Cody Christie

Plouffe reentered the Twins line-up this weekend with a bang. This was great to see from the former first round pick but one has to look at the future of Twins baseball and wonder what his place will be with this organization. It seems as if the Twins are still a couple years away from contending and that could mean some changes for the 27-year old Plouffe. Twins fans will best remember Plouffe for his Ruthian like hot streak during the middle of last season. In a stretch of 14 games, he hit .375/.397/.982 with 10 home runs and four doubles. It looked like the Twins had found their man at third base but a hand injury would slow him down. Fans were left wondering what version of Plouffe the Twins would have in 2013. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com So far this season, Plouffe has missed time on the 7-day concussion DL and this was quickly followed by another DL trip for a leg injury. He has played in 39 games and he has hit .264/.344/.457 with five home runs and 10 doubles. His batting average is higher than any point at last season and this has helped some of his other numbers to improve. One of the problems facing Plouffe in the future could be the players coming up through the minor league system behind him. Deibinson Romero has put together strong numbers this season at Double-A and Triple-A. This leaves him a step away from the big leagues and the Twins might be willing to give him a look at some point this season. Further behind in Plouffe's rear-view mirror is uber prospect Miguel Sano. The Twins recently promoted Sano to Double-A and some of the best prospects in baseball don't even make a stop at Triple-A. Sano will probably be in New Britain for the rest of this season but that doesn't mean he couldn't be in the mix for the starting third base job in 2014. In the past, there have been some questions about Sano's ability to stick at third base. He was a little raw at the hot corner and one of his biggest improvement areas over the last couple of years has been his defense. Last season, he had 42 errors in 361 chances at third. This season he has 12 errors in 170 chances. As we gaze into our crystal ball and look toward the future of Twins baseball, there are a few different situations that could transpire for Plouffe... 1. Move to a corner outfield spot: When Michael Cuddyer didn't work out at third base, the club moved him to a corner outfield spot and this is where he truly began to flourish. He would earn his lone All-Star selection as an outfielder and he became a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse. Plouffe would need to continue to make improvements at the plate and if he can make those adjustments, this seems like the most likely path. 2. Stay at third base: If Sano has to be moved from third base to first base, this would leave a hole at a corner infield spot. For the majority of his minor league career, Plouffe was a shortstop so he has been learning some of his third base skills on the fly. Plouffe has been below average on defense when compared to the rest of the league so he would need to continue to improve. 3. Find another team: There is a strong crop of minor league players moving through the organization and this youth movement could push Plouffe to the side. The Twins have control of Plouffe through the arbitration process until 2018. He would be 32-years old and his production level might be less than what the Twins would have to pay him. This could mean a new organization for Mr. Plouffe. Overall, the Twins hope Plouffe's performance on the field makes it an easy decision to keep him around and in the line-up on a daily basis. Sano might have a lot to say about Plouffe staying at third base but a corner outfield spot might be a welcome sight for Plouffe as he gets closer to 30. There are a lot of variables to the equation of Trevor Plouffe's future. Fans can hope he figures things out at the plate and in the field to become a strong veteran player on some Twins team's that should be back near the top of the American League Central.

Plouffe reentered the Twins line-up this weekend with a bang. This was great to see from the former first round pick but one has to look at the future of Twins baseball and wonder what his place will be with this organization. It seems as if the Twins are still a couple years away from contending and that could mean some changes for the 27-year old Plouffe. Twins fans will best remember Plouffe for his Ruthian like hot streak during the middle of last season. In a stretch of 14 games, he hit .375/.397/.982 with 10 home runs and four doubles. It looked like the Twins had found their man at third base but a hand injury would slow him down. Fans were left wondering what version of Plouffe the Twins would have in 2013. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com So far this season, Plouffe has missed time on the 7-day concussion DL and this was quickly followed by another DL trip for a leg injury. He has played in 39 games and he has hit .264/.344/.457 with five home runs and 10 doubles. His batting average is higher than any point at last season and this has helped some of his other numbers to improve. One of the problems facing Plouffe in the future could be the players coming up through the minor league system behind him. Deibinson Romero has put together strong numbers this season at Double-A and Triple-A. This leaves him a step away from the big leagues and the Twins might be willing to give him a look at some point this season. Further behind in Plouffe's rear-view mirror is uber prospect Miguel Sano. The Twins recently promoted Sano to Double-A and some of the best prospects in baseball don't even make a stop at Triple-A. Sano will probably be in New Britain for the rest of this season but that doesn't mean he couldn't be in the mix for the starting third base job in 2014. In the past, there have been some questions about Sano's ability to stick at third base. He was a little raw at the hot corner and one of his biggest improvement areas over the last couple of years has been his defense. Last season, he had 42 errors in 361 chances at third. This season he has 12 errors in 170 chances. As we gaze into our crystal ball and look toward the future of Twins baseball, there are a few different situations that could transpire for Plouffe... 1. Move to a corner outfield spot: When Michael Cuddyer didn't work out at third base, the club moved him to a corner outfield spot and this is where he truly began to flourish. He would earn his lone All-Star selection as an outfielder and he became a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse. Plouffe would need to continue to make improvements at the plate and if he can make those adjustments, this seems like the most likely path. 2. Stay at third base: If Sano has to be moved from third base to first base, this would leave a hole at a corner infield spot. For the majority of his minor league career, Plouffe was a shortstop so he has been learning some of his third base skills on the fly. Plouffe has been below average on defense when compared to the rest of the league so he would need to continue to improve. 3. Find another team: There is a strong crop of minor league players moving through the organization and this youth movement could push Plouffe to the side. The Twins have control of Plouffe through the arbitration process until 2018. He would be 32-years old and his production level might be less than what the Twins would have to pay him. This could mean a new organization for Mr. Plouffe. Overall, the Twins hope Plouffe's performance on the field makes it an easy decision to keep him around and in the line-up on a daily basis. Sano might have a lot to say about Plouffe staying at third base but a corner outfield spot might be a welcome sight for Plouffe as he gets closer to 30. There are a lot of variables to the equation of Trevor Plouffe's future. Fans can hope he figures things out at the plate and in the field to become a strong veteran player on some Twins team's that should be back near the top of the American League Central.

