Steve Lein

Absolutely would be for this. It's Mike "all he does is win, win, win" Paredes, after all... (11-0 as long-man last season in Wichita, which led the Texas League)

The comparison I would make is Luis Arraez. The Twins had to play him somewhere because the bat was that pesky and good. They have very comparable hitting profiles, but in the prospect comparison, Mendez's OPS at AA and AAA is considerably higher. While I don't think Mendez necessarily will win batting titles, what he does do a lot better is draw walks, so I think the final output can be similar.

Mendez is by far the biggest riser in my voting for the Top 20 prospects this season. He was #17 in Spring Training, and I had him at #6 in the recent update. I'm a believer, because he's a hitter. Needs to come back from his shoulder injury and they have to find him a defensive position, but his bat is going to play.

I think he has a nasty curve ball. Really tough when he can locate it. Fastball up to 97. Last 6 appearances: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 K, .333 OPS against.

To explain how I worded that section, he wasn't actually throwing more strikes or being more efficient. The results do look better from the box score. But his strike % on the year before this game was 58%, which is higher than the number he achieved with his 32 pitches in this one. He also had a wild pitch and hit a batter. It was surprising that they took him out after only two, but I like the idea suggested of wanting him to have a more successful outing after not pitching last week.

"Still, Roden is making a strong case for an extended look. He's also a much better defender than Wallner, which will enter the equation as the two continue to push for their chances." Roden is a "better" defender than Wallner, but lets be honest, we're talking about two guys who are both below average. I went to the Saints doubleheader last Thursday. They both had ugly moments, but Roden was the one who stood out more in that regard. Granted, he's just returned from being out and was in centerfield, which he should never play in the majors, but I'd keep such expectations in check. He might be as serviceable as Larnach has become.

