it did seem conceivable for him to be a difference-making piece for a team looking for rotation depth. Brian Dozier Dozier seemed destined for a trade last off-season as the new regime was set to make their mark on the organization. The Dodgers seemed like the most likely landing spot but the deal never got done. Most reports had Los Angeles offering Jose De Leon, one of the club's best pitching prospects, for Dozier. Minnesota didn't budge as they wanted more than one prospect for Dozier and the deal fell through. Eventually, De Leon was dealt to the Rays for second baseman Logan Forsythe. While Dozier's 2016 campaign was one for the record books, 2017 has been average. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are all back down to his career averages. He's on pace to hit over 22 home runs for the fourth consecutive season but he would need to go on quite the tear to get anywhere near his 42 home runs from a year ago. I've also been critical of his defense in the past and those numbers haven't made major improvements this season. While Twins fans waited patiently for the club to sell, the real truth might be that the club's pieces weren't as valuable as fans had hoped. The Twins will be closer to contending during the 2018 campaign so the front office's real test might come this off-season as the club builds for the next handful of seasons. What are your thoughts on the Twins key trade pieces? Should the team have tried to sell more? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

This time of year can be a vicious time in the minor leagues. While some teams are fighting for a playoff spot, some players don't know the organization they will be playing for later in the week. In the age of social media and constant updates, it has to be unnerving to go to bed and not know if you will be moving across the country. Two players will join the Twins systems as part of a deal for Jaime Garcia. Right-handed pitcher Zack Littell and LHP Dietrich Enns with Enns being assigned to Rochester and Littell headed to Chattanooga. Littell was ranked as high as the #20 prospect in the Yankees organization. Also, pitchers Charlie Barnes and Bryan Sammons have been promoted from Elizabethtown to Cedar Rapids.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Toledo 0 Box Score Byron Buxton and ByungHo Park both homered to back up a stellar start from Aaron Slegers. Slegers tossed eight shutout innings by scattering four hits and striking out one. It was the fifth straight game he has pitched into the seventh inning and he has only allowed one earned run over his last four starts. Toldeo had only five opportunities to bat with runners in scoring position. Buxton was pulled early from the game on Saturday with a tight hamstring but he was back in the line-up on Sunday. He led off the top of the sixth inning with a home run. He should be back with the Twins later this week. Park added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to help back the strong outing from Slegers It was Park's ninth home run of the year and his third in the last six games. John Curtiss earned his fifth save since being promoted from Chattanooga. He walked two batters for the first time at Triple-A. He struck out the first batter of the ninth but then saw the next two reach with free passes. One runner made it to third but he wiggled out of it for the save. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 3 Box Score After a 21-inning game on Saturday, nine innings wasn't enough to decide this contest either. The Lookouts needed two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to tie things at three. A three-run top of the tenth, and the Lookouts won their 69th game. Stephen Gonsalves started and pitched into the seventh inning. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks. It was the first time he had allowed more than three walks this season. A tired Lookouts bullpen was taxed again. Todd Van Steensel pitched 2.1 shutout innings with a strikeout and two walks. Gabriel Moya took over when Van Steensel got into trouble in the ninth. He made it out of that frame and only allowed one hit in the tenth inning for his first win in the Twins system. TJ White got the scoring started in the seventh inning as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. One batter later, a wild pitch allowed Max Murphy to scamper home and cut the lead to 3-2. In the eighth inning, Alex Perez and Murphy walked to put runners in scoring position. Jonathan Rodriguez plated a run with a sharp single to right. Rodriguez reached base four times in the game. The 10th inning was a wild mess with two hits, four walks and a wild pitch. It was enough to plate three Chattanooga runs. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Clearwater 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score After a two-hour rain delay, the Miracle were able to open up the scoring in the fifth inning. Zander Wiel singled to start the frame before moving to second on a wild pitch. Brandon Lopez drove him in from second with a single and Fort Myers was up 1-0. The Miracle added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Wiel and Lopez walked with one out. Jaylin Davis reached on an fielding error by the shortstop to load the bases. Recently promoted Brent Rooker walked to bring in a run. Kevin Garcia brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and Shane Kennedy drove in a run with a two-out single to cap the three-run frame. Anthony McIver started and pitched four scoreless frames. He struck out two, walked