After a rough road trip over the last week, the Twins returned home to face a Phillies team with it's own share of struggles. Minnesota won the first two games of the series but both games were close. The Tigers come to town for Father's Day weekend and this marks the start of nine straight games against AL Central opponents. This can become a crucial part of the schedule if the Twins want to stay in the hunt for a division crown. The club has a winning record so far in June and that is a good way to get back to the .500 mark. So far this season, the Twins are 9-15 versus AL Central foes. There has been plenty of news from around Twins Territory this week so let's dive into the latest edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." While watching the FSN broadcasts, it might not seem like advance stats are being used but Dick Bremer continues delve deeper into this world. Miguel Sano was promoted to Double-A this week and there were a variety of reasons why he was ready. Bookmark this site as there will be plenty of coverage from New Britain on Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. With the move to Double-A, is it time to shift Sano over to first base? A couple of Twins prospects have been terrorizing the minor leagues. Paul Molitor sees a lot of what happens in the Twins minor league system. There is plenty more to the Cedar Rapids Kernels beyond Byron Buxton. The pitcher the Twins got back for Denard Span is suffering some shoulder soreness and that can be a bad sign for the future. Target Field has more than enough options when it comes to stuffing your face. Joe Mauer has eyes in the back of his head. The Twins had an interesting situation play out on the mound earlier this week. It sure seems like a time when a bullpen car would have been helpful. Former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos suffered another set-back as he reinjured his ailing hamstring. That's not a good injury for a catcher to be suffering through. My favorite baseball movie of all-time turned 25 years old this week. The Twins might have interested in the always injured Grady Sizemore. Next year's draft is less than a year away! It's never too early to dig into who are some of the top college arms. It's impossible to hit the ball over Carlos Gomez's head. As Twins fans know, Alexi Casilla can make some outstanding plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Royals farm system was one of the strongest a couple years ago but those names haven't panned out. This serves as a good reminder for Twins fans that prospects aren't always sure things. A sick Oakland A's fan used a robot to throw out a first pitch. JJ Hardy really doesn't like the center fielders for the Angels. Be careful when you walk behind the mound in Texas. Mariano Rivera continues to deliver pizza to important employees as he makes his last trip around the American League. It turns out that Superman was bad at coaching baseball. My Weekly Rundown Sunday: Deibinson Romero is knocking on the door Monday: Twins' center field depth to be tested Wednesday: Twins Top 10 Prospects: Post-Draft Edition Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Double-A Debuts Video of the Week: Byron Buxton and the Cedar Rapids Kernels were featured on FSN North earlier this week. Buxton didn't disappoint as he had a great day at the plate and he made one of the best defensive plays you are going to see all year. If you haven't seen this catch yet, here it is. If you have seen it, you should probably watch it a few more times. It never gets old.

After a rough road trip over the last week, the Twins returned home to face a Phillies team with it's own share of struggles. Minnesota won the first two games of the series but both games were close. The Tigers come to town for Father's Day weekend and this marks the start of nine straight games against AL Central opponents. This can become a crucial part of the schedule if the Twins want to stay in the hunt for a division crown. The club has a winning record so far in June and that is a good way to get back to the .500 mark. So far this season, the Twins are 9-15 versus AL Central foes. There has been plenty of news from around Twins Territory this week so let's dive into the latest edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." While watching the FSN broadcasts, it might not seem like advance stats are being used but Dick Bremer continues delve deeper into this world. Miguel Sano was promoted to Double-A this week and there were a variety of reasons why he was ready. Bookmark this site as there will be plenty of coverage from New Britain on Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. With the move to Double-A, is it time to shift Sano over to first base? A couple of Twins prospects have been terrorizing the minor leagues. Paul Molitor sees a lot of what happens in the Twins minor league system. There is plenty more to the Cedar Rapids Kernels beyond Byron Buxton. The pitcher the Twins got back for Denard Span is suffering some shoulder soreness and that can be a bad sign for the future. Target Field has more than enough options when it comes to stuffing your face. Joe Mauer has eyes in the back of his head. The Twins had an interesting situation play out on the mound earlier this week. It sure seems like a time when a bullpen car would have been helpful. Former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos suffered another set-back as he reinjured his ailing hamstring. That's not a good injury for a catcher to be suffering through. My favorite baseball movie of all-time turned 25 years old this week. The Twins might have interested in the always injured Grady Sizemore. Next year's draft is less than a year away! It's never too early to dig into who are some of the top college arms. It's impossible to hit the ball over Carlos Gomez's head. As Twins fans know, Alexi Casilla can make some outstanding plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Royals farm system was one of the strongest a couple years ago but those names haven't panned out. This serves as a good reminder for Twins fans that prospects aren't always sure things. A sick Oakland A's fan used a robot to throw out a first pitch. JJ Hardy really doesn't like the center fielders for the Angels. Be careful when you walk behind the mound in Texas. Mariano Rivera continues to deliver pizza to important employees as he makes his last trip around the American League. It turns out that Superman was bad at coaching baseball. My Weekly Rundown Sunday: Deibinson Romero is knocking on the door Monday: Twins' center field depth to be tested Wednesday: Twins Top 10 Prospects: Post-Draft Edition Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Double-A Debuts Video of the Week: Byron Buxton and the Cedar Rapids Kernels were featured on FSN North earlier this week. Buxton didn't disappoint as he had a great day at the plate and he made one of the best defensive plays you are going to see all year. If you haven't seen this catch yet, here it is. If you have seen it, you should probably watch it a few more times. It never gets old.

