Steve Lein

Yeah, that's just the nature of reading and relaying the box score. I did mention how the runners Tonkin inherited scored. All-in-all, though, still great work from Tonkin and the bullpen beyond that.

TRANSACTIONS In Triple-A the St. Paul Saints activated RHP Erasmo Ramirez from the 60-day injured list, and transferred C Diego Cartaya to the Development List. The Wichita Wind Surge released OF Tyler Dearden. With the Cedar Rapids Kernels, RHP Xander Hamilton was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Gwinnett 2 Box Score 40-man roster resident and St. Paul Saints piggy-backing pitcher Travis Adams made his fifth start of the season in 19 appearances on Tuesday, and went the first 2 2/3 innings. He picked up two quick outs to start the third, but then consecutive singles and a walk loaded the bases and prompted a move to the bullpen. Michael Tonkin proceeded to walk the next two hitters to put two runs on Adams ledger before escaping that jam with a strikeout. Adams was charged with those two earned runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out two. Fortunately for Adams’ win-loss record, the Saints got started early. Edouard Julien led off the game with a triple, and scored one pitch later on a sac fly from Austin Martin. Payton Eeles followed with a single, as did Jose Miranda two batters later, but Miranda wandered too far around first as the relay throw came in, and got caught between first and second for the final out of the inning. In the second, the first three batters for the Saints reached on a hit by pitch, walk, and single to load the bases, before a sac fly from Will Holland and RBI single from Julien put them up 3-0. Tonkin added a one-two-three fourth inning, including two strikeouts to finish his appearance with 1 1/3 scoreless, walking two and striking out three in total. The just-activated Erasmus Ramirez then came out of the bullpen to begin the fifth inning, and was solid in two frames, working around singles in each of them. He struck out three. Cody Laweryson added two scoreless innings of setup work, striking out two. The Saints added an insurance run in the top of the seventh after Holland led off the inning with a walk. He then stole second base, moved to third on a Martin single, and was brought home on an Eeles sac fly to make it 4-2. Anthony Misiewicz came out of the bullpen for the save opportunity in the ninth, and set the Stripers down in order for his seventh save of the season. He struck out one. Julien was the only hitter with multiple knocks for the Saints, finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored, triple, and an RBI. As a team they took advantage of their limited opportunities, as they left just six men on base and were 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The bullpen combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Tulsa 1 Box Score The Wind Surge got another strong pitching performance from big right-hander and #OneOfUs, John Klein, as he mowed through the Drillers for the first five innings in this one. Klein was charged with just one earned run on four hits and a walk, while striking out four in his five frames. He needed just 67 pitches, with 45 of them going for strikes (67%). His fastball was living in the 95+ MPH range, and the Drillers never were able to string much of anything together. The Wind Surge offense gave him plenty of run support early, as a four-run second inning would be more than enough for Klein and the pitching staff in the game. Kyler Fedko got it started with a leadoff single and Ricardo Olivar followed with the same. Two batters later they executed a double-steal to tie the game at one. An RBI single from Kaelen Culpepper put them in front, and after a walk to Gabriel Gonzalez the bases were loaded for Walker Jenkins. He sent a weak grounder toward first base that should have ended the inning, but it was booted, allowing Jenkins to win the foot race to first. With a full count and two outs, the runners were also moving, so it ended up scoring two more runs to give the Wind Surge the 4-1 lead. After that, Cole Percival and Michael Martinez finished the job Klein started with four scoreless, and hitless innings, to end the game. They both struck out three in two innings pitched, with the lone baserunner allowed being a harmless walk from Martinez in the eighth. The Wind Surge added a single run in the fourth thanks to a Jorel Ortega solo homer, and two more in the seventh on a two-run single from Olivar to make the final. Culpepper (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K, SB) and Olivar (2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB) each had two hits. Kyler Fedko scored two runs by finishing 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and two stolen bases. Jenkins finished 1-for-4 with a run scored, a walk, and two stolen bases. #OldFriend Noah Miller finished 1-for-3 with a walk for the Drillers and scored their lone run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 10 Box Score A six-run inning was not enough for the Kernels to overcome rival Quad Cities on Tuesday, as the River Bandits also scored runs in bunches to come out on top. Chase Chaney made the start for Cedar Rapids and was responsible for the first of those bunches, as the River Bandits sent three across the plate to take a 3-1 lead. Chaney finished three innings and was charged with three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out one. Cedar Rapids did open the scoring in this one thanks to Kyle Hess in the top of the second, as he led off with his third home run of the season for the 1-0 lead. In the top of the fourth the Kernels appeared to break the game open by batting around, but I have to poke a bit of fun at Hess here as well, as he started and ended this inning with a strikeout after hitting that home run shown above two innings prior. Poncho Ruiz clubbed an RBI double for the innings first run before Caden Kendle launched a two-run homer to put Cedar Rapids up 4-3. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Misael Urbina delivered a bases clearing double that made it 7-3. Unfortunately Gabriel Yanez gave it right back in the bottom half. Two singles, two doubles, and a triple tied the game back up at seven and it was all for naught. Eston Stull came out of the bullpen to start the fifth and despite also allowing three more runs in that inning, was able to add two more frames to get the Kernels through the seventh. He allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in his three innings, striking out two. Wilker Reyes pitched a scoreless eighth, walking one and striking out two. It took some pain on the part of hitters in the top of the sixth to score the Kernels final run, as a walk to Brandon Winokur was followed by three consecutive hit batters to push their final run of the game across. The bottom of the Kernels lineup led the way with Ruiz (2-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI, BB, K) and Kendle (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, K, SB) notching two hits in the loss. Winokur finished 1-for-4 with a walk and scored two runs. In addition to Hess getting a tag of infamy for bookending an inning with strikeouts, Billy Amick wore the golden sombrero for striking out four times in his five at-bats, though he did score a run after his single in the fourth. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels kicked off their series this week against the Marauders with righty Michael Ross on the mound. He worked around some traffic through the first two innings, before they got to him in the third. A two-run homer put the Marauders in the lead, and they added a solo homer the fifth before Ross’s day was done. He finished five innings, and was charged with three earned runs on five hits and a pair of walks, while striking out four. Fort Myers chipped away with single runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings to close within one. Peyton Carr delivered an RBI double for their first run of the game in the fourth. In the sixth Caleb McNeely drew a leadoff walk, stole second base, moved to third on a fly out, and scored on a sac fly from Daniel Pena. Matt Gabbert came out from the bullpen to start the sixth inning and would go the rest of the way. A leadoff double in the eighth led to an important insurance run for the home team, but that was his only run allowed. In three innings he allowed three hits and struck out three. Down 4-2 in the top of the ninth, the Mighty Mussels had some life thanks to a one-out hit by pitch to put a runner on. Pinch runner Angel Del Rosario then stole second and third base before scoring on a two-out single from Blaze O’Saben. A pitching change followed, before a walk to Yohander Martinez put the tying run in scoring position for leadoff man Byron Chourio. Unfortunately, he went down swinging to end the game. The Fort Myers offense was only able to collect four hits on the game, but did have plenty of opportunities thanks to their running game, swiping six bags. But they finished just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and left seven men on base. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Pirates 2, FCL Twins 9 Box Score The Twins scored early and pulled away late to defeat the Pirates on Monday. Starting pitcher Joel Garcia picked up his first win of the season by going the first five innings for the home team. He allowed just one hit and struck out five in a fantastic effort. The bullpen duo of Andrew Huffman (1 2/3 IP, H, R, 3 BB, 2 K) and Aiberson Ventura (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, ER, K) pitched the final four innings to close out the victory. The offense was led by Eduardo Beltre (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, K, SB) and Ramiro Dominguez (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) who each collected a pair of hits. Daiber De Los Santos and Yilber Herrera also added home runs, while Yandro Hernandez chipped in a double and a pair of RBI. Tuesday: FCL Twins 7, FCL Pirates 9 Box Score The Pirates got some revenge on Tuesday, using a big first inning to hold off a Twins comeback. Starter Yoel Roque was only able to record one out, a strikeout of the first hitter of the game. The next five reached base, with four coming on walks, before he was lifted. He was charged with five earned runs as the first batter the bullpen faced, sent a ball out of the park for a grand slam. Relievers Julio Bonilla (1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER), Anthony Narvaez (1 1/3 IP, H, 3 K), Xander Hamilton (4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K), and Anderson Ramos (1 IP, K) did their best to give the Twins bats a chance. They closed within two in the ninth, but that was as close as they could get. Ricardo Paez (2-for-3, 3 R, BB, K) and Yandro Hernandez (2-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB) did the heavy lifting with two hits apiece. The rehabbing Emmanuel Rodriguez finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout from the leadoff spot. DOMINICAN DAILIES Monday: DSL Twins 2, DSL Tigers 6 Box Score Right-hander Omar Montano took the mound for the Twins on Monday, and was ambushed by the Tigers. He was charged with five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks in his 1 1/3 innings pitched. On the positive side, all four of his outs