one, and limited the Threshers to two hits. Michael Theofanopoulos earned his fifth win,having pitched two scoreless frames in relief. Tom Hackimer finished off the shutout with a perfect final frame. Fort Myers 0, Clearwater 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score There was little to write home about for the Miracle in this one. In fact, the team didn't manage a hit as Harold Arauz went the distance and struck out 10. Brandon Lopez was the lone batter to reach base with a walk in the final inning. He made it to second after a ground out but was left in scoring position. Keaton Steele allowed one run on four hits while striking out two. He pitched three frames and didn't allow a walk. Williams Ramirez took over for Steele and tossed two scoreless frames. He only allowed one hit and struck out three. Alex Muren saw one run cross the plate in the final frame. It was an important insurance run for Clearwater to help Arauz finish off the no-hitter. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Lansing 5 Box Score Aaron Whitefield drove in all three runs for the Kernels and stole two bases but his one-man wrecking crew approach didn't lead to a win. A three-run home run in the sixth inning proved to be more of a wrecking ball than what Whitefield provided. Ben Rortvedt and Joe Cronin each reached base twice while Rortvedt scored a pair of runs. Anthony Marzi allowed five runs (four earned) over five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The pivotal three-run homer was given up by Marzi before had he retired a batter in the sixth. Logan Lombana allowed one base runner over two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Max Cordy continued to put up zeros with two scoreless frames. He limited the LumberKings to one hit. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 9, Bluefield 1 Box Score The E-Twins exploded for nine run on 11 hits to pound the Mets. Every batter in the E-Twins line-up collected a hit. Jose Miranda and Shane Carrier each had multi-hit nights. Andrew Cosgrove knocked his first professional home run. Wander Javier reached base three times and collected his eighth double. Every batter from three through nine in the line-up had at least one RBI. Ryely Widell and Moises Gomez combined for a strong pitching performance. Widell started and tossed four scoreless frames. He struck out six and walked two. He's only allowed one earned run in four professional appearances. Gomez was credited with the win, allowing one earned run over five innings. He struck out five and didn't issue a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red Wings (8 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 H) Hitter of the Day – Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off-Day Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (4-5, 3.47 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (6:00 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-2, 3.42 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton (6:35 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (MWL Debut) Elizabethton vs. Kingsport (6:00 CST) - RHP Melvi Acosta (3-1, 6.30 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Injuries can be devastating to the careers of players. Some of the best players in baseball history have seen their careers cut short because of surgeries and the injuries that caused them to go under the knife. It seems rare for players to be able to avoid the injury bug for their entire career. However, it can be a momentous occasion when a player is finally able to return to the game they love. Glen Perkins hadn't pitched in a baseball game in almost 13 months. On Saturday, he was able to step back on the mound in a rookie league game and feel like he was getting closer to his goal. He still might be a way off from regaining his All-Star form but it was a step in the right direction. Read on to see how he fared in his return to the mound...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Toledo 3 Box Score David Hurlbut twirled a gem and the bullpen was able to barely hold off the charging Mud Hens for the victory. Hurlbut tossed seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. He struck out four and didn't surrender a walk. He's won five of his last six decisions and he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs since the middle of June. Alex Wimmers and John Curtiss each allowed a run in relief but they kept the Red Wings on top. Matt Hague didn't need much help to create the team's first run. A one-out double put him in scoring position. He moved to third on a wild pitch and a Kennys Vargas ground out brought him in. Niko Goodrum led off the fifth with his 20th double before advancing to third on a fielding error by the right fielder. Leonardo Reginatto wasted little time bringing him in with a run-scoring single to put Rochester up 2-0. After Toledo scored in the top of the seventh, Rochester answered back. Goodrum notched his second double of the game with two outs. Reginatto, JR Murphy and Edgar Corcino strung together three straight singles to push across a pair of runs. Rochester needed all the breathing room they could get and it paid off to put the team at 15 games over .500 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Mobile 0 Box Score Fernando Romero was provided early run support in this one and Lookouts bullpen held on to the victory. Romero pitched five shutout frames and struck out six while walking three. He lowered his season ERA to 2.68 but he hasn't pitched more than five innings