With two rainouts on Tuesday, there was a duo of double headers on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Angel Morales all made their Double-A debuts. Jason Wheeler helped the Miracle to win even with a new core of players in their everyday line-up. The Kernels had a chance to clinch a playoff birth. 
Earlier today I released an updated list of the top 10 prospects in the Twins organization. There was a new name at the top of the list and two other players sneaking into the top 5. Newly drafted high school pitcher Kohl Stewart is on the list but where does he rank? Lots of members from my top ten list were in action on Wednesday. Let's see what happened down on the farm! 
Rochester Red Wings (Schedule Off Day) It's the last scheduled off day of the month for Rochester. In fact, the club will play 20 games in the last 19 days of June. The Red Wings have lost four of their last six games so the team would like to get back on track as they play four games at home over the weekend. Rochester has a 30-36 record and the team sits eight games out of first place in the International League North. Over their last ten games, the Red Wings have gone 6-4 so things are moving the right way. The first goal is to try and sneak back closer to the .500 mark and that can start this weekend. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Altoona Curve 7 (7 Innings-Game 1) Box Score The Double-A debuts for Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Angel Morales didn't exactly go as planned. New Britain's pitching staff was roughed up for seven runs in the loss. The new trio of players went 1-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI. Sano made three plate appearances that resulted in a walk, a ground out, and a deep sac fly. Rosario had one of the team's three hits in the game and he scored the lone run. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with the only extra-base hit for the Rock Cats. As a team, New Britain went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Pat Dean lost his second consecutive start and he was hit around a bit in less than six innings of work. He surrendered nine hits and five earned runs while striking out one. 62 of his 86 pitches were strikes so he was near the plate for most of the evening. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Altoona Curve 3 (7 Innings- Game 2) Box Score For the second game in a row, the Rock Cats struggled to push runs across the plate. Only three players were able to collect hits and that will make it tough to score. Danny Santana went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Eddie Rosario picked up his second hit at Double-A and Sano added his second RBI on a sac fly. The team left five runners on bas and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Trevor May started on the mound and he did his best to keep the Rock Cats in the game. He pitched into the seventh inning and allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out eight and limited his walks to three. He was out pitched on this night by former Twins minor leaguer David Bromberg. In six innings, Bromberg gave up one run on two hits and struck out 12. The loss drops New Britain three games under .500 but the team will look to salvage the last game of the series with Altoona tomorrow. Fort Myers Miracle 6, Daytona Cubs 3 (7 Innings- Game 1) Box Score Jason Wheeler continued his stretch of strong starts in the Florida State League. In the make-up of Tuesday's washed out contest, Wheeler tossed five strong innings and limited the Cubs to two runs on four hits. There was a little trouble with control as he walked five batters and struck out three. It was his sixth win of the season and he improved his record to 6-1. Anderlin Mejia paced the new look Miracle line-up with three hits including his fifth double. Jhon Gonclaves and Stephen Wickens each added a double and two RBI. Former Gopher Mike Kvasnicka had his first multi-hit game since joining the team earlier on Monday. Zach Jones picked up his seventh save of the season by getting the last four outs of the game. Three of the four batters he faced ended up striking out and he lowered his ERA to 1.46. Over his last ten games, Jones has only given up four hits and two earned runs. Fort Myers Miracle 5, Daytona Cubs 4 (7 Innings- Game 2) Box Score Dayton made things interesting by scoring four runs in the last three innings but the Miracle were able to hang on for a nail-biting win. It was the club's 43rd victory and the team has only lost 20 games. Some of Miguel Sano's powerful swing must have stayed at third base for Fort Myers. Stephen Wickens was playing in the position formally occupied by Sano and he hit his first home run of the season. For the game, Wickens went 2-for-4 with a couple of RBI. Aderlin Mejia and Jairo Rodriguez each had two hits and an RBI. Matthew Summers only pitched four innings but he didn't allow a run and he struck out six. After not walking more than three batters in any of his last 10 games, Summers issued five free passes in this game. Taylor Rogers was credited with the win and Corey Williams picked up his ninth save. Cedar Rapids Kernels 12, Quad Cities River Bandits 4 Box Score A huge eighth inning helped the Kernels to clinch a first half playoff birth. Cedar Rapids entered the frame tied with Quad Cities but the club would see eight runs cross the plate. With their win and the River Bandits loss, the Kernels are guaranteed one of the two playoff spots for the first half. Jose Berrios pitched six strong innings by not giving up an earned run and striking out six. There were multiple errors on behind him that meant two unearned runs ended up on his final line. Steven Gruver would pick up the win but this came after allowed two runs to score in the seventh. Travis Harrison might of had his 15th error at third base but he continued his strong season at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with his 10th home run. Jorge Polanco collected four hits including two doubles and two RBI. Uber-prospect Byron Buxton went 3-for-6 with his 15th double and his 48th and 49th RBI. Since the Kernels have now clinched, Buxton will probably be making his way to Fort Myers in the next week or so.