came on strikeouts. Jensi Infante (1 2/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K), Agustin Campusano (4 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 3 K), and Greidi Pina (1 IP, BB) took on the rest of the work out of the bullpen. The Twins scored their two runs on a Pablo Castillo RBI single in the seventh, and a Aaron Salazar RBI single in the ninth. Jhomnardo Reyes finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Castillo was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and the RBI. Tuesday: DSL Tigers 12, DSL Twins 15 Box Score The Twins came out on top in a slugfest to exact vengeance on the Tigers at home on Tuesday morning. Teilon Serrano was 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two doubles, and a triple to finish a home run shy of the cycle. He drove in one. Santiago Leon drove in two and scored two runs with three singles and a walk in five plate appearances. Haritzon Castillo added a double and drove in three. Darwin Almanzar scored three runs, clubbed a homer, and drove in three. As a team the Twins stole six bases and were 9-for-21 with runners in scoring position. On the pitching front starter Jeicol Surumay went the first four innings. He was charged with four runs (two earned) on six hits, and struck out two. Juan Quinones gave up four earned runs in the fifth. Diego Rosal (2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K) and Rey Pacheco (1 2/3 IP, 2 H, R) pitched the final four innings as the Twins pulled ahead for good with a five run eighth inning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – John Klein, Wichita Wind Surge (W, 5 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K) Hitter of the Day – Caden Kendle, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they performed on Tuesday. #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 SB (7) #2 – Luke Keaschall (Minnesota): #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rehab w/FCL Twins): 1-for-3, K #4 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita): 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K, SB (2) #9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, K #10 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, 2 K #12 – Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, R, 4 K #13 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 1-for-4, BB #15 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 3-for-9, 3 R, HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 K, SB (13) #18 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (5) #19 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, R, BB, K #20 – Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 1-for-3, RBI, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Gwinnett (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Urena (0-1, 2.89 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (7:00 PM CDT) - RHP Mike Paredes (8-0, 2.15 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CDT) - RHP Tanner Hall (3-3, 5.12 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-3, 4.37 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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This is a very good addition to what I only very loosely tried to hint at in my post. It is much more likely exactly this type of thing.

It's a weird thing for me... Part of me says they're working on "maximizing" pitcher effectiveness. They hate starters going deep into games already, so if they get 4 or 5 innings out of one they may think having guys like this can extend their bullpen. 4-5 from the starter, 2-3 from these types, then the studs shut it down for the last two innings. Do I think that could work? Maybe, but reinventing the wheel in this way I don't think is very probable to, and it's likely not that at all. Another part of me says they're only doing this because they know they likely won't end up as starters, but they still want to give them the development advantages of going multiple innings. I think that's the closest answer.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kaelen Culpepper) TRANSACTIONS There was a bunch of movement in the system on Monday and Tuesday as each of the full season affiliates began the second halves of their seasons. With St. Paul RHP Pierson Ohl was promoted from Wichita, and made his triple-A debut on Tuesday. RHP Connor Gillespie was optioned to the Saints and RHP Jose Urena activated. 2B Mickey Gasper was placed on the injured list with bilateral plantar fasciitis. The Wind Surge activated RHP John Stankiewicz from the 7-day injured list. After a rehab stint, 3B Billy Amick was activated from the 7-day injured list for the Kernels, while they also sent LHP Rafael Marcano on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. In Fort Myers C Ricardo Pena was put on the 7-day injured list with a lower back injury, sent RHP Anthony Narvaez and C Rafael Escalante on rehab assignments in the FCL, and received C Javier Roman from the FCL to fill in. SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 1, St. Paul 6 Box Score The Saints got a very good triple-A debut from right-hander Pierson Ohl, who held the Bats scoreless in his four innings. He allowed only weak contact all outing, scattering just three hits and no walks, while striking out one. He threw 54 pitches, with 40 of them going for strikes (74%). While there was only one strikeout, he did rack up eight swings and misses, with six of those coming on his changeup, which was obviously his go-to pitch. Never really being known for his velocity, Ohl was 91-94 MPH with his fastball, demonstrating that his velocity really isn’t a concern, especially when he’s dotting his changeup