Steve Drumwright

The Minnesota Twins, who had a massive sell-off at last year's trade deadline, appear to be a buyer this year. The Twins on Friday acquired right-handed reliever Tommy Nance from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor-league catcher-third baseman Ryan Sprock. Nance is a 35-year-old who has appeared in 32 games this year for the Jays, posting a 4.20 FIP (3.82 ERA) in 33 innings, walking 9.4% of batters, while striking out 24.5%. Nance made his MLB debut in 2021 and has appeared in 144 games, all but two in relief, with a 3.72 FIP (4.25 ERA). He has a 9.3% career walk rate and 25.3% strikeout rate. Nance is making $809,700 this season and is under club control for another three seasons. Sprock, 21, was an eighth-round draft choice a year ago out of Elon. He was just promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids, where he played two games, going 0-for-7. He had been at Low-A Fort Myers, where he had a .306/.436/.441 slash line with five homers and 37 RBIs in 65 games. He also had 14 stolen bases. Sprock is not on Twins Daily's Top 20 prospects list. He made 31 starts at catcher, 18 at third base and five in left field in addition to 11 as a designated hitter. View full rumor

One of the Minnesota Twins' All-Stars won't be going to Philadelphia after all. The Twins on Tuesday placed center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list due to an ailing right hip. Outfielder Alan Roden was called up from Triple-A St. Paul. Also, the Twins officially added right-handed reliever Woo-Suk Go, acquired in a cash trade Sunday with the Detroit Tigers, to the roster. He will be making his MLB debut. Buxton was selected Saturday to his third All-Star Game, but will not be playing in the game due to his injury. He has a .271/.328/.575 slash line and is among the AL leaders with 25 homers. He hit a career-high 35 homers a year ago. Buxton's career is littered with injuries that have prevented him from consistently putting up monster numbers. Roden has been having a good season at St. Paul this year, slashing .272/.397/.512 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 33 games. Roden spent time on the injured list this season due to a labrum tear. He appeared in 55 games last year between the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays, with a .191/.261/.294 slash line, hitting two homers and driving in nine. Roden and left-hander Kendry Rojas were the return in the trade with the Jays for right-handed reliever Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images (photos of Buxton, Ryan) Make that All-Star starting outfielder Byron Buxton. The Minnesota Twins’ center fielder and right-handed starter Joe Ryan on Saturday were named to the AL team for the July 14 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Buxton was voted in as a starting outfielder. Buxton and Ryan will be joined by manager Derek Shelton, in his first season leading Minnesota and who was selected to be on the coaching staff for the AL by John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays. This is Buxton’s third selection, having also had the honor in 2022 and last year. Buxton, who missed four games with a hip injury before returning to the Twins’ lineup Saturday, is having one of his best seasons of his 12-year career, putting up a slash line of .268/.325/.573 with 25 homers and 45 RBIs entering play Saturday. Buxton’s 25 homers are tied for fourth in MLB. Joe Ryan is making his second straight appearance in the All-Star Game. He has a 3.61 ERA in an MLB-leading 18 starts over 97 1/3 innings, with a 5.5% walk rate and 28.3% strikeout rate. Former Twins also making the trip to the All-Star Game are Philadelphia Phillies right-handed closer Jhoan Duran, San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez, Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Louis Varland and fellow Minnesotan and former Gopher pitcher Max Meyer of the Miami Marlins. Buxton was a reserve last year, too, when the game was played in Atlanta, near his hometown of Baxley, Ga. He went 1-for-2 with a ninth-inning double off Robert Suarez and scored a run as the AL tied the game 6-6 and forced a decisive swing-off, won by the NL. The nine starters for each team were determined by two rounds of fan balloting, with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement getting automatically selected to start by virtue of leading the first round in the NL and AL, respectively. The 23 reserves, which includes 12 pitchers as that position is not up for voting, are selected by player voting and the Commissioner's Office, which ensures that each team has a representative in the game. View full article

The Minnesota Twins have lost one of their left-handed relievers for a bit. The Twins on Monday placed lefty Anthony Banda on the 15-day injured list due to a strained left lat and called up right-handed reliever Cody Laweryson from Triple-A. In 39 games and 34⅓ innings this year, Banda has a 4.32 FIP (4.46 ERA) with a 9.6 walk rate and 21.2 strikeout rate. He has already hit a career-high eight batters. He appeared in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies, allowing a hit, hitting a batter, walking another and striking out a pair in two-thirds of an inning. Laweryson is with the Twins for a second time this year after making the Opening Day roster. He also spent time on the 15-day injured list due to a strained right forearm. When healthy, Laweryson appeared in 14 games and had a 4.97 FIP (5.06 ERA), posting a 9.7% walk rate and 25% strikeout rate. He has given up three homers in 16 innings. View full rumor

The next man up in the Minnesota Twins' bullpen shuffle is Austin Voth. The right-hander had his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, with the Twins sending right-hander Cody Laweryson down to St. Paul. Voth was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays, then latched on with the Twins on a minor-league contract on June 4. Voth made two appearances and pitched six innings for the Jays, giving up six runs on eight hits and five walks with just one strikeout. In three appearances at St. Paul, Voth surrendered nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits with six walks and 17 strikeouts. Voth originally signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox this offseason before being released late in spring training. Laweryson has pitched in 16 innings over 14 games, posting a 5.06 ERA (4.97 FIP) with seven walks and 18 strikeouts. View full rumor

The setback sustained by right-hander Mick Abel has a trickle-down effect. The Minnesota Twins on Sunday activated left-hander Kendry Rojas from the 15-day injured list, with right-handed reliever Justin Lawrence designated for assignment. Rojas, Twins Daily's No. 9 prospect, had been out since May 29 with inflammation in his left elbow. Abel, on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation, threw a bullpen session Friday in anticipation of him starting Sunday, but woke up Saturday with a sore elbow, forcing the Twins to come up with an alternate plan. That will be right-hander Mike Paredes starting the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rojas could be a relief option for Sunday. He has made five appearances (one start), including his MLB debut, and been very good. Rojas has a 1.26 ERA in 14⅓ innings, walking 10 and striking out 14. Lawrence has been DFA'd for the second time this season. The Twins acquired Lawrence for cash considerations from the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 2 after he was DFA'd. His brief time with the Twins did not go well. In six innings across seven appearances, Lawrence had an 18.00 ERA, getting tagged for 12 runs on 10 hits with nine walks and 12 strikeouts. This came after a 5.32 ERA in 22 games with the Pirates. View full rumor

With the Minnesota Twins bringing in bullpen help from outside the organization, left-hander Kody Funderburk lost his roster spot. The Twins on Tuesday optioned Funderburk to Triple-A St. Paul. The move came the day after the Twins acquired rigjt-hander Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. Lawrence had been designated for assignment by the Pirates. Funderburk has been doing well in the bullpen, posting a 3.44 ERA in 21 appearances covering 18⅓ innings. However, walks have hurt Funderburk as he has issued 16 free passes, while striking out 10. Lawrence had a 5.32 ERA in 23 outings and 22 innings with 12 walks and 25 strikeouts with the Pirates. View full rumor