since the end of June. Randy LeBlanc tossed two scoreless frames including three strikeouts. Raul Fernandez finished off the final two frames to complete the shutout. He struck out two and walked one. With one out in the first, LaMonte Wade was hit by a pitch. Jonathan Rodriguez, Andy Wilkins and Max Murphy all followed with singles before TJ White was hit by a pitch to score the third run of the inning. Rodriguez created a run in the third. He walked, stole second and advanced to third on a fly out. White doubled to score Rodriguez. One batter later, White scored on a Perez single. Rodriguez had another big hit in the sixth, a two-run homer, that capped a big night at the plate. With the victory, the Lookouts move to 64-34 on the season. They lead the Southern League North division by six games in the second half but they already have won the first half title. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Tampa 3 Box Score Fort Myers fell one big hit short of a big comeback. The Miracle left the bases loaded in the ninth but fell a run short. David Fischer took his seventh loss as he allowed one run over two innings. He struck out four and walked four. Keaton Steele allowed only one hit over three innings to go along with a strikeout. Williams Ramirez put together two shutout innings with three strikeouts. Alex Muren gave up the two biggest runs in his two innings of work. Miracle catcher Brian Navarreto and manager Doug Mientkiewicz were both ejected in the seventh inning after Navarreto was called out on a check swing. Mitchell Kranson collected three hits and an RBI. Jermaine Palacios had the team's only extra-base hit, a double, as part of a multi-hit night. Kevin Garcia reached base three times and came around to score a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Lansing 4 Box Score The Kernels used an all-out offensive assault to catapult the club to their 52nd victory. Ben Rortvedt launched a three-run home run and Trey Cabbage added a home run of his own. Travis Blankenhorn, Lewin Diaz and Christian Cavaness all finished with multi-hit nights. Cabbage reached base four times in five plate appearances and scored two runs. Diaz drove in three runs and scored twice. Every batter in the Kernels' line-up had a hit with the exception of Joe Cronin but he walked twice. Griffen Jax was able to coast to his second victory. He pitched into the seventh inning for the third time in his last four appearances. Overall, he allowed two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Logan Lombana ran into a little trouble as he allowed two runs on three hits in an inning of relief. Patrick McGuff finished off the final four outs without allowing a hit and striking out three. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Bluefield 4 Box Score For the fourth time in his last five starts, Edwar Colina pitched at least five innings. However, five errors meant he saw four runs cross the plate and he only allowed two earned runs. He struck out five and walked two. Jared Finkel didn't allow a run over the final 3.2 frames. Only two men reached base and he struck out two. Jose Miranda and Shane Carrier each went 2-for-4 at the dish. Robert Molina had the team's lone extra-base hit, a double. Akil Baddoo reached base twice and scored the team's only run. Overall, the team went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 7, GCL Red Sox 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Royce Lewis was part of two big scoring innings and Glen Perkins made his return trip to the mound after missing 13 months. Perkins started the game and was asked to get three outs. He struck out the first two batters he faced and fielded a come-backer that ended his clean 1-2-3 inning. It had to be a relief for the former All-Star to get back into game action. There is still a chance he could impact the 2017 Twins but that remains to be seen. Lewis and Ricky De La Torre singled to start the first before an Alex Robles ground out brought Lewis in from third. Benjamin Rodriguez cracked his fifth double of the season to plate another run. A Brian Olson ground out and a Victor Tademo single capped a four-run frame. With one out in the second, Lewis singled and came around to score on a Robles single. Rehabbing outfielder Daniel Palka singled to score De La Torre and the Twins were up 6-0. Brusdar Graterol pitched five shutout innings after Perkins left the game. He scattered three hits and tallied five strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the season. Jose Bermudez closed out the final frame with a perfect inning including a strikeout. GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 4 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score For all the offense in the day's first game, the second game didn't go so hot for the GCL Twins. The club only mustered three hits and went 0-for-11 with runnerss in scoring position. Alex Robles finished 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Kerby Camacho didn't record an at-bat as he was walked three times. Ricky De La Torre reached base twice. Taylor Clemensia struggled as he walked two batters, had a balk, allowed a steal, and didn't record an out. Carlos Suniaga took over and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and four walks. Zach Featherstone and Vadim Balan finished the final two frames with each allowing two free passes. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut, Rochester Red Wings (7 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Toledo (12:35 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers (10-4, 3.50 ERA_ Chattanooga @ Mobile (5:05 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (8-1, 3.56 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Tampa (3:05 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson (4-5, 4.30 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Lansing (2:05 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi (3-0, 1.37 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Bluefield (5:00 CST) - RHP Huascar Ynoa (0-1, 3.68 ERA) GCL Twins - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games. Click here to view the article