like Brad Radke. St. Paul took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after Ryan Fitzgerald led off with a double. He moved to third on a groundout before Aaron Sabato brought him in with an RBI single for the game’s first run. Two batters later Noah Cardenas launched his third home with the Saints to add on. They put up another three-spot in the bottom of the fifth, with Edouard Julien leading off with a solo home run, his sixth of the year with the Saints. Don’t look now, but Julien is batting .324/.457/.581 (1.038) with five home runs and 12 RBI in 21 June games. Carson McCusker hit another two-run shot later in the inning to make it 6-0. Michael Tonkin was credited with the win after chipping in three innings out of the bullpen. He was charged with the Bats lone earned run, a solo homer, and allowed just two other hits, while striking out two. Cody Laweryson closed out the final two innings, giving up two hits, a walk, and striking out one. Julien (3-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K) and Sabato (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K) had multiple hits to lead the offense. Payton Eeles finished 0-for-1 with a run scored, sac bunt, walk, and was hit by a pitch. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 0, Wichita 3 Box Score Starter Christian MacLeod and the Wind Surge bullpen held the Cardinals to just five hits on the game, and pitched a shutout in the process, while all of their offense came courtesy of solo home runs. The left-handed MacLeod went the first three innings, scattering three hits and a walk, while striking out two to lower his ERA to 2.05 so far on the season in double-A. Wichita got the first of their three home runs in the bottom of the second inning from Nate Baez, his second of the year. Kyler Fedko led off the bottom of the sixth with his 13th of the season to make it 2-0. Then finally in the bottom of the seventh, Kaelen Culpepper led off the inning with his first homer with the Wind Surge to make the final score. The bullpen trio of Jacob Wosinski (W, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB), Mike Paredes (3 IP, 3 K), and Tanner Andrews (S, 1 IP, 2 K) combined to retire the final 13 Cardinals hitters of the game, and secure the win. The Wind Surge got multiple hit efforts from Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, 2 2B, K) and Baez (2-for-4, R, 3B, HR, RBI). Kala’i Rosario reached base four times with three walks. Walker Jenkins batted third and had a single and three strikeouts in four at-bats. As a team Wichita was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base for the game, but they got plenty of power when the bases were empty. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 10, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The Cubs and Kernels traded single runs back and forth in the second and third innings, before two in the third put the visiting team out front for good. Starter Ty Langenberg went the first four innings, and was charged with those four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks. He struck out two. Of his 78 pitches, just 43 went for strikes (55%). Poncho Ruiz delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the second, and Billy Amick (in his first game off the IL) added an RBI single in the third to keep pace the first three innings. Paulshawn Pasqualotto came on to start the fifth and delivered a scoreless inning, but the sixth was not nearly as kind. Six consecutive batters reached base before he was lifted, and he ended up charged with five runs (four earned) of his own in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Hunter Hoopes came in to get the final two outs, then also finished the seventh. He gave up a solo homer and struck out one. Nick Trabacchi retired all six Cubs he faced to finish the game, adding a strikeout. The Kernels were able to add a pair of runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but it would not be enough. An RBI double from Andy Lugo and sac fly from Caden Kendle came in the sixth, while a RBI doubles from Kyle DeBarge and Kyle Hess made the final score. Ruiz was the only batter with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with the RBI. As a team they totaled seven hits and six walks, leaving seven men on base for the game. While they may have lost their first game of the second half, the Kernels punched their ticket to the Midwest League playoffs in the first half by winning the division. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Tampa 6 Box Score The Tampa Tarpons scored four runs in the first two innings against Mighty Mussels starter Jason Doktorczyk that would be enough in the end. Doktorczyk, to his credit, did finish five innings, but was charged with all of the Tarpons' runs. He allowed seven hits, walked two, and struck out four. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning after Demeury Pena led off with a double. Two groundouts later he crossed home plate and it was 4-1. In the top of the sixth Pena again reached base to lead it off before a two out walk, stolen base, and two-run single from Blaze O’Saben pulled them within three. That would be it for the offense, however, as the Mighty Mussels picked up just four hits as a team, with three of them coming from one player, and went an abysmal 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Lefty Zander Sechrist held Tampa scoreless over the final three innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out three. O’Saben finished 3-for-3 with two RBI, a walk, and a stolen base to basically account for all of the Mighty Mussels offense on the night. Daniel Pena drew a walk and drove in one. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Twins 5, FCL Rays 2 Box Score The Twins got a solid effort from starting pitcher Joel Garcia, who set down seven hitters in his 4 2/3 innings. He was charged with two earned runs on five hits, and gave way to Andrew Huffman, who was credited with his fourth win in seven appearances with 1 1/3 scoreless innings to complete the sixth. He allowed one hit. Fellow relievers Anthony Narvaez (1 IP, BB), Leonardo Rondon (1/3 IP, 2 BB, K), and Brent Francisco (1 2/3 IP, H, K) finished out the final three scoreless innings. Narvaez and Rondon each picked up their first hold, while Francisco notched his third save. The Twins offense ambushed the Rays in the top of the first inning for four runs. Ramiro Dominguez delivered the big blow, a three-run homer, his second of the season. Dominguez finished 2-for-4 with a double in addition. Rehabbers Austin Martin and Emmanuel Rodriguez occupied the top of the lineup. Martin was 0-for-3 with a walk and a K. Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a pair of strikeouts. Tuesday: FCL Twins 6, FCL Braves 7 Box Score Rodriguez and Martin swapped spots in the lineup on Tuesday, and both picked up a pair of hits. Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. Martin 2-for-5 with an RBI, stolen base, and one strikeout. They were the only hitters in the lineup with multiple hits. Luis Fragoza chipped in his sixth double and two stolen bases, while Ricardo Paez delivered an RBI triple. Seven pitchers made an appearance in this one, with Erasmo Ramirez leading the way with two scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out one. Yoel Roque (1 IP, H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) and Julio Bonilla (1 IP, 2 H, ER) pitched the first two frames. Rafael Marcano (1/3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K), Aiberson Ventura (1 2/3 IP, H, 3 K), Mitch Mueller (1 IP, H), and Anderson Ramos (1 IP, H ER, 2 BB, K) finished off the final five innings after Ramirez. Ramos was charged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth. DOMINICAN DAILIES Monday: DSL Twins 5, DSL Phillies White 3 Box Score The Twins scored three runs in the top of the first by mixing three singles in with a sac fly and a Phillies error. They were able to take the win as they added single runs in the sixth and eighth frames. Teilon Serrano (2-for-5, R, 2 K), Carlos Taveras (2-for-5, RBI, K), and Jhomnardo Reyes (2-for-4, RBI, K) each chipped in two hits. Dencer Diaz added a double, walk, and RBI. Three pitchers went two-plus innings in the win, with starter Omar Montano being responsible for all of the Phillies runs. He went the first 3 2/3 innings, and was charged with three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks, while striking out four. Jensi Infante picked up his first win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out two. Agustin Campusano picked up his first save by closing out the final three innings. He gave up two hits and struck out two. Tuesday: DSL Phillies White 11, DSL Twins 6 Box Score A big third inning from the Phillies spelled doom for the Twins in this one, even though they scored four runs of their own in the frame. Starting pitcher Jeicol Surumay had two scoreless innings in the books before the Phillies got him in the third. He finished 2 1/3 innings, and allowed five earned runs on two hits and four walks by the time he was done. He struck out three. Greidi Pina was charged with three earned runs of his own in the eight-run third from the Phillies, but got the final two outs, including a K. Nestor Cafe (1 IP, BB, 3 K), Diego Rosal (3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K), and Juan Quinones (2 IP, 3 H, R, 2 K) finished the final six innings. The Twins had just five hits, but did manage to score six runs thanks to 11 walks. Yovanny Duran led the way with two singles and a walk in five plate appearances, stole a base, and drove in two. Jameson Val drove in two with a single in the third inning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Mike Paredes, Wichita Wind Surge (3 IP, 3 K) Hitter of the Day – Edouard Julien, St. Paul Saints (3-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects, which was recently updated! #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 1-for-4, 3 K #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rehab w/FCL Twins): 3-for-7, 3 R, 2B, BB, 2 K (2 games) #4 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, HR (1), RBI, BB, K #9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4, BB, 2 K, SB (18) #10 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, R, RBI, SB (39) #12 – Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K #13 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 2-for-4, 2 2B, K #15 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 0-for-6, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K (2 games) #18 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-3, BB #20 – Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 0-for-1, R, BB WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Trent Baker (1-0, 5.79 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (4-4, 3.23 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Chase Chaney (5-1, 3.35 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (4:00 PM CDT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-3, 4.79 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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He's cooled off a little in June after an excellent May, but yeah. He's over 60 games at the level now and the OPS is still 100 points over the league average in June. Would like to think it's coming soon!