With two rainouts on Tuesday, there was a duo of double headers on Wednesday night. Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Angel Morales all made their Double-A debuts. Jason Wheeler helped the Miracle to win even with a new core of players in their everyday line-up. The Kernels had a chance to clinch a playoff birth. 
Earlier today I released an updated list of the top 10 prospects in the Twins organization. There was a new name at the top of the list and two other players sneaking into the top 5. Newly drafted high school pitcher Kohl Stewart is on the list but where does he rank? Lots of members from my top ten list were in action on Wednesday. Let's see what happened down on the farm! 
Rochester Red Wings (Schedule Off Day) It's the last scheduled off day of the month for Rochester. In fact, the club will play 20 games in the last 19 days of June. The Red Wings have lost four of their last six games so the team would like to get back on track as they play four games at home over the weekend. Rochester has a 30-36 record and the team sits eight games out of first place in the International League North. Over their last ten games, the Red Wings have gone 6-4 so things are moving the right way. The first goal is to try and sneak back closer to the .500 mark and that can start this weekend. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Altoona Curve 7 (7 Innings-Game 1) Box Score The Double-A debuts for Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Angel Morales didn't exactly go as planned. New Britain's pitching staff was roughed up for seven runs in the loss. The new trio of players went 1-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI. Sano made three plate appearances that resulted in a walk, a ground out, and a deep sac fly. Rosario had one of the team's three hits in the game and he scored the lone run. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with the only extra-base hit for the Rock Cats. As a team, New Britain went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Pat Dean lost his second consecutive start and he was hit around a bit in less than six innings of work. He surrendered nine hits and five earned runs while striking out one. 62 of his 86 pitches were strikes so he was near the plate for most of the evening. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Altoona Curve 3 (7 Innings- Game 2) Box Score For the second game in a row, the Rock Cats struggled to push runs across the plate. Only three players were able to collect hits and that will make it tough to score. Danny Santana went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Eddie Rosario picked up his second hit at Double-A and Sano added his second RBI on a sac fly. The team left five runners on bas and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Trevor May started on the mound and he did his best to keep the Rock Cats in the game. He pitched into the seventh inning and allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out eight and limited his walks to three. He was out pitched on this night by former Twins minor leaguer David Bromberg. In six innings, Bromberg gave up one run on two hits and struck out 12. The loss drops New Britain three games under .500 but the team will look to salvage the last game of the series with Altoona tomorrow. Fort Myers Miracle 6, Daytona Cubs 3 (7 Innings- Game 1) Box Score Jason Wheeler continued his stretch of strong starts in the Florida State League. In the make-up of Tuesday's washed out contest, Wheeler tossed five strong innings and limited the Cubs to two runs on four hits. There was a little trouble with control as he walked five batters and struck out three. It was his sixth win of the season and he improved his record to 6-1. Anderlin Mejia paced the new look Miracle line-up with three hits including his fifth double. Jhon Gonclaves and Stephen Wickens each added a double and two RBI. Former Gopher Mike Kvasnicka had his first multi-hit game since joining the team earlier on Monday. Zach Jones picked up his seventh save of the season by getting the last four outs of the game. Three of the four batters he faced ended up striking out and he lowered his ERA to 1.46. Over his last ten games, Jones has only given up four hits and two earned runs. Fort Myers Miracle 5, Daytona Cubs 4 (7 Innings- Game 2) Box Score Dayton made things interesting by scoring four runs in the last three innings but the Miracle were able to hang on for a nail-biting win. It was the club's 43rd victory and the team has only lost 20 games. Some of Miguel Sano's powerful swing must have stayed at third base for Fort Myers. Stephen Wickens was playing in the position formally occupied by Sano and he hit his first home run of the season. For the game, Wickens went 2-for-4 with a couple of RBI. Aderlin Mejia and Jairo Rodriguez each had two hits and an RBI. Matthew Summers only pitched four innings but he didn't allow a run and he struck out six. After not walking more than three batters in any of his last 10 games, Summers issued five free passes in this game. Taylor Rogers was credited with the win and Corey Williams picked up his ninth save. Cedar Rapids Kernels 12, Quad Cities River Bandits 4 Box Score A huge eighth inning helped the Kernels to clinch a first half playoff birth. Cedar Rapids entered the frame tied with Quad Cities but the club would see eight runs cross the plate. With their win and the River Bandits loss, the Kernels are guaranteed one of the two playoff spots for the first half. Jose Berrios pitched six strong innings by not giving up an earned run and striking out six. There were multiple errors on behind him that meant two unearned runs ended up on his final line. Steven Gruver would pick up the win but this came after allowed two runs to score in the seventh. Travis Harrison might of had his 15th error at third base but he continued his strong season at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with his 10th home run. Jorge Polanco collected four hits including two doubles and two RBI. Uber-prospect Byron Buxton went 3-for-6 with his 15th double and his 48th and 49th RBI. Since the Kernels have now clinched, Buxton will probably be making his way to Fort Myers in the next week or so.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4409[/ATTACH] At the end of last week, the Twins added some strong talent to their organization through the MLB Draft. Minnesota's farm system was already considered one of the best in baseball and having another top 5 pick can only help to improve their top level talent. My last prospect ranking came back when I was helping to put together the "Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook." There have been a few changes to the list as players begin to move closer to the big leagues. Aaron Hicks has graduated off of this list (He had been ranked 4th) and Joe Benson is now with another organization after he had also been in the top 20. There was a little bit of shifting at the top with a new number one and two new players making the top five. It's an exciting time for the Twins minor leagues and it starts with the players at the top of this list. 1. Byron Buxton (Previous Rank: 2)- OF - Cedar Rapids Kernels Buxton has been better than the Twins could have ever thought. He has been tearing up the Midwest League to the tune of batting .350/.444/.578 with seven home runs, eight triples, and 14 doubles. Buxton has also been terrific in the field as many fans saw on FSN earlier this week. There is a chance for him to be the number one prospect in all of baseball by the end of the year. Buxton fever is hitting Twins Territory and he is still multiple levels away from making his big league debut. 2. Miguel Sano (1) - 3B- New Britain Rock Cats Since I started writing this blog back in 2010, Sano has been a regular name that I have penciled in at the top of this list. He might be the best pure power hitter in the minor leagues. So far this season, he destroyed the usually pitcher friendly Florida State League. Over 56 games, he hit .330/424/.655 with 16 home runs and 15 doubles. His defense at third base has been questioned in the past but he continues to improve with 11 errors so far this year. It's not like Sano is doing anything wrong to move out of the number one spot but Buxton has just been that good. 3. Oswaldo Arcia (5) - OF- Rochester Red Wings Fans have gotten a little taste of Arcia at the beginning of this year. He has been back in forth between Rochester and the MLB club. So far this year, he is hitting .255/.318/.449 with four home runs and five doubles in 30 big league games. The power is definitely there in his swing and he will continue to work to raise some of his other numbers. He's played more games at the MLB level than the Triple-A level so there is a little bit of a rookie learning curve. 4. Eddie Rosario (7) - 2B - New Britain Rock Cats Rosario continues to be one of the hitting prospects in the organization. His new promotion to the Rock Cats could test some of his skills but he has a very advanced swing for his age. With quick wrists, he is able to send the ball to all fields and he could continue to move quickly through the organization. In 52 games for Fort Myers this year, he batted .329/.377/.527 with six home runs, five triples, and 13 doubles. The former outfielder is in his second year playing second base and there will continue to be some bumps along the way. This year he has four errors in 275 chances at his new position. 5. Kohl Stewart (NR) - RHP This year's fourth overall pick has yet to sign with the organization but he quickly becomes the team’s best pitching prospect. It is going to take him some time to develop in the minor leagues but he could be the ace this team has been searching for since Johan Santana left. Stewart's name will likely be near the top of this list for multiple seasons as he works his way from the lower levels of the minors. He has a killer fastball, a dominant slider, and fans will have to hope he can develop the rest of his pitches along the way. For the first time in his life, he won't be worrying about the up-coming football season and that could be dangerous for opposing batters. 6. Alex Meyer (3) - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats In his first year in the Twins organization, Meyer has been putting up decent numbers at the Double-A level. The 23-year old righty has posted a 3.69 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 27 walks in 61 innings. His 1.311 WHIP is the highest of his young professional career. He hasn't pitched since June 1st after he felt some discomfort in his throwing shoulder. Hopefully, it is nothing too serious and he just needed to miss a few starts to rest his arm. 7. Jose Berrios (9) - RHP - Cedar Rapids Kernels A supplemental round pick in last year's draft, Berrios has settled nicely into the rotation for the Kernels. Over 42.1 innings, he has a 3.61 ERA and 50 strikeouts with 12 walks. He is giving up more than a hit an inning but he has the ability to strike batters out and that has been lacking in the Twins system. If Berrios and Stewart can both make it as starters, they could provide a powerful front end of the rotation. 8. Kyle Gibson (8) - RHP - Rochester Red Wings It shouldn't be long before Gibson joins the rotation of the Minnesota Twins. The club is looking for more consistency out of him on his way back from Tommy John surgery. In his last ten starts, he has an ERA under 3.00 with a 6-3 record. He has pitched close to 80 innings this season with 69 strikeouts and 26 walks. His walk total is higher than most would like but this still shouldn't stop him from becoming part of the Twins rotation for the better part of the next decade. 9. Travis Harrison (11) - 3B - Cedar Rapids Kernels I have been high on Harrison since the Twins drafted him in the supplemental round of the 2011 Draft. He is beginning to show some of his power potential this season in Cedar Rapids. He has nine home runs and 17 doubles in 61 games. His defense at third base hasn’t been the greatest with 12 errors in 57 games. Harrison might have to move from the hot corner but his power is legit. 10. Jorge Polanco (14) - 2B - Cedar Rapids Kernels There are plenty of prospects up and down the roster for the Kernels. Polanco might get lost in the shuffle but this takes nothing away from his time in the organization. So far this year, the switch-hitting infielder is hitting .291/.342/.447 with 26 extra-base hits. It has been tough for the Twins to develop middle infielders but Polanco is among a promising crop at multiple levels in the system. Just Missed: Max Kepler, Kennys Vargas, Trevor May, Adam Walker, Josmil Pinto