Time and patience are two key aspects when it comes to developing prospects. Max Kepler fits this mold more than a lot of other young players. When the Twins signed him as a teenager out of Germany, the club knew of his athletic ability but Europe hasn’t exactly been a hot-bed for MLB prospects. Kepler has played just over 200 games at the MLB level and he has found a way to provide value through all aspects of his game. There are areas that could still improve but Kepler is on a course to be an above average big leaguer for years to come.Only two short seasons ago, Kepler exploded at Double-A on his way to winning Southern League MVP honors. He hit .322/.416/.531 with 56 extra-base hits across 431 at-bats. These numbers were an improvement from his career totals in the minor leagues (.281/.363/.446) and many prospect followers believed he had put it all together. Following a brief September call-up in 2015, Kepler became a mainstay in the Twins line-up during 2016. He struggled through his rookie campaign by hitting .235/.309/.424 with 17 home runs and 20 doubles. Hitting isn't the only part of his game as he provided 4.4 runs on the bases according to BsR (FanGraphs' base running statistic and the base running component of their WAR) and six defensive runs saved. Kepler has made measurable strides in his second full MLB season. Compared to 2016, he's raised his batting average over 30 points and this has helped him to get on base almost 34% of the time. He has improved his wRC+ from 93 in 2016 to 108 in 2017. According to both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, the only Twins position player worth more WAR this season is Miguel Sano. He's hitting the ball hard as well. Last season, Kepler hit the ball at an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph. He ranked 81st among 225 hitters with a minimum of 250 balls in play which ranked him higher than the likes of Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado. This season, his average exit velocity has dipped to 88.4 but he ranks 64th among 147 playerswith 200 at-bats. He's hitting the ball harder than Anthony Rizzo, Joey Votto, and Evan Longoria. Earlier this season, I identified Kepler as one of a trio of players who was helping to spur Minnesota's defensive turnaround. He ranks in the top-12 among AL outfielders in defensive runs saved. This spring MLB Advanced Media introduced a new Statcast metric called Catch Probability, which measures how likely a fielder is to catch a given ball in play based on its distance and hang time. Kepler leads MLB in "three-star outs" as he has gone 15-for-17 in those opportunities. Three-star outs have a 51-75% chance of being caught. To stay in the hunt for a division title, the Twins need young core players to perform at a high level. Jacque Jones was one of those players for the Twins in the early 2000s. He didn't have a season worth more than 2.0 WAR until he was 27-years old. Kepler has managed that in each of his first two seasons and he won't be 25 until next February. Kepler may never be an all-star like Miguel Sano or track down fly-balls as well as Byron Buxton but he is slowly improving. His offense and defense continue to improve and he is part of the team's long-term plans. Fans should appreciate the value he has brought to the 2017 version of the Twins. Show your appreciation for Kepler in the COMMENTS. Click here to view the article

Defense has been key for the Twins turnaround this season. Fans saw a key error from Jorge Polanco on Friday night which caused Jose Berrios to throw 30 extra pitches. This meant he was pulled after collecting only five outs. Pitchers rely on the defense behind them and it can be tough when defenders can't make the play. Errors ran rampant for multiple Twins affiliates on Friday. Which clubs would be able to avoid these defensive woes? Read on to find out...RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score Rochester's pitching staff hurled a gem in this one as a final inning run was the only thing stopping them from collecting a shutout. Justin Haley earned his first victory of the season after limiting the Iron Pigs to three hits. He didn't allow an earned run and he struck out two in his five innings of work. Craig Breslow, Alex Wimmers, and Michael Tonkin all pitched scoreless innings with Wimmers and Tonkin each collecting two strikeouts. Jake Reed allowed three hits and a walk in the final frame but limited the damage to one run. Bengie Gonzalez singled with one out in the third and moved into scoring position on an Engelb Vielma walk. A couple of batters later, Gonzalez came around to score on a wild pitch. In the fifth inning, Edgar Corcino tripled before Gonzalez brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Rochester was up 2-0. The Red Wings added some critical insurance runs in the seventh inning. Matt Hague started the frame with a double. After ByungHo Park was hit by pitch and a JB Shuck single, the bases were loaded. With Corcino batting, an error by the first baseman allowed two runs to come around and score to push the lead to 4-0. Rochester is now 10 games over .500 for the season (50-40). Since the calendar turned to July, the club has gone 8-4. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Jacksonville 3 Box Score These two clubs found themselves in a back and forth battle before the Lookouts went on a strong run to end the game. Kohl Stewart started and allowed three runs on six hits with a season-high seven strikeouts. Randy Rosario struggled with some control issues as he walked four batters in two inning but he escaped without allowing a run. Luke Bard struck out one and walked on in the final frame. Max Murphy fell a home run shy of the cycle as part of a four-hit night. TJ White drove in three runs including a two-run home run. Jonathan Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs. Dan Rohlfing was the lone batter to be held without a hit. It was the third straight win for the Lookouts as the club has gone 11-4 so far in July. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Charlotte 4 Box Score Fort Myers entered play on Friday night with an eight game win streak and things were looking good for the club as they jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. Tanner English led-off double put the Miracle in position to score their first run on a Jermaine Palacios sacrifice fly. Mitchell Kranson added to the lead with a solo home run. In the third inning, Sean Miller launched his first Florida State League home run in over 333 at-bats. He was greeted with the silent treatment in the dugout. David Fischer kept the Stone Crabs at bay before allowing a three-run homer in the fourth. He ended the night after four innings with three strikeouts and four walks. Williams Ramirez and Michael Theofanopoulos each pitched two scoreless innings with Theofanopoulos striking out two and walking two. Alex Muren entered in the ninth and allowed a walk-off home run to the first batter of the inning. It was the second pitch of the inning for Muren. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, West Michigan 3 Box Score The Kernels were limited to three hits while committing four errors, a season high, which is a tough recipe for winning a game. Clark Beeker took the loss but he only allowed one earned run over five frames. He struck out five and walked two. Ryan Mason and Colton Davis combined for three shutout innings to end the game. Mason struck out two and Davis struck out one. Lewin Diaz had the lone extra-base hit, a double, but he also had one of the team's defensive errors. Trey Cabbage and Ben Rortvedt each went 1-for-3. Cedar Rapids combined for 14 strikeouts and the team only had one opportunity to bat with runners in scoring position. After winning four straight games through last weekend, the Kernels have dropped four straight including being swept by West Michigan. Friday's shutout was the club's third shutout loss in their last four contests. It was the team's first three-game sweep since June 12, 2016. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 3, Burlington 5 Box Score After trailing 1-0 in the third inning, the E-Twins plated two in fourth to take back the lead. With two outs, Brent Rooker was hit by a pitch and Kolton Kendrick moved him to second with a walk. Colton Waltner, making his E-Twins debut, drove in both runs with a double. In the sixth, the E-Twins added to their lead as Kendrick and Waltner walked before a Mark Contreras single drove in a run to make it 3-1. Charlie Barnes got the start and cruised through five innings. He didn't allow an earned run on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Blair Lakso ran into some late inning trouble as he surrendered four earned runs including three in the eighth inning. He struck out two and walked two in 2.1 innings. Jose Martinez finished the game by recording the final two outs and allowing one inherited runner to score. It was the second straight loss for the E-Twins but the club has won six of their last nine. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 9 Box Score GCL Twins pitchers only allowed two earned runs but five defensive errors led to seven unearned runs. Number one overall pick Royce Lewis had yet to commit an error but he was charged with a throwing error and a fielding error. He also struggled at the plate by going 0-for-4. Humberto Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Pertru Balan was charged with the loss even though he didn't allow an earned run. He scattered four hits and struck out five with two walks. Vadim Balan didn't make it through an inning on the mound as five unearned runs crossed the plate. He has yet to allow an earned run in six appearances. Matt Jones allowed the only two earned runs of the game in 3.1 innings. Zach Featherstone collected the final six outs by allowing only a hit with a pair of strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Kohl Stewart, Chattanooga Lookouts (6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 K, 1 BB) Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Chattanooga Lookouts (4-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (5:35 CST) - RHP Dillion Gee (1-0, 0.00 ERA_ Chattanooga vs. Jacksonville (6:15 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez (3-1, 3.77 ERA) Fort Myers vs. St. Lucie (5:05 CST) - RHP Cody Stashak (3-3, 3.76 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (1-0, 2.84 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greenville (5:00 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 am CST)- TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday’s games. Click here to view the article