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Brandon Winokur) TRANSACTIONS In transaction news on Monday, the Wichita Wind Surge placed RHP John Stankiewicz on the 7-day injured list, while in Fort Myers right-handed pitchers Will Armbruester and Joel Garcia were assigned to the Mighty Mussels from the FCL Twins. The Twins also signed RHP Greidi Pina to a minor league contract and assigned him to the DSL Twins on Tuesday. Pina had signed with the New York Mets last season, but never played a game in the organization. On Tuesday the Wind Surge got a boost to both their lineup and starting pitching staff, with the activation of top prospect OF Walker Jenkins and LHP Christian MacLeod, though neither played in their game. Another top prospect, RHP Charlee Soto of the Cedar Rapids Kernels was transferred from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day with a right-triceps strain, and will be out for the foreseeable future. With the Mighty Mussels OF Yasser Mercedes was activated from the 7-day injured list, and 3B Billy Amick was sent to Fort Myers on a rehab assignment from Cedar Rapids. In the Florida Complex League, RHP Santiago Rojas was placed on the 60-day injured list, effectively ending his season. He had made just two appearances this season, walking one and striking out one in two total innings. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 9, St. Paul 8 (11 innings) Box Score Marco Raya took to the CHS Field mound on Tuesday night, and it started like you never want it to. He gave up a solo home run to the leadoff man on his fourth pitch of the night, and he labored a bit through his 3 2/3 total innings. In total he was charged with four runs (three earned) on six hits and a pair of walks. He struck out two but needed 82 pitches to record 11 outs, with just 46 of them going for strikes (56%). Luckily for him, his Mud Hens starting counterpart didn’t fare much better. In the bottom of the first Payton Eeles reached base on an error, and trotted home on Edouard Julien’s third home run of the season with the Saints for a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the second a pair of singles and a pair of walks tied the game at three for the home team. Then in the fourth a two-out double from Yunior Severino and an RBI single from Anthony Prato knotted it back up at four. Randy Dobnak came on to finish the fourth for Raya and went the next two innings. He had his trouble in the fifth as Toledo took advantage of a pair of walks to score a pair of runs. Dobnak pitched 2 1/3 total innings, and was charged with two runs (one earned) on one hit, three walks, and struck out three. The Saints again answered in the bottom half as a leadoff double from Mickey Gasper was followed by a walk from Julien, before Carson McCusker drove them both in with a double of his own to tie it up again. The next three innings resulted in zeroes for both teams, as they headed to the ninth still tied at six. Kody Funderburk pitched the seventh and eighth innings, allowing two hits, a walk, and striking out four. Michael Tonkin came on for the top of the ninth and gave up a solo home run to put the Mud Hens out front. In the bottom of the inning, the first three Saints hitters drew walks to load the bases with nobody out, but an Eeles sac fly was the only run they could get across, sending the game to extra innings tied at seven. Tonkin finished the 10th, but Toledo was able to score the extra runner to again go ahead in the game. Tonkin was charged with two runs (one earned) on two hits in his two innings. He struck out three. In the bottom half the Mud Hens went with a peculiar strategy, bringing position player Riley Unroe in to pitch. But it took two pitches to know why it was actually brilliant. His first offering was a 40 MPH eephus that Edouard Julien made himself look like a fool on, swinging wildly and throwing his helmet off his head in the process. Then the next came in hot at 87 MPH…wait…what?! Jose Miranda was able to connect well enough with one of the fast offerings to dribble a grounder up the middle that allowed the Saints to tie the game yet again, but they’d have no further luck in the 11th. The Mud Hens again scored the extra runner with a double to go up by one against Anthony Misiewicz, but the Saints finally weren’t able to match it against the magic of Unroe’s eephus. The loss extended the Saints season-long losing streak to six games. Despite the 17 runs combined between the teams it was a sloppy affair, with five errors and were just 8-for-40 with runners in scoring position on the night. Anthony Prato was the only St. Paul hitter with multiple knocks, finishing 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, RBI, and two walks. Julien and McCusker each drove in two. Sabato picked up his first hit at CHS Field with a single in the bottom of the second. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Arkansas 1 Box Score Starter Darren Bowen and the rest of the Wind Surge pitching staff dominated the Travelers on Tuesday night. Combined they scattered seven hits and two walks over their nine innings. Bowen went the first 3 2/3 innings, allowing the Travelers lone run of the game in the fourth. He gave up three hits and walked two, but did run up his pitch count a bit at 65 (with 33 going for strikes) and did not strike out a batter. With the score 1-0 Arkansas in the top of the fifth, Wichita finally pushed a run