At the end of last season, the Twins had plenty of options to play center field for the club. Denard Span and Ben Revere spent most of the year manning that position. Darin Mastroianni made a good fourth outfielder because he could play center field when it was necessary. Joe Benson and Aaron Hicks were on the 40-man roster but there wasn't much room for them with three other players in front of them. Things have certainly gone from crowded to scarce in a hurry. As most fans know, Span and Revere were traded in the offseason to try and add some pitching depth to a weak area in the organization. This left the club with no starter lined-up for Opening Day but that would change in a hurry. Hicks, Mastroianni, and Benson would all battle in spring training to be the full-time starter. Mastroianni and Benson were a little dinged up but it didn't matter because Hicks put together some tremendous performances to earn himself the starting role. News came out today that Hicks will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a left hamstring strain. He suffered the injury while trying to beat out an infield hit during the second game of the Twins' doubleheader in Washington on Sunday. Hicks' injury leaves the team in a little bit of a jam. Mastroianni will be out until July after undergoing surgery on his ankle. Wilkin Ramirez had been another option in the outfield but he is still dealing with some concussion symptoms. This leaves a lot of center fielders on the disabled list. The man left standing after all of this mess wasn't even on the 40-man roster a handful of days ago. Clete Thomas was having a decent year for the Rochester Red Wings before he got called up to serve as an insurance policy for Hicks. Since his promotion, Thomas has one hit in ten at-bats (.100) with a strikeout. In parts of four different MLB seasons, Thomas has hit .242/.322/.378 with nine home runs and 23 doubles over 482 plate appearances. Out of players on the active roster, there are three full-time outfielder, Chris Parmelee, Josh Willingham, and Thomas. Chris Herrmann can play a little bit in a corner outfield spot and Oswaldo Arcia will be promoted to take the place of Hicks. Ron Gardenhire might have to get a little creative with his outfield alignments. There are not other outfielders on the 40-man roster. So what you see is what you get when it comes to men patrolling the grass of Target Field. An injury to Thomas before one of the other players is healthy would mean another 40-man roster move and another call-up from the minor leagues. Antoan Richardson has taken over the center field duties in Rochester. This could make him the next in line to join the Twins if there were another injury. In 59 games between New Britain and Rochester, he has hit .314/.451/.386 with three triples and nine doubles. The 29-year old outfielder got a taste of the big leagues back in 2011 with the Braves. If Richardson wasn't the guy, the Twins could look down to the Double-A level. Angel Morales will be the man taking over the center field duties for the Rock Cats but he is just arriving with the club. He was part of the group of players promoted from Fort Myers after the team clinched the first half championship. Morales has no experience above this level so it seem unlikely for him to be promoted to the big leagues at this time. When the Twins entered last offseason, it would have been hard to imagine a situation where the club would be struggling to find a man to put in center field. Strange things can happen in baseball and this rash of injuries will test the depth of the organization. Thomas might not be the ideal man for center field but the Twins have to play with the hand they were dealt. Even if it seems like the hand is a couple cards short...

At the end of last season, the Twins had plenty of options to play center field for the club. Denard Span and Ben Revere spent most of the year manning that position. Darin Mastroianni made a good fourth outfielder because he could play center field when it was necessary. Joe Benson and Aaron Hicks were on the 40-man roster but there wasn't much room for them with three other players in front of them. Things have certainly gone from crowded to scarce in a hurry. As most fans know, Span and Revere were traded in the offseason to try and add some pitching depth to a weak area in the organization. This left the club with no starter lined-up for Opening Day but that would change in a hurry. Hicks, Mastroianni, and Benson would all battle in spring training to be the full-time starter. Mastroianni and Benson were a little dinged up but it didn't matter because Hicks put together some tremendous performances to earn himself the starting role. News came out today that Hicks will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a left hamstring strain. He suffered the injury while trying to beat out an infield hit during the second game of the Twins' doubleheader in Washington on Sunday. Hicks' injury leaves the team in a little bit of a jam. Mastroianni will be out until July after undergoing surgery on his ankle. Wilkin Ramirez had been another option in the outfield but he is still dealing with some concussion symptoms. This leaves a lot of center fielders on the disabled list. The man left standing after all of this mess wasn't even on the 40-man roster a handful of days ago. Clete Thomas was having a decent year for the Rochester Red Wings before he got called up to serve as an insurance policy for Hicks. Since his promotion, Thomas has one hit in ten at-bats (.100) with a strikeout. In parts of four different MLB seasons, Thomas has hit .242/.322/.378 with nine home runs and 23 doubles over 482 plate appearances. Out of players on the active roster, there are three full-time outfielder, Chris Parmelee, Josh Willingham, and Thomas. Chris Herrmann can play a little bit in a corner outfield spot and Oswaldo Arcia will be promoted to take the place of Hicks. Ron Gardenhire might have to get a little creative with his outfield alignments. There are not other outfielders on the 40-man roster. So what you see is what you get when it comes to men patrolling the grass of Target Field. An injury to Thomas before one of the other players is healthy would mean another 40-man roster move and another call-up from the minor leagues. Antoan Richardson has taken over the center field duties in Rochester. This could make him the next in line to join the Twins if there were another injury. In 59 games between New Britain and Rochester, he has hit .314/.451/.386 with three triples and nine doubles. The 29-year old outfielder got a taste of the big leagues back in 2011 with the Braves. If Richardson wasn't the guy, the Twins could look down to the Double-A level. Angel Morales will be the man taking over the center field duties for the Rock Cats but he is just arriving with the club. He was part of the group of players promoted from Fort Myers after the team clinched the first half championship. Morales has no experience above this level so it seem unlikely for him to be promoted to the big leagues at this time. When the Twins entered last offseason, it would have been hard to imagine a situation where the club would be struggling to find a man to put in center field. Strange things can happen in baseball and this rash of injuries will test the depth of the organization. Thomas might not be the ideal man for center field but the Twins have to play with the hand they were dealt. Even if it seems like the hand is a couple cards short...

Before the season began, Deibinson Romero wasn't cracking many top prospect lists. As a 26-year old prospect(?), there had been some tough seasons in the minor leagues. He needed multiple seasons in Beloit, Fort Myers, and New Britain. After 2,600 plate appearances in the minors, Romero had never faced a pitch above Double-A. Things have changed so far this season for Mr. Romero. This year it took another trip back to the Eastern League for Romero to get back on track and he did so in a big way. He wasn't there long, batting .355/.429/.710 with three home runs and two doubles in eight games. The team promoted him to Rochester and he has continued putting together his best professional season. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com In 18 games at Rochester, Romero is hitting .308/.394/.583 with four home runs and two doubles. Those numbers are great but he has been even better in his last ten games. Over that stretch, Romero is hitting .395/.452/.684 with three home runs. This also includes one game on June 3rd where he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. On the defensive side, Romero has continued to improve his play at third. He has averaged close to 20 errors a season over the last four years. So far this year he has three errors in 55 chances. If he continues to hit well and play strong defense it will be hard for the front office not to notice him. One man who has noticed his recent play is Ron Gardenhire. In an interview this weekend, the Twins skipper said, "He's gotten better and better. He's really brought himself back into the picture here. Another option -- and he is an option for me." This is high praise from a manager who has seen a revolving door at third base since the departure of Corey Koskie many years ago. The Twins coaching staff was excited at the prospect of getting an extended look at Romero during spring training this year. Unfortunately, Romero got tied up in the Dominican Republic due to a visa issue. This cost him a chance to impress the front office and Gardenhire's staff. There might be some issues with finding a place for Romero. He is currently not on the 40-man roster so the Twins would need to clear a space for him in order to call him up. The Twins have been willing to move people from the 40-man roster this year so this shouldn't be much of a stumbling block for Romero. Another obstacle in Romero's way could be the return of a healthy Trevor Plouffe. The last month has been interesting for Plouffe. He was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list after sliding hard into second base to break up a double play. On the day he was removed from concussion DL, he injured his calf in warm-ups and he had to be placed on the 15-day DL. Plouffe will be heading to Rochester on a rehab assignment at the start of this week. This could mean his return to the line-up in the next handful of days. Minnesota has struggled since Plouffe went on the disabled list May 22. Entering play on Sunday, third basemen have combined to go 7-for-68 (.103) with one extra-base hit. There will be a lot of talk about Miguel Sano's promotion from High-A to Double-A because he is the future at third base. However, Romero has been a pleasant surprise this season and it would be nice to see him get an opportunity to prove himself on the big league stage.