Image courtesy of Conor Lacefield, Midland RockHounds (photo of Marek Houston) TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins swapped arms in their bullpen, optioning RHP Cody Laweryson and selecting the contract of RHP Austin Voth from the St. Paul Saints. With the Wichita Wind Surge RHP Nick Mikolajchak was placed on the Development List. In the Midwest League the Cedar Rapids Kernels placed LHP Garrett Horn on the 7-day injured list with a left shoulder injury but also activated RHP Charlee Soto from the same list. In Fort Myers the Mighty Mussels sent RHP Billy Oldham on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins, while RHP Matt Barr was assigned to their roster from the FCL. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 2, Louisville 3 Box Score While the big story on the Twins organization side of this one was the return of Walker Jenkins to the Saints lineup, he and the rest of the team were in for a bit of a velocity challenge in this one as Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds continued a rehab assignment. While he registered 100 MPH on the radar gun, you might be surprised to find out that wasn’t really all that close to the fastest pitch Saints hitters saw in this one. As far as Jenkins was concerned, he was ready in the top of the first. He took a 99 MPH fastball from Greene and missed a home run by inches. He had to settle for a triple and would end up stranded as Greene was just warming up. Greene retired the next nine in a row before Gabriel Gonzalez singled in the fourth. Green went four innings, allowing just two hits, walking one, and striking out three. In opposition to the masquerading major leaguer, Ricky Castro did his best impersonation. He allowed just one unearned run in his three innings, allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out six Bats hitters. With Greene out of the game the Saints finally struck in the top of the fifth. With two men on, Alan Roden delivered an RBI single to tie the game at one, and a sac fly from Gonzalez after a Jenkins walk put them up 2-1. If you were wondering, the new Bats pitcher Zach McCambley, peaked at 98.0 MPH with his fastball. C.J. Culpeper came on for the Saints to start the fourth inning and would finish the fifth as well. He was charged with one earned run on three walks while striking out one in his two innings. The run came on a sac fly in the fifth that tied the game at two. Culpepper tossed the Saints' fastest pitch of the contest, topping out at 97.1 MPH. Raul Brito (1 IP, 3 H, ER) and Grant Hartwig (2 IP) finished off the final three innings, keeping the lineup within one. Unfortunately for them, they ran into even more velocity from the Bats, in the form of Zach Maxwell. He topped out at 101.9 MPH in the seventh inning, setting down Ben Ross, David Banuelos, and Alan Roden down in order. Aaron Sabato delivered a one-out double in the ninth to get the tying run in scoring position, but he would be left stranded to end the game. Jenkins’ triple and Sabato’s double were two of their five hits in the game. Jenkins also drew a walk. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Midland 4 Box Score Newcomers to Double-A, Marek Houston and Jay Thomason each got the start in this series opener. Houston manned shortstop and batted second, while Thomason took on the DH duties, batting seventh. It didn’t take Houston long to get the first hit out of the way. He singled on the third pitch of his first at-bat in the top of the first but was unable to advance any further. The Wind Surge scored first in the top of the second thanks to a Caleb Roberts double to score Jaime Ferrer and Jorel Ortega for an early 2-0 lead. In the third Houston reached on an error, stole his first base with Wichita, and later his first run on a sac fly from Garrett Spain. Thomason got his first hit out of the way with a gift single in the fourth, and he would later score on a ground out from Kyle DeBarge that made it 4-1. With Houston at-bat, a balk made it 5-1, before the Wind Surge got their final run of the game in the fifth on an RBI single from Ferrer to score Spain, who had doubled in front of him. Preston Johnson made the start for the good guys and completed the first four innings. He gave up just one earned run on two hits and two walks, while striking out four. Darren Bowen picked up the win by completing the next two innings. He allowed two earned runs on two hits (both solo homers) and a walk. He struck out three. Hunter Gregory, Spencer Bengard, and Kyle Bischoff each pitched an inning to finish it out. Gregory allowed an unearned run on one hit, striking out one. Bengard and Bischoff both retired all three hitters they faced, with Bischoff striking out two to pick up the save. Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, K), and Spain (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, K) each had multiple hits. Houston finished 1-for-5 in the scorebook in his Double-A debut but reached base multiple times thanks to an error. Jorel Ortega scored two runs, and Roberts drove in two. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Wisconsin 5 Box Score Now missing one of their best players of the first half in Marek Houston, the Kernels struggled to get anything going on the road against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Part of that may have been because they were facing one of the top strikeout pitchers in the Midwest League so far this season, in Braylon Owens. The Milwaukee Brewers 10th round pick of the 2025 draft carved up the Kernels over his five innings, allowing only two hits and one walk, while striking out eight. The Cedar Rapids lineup managed just three hits in the game, with the biggest knock coming from Eduardo Tait, who delivered his 13th double of the season. He finished 2-for-4 to lead the way. Jacob McCombs collected their only other hit and stole a base. As a team they went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base in the contest. Lefty Dasan Hill got the start and was looking to correct some of the issues he’s been experiencing so far this season. If you call two innings of scoreless baseball a step in the right direction, he did so. Of his 32 pitches, 18 went for strikes (56%), allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out three. Xavier Kolhosser took all the venom of the Timber Rattlers. In his 1 2/3 innings, he was tagged for five runs (four earned) on five hits and a pair of walks. He struck out one. Cole Peschl (2 1/3 IP, 3 