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."--- Yogi Berra, MLB Hall of Famer and 18-time All-Star Each professional baseball player's journey takes him down a different path. Some players seem destined for glory with a high signing bonus and top prospect label attached to their name. Other players spend each year wondering if they will have a job or if they will be pushed away from the game they love. Even for the game's best players, there are ups and downs along the way. These experiences can help fans relate more to the players. They have their own struggles and search for the right mixture to be successful on the field. While each player took his own route to Miami, three Twins players can officially call themselves All-Stars.The Experienced Veteran: Ervin Santana Ervin Santana has been here before but it was nearly a decade ago. As a 34-year old, Santana is in the midst of his best professional season. His journey started as an 18-year old from the Dominican Republic and Baseball American had him in their top-100 prospects twice. Santana would debut as a 22-year old and spend his first 12 seasons in the Angels organization. He's made stops in Kansas City and Atlanta before putting it all together this season. As a 25-year old first-time All-Star, Santana probably thought he'd make multiple return trips to the All-Star Game. So far this season, he leads all of baseball in complete games and shutouts. He's one of the main reasons the Twins have been able to stay in the playoff picture. This might be his final All-Star experience so you have to believe he is cherishing every step of this part of his journey. The New Kid On The Block: Miguel Sano Miguel Sano was a name known in baseball circles before he signed his first professional contract. As a teenager in the Dominican Republic, Sano was the top international player in the 2009 signing class. However, there were questions about his age and MLB stepped in to investigate. The results were conclusive and Sano signed a $3.15 million bonus to join the Twins organization. This tumultuous journey was chronicled in the 2011 documentary, Ballplayer: Pelotero. There have been some other bumps in the road for the young slugger. He missed all of the 2014 season following Tommy John surgery. His 2016 campaign saw a sophomore slump as he struggled to live up to the hype of his monster rookie season. On Monday night, he took center-stage in Miami as one of the four American League Home Run Derby participants. His journey has taken quite the turn from the small dirt floor home his family occupied in the Dominican Republic. The Unexpected Closer: Brandon Kintzler There had to be times when Brandon Kintzler thought his baseball career was over. He wasn't drafted until the 40th round of the 2004 MLB Draft. He never got higher than High-A with the Padres organization before they let him go. For the next three seasons, he bounced around the independent leagues including stops in Winnipeg and St. Paul. Kintzler pitched well enough for the Brewers to notice and he took advantage of a new opportunity. He made his MLB debut in 2010 and pitched in the Arizona Fall League in each of the next two seasons. With the Brewers, he found some moderate success out of the bullpen but they didn't bring him back following the 2015 campaign. Other arms were ahead of Kintzler when he got to Minnesota. Glen Perkins getting injured and Kevin Jepsen pitching poorly allowed the door to open. He's been terrific this season as he leads baseball in games finished and his 24 saves are second in the American League. Santana might be making his final All-Star trip. Sano is making his first of what many expect to be multiple All-Star appearances. Kintzler took the longest road to get here and he has to be pleased with every step that he took along the way. Click here to view the article

Twins top prospect Nick Gordon took center stage on Sunday as part of MLB's Futures Game. Gordon led off the game and started at shortstop for the USA squad and worked the count to 3-1 before a sharp ground out to second base. In his second at-bat, he was more aggressive as he swung at the first two pitches before popping out to short. For his third and final at-bat, Gordon would follow a Brendan Rogers single with a single of his own. He moved to third on a double and scored on another double. Gordon finished the game 1-for-3, including two hard hit balls, with a run scored.Transactions Rochester: LHP Craig Breslow began his MLB rehab assignment Fort Myers: LHP Alex Robinson promoted from Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids: RHP Tyler Beardsley activated from 7-day DL RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Syracuse 2 Box Score Mitch Garver put on a hitting clinic in this contest. As part of a four-run second inning, Garver clocked his first home run of the day, a two-run shot. He stepped up with two outs in the fourth inning and blasted a solo-shot. Two innings later, he sent his third ball of the day over the fence, his twelfth home run of the season. He ended the day 3-for-5 with four RBI. Garver wasn't the only one teeing off on Syracuse pitching. Bengie Gonzalez matched Garver with three hits including two doubles. He also walked once. Matt Hague, ByungHo Park, Ryan Strausborger and Engelb Vielma all had doubles in the winning effort. On the mound it took a combination of pitchers to get the win. Justin Haley continues to be stretched out in the Red Wings rotation. He pitched four frames while allowing one run on three hits. Craig Breslow made his first rehab appearance and saw a runner score after he gave up a walk and a double with two outs. Nik Turley pitched two scoreless frames for his third win. Mason Melotakis, Michael Tonkin and Alex Wimmers put up zeros over the final two frames. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Pensacola 1 Box Score Even with Gordon out of the line-up for the Futures Game, the Lookouts managed a solid win. Kohl Stewart made his best start since returning from the DL. He pitched six innings while allowing one earned run on three hits. He struck out six and walked one. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. Nick Anderson finished off the game with a perfect ninth including a strikeout. Chattanooga got things going offensively in the third frame. LaMonte Wade doubled before a Jonathan Rodriguez single put runners on the corners. Andy Wilkins brought them both in with his tenth double of the season. The Lookouts were staked to a 2-0 lead. Things were still close until Chattanooga got some separation in the last two innings. TJ White and Max Murphy started the eighth with singles before a Travis Harrison walk loaded the bases. Dan Rohlfing walked to bring in the first run of the frame. With two outs, Ryan Walker would struck out but a wild pitch allowed the team's fourth run to score. In the ninth, Rodriguez singled in front of a Wilkins hit by pitch. Murphy brought home Rodriguez with his first double with Chattanooga. Rodriguez finished the day 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Wade and Murphy both went 2-for-5 with Wade collecting a pair of doubles. Rohlfing was the lone batter not to collect a hit but his walk to drive in a run was critical. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Palm Beach 2 Box Score Tanner English cracked two home runs and helped the Miracle to their fifth straight victory. Locked in a pitchers duel for the first four and a half frames, Jaylin Davis walked and moved to second on a balk. Shane Kennedy opened the scoring with an RBI single. English belted the first of his home runs to start the sixth inning and push the lead to 2-0. However, the Cardinals would tie the game in the seventh. English stole the lead back in the eighth inning as he connected for his second long ball of the day. The Miracle also added an insurance run later in the frame. Jermaine Palacios struck out with two outs but reached first base on a wild pitch. Mitchell Kranson singled and Zander Wiel walked to load the bases. Davis singled to drive in a run before Kranson was thrown out at home. Cody Stashak scattered four hits over six strong innings. He allowed two earned runs and struck out two while walking a pair. Andrew Vasquez pitched a scoreless seventh as he has yet to allow a run since being promoted to High-A (14.2 IP). Tom Hackimer picked up his second win as he pitched two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Peoria 1 Box Score The Kernels found themselves in an early 1-0 hole after Anthony Marzi allowed back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly. He did not allow any hits in his final five frames and faced one batter over the minimum in that stretch.. His final line read seven innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Ryan Mason and Colton Davis each saw one base runner reach but they put up zeros to complete the win. Peoria's lead wouldn't last for long. Aaron Whitefield tied the game with his tenth home run of the season. Things got crazy in the seventh. Gorge Munoz struck out but advanced to second on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the pitcher. Christian Cavaness hit a sacrifice bunt and the pitcher committed another error to put runners on the corners. Whitefield drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Cedar Rapids picked up their season-high-tying fourth consecutive victory and have a chance to sweep this four-game series on Monday afternoon. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Johnson City 2 Box Score The E-Twins out-hit the Cardinals six to three but Elizabethton left five runners on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Edwar Colina was outstanding over seven shutout innings. He struck out eight, walked one and allowed two hits. Jared Finkel took the tough-luck loss. A passed ball by Rainis Silva and a Finkel throwing error allowed two unearned runs to score. Brent Rooker started the seventh with a single. Rooker came around to score after Shane Carrier reached on a fielding error by the third baseman. That was the end of the scoring for the E-Twins. Batters two through four in the line-up all struck out multiple times and no batter managed more than one hit. TJ Dixon reached base twice in three plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Edwar Colina, Elizabethton Twins (7 IP, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB, 2 H) Hitter of the Day – Mitch Garver, Rochester Red Wings (3-for-5, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off Day Chattanooga @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (6:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria (12:05 CST) - RHP Eduardo Del Rosario (7-4, 4.69 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Huascar Ynoa (0-1, 2.57 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST)- TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article