Before the season began, Deibinson Romero wasn't cracking many top prospect lists. As a 26-year old prospect(?), there had been some tough seasons in the minor leagues. He needed multiple seasons in Beloit, Fort Myers, and New Britain. After 2,600 plate appearances in the minors, Romero had never faced a pitch above Double-A. Things have changed so far this season for Mr. Romero. This year it took another trip back to the Eastern League for Romero to get back on track and he did so in a big way. He wasn't there long, batting .355/.429/.710 with three home runs and two doubles in eight games. The team promoted him to Rochester and he has continued putting together his best professional season. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com In 18 games at Rochester, Romero is hitting .308/.394/.583 with four home runs and two doubles. Those numbers are great but he has been even better in his last ten games. Over that stretch, Romero is hitting .395/.452/.684 with three home runs. This also includes one game on June 3rd where he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI. On the defensive side, Romero has continued to improve his play at third. He has averaged close to 20 errors a season over the last four years. So far this year he has three errors in 55 chances. If he continues to hit well and play strong defense it will be hard for the front office not to notice him. One man who has noticed his recent play is Ron Gardenhire. In an interview this weekend, the Twins skipper said, "He's gotten better and better. He's really brought himself back into the picture here. Another option -- and he is an option for me." This is high praise from a manager who has seen a revolving door at third base since the departure of Corey Koskie many years ago. The Twins coaching staff was excited at the prospect of getting an extended look at Romero during spring training this year. Unfortunately, Romero got tied up in the Dominican Republic due to a visa issue. This cost him a chance to impress the front office and Gardenhire's staff. There might be some issues with finding a place for Romero. He is currently not on the 40-man roster so the Twins would need to clear a space for him in order to call him up. The Twins have been willing to move people from the 40-man roster this year so this shouldn't be much of a stumbling block for Romero. Another obstacle in Romero's way could be the return of a healthy Trevor Plouffe. The last month has been interesting for Plouffe. He was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list after sliding hard into second base to break up a double play. On the day he was removed from concussion DL, he injured his calf in warm-ups and he had to be placed on the 15-day DL. Plouffe will be heading to Rochester on a rehab assignment at the start of this week. This could mean his return to the line-up in the next handful of days. Minnesota has struggled since Plouffe went on the disabled list May 22. Entering play on Sunday, third basemen have combined to go 7-for-68 (.103) with one extra-base hit. There will be a lot of talk about Miguel Sano's promotion from High-A to Double-A because he is the future at third base. However, Romero has been a pleasant surprise this season and it would be nice to see him get an opportunity to prove himself on the big league stage.

It's Day 2 of Major League Baseball's Rule 4 Draft and the Twins continued to add some new talent to an already strong organization. A variety of pitchers and one college catcher highlight the Twins second day of making picks. Those players haven't signed yet but there are plenty of other players already in the system and on the field on Friday night. Let's see how the organization fared under the Friday Night Lights. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Rochester Red Wings 11, Gwinnett Braves 0 Box Score Seven runs in the first inning were enough for the Red Wings to jump all over the Braves. Twelve men came to the plate in that frame and Jeff Clement provided one of the biggest hits with a 3-run home run. Doug Bernier and Eric Fryer had doubles to keep the runners moving around the bases. Poor Eric Farris would account for the first and the last out of the inning. Clement would end up putting together quite the game. He ended the night 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Deibinson Romero was 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. The team went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position as the club pounded out 13 hits. Andrew Albers was terrific on the mound. He tossed a complete game shutout to improve his record to 4-2 on the season. He allowed six hits and struck out seven without any walks. Albers hasn't lost a game since May 11th and he has picked up the win in his last three decisions. His ERA dropped almost half a point from 3.53 to 3.06 with this start. It was the third series win of the season for the Red Wings. The club has won 11 of their last 16 games. It was also the first road series win over a Braves Triple-A affiliate since 1995. Rochester returns home for an 8-game, 9-day homestand beginning on Saturday night. New Britain Rock Cats --, Bowie Bay Sox -- (Postponed--Rain) Tropical Storm Andrea not only impacted the Twins game on Friday, it also impacted the Rock Cats game. These two clubs will try and play two games on Saturday but one has to wonder if weather will be a factor for the second day in a row. So far this month, New Britain has won four of their first five games. Tom Stuifbergen is scheduled to make his start at the Double-A level, if the clubs can ever get back on the field. In Fort Myers, Stuifbergen was 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA with 28 strikeouts and two walks. Fort Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 6 (10 innings) Box Score The bullpen for the Miracle gave up three runs over the last three innings to see a victory slip away. Corey Williams and Zach Jones were the men held responsible for these runs as the Miracle suffered only their 18 loss of the season. Jones gave up a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth. Matthew Summers started for Fort Myers and tossed five innings before being removed. He gave up three runs but only one of them was earned as Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas had errors. Summers struck out eight batters but he needed 85 pitches to get through five frames. Vargas tried to make up for his error in the field by going 2-for-4 with his 12th home run of the year. With the 2-run home run, he took over the league lead for RBI. Rosario also hit a long ball but it was his only hit in five trips to the plate. Levi Michael had two hits and his sixth stolen base. The Miracle return home with a chance to clinch the Florida State League South Division first half championship on Saturday. It could be a big night tomorrow so stay tuned. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 6 Box Score The Kernels got on the board first in this game by plating a run in the bottom of the first. Cedar Rapids wouldn't cross the plate again and the River Bandits would walk away with the victory and a series win. It was only the ninth home loss of the year for the Kernels. There wasn't a lot of exciting action on the offensive side of the ball. Dalton Hicks went 1-for-3 with his 20th double of the year and his 51st RBI. No other Kernels were able to get an extra-base hit. In fact, the club only put together four hits in the game. Byron Buxton went 0-for-4 with a strike out. Christian Powell, a 2012 eighth round pick, made his first start in the Twins organization. Things didn't go exactly as planned for Powell. He gave up six runs on eight hits with five strike outs and one walk. The Kernels bullpen wouldn't give up a run after Powell exited the game but the offense sure didn't help them out. Cedar Rapids will get a fresh start on Saturday when Kane County comes to town. The Kernels sit three games ahead of the Beloit Snappers for first place in the Midwest League Western Division. The club needs to keep winning to become the first half champions.