K) and Nick Trabacchi (2 IP, H, K) kept them in check over the final four-plus innings. Peschl retired all seven men he faced. MUSSEL MATTERS St. Lucie 6, Fort Myers 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels were outhit 10-5 by the Mets in this one but had plenty of opportunities as they also drew 10 free passes. That combination led to a 0-for-11 night with runners in scoring position however, leaving 11 men on base. Right-hander Justin Mitrovich got the start at Hammond Stadium and was good at limiting damage thanks to five strikeouts. He made it through 4 2/3 innings and was charged with three runs (two earned) on six hits and a pair of walks. Down 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the home team lineup was finally able to put a tally on the scoreboard. Jayson Bass led off with a walk, Quentin Young moved him to third with an infield single that included an error, and Bass was able to score on a double-play ball. In the bottom of the seventh they added their second run thanks to some erratic pitching. Merphy Hernandez was hit by a pitch with one out, stole his 18th base of the season, and later scored on a wild pitch to make it the final of 6-2. The bullpen trio of Eduardo Salazar (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, ER), Eric Hammond (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, K), and Brent Francisco (1 IP) finished off the rest of the game for the pitching staff. Luis Fragoza led the way for the hitters with two hits in four plate appearances, including a double and a walk. His OPS with Fort Myers now sits at .943 in 26 games, including nine doubles, six homers, and 27 RBI. Catcher Ryan Sprock finished 1-for-2 with three walks, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 7, FCL Twins 8 (9 innings) Box Score This one was only scheduled for seven innings, but thanks to a heroic late swing the teams got to put in a full nine. Serving as an opener for the Twins, the rehabbing Billy Oldham delivered a one-two-three top of the first, including a strikeout. The Braves were in front 5-0 after the top of the sixth as they were able to figure out the bulk pitcher, Cristian Hernandez. He was charged with five earned runs on eight hits and three walks over his five innings. He struck out five. The Twins lineup finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth after Yilber Herrera delivered a one-out triple and scored on a single from Pablo Castillo. Castillo would later score thanks to an error that made it 5-2. The Braves added an insurance run in the top of the seventh and they needed it, as in the bottom half three walks loaded the bases for the Twins, and Herrera tied it with one swing. His grand slam sent it to “extra” innings where they each scored the Manfred man in the eighth, but Brad Rudis shut down the Braves in the top of the ninth to give the lineup a chance. They went the sac bunt route to move the winning run 90-feet away, which the Braves responded to by walking the bases loaded. While this may be a good idea on paper, it also means your pitcher has to throw strikes. In the Braves case, they couldn’t, after getting a flyout the Twins very literally “walked” this one off, as Yovanny Duran drew the bases loaded free pass to end the game. Relievers Jack Walker (2 IP, H, 2 R (0 ER), 5 BB, 4 K) and Rudis (1 IP, BB, 2 K) pitched the final three innings for the Twins. Victor Leal (3-for-4, R, BB) and Herrera each had three hits. Herrera filled up his batting line with a double, triple, grand slam, and a walk. He also scored two runs. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Colorado 13, DSL Twins 10 Box Score As is common in the Dominican Summer League, a slow-pitch softball score broke out at the Twins academy. The Colorado squad took an early three-run lead against Twins starter Yosangel Braffit, but he was able to finish 3 2/3 innings before being chased after another run in the fourth. In all, Braffit was charged with four earned runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out two. The Twins had tied it at three in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI single from Jendy Martinez, an error, and a double steal. But after that, the visitors kept pulling away. Out of the bullpen all four of Enmanuel Mena (2 1/3 IP, H, R, BB, 2 K), Manuel Meza (2/3 IP, H 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB), Failin Placencio (1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K), and Aldwin Morillo (2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB) gave up at least an unearned run. The lineup finally stormed back with a seven-run rally in the bottom of the eighth that gave them a 10-9 lead heading into the final frame. Four singles, two walks, and two errors led to those runs. Colorado still had gas in the tank in the top of the ninth, scoring four to crush the valiant comeback attempt. Despite their 10 runs the Twins had just seven hits while drawing eight walks on offense. Enmanuel Merlo led the way with two hits in five at-bats, but they did not have any extra-base hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ricky Castro, St. Paul Saints (3 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Yilber Herrera, FCL Twins (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, GS HR, 4 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): 1-for-3, 3B (1), BB, K #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2B #5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita): 1-for-5, R, K, SB (1) #7 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota): 2 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K #9 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids): 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-3, RBI, K #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, 2 K #13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 2-for-4, K #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2 K #17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul): 2 IP, ER, 3 BB, K #20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-5, RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (11:05 AM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (1-0, 2.75 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (6:30 PM CDT) - RHP Chris Vallimont (0-1, 2.70 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-1, 4.55 ERA) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Kolten Smith (2-4, 5.56 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Very weird day! 😅

