Steve Lein

Trust me, there was no sweeping under the rug here. That's such a random assumption to make, haha! I did not see this story, didn't hear it mentioned on the game's broadcast, nor saw it anywhere else (shrugs). But it is a great note to include, and thank you for those who commented to bring attention to it! Kudos to Walker for sure!

I think this is a very real point that I'm sure many teams are considering with their top prospects. They also have to wrestle this against whether bringing that player up can help them compete this year. I think the Twins should already know that answer (and it's no), but ownership also expressed coming into the year, rather implausibly I might add, that they wanted to try and make the playoffs. So who knows. Personally, I don't think a below .500 record at this point puts you in that conversation, even if you're only 3.0 games back of the wild-card. Most teams are still within 5 games, which swings either way depending on the week.

Not sure it's a pitch count related thing, necessarily. But typically if Twins pitchers throw more than 30 pitches in an inning, or have multiple in a row that they go over 20-something, their day is done.

It did not look good for Culpepper, but I'm with you. Fragoza has been a revelation with Fort Myers! Definitely a name to keep an eye on. Hard to ignore 19 XBH, including 9 HR's in just 30 games on the big MLB spring training fields. Going back to 2021, the most homers from any Mussell was Brandon Winokur's 14 in 2024, and that was in 94 games. On Jenkins, while watching the game I literally clapped and said "good job, Walker" because he pulled up on a long drive to dead-center that hit off the wall and didn't try to get it by crashing into it. Could he have caught it? Yes. Did he need to? Heck no.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Kaelen Culpepper) TRANSACTIONS RHP Eduardo Salazar was activated from the 7-day injured list. The Minnesota Twins organization signed RHP Jesus Moreno and assigned him to the DSL Twins roster. SAINTS SENTINEL Buffalo 6, St. Paul 12 Box Score The St. Paul Saints scored seven runs in the first inning of this one, the third time this season they have done so, putting this one out of reach for Buffalo before most fans had even finished their first beverage. Alan Roden led off the bottom of the first with his eighth homer. Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins followed with singles. Matt Wallner was hit by a pitch. Orlando Arcia and Gabriel Gonzalez delivered RBI singles. Then Cody Morissette clubbed a grand slam for the exclamation point. While that start was exciting, what was not was the second at-bat of the frame for Culpepper. He took a mid-90’s fastball off his hand and although he ended up going to first base, he did not take to the field in the top of the second. Ben Ross came on as his replacement. Left-hander Aaron Rozek made the start at CHS Field, and finished the first four innings. He gave up three earned runs on four hits and two walks, while punching out seven. Noah Cardenas added a solo home run in the third, and Wallner hit a two-run shot in the fourth to make it 11-3. Ross and Jenkins had each doubled in front of Wallner’s blast. Jenkins led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple, putting him a home run shy of the cycle, and scored on another RBI single from Arcia for their final tally. Relievers Raul Brito (1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K), Grant Hartwig (1 2/3 IP), Jake Higginbotham (1 1/3 IP, 3 H, ER, K) and Taylor Rashi (1 IP, H, 2 K) combined to keep the Bisons at bay over the final five innings. Jenkins finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, his eighth double, and second triple of the season, driving in one. Roden, Ross, Wallner, Arcia, and Cardenas all collected two hits as the Saints racked up 17 as a team. They went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring positing, left just six men on base, and struck out only four times on the night. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 11, Wichita 8 (10 innings) Box Score The last place Wichita Wind Surge welcomed the Texas League leading Tulsa Drillers to Equity Bank Park Tuesday night, and had them on the ropes heading into the ninth inning. Wichita got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first after Jay Thomason led off with a single, and Khadim Diaw drew a walk in front of clean-up hitter Billy Amick. He drove them both in with a double and 2-0 lead after one. Spencer Bengard took the starting duties and completed three innings. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out four. Amick put the Wind Surge back in front in the third with another RBI double to bring in Garrett Spain, who had singled to lead off the frame. Jaime Ferrer added an RBI single that made it 4-2. The Drillers answered back in the fourth off Wind Surge reliever Darren Bowen. He gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk in his lone inning, striking out one. No pitcher came out unscathed for the home team, as Zach Vennaro (1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K), Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K), and Jacob Webb (2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K) each gave up one run through the ninth. But the Wind Surge had answered in the bottom of the seventh to give them the lead before that. Amick reached on an error to start the inning. Kyle DeBarge drove him in with a single. Ferrer’s double tied the game at seven, then a sacrifice fly from Jose Salas put them in front. Webb delivered a scoreless eighth inning and got two outs in the top of the ninth before an RBI single tied the game. The Wind Surge got shut down in the bottom half to send it to extra innings. Sam Ryan took on those extra duties and had trouble keeping the ball in the strike zone. After a pop-out he walked the next two hitters to load the bases, before a wild pitch gave the drillers the lead. Another intentional walk, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly gave them a three-run cushion before the home team could escape. They went down one-two-three in the bottom of the tenth to come out on the losing end after being one out away from victory. On offense Thomason (2-for-5, R, BB, K, SB), Spain (2-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, K), Amick (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB), and Ferrer (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI) each collected two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Brandon Winokur stepped into the batter's box at 6:34 PM CDT for Tuesday night’s first pitch, and seconds later it left the ballpark for a 1-0 lead. Dasan Hill took to the bump for the Kernels, and despite keeping the River Bandits off the scoreboard, labored through just 1 2/3 innings on 54 total pitches, with 32 going for strikes (59%). He did