It's Day 2 of Major League Baseball's Rule 4 Draft and the Twins continued to add some new talent to an already strong organization. A variety of pitchers and one college catcher highlight the Twins second day of making picks. Those players haven't signed yet but there are plenty of other players already in the system and on the field on Friday night. Let's see how the organization fared under the Friday Night Lights. Originally posted at http://www.NoDakTwinsFan.com Rochester Red Wings 11, Gwinnett Braves 0 Box Score Seven runs in the first inning were enough for the Red Wings to jump all over the Braves. Twelve men came to the plate in that frame and Jeff Clement provided one of the biggest hits with a 3-run home run. Doug Bernier and Eric Fryer had doubles to keep the runners moving around the bases. Poor Eric Farris would account for the first and the last out of the inning. Clement would end up putting together quite the game. He ended the night 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Deibinson Romero was 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. The team went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position as the club pounded out 13 hits. Andrew Albers was terrific on the mound. He tossed a complete game shutout to improve his record to 4-2 on the season. He allowed six hits and struck out seven without any walks. Albers hasn't lost a game since May 11th and he has picked up the win in his last three decisions. His ERA dropped almost half a point from 3.53 to 3.06 with this start. It was the third series win of the season for the Red Wings. The club has won 11 of their last 16 games. It was also the first road series win over a Braves Triple-A affiliate since 1995. Rochester returns home for an 8-game, 9-day homestand beginning on Saturday night. New Britain Rock Cats --, Bowie Bay Sox -- (Postponed--Rain) Tropical Storm Andrea not only impacted the Twins game on Friday, it also impacted the Rock Cats game. These two clubs will try and play two games on Saturday but one has to wonder if weather will be a factor for the second day in a row. So far this month, New Britain has won four of their first five games. Tom Stuifbergen is scheduled to make his start at the Double-A level, if the clubs can ever get back on the field. In Fort Myers, Stuifbergen was 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA with 28 strikeouts and two walks. Fort Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 6 (10 innings) Box Score The bullpen for the Miracle gave up three runs over the last three innings to see a victory slip away. Corey Williams and Zach Jones were the men held responsible for these runs as the Miracle suffered only their 18 loss of the season. Jones gave up a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth. Matthew Summers started for Fort Myers and tossed five innings before being removed. He gave up three runs but only one of them was earned as Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas had errors. Summers struck out eight batters but he needed 85 pitches to get through five frames. Vargas tried to make up for his error in the field by going 2-for-4 with his 12th home run of the year. With the 2-run home run, he took over the league lead for RBI. Rosario also hit a long ball but it was his only hit in five trips to the plate. Levi Michael had two hits and his sixth stolen base. The Miracle return home with a chance to clinch the Florida State League South Division first half championship on Saturday. It could be a big night tomorrow so stay tuned. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 6 Box Score The Kernels got on the board first in this game by plating a run in the bottom of the first. Cedar Rapids wouldn't cross the plate again and the River Bandits would walk away with the victory and a series win. It was only the ninth home loss of the year for the Kernels. There wasn't a lot of exciting action on the offensive side of the ball. Dalton Hicks went 1-for-3 with his 20th double of the year and his 51st RBI. No other Kernels were able to get an extra-base hit. In fact, the club only put together four hits in the game. Byron Buxton went 0-for-4 with a strike out. Christian Powell, a 2012 eighth round pick, made his first start in the Twins organization. Things didn't go exactly as planned for Powell. He gave up six runs on eight hits with five strike outs and one walk. The Kernels bullpen wouldn't give up a run after Powell exited the game but the offense sure didn't help them out. Cedar Rapids will get a fresh start on Saturday when Kane County comes to town. The Kernels sit three games ahead of the Beloit Snappers for first place in the Midwest League Western Division. The club needs to keep winning to become the first half champions.

We are only a couple days away from getting a new influx of talent into the Twins minor league system. The MLB First Year Player Draft will start on Friday night and the Twins have the fourth overall selection. It will be the second year in a row that the Twins are picking in the top five picks. Last year's first round selection, Byron Buxton, has been a great addition to the organization. By the end of this year, he could be the top ranked prospect in all of baseball. Last week, Seth Stohs moved him ahead of Miguel Sano as the Twins number one prospect. Let's take a look at how the current crop of minor league players fared on Wednesday before some new players join their ranks in the coming weeks. Rochester Red Wings 4, Gwinnett Braves 2 (Rain Shortened- 8 innings) Box Score Through the first eight innings, the Red Wings got out hit by the Braves but they still held a 4-2 advantage on the scoreboard. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, the skies opened up and a rain delay ensued. Before the rains fell, Cole De Vries put together a very good start. He tossed seven strong innings by scattering nine hits and allowing two runs. He struck out two and walked one. This was the best start of the season for De Vries after some rough starts as he was coming back from injury. Oswaldo Arcia had two hits for the second time in the last three games. His fourth double of the season scored the team's third run of the game. Chris Colabello knocked in his team leading 41st RBI of the year. The Red Wings left 11 men on base but that didn't matter on this night. The Red Wings have two more games in Gwinnett before heading back home for an eight-game home stand. With the win, Rochester moves to within four games of the .500 mark. An 8-2 record in their last ten games has moved the Red Wings back into contention. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 Box Score Pat Dean did his best to keep the Rock Cats in the game but in the end it still wasn't enough. An error by third baseman Mark Sobolewski cost the team an unearned run and that would be the difference in the game. Over 6.2 innings, Dean only allowed two earned runs on seven hits. It was his third straight strong start in a row but it was his first loss during that stretch. With this start, his ERA dropped below 5.00 for the first time since some awful starts in the middle of May Josmil Pinto continued his hot hitting by going 2-for-3 with his tenth home run of the year. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .355/.459/.581 with two home runs and a double. Reynaldo Rodriguez wasn't in the original line-up but he replaced Daniel Ortiz in the defense half of the second inning. Rodriguez would proceed to go 2-for-2 with his 16th double of the year. The loss put the Rock Cats three games under .500 for the season. Tonight's game was the first game of a six-game road trip that will see the team play three games in Richmond and three games in Bowie. New Britain has played to a .500 record on the road so the club will look to get back over .500 with a win tomorrow night. Fort Myers Miracle --, Brevard County Manatees -- (Postponed) The game between Fort Myers and Brevard County was postponed on Wednesday due to rain. The teams will make-up the game as part of a double header on Thursday evening. Game one is scheduled to begin at 5:05 eastern with the second game starting 30 minutes after the completion of the first. The Miracle lost the first two games of this series with the Manatees so the club will be looking to bounce back. If the club is able to sweep Thursday's double header, Fort Myers would gain a split of the four game series. The team hasn't lost a series since the middle of May so they have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Cedar Rapids Kernels 14, Quad City River Bandits 5 Box Score One inning explained a lot for the Kernels on Wednesday night. In their half of the fourth frame, the Kernels exploded on the offensive side of the ball. They put 10 runs on the board with the power of 12 hits. 15 hitters came to bat and the club had nine straight hits to open the frame. Byron Buxton returned to action after not playing in a game so far in June. He looked like he hadn't missed a beat as he got hits in his first five at-bats before being retired for the first time. On the night, he was 5-for-6 with two triples, a double, and three runs scored. Buxton wasn't the only offensive star for the Kernels. Jorge Polanco had four hits including two doubles and Dalton Hicks knocked in four runs with his two doubles on the night. Michael Quesada also added three hits of his own. Hein Robb made his second start of the season and he pitching into the fourth inning. He gave up five runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Alex Muren did a very good job in relief. He threw 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball and only gave up two hits. The Kernels continue their series versus Quad Cities on Thursday night. The club will be looking to win their second series in the month of June before playing a three-game set against Kane County over the weekend.