Diaw is a very exciting hitter and athlete. But opposing teams have basically been giving the green light to run on him when he's catching. He's only thrown out 4 of 65 base stealers in 21 games at catcher this year (6%). Allowing 3 steals per game is...not good. I think Houston's promotion is imminent. Wichita needs a SS, too.

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEmmanuel RodriguezEduardo TaitMarek HoustonHendry MendezRiley QuickDasan HillKendry RojasGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoBrandon WinokurKhadim DiawRyan GallagherCJ CulpepperQuentin YoungBilly AmickKyle DeBargeJohn KleinJames Ellwanger

Festa, Rojas, and Parades in the bullpen and then this "issue" doesn't exist.

Vahn Lackey? 😅

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photos of Eduardo Tait, Walker Jenkins, Enrique Jimenez) TRANSACTIONS In Triple-A, SS Kaelen Culpepper was placed on the 7-day injured list with a left hip strain. RHP Eduardo Salazar was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. C Ian Daugherty was also activated from the Development List. The Wichita Wind Surge activated IF Jose Salas from the injured list and were assigned RHP Chris Vallimont. RHP William Fleming was placed on the 7-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 2, St. Paul 21 Box Score The St. Paul Saints tied a franchise record with 21 runs on 18 hits against the Omaha Storm Chasers Tuesday night. The margin of victory was their largest ever recorded. While the final score certainly shows a lopsided victory, the brutal truth for Omaha is this one was over just as quick as it started. Mick Abel took the mound at CHS Field in his second rehab start, and the Storm Chasers got blown away by him before they even knew an offensive tornado was touching down. The right-hander was scheduled to throw about 65 pitches, and Abel’s efficiency in this one meant that was (more than) enough for him to finish five innings and pick up the win. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, walked nobody, and struck out five. If not for an error that led to a couple of extra batters, he could have finished six innings with that modest cap. Instead, he needed just 61, with 44 of those going for strikes (72%), including eight swings and misses. Four of his five K’s were of the looking variety, as he dotted his 95-97 MPH fastball on the edges of the zone all game. But that tornado I alluded to? By the time Abel’s outing was done the Saints were up 15-2. They batted around in the first and third innings. The returning Alan Roden was a triple shy of the cycle by the fourth inning and scored four runs. He homered and singled in the first inning. Aaron Sabato finished with his 19th double and 13th home run with the Saints, and has 27 extra-base-hits in his last 35 games. He drove in four total. Matt Wallner has 20 RBIs in his last 11 games. He only singled twice. Every hitter in the Saints starting lineup had at least one hit, and Harry Genth added his first hit in Triple-A with a two-run double as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Tanner Schobel added a home run, his third with the Saints. The only Storm Chaser pitcher who didn’t give up a run, was ironically a position player. Be sure to take in the entirety of the box score linked above, it is a thing of beauty. Ty Langenberg was also excellent in piggy-backing Abel’s start. For reasons which would hold absolutely no merit in any situation, manager Brian Dinkelman left him in to start the top of the ninth only to pull him after getting one out. Just let him finish or don’t even put him out there at that point, what are we doing? But I digress. He pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, scattering three hits and one walk, while striking out four. Marco Raya threw seven pitches to get the final two outs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 3, Wichita 7 Box Score The Wind Surge got a strong start from Sam Armstrong and big hits from the middle of their lineup to come out on top in this one. Through four innings the only baserunner the Cardinals had was from a hit-by-pitch in the top of the first. Armstrong retired the next 11 men in a row before an error led off the fifth inning. That runner would score on a single for Armstrong’s only blemish on the night. He picked up his second win of the season with five one-hit innings. The lone run was unearned, and he struck out five compared to just one walk. 47 of his 71 pitches went for strikes (67%). Wichita got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third when Andrew Cossetti launched his seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot. In the bottom of the fifth Kala’i Rosario delivered a bases loaded single to score two more, making it 4-1 Wind Surge. They added their final three insurance runs in the seventh when Billy Amick hit his 17th home run of the season to make it 6-1, then a pair of singles from Rosario and Garrett Spain along with a wild pitch put their final tally on the board. The bullpen duo of Darren Bowen (2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K) and Kyle Bischoff (1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 K) held off the Cardinals to back up Armstrong. Amick (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K) and Rosario (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB) led the way with two hits each. McDaniel drew four walks from the nine-hole in the lineup, stole two bases, and scored three runs KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 12, Cedar Rapids 19 Box Score So many of our photos for these minor league reports come from the talented David Malamut of Malamut Photography. Here are hundreds of photos from Tuesday night's game. If you're into sports photography, or maybe collecting autographs of prospects, take a look at David's photos and your pick out some of your favorites. The Minnesota Twins’ old Midwest League affiliate and their new one combined for 31 runs on 31 hits, including 11 home runs in this slugfest at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Ivran Romero started for the Kernels and after two innings the Sky Carp led 7-2. But his lineup wasn’t about to let him suffer for a rough start. Romero would finish three innings total, allowing seven earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out four. Cedar Rapids answered Beloit’s three runs in the top of the first with two of their own in the bottom half. Walker Jenkins started his rehab stint with the Kernels by hitting a home run in his first at-bat with the Kernels since the 2024 season. Two batters later Eduardo Tait clubbed his 12th home run of the year. This would portend the theme of the night. Tait