rack up five strikeouts via some extended at-bats and allowed one hit, but two consecutive walks to load the bases ended his outing in the middle of the second after a visit to the mound from trainers. Yehizon Sanchez got the final out of the second and completed two more. He was charged with one earned run on four hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings, striking out three. Cedar Rapids took back the lead in the top of the fifth. Yasser Mercedes led off with a walk, and Henry Kusiak then launched his second home run with the Kernels for a 3-1 lead. Nick Trabacchi delivered a one-two-three fifth inning but wasn’t as lucky in the sixth. A pair of two-run homers put the River Bandits in front 5-3 and they wouldn’t look back. Trabacchi was charged with four earned runs on three hits and a walk in his two innings to take the loss. He struck out one. Adam Falinski (1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) and Brian Zeldin (1/3 IP H, K) finished off the final two innings. Winokur (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI) and Danny De Andrade (2-for-4, 2 K) each had two hits in the loss. As a team the Kernels went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left just five men on base. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Clearwater 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels traveled north on I-75 to face the Threshers this week, the low-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Righty Kolten Smith made the start and finished the first four innings. Outside of the second inning where Clearwater racked up three hits and three runs, he scattered just two other hits in his other three scoreless innings. He was charged with three earned runs on five hits while striking out three. Fort Myers started chipping away at that lead in the top of the third, and after the fifth they had it tied up. Merphy Hernandez led off the third with a single, stole second for his 24th swipe of the season, and scored after an errant pickoff throw toward second base. In the top of the fourth Luis Fragoza crushed his ninth home run of the season at 105 MPH. In the fifth, Irvin Nunez led off with a single, moved up both bases on wild pitches, then scored on an error that would have ended the inning. Reliever Callan Fang took over for Smith to start the fifth and was excellent over the next three innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three. In the top of the eighth Quentin Young delivered a one-out single in front of Nunez, who hit his second home run of the year to give them their first lead of the game. The Threshers answered with one run of their own in the bottom half, but that would be it as Eric Hammond buckled down and finished off the game for his first save. The run was unearned, and over his two innings he allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out one to end the game. Nunez led the way on offense with two hits in four at-bats, including the homer. He also scored two runs. Ryan Sprock (0-for-3, 2 BB, K) and Ramiro Dominguez (1-for-3, 2 BB) each drew a pair of walks from the top of the lineup. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 1, FCL Twins 2 (7 innings) Box Score The Pirate’s leadoff man, Darell Morel, hit his third home run of the season to start the top of the first inning and give his squad a one-run lead. The Twins answered with a run of their own in the bottom half as Yovanny Duran drew a leadoff walk, stole his 19th base of the season, and scored on a single from Jhomnardo Reyes. The fact the Twins went on to win this one from there was quite miraculous, as that would be their only hit of the game. They added the winning run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a walk, hit-batter, and a wild-pitch that allowed Darwin Almanzar to scamper home. The Twins pitching staff allowed only four hits of their own, striking out 10 compared to just one walk. Billy Oldham started and although he gave up the homer, struck out the next three hitters. Jake Hunter gave up one hit and one walk in his two innings, striking out two. Cristian Hernandez got the bulk work and finished off the game, allowing just two hits and striking out five over the final four innings. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 3, DSL Rockies 13 (7 innings) Box Score The Rockies scored in six of seven innings, bludgeoning Twins pitchers on their way to a blowout. Right-hander Yosangel Braffit made the start and delivered a scoreless first inning. He went on to finish the second but was charged with seven earned runs on four hits and five walks in his two innings. He struck out three. Herkyn Taveras (2 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, K), Jeremy Jimenez (1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, K), and Aldwin Morillo (1 IP, ER, 4 BB) combined to allow the final six runs over their five-relief innings. The Twins lineup was outhit 8-6 in the game, with Daiyer Barboza (2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB) and Misael Rodriguez (2-for-3) collecting two-thirds of those knocks. Jhon Gonzalez and Fabian Ulloa added singles, while Luis Duarte drew two walks in three at-bats and scored a run. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cristian Hernandez, FCL Twins (W, 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Walker Jenkins, St. Paul Saints (3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 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 (St. Paul): 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, RBI #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 1-for-1, R, HBP (left game) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4, 2 K #8 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 1-for-5, K #9 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids): 1 2/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, R, RBI #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, R, HR (10), RBI #13 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita): 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 1-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #18 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, BB, K, SB (17) #19 - 1B/3B Billy Amick (Wichita): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB #20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (3-2, 3.63 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Chris Vallimont (0-1, 2.70 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CDT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-2, 4.86 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Ramiro Villanueva (0-2, 4.38 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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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! 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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.