We are only a couple days away from getting a new influx of talent into the Twins minor league system. The MLB First Year Player Draft will start on Friday night and the Twins have the fourth overall selection. It will be the second year in a row that the Twins are picking in the top five picks. Last year's first round selection, Byron Buxton, has been a great addition to the organization. By the end of this year, he could be the top ranked prospect in all of baseball. Last week, Seth Stohs moved him ahead of Miguel Sano as the Twins number one prospect. Let's take a look at how the current crop of minor league players fared on Wednesday before some new players join their ranks in the coming weeks. Rochester Red Wings 4, Gwinnett Braves 2 (Rain Shortened- 8 innings) Box Score Through the first eight innings, the Red Wings got out hit by the Braves but they still held a 4-2 advantage on the scoreboard. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, the skies opened up and a rain delay ensued. Before the rains fell, Cole De Vries put together a very good start. He tossed seven strong innings by scattering nine hits and allowing two runs. He struck out two and walked one. This was the best start of the season for De Vries after some rough starts as he was coming back from injury. Oswaldo Arcia had two hits for the second time in the last three games. His fourth double of the season scored the team's third run of the game. Chris Colabello knocked in his team leading 41st RBI of the year. The Red Wings left 11 men on base but that didn't matter on this night. The Red Wings have two more games in Gwinnett before heading back home for an eight-game home stand. With the win, Rochester moves to within four games of the .500 mark. An 8-2 record in their last ten games has moved the Red Wings back into contention. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 Box Score Pat Dean did his best to keep the Rock Cats in the game but in the end it still wasn't enough. An error by third baseman Mark Sobolewski cost the team an unearned run and that would be the difference in the game. Over 6.2 innings, Dean only allowed two earned runs on seven hits. It was his third straight strong start in a row but it was his first loss during that stretch. With this start, his ERA dropped below 5.00 for the first time since some awful starts in the middle of May Josmil Pinto continued his hot hitting by going 2-for-3 with his tenth home run of the year. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .355/.459/.581 with two home runs and a double. Reynaldo Rodriguez wasn't in the original line-up but he replaced Daniel Ortiz in the defense half of the second inning. Rodriguez would proceed to go 2-for-2 with his 16th double of the year. The loss put the Rock Cats three games under .500 for the season. Tonight's game was the first game of a six-game road trip that will see the team play three games in Richmond and three games in Bowie. New Britain has played to a .500 record on the road so the club will look to get back over .500 with a win tomorrow night. Fort Myers Miracle --, Brevard County Manatees -- (Postponed) The game between Fort Myers and Brevard County was postponed on Wednesday due to rain. The teams will make-up the game as part of a double header on Thursday evening. Game one is scheduled to begin at 5:05 eastern with the second game starting 30 minutes after the completion of the first. The Miracle lost the first two games of this series with the Manatees so the club will be looking to bounce back. If the club is able to sweep Thursday's double header, Fort Myers would gain a split of the four game series. The team hasn't lost a series since the middle of May so they have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Cedar Rapids Kernels 14, Quad City River Bandits 5 Box Score One inning explained a lot for the Kernels on Wednesday night. In their half of the fourth frame, the Kernels exploded on the offensive side of the ball. They put 10 runs on the board with the power of 12 hits. 15 hitters came to bat and the club had nine straight hits to open the frame. Byron Buxton returned to action after not playing in a game so far in June. He looked like he hadn't missed a beat as he got hits in his first five at-bats before being retired for the first time. On the night, he was 5-for-6 with two triples, a double, and three runs scored. Buxton wasn't the only offensive star for the Kernels. Jorge Polanco had four hits including two doubles and Dalton Hicks knocked in four runs with his two doubles on the night. Michael Quesada also added three hits of his own. Hein Robb made his second start of the season and he pitching into the fourth inning. He gave up five runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Alex Muren did a very good job in relief. He threw 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball and only gave up two hits. The Kernels continue their series versus Quad Cities on Thursday night. The club will be looking to win their second series in the month of June before playing a three-game set against Kane County over the weekend.

Earlier this week, the Twins made a roster move to bring in some center field help for Aaron Hicks. For most of the season, the club has been without a back-up center fielder because Darin Mastroianni has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Even last week, Chris Parmelee had to play a defensive inning in center field in the late portion of a game. The Twins need a back-up center fielder and Thomas was one of the few options. When Hicks was struggling at the beginning of the season, Thomas was destroying the ball for Triple-A. During the month of April, he hit .362/.456/.621 with four home runs and three doubles. There were some whispers of Thomas being brought up to replace Hicks in the line-up. A leg injury slowed down Thomas in more recent weeks so he isn't joining the Twins on the kind of tear he was on at the start of the year. In his last ten games with Rochester, he hit .225/.311/.525 with three home runs and three doubles. Thomas isn't exactly a spring chicken. He is 29-years old and he has 472 MLB plate appearances under his belt. The majority of those plate appearances came with the Detroit Tigers in 2008 and 2009. Since that point, he has bouncing around in the minor leagues. Last season with the Twins, he played 12 games with the club and hit .143/.172/.286 with a home run and a double. Things have been going better for Hicks at the plate. In the last 12 games, he is hitting .279/.295/.605 with three home runs, a triple, and three doubles. Besides the improvement at the plate, he has also been making some very good plays on the defensive side of the ball. He might not have completely figured out the big leagues but he sure looks better than some of the earlier parts of the year. It is in the best long term interest of the team to continue to play Hicks on a regular basis. He is going to be the center fielder for this team for the next couple of seasons. Eventually, he might have to shift to a corner outfield role but that would only be to allow a younger Byron Buxton to take over in center field. Hicks needs repetitions so he is able to figure out the big league level. Thomas took the place of left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Robertson on the 40-man roster. Robertson has some trouble controlling his breaking ball at Rochester as he walked 16 mean in almost 21 innings. His 3.05 ERA is fine but it's not exactly like the Twins will be hurting since he isn't on the roster. Overall, it's nice to have an option in center field if Hicks needs an off day. For the most part, Thomas should be riding the bench so Hicks can be getting as much playing time as possible. Thomas provides insurance for the club in case of an injury to Hicks. There was also word out of the Twins clubhouse that Hicks has been icing a foot after games recently. This might not be anything serious but it could be a sign of him dealing with something. Ron Gardenhire could look to give the rookie a day off in the next couple of days. Before Thomas joined the team, there were few options to take over center field. The Twins have been playing well in the last week or so. This is a good sign but the club needs to continue to think about their future. Thomas is not going to be part of the next winning baseball team in Minnesota but he can help in the present. Hicks is working his way through some of the rookie stumbling blocks. If the Twins need him, Thomas is there to help out when needed.