hit his second homer of the game in the third inning. Enrique Jimenez joined the party in the fifth with his first homer for the Kernels. Caden Kendle followed with a two-run shot that made the score 10-9 in favor of the Sky Carp. Jenkins led off the sixth with a single, then two walks and an RBI single from Jay Thomason tied the game up at ten. Kendle added a sac fly to give the Kernels their first lead of the game. Beloit took that lead back in the top of the seventh, but Tait’s RBI single knotted them up again after seven. Then the Kernels put the game away in the eighth. Doubles from Thomason and Kendle put them up by one, but Graham Brown’s three-run shot, and Jimenez’s second blast of the game made it 19-12 Cedar Rapids. Nick Trabacchi (2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K), Michael Ross (W, 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K), and Sam Rochard (1 IP, H, BB, 3 K) combined to pitch the final six innings. Every batter in the Kernels lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Tait finished 3-for-6 with two runs scored, two homers, and five RBI. Thomason racked up four hits in six at-bats. Kendle was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. Jenkins finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Tampa 15 Box Score The Mighty Mussels scored first in this one after Dameury Pena led off the game with a single. He proceeded to steal second base, then on an attempt to steal third drew a throwing error that allowed him to score. Unfortunately for Fort Myers, the Tarpons answered in the bottom half with a grand slam off starter Hendry Chivilli and never looked back. Chivilli did deliver two scoreless frames after that but got hit for three more earned runs in the fourth to end his outing. He finished 3 2/3 innings and was charged with seven earned runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out three. Relievers Merit Jones (2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB 5 K) and Jake Murray (1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K) didn’t fare much better. The lineup at least did not go cold. In the top of the third they pulled within one thanks to a two-run homer from Ramiro Dominguez. In the fifth Merphy Hernandez led off with a homer, before Dominguez followed with another two-run shot to make it 7-6. Down by five in the eighth, Quintin Young joined the home run party with a 112.6 MPH blast. Later in the inning a double steal added their eighth run. Young added a sac fly in the top of the ninth to give them their final total on the scoreboard. Pena led off and led the way with hits in all five of his at-bats. He scored four runs and stole a base. Dominguez had four RBIs and a walk thanks to his two homers in five trips to the plate. Jayson Bass (2-for-5, R, K) and Irvin Nunez (2-for-4, K) also collected multiple hits. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 9, FCL Orioles 10 (7 innings) Box Score A back-and-forth 7-inning affair came down to the final inning on Tuesday in the Florida Complex League. Down 1-0 in the top of the third, the Twins used doubles from Yovanny Duran and Jhomnardo Reyes along with three walks, a balk, and a wild pitch to take a 4-1 lead. The Orioles answered with three runs in the bottom half to tie it, before the Twins went back ahead in the top of the fourth thanks to a triple from Daiber De Los Santos, who was able to score on the play thanks to an error. The Orioles scored four in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 8-5, but the Twins answered in the top of the sixth. A pair of walks, an RBI double from Teilon Serrano, sac fly from Reyes, and RBI double from Carlos Taveras tied it up at eight. The teams then traded single runs that made it 9-9 heading to the final Orioles at-bat. A one-out single included an error, and then a stolen base put the winning run 90-feet away. A single then brought it in to end the game. Twins pitchers included the rehabbing Eduardo Salazar who served as an opener. He allowed one earned run on two hits and struck out one in his lone inning. Omar Montano delivered a one-tow-three second, including a K. Cristian Hernandez got the bulk of the work, pitching four innings but being charged with eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and three walks. Three of those hits were home runs, but in stat lines you don’t see every day, 11 of the 12 outs he recorded came on strikeouts. Pablo Castillo was the final pitcher, recording one out in the seventh before the Orioles pushed the winning run across. The Twins had only six hits as a team, but nine walks combined with five of those hits going for extra bases turned into their nine runs. De Los Santos finished 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, a triple, and a homer. Duran and Serrano each scored two runs. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 11, DSL NYY Yankees 25 Box Score In what seems to be a developing theme in the Dominican Summer League, the Twins and Yankees organizations again combined to put up an NFL score. Unfortunately, the Twins weren’t on the good side of this one. The Yankees racked up 19 hits and 12 walks, scoring in seven of their eight at-bats including multiple runs in six of those. They batted around three times. The Twins had 17 hits and six walks, led by Juan Holmann (3-for-3, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Enmanuel Merlo (3-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K) with three hits apiece. Four other batters had two hits. Only one of the Twins six pitchers escaped without allowing a run, and that was Fabian Ulloa who gave up just one hit in his inning. Enmanuel Mena, Yosangel Braffit, Jeremy Jimenez, Juan Germosen, and Ashwar Sprok combined to give up everything else. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Sam Armstrong, Wichita Wind Surge (W, 5 IP, H, R (0 ER), BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Eduardo Tait, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (Cedar Rapids, rehab): 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, K #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR (13), 5 RBI #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2 R, K #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 K #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Austin Voth (1-2, 2.90 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (0-2, 4.57 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-1, 4.32 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (4:00 PM CDT) - RHP Justin Mitrovich (1-1, 1.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Haha, Po-tay-to, po-tah-to 😂 https://www.autozone.com/diy/suspension/lug-bolts-vs-lug-nuts

I've been trying to find any info I can on Canterino, but there isn't anything new. He's on a two-year Minor League deal, but I'm more worried about the shoulder procedure he had and isn't back from yet. If it gets into July/August and there isn't anything out there about him I'd expect nothing until 2027.

No service time considerations at this point. He wouldn't accrue a year of service at this point (unless he turns into a Rookie of the Year contender), but he could lose rookie eligibility. I'll note there have been some rule changes that not many people seem to be aware of where this type of thing is less of a concern: 1. The RotY thing I mentioned. Top finishers in this award voting are granted 1 year of service time no matter how many days they spent on an active MLB roster. 172 days is the normal threshold (of 187), so if they spent 171 or 50 and win this award, they get a year of service. 2. The Prospect Promotion Incentive. Rookies who factor into awards at the end of the season can earn their team a pretty good draft pick. Some good info: https://www.mlb.com/news/prospect-promotion-incentive-faq

I think there is still a bit too much chase in his swing. Some of the time I think he's guessing. Which there's nothing wrong with if you're picking and choosing those spots to try and do damage, but there's a lot more pitchers in MLB who will bend one in the spot you're used to locking in on velocity. It's an overall minor gripe, but he's a guy I want ready to stick and not be yo-yo'd when he does get the call.

Maybe the Twins don't or won't have much of a choice, but I'm in the camp that Culpepper needs a bit more baking in the oven as a hitter.

He's been in the outfield for more games than at catcher, but pretty even split. Then DH appearances mixed in about once a week. As an observation, the Lugnuts were running on the combination of him and Hill pretty much every chance they got in this one. Diaw threw out 1 of 8 attempts (the one out was to 3B). I think I put the blame a bit more on Hill in this instance, but Diaw also has never eclipsed even a 20% caught stealing percentage.

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (Photo of Khadim Diaw) TRANSACTIONS OF Alan Roden is close to returning to Triple-A, as the St. Paul Saints sent him on a rehab assignment with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. The Wichita Turbo Tubs…ahem…Wind Surge were assigned SS Cody Morissette and placed IF Jose Salas on the 7-day injured list. Morissette had played 14 games with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in 2026, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, hitting .216/.293/.360. Down in the Dominican Republic, the DSL Twins were assigned IF Nolwer Barboza. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Toledo 12 Box Score In his last two turns right-hander Ryan Gallagher picked up two wins by putting zeros up in every inning, finishing five frames in each. He was not as fortunate in this one. His first five pitches were called balls, then in his next four he allowed a single and a three-run homer to allow the Mud Hens to jump out to a 3-0 lead. He did recover to retire the next nine hitters in a row, but Toledo got to him again in the fourth. A single, pair of doubles, and another home run put the Mud Hens in front 7-2 and they never looked back. Gallagher did again finish five innings, but was charged with seven earned runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out three. The Saints closed the Mud Hens early lead to one run after a bases loaded groundout off the bat of Kyler Fedko scored one in the third, and Aaron Sabato delivered a sac fly in the top of the fourth. They added two more in the seventh thanks to Tanner Schobel’s second home run of the season with the Saints, but the Mud Hens immediately answered again in the bottom half to extend their leads. Relievers Andrew Bash (1 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB), Alejandro Hidalgo (2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K), and Jake Higginbotham (1 1/3 IP, H, K) finished off the rest of the game for St. Paul’s bullpen. The Saints were outhit 14-4 on the night, with Kaelen Culpepper (2-for-4, 2B) and Schobel (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) the only batters to collect a hit. Gabriel Gonzalez and Ben Ross each scored a run thanks to drawing walks. Tigers top prospect Max Clark led off for the Mud Hens and finished 0-for-3 with a run scored, a pair of walks, and a strikeout. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 0, Tulsa 5 Box Score Wichita’s lineup was unable to buy any hits on Tuesday, and their tubs took a drilling from Tulsa as a result in their series opener. Preston Johnson made his second start for the Wind Surge and was solid over his four frames. He scattered five hits and a walk, allowing only one earned run while striking out six. 42 of his 67 pitches went for strikes (63%), including 11 swinging. Darren Bowen was the first arm summoned from the bullpen to start the fifth, and he delivered a one-two-three inning to keep the game within one. In the bottom of the sixth however, a single, walk, and three-run homer put Tulsa in control at 4-0. Jarret Whorff (1 IP, H) and Hunter Gregory (1 IP, 2 H, ER, K) pitched an inning apiece to finish the game for the Wichita pitching staff. The Wind Surge lineup was never able to put anything together, advancing a runner to third base only one time, and that was thanks to an errant pickoff throw from the catcher trying to back-pick a runner at first base. They went just 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven men on base. Andrew Cossetti led the way by going 2-for-3 with a walk. Kyle DeBarge and Jaime Ferrer collected the other two hits. In statistical oddities that annoy me, the Wind Surge lead the Texas League in home runs with 80 on the season in 56 games, but rank last in batting average at an abysmal .208. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Lansing 5 Box Score Top lefty pitching prospect Dasan Hill was on the mound for the Kernels, looking to turn around his recent fortunes. After a three-start run in early May where he allowed no earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, his last two turns had gone the other way. He allowed four earned runs on six walks on May 28th, then two earned runs on four hits and three walks on June 3rd. He went a bit further in this start finishing three innings, but similar inconsistency reared its head along the way. His six strikeouts were a nice notch in the pitching line, but they came with five runs (four earned on six hits and three walks. Of Hill’s 77 pitches, just 46 went for strikes (60%). In the top of the first the first three hitters loaded the bases, but he was able to recover and strike out the next three for a scoreless inning. The Lugnuts erupted for four runs in the second, and another in the third to end his outing. Before that Cedar Rapids had taken a 2-0 lead thanks to a home run from Khadim Diaw in the top of the first. His blast drove in Brandon Winokur who had drawn a two-out walk in front of him. The Kernels didn’t score again until the sixth, but again it came off the bat of Diaw. His second home run of the game was of the solo variety, and later in the inning Jay Thomason clubbed one of his own to close the score to 5-4 Lansing. In relief of Hill right-hander Cole Peschl kept the Lugnuts off the board for his two innings. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four. Nolan Santos got the next two frames, setting the opposition down in order in each, striking out two. Nick Trabacchi struck out one in a one-two-three bottom of the eighth. The Kernels threatened in the top of the eighth after Yasser Mercedes reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and advanced to third on an errant throw. But he wasn’t able to make it the final 90 feet. Rayne Doncon led off the top of the ninth with a single to put the tying run on base, but Danny De Andrade popped out and Marek Houston grounded into a doubleplay to end the game. Diaw (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) and Thomason (2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, K) provided most of the hits, as the rest of the Kernels offense combined to go 2-for-25. The team went hitless in their four at-bats with runners in scoring position, and left only six men on base. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 6, Fort Myers 5 (10 innings) Box Score Dunedin scored first against Fort Myers starter Jason Reitz in the top of the second inning. A leadoff walk, stolen base, and two-out RBI single made it 1-0. But that was all Reitz would allow. He finished 3 1/3 innings, reaching his pitch count in the fourth. He allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out two. In the bottom of the fourth the Mighty Mussels lineup finally figured out the Blue Jays starter. Ryan Sprock led off with a single, Graham Brown followed with one of his own, and after a pair of strikeouts Merphy Hernandez tied the game at one with an RBI double. Dameury Pena followed with a two-run single to give them the lead, and an error let another run score to make it 4-1 for the home team. They extended their lead to four in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a sac fly from Pena. Matthew Dalquist relieved Reitz in the middle of the fourth and finished 2 2/3 innings of his own. But back out for the seventh frame he wasn’t able to record another out. Three consecutive singles and a passed ball brought the Blue Jays within two. After a pitching change to Jake Murray an error, double, and single led to a tie game. When the dust settled Dalquist was charged with three earned runs on six hits and a walk, striking out three. Murray completed the seventh allowing two hits, an unearned run, and struck out two. The score remained tied in regulation thanks to two scoreless innings out of Michael Hilker, who walked three and struck out two, so to extra innings this one went. Fort Myers went to right-hander Mike McKenna for the top of the tenth and after a leadoff single put runners on the corners, he struck out the next three hitters to complete the inning. Unfortunately, on the first of those the Blue Jays also executed a double-steal to take a one run lead. In the bottom half Ryan Sprock drew a leadoff walk, but instead of moving the runners up a base the Mighty Mussels opted to let their lineup swing away. Graham Brown and Quentin Young went down swinging before Luis Fragoza broke his bat on a groundout to end the game. Each team had 10 hits on the night, but Dunedin finished 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position while Fort Myers went 2-for-12. Sprock led the way for the offense, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. He finished 4-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Brown was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Alan Roden was 2-for-5 with a double in his first rehab game with the Mighty Mussels. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 6, FCL Twins 10 (7 innings) Box Score The Twins and Pirates got the scoring started early, with each team putting up a crooked number in the first inning, but the Twins came out of it with a two-run lead. Righty Callan Fang got the start and went the first 1 2/3 innings. He allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. Cristian Hernandez did the bulk work to pick up the win, finishing the next 4 1/3 innings. He was charged with three runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk, striking out six. Jack Walker took the final frame, giving up one earned run on one hit and two walks. He struck out one. The Twins lineup scored four runs in the first and then again in the fifth to take control of the game. Yovanny Duran (3-for-4, 3 R, 3B, 3 RBI, SB) and Darwin Almanzar (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI) led the way with multiple knocks. Almanzar’s triple in the first scored two, and Duran’s in the fifth did the same. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL NYY Yankees 10, DSL Twins 14 Box Score While you might think this one was a slugfest based on the score, there were actually no home runs and most of the scoring was because of the number of walks. The Yankees had just five hits but drew thirteen walks in the game. The Twins had 13 hits and nine walks. In a strange disparity that is attributed to all those walks, the Yankees went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, while the Twins finished 10-for-27. The Yankees scored first against Twins starter Yosangel Braffit, hitting him for four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits, walked five, and struck out two. The Twins offense scored at least one run in six of their eight at-bats, including five in the bottom of the sixth that made the score 11-7 at the time. Right-hander Failin Placencio finished off the third inning, striking out one. Other relievers Emmanuel Mena (2 IP, H, ER, BB, K), Jeremy Jimenez (W, BS, 3IP, H, 5 R (4 ER), 5 BB, 3 K), and Juan Germosen (1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K) finished off the rest of the game for the pitching staff. Six of the nine Twins hitters had multiple knocks, led by leadoff man Jendy Martinez who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, a pair of doubles, four runs batted in, and a stolen base. Enmanuel Merlo (3-for-6, 3 R, 2 RBI, K) and Luis Duarte (3-for-5, R, 2 RBI) each hit three hits. Fabian Ulloa drew three walks in addition to two singles, two runs scored, two RBI, and two stolen bases. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Preston Johnson, Wichita Wind Surge (4 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Khadim Diaw, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 2-for-4, 2B #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4, K #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids): 3 IP, 6 H 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 6 K #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, BB #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, K #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 0-for-5, 3 K #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, R, BB, K #16 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul): L, 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, BB, 3 K #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI #20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Mick Abel (0-0, -.--, rehab assignment. Will face the also rehabbing Justin Verlander) Wichita @ Tulsa (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-4, 5.88 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Michael Ross (4-3, 6.97 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Charlee Soto (0-0, 27.00 ERA, rehab assignment) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

I think I'm more interested in Flora than the 3 hitters at this point, but don't think they can go wrong necessarily where they are picking. Good problem to have.

They gave a "missed catch" error to Gabby on this one. The broadcast talked about how it was a prime example of a guy learning a new position and it's nuances. The idea of you "stretch to catch" as a first baseman. Gabby's stretch was well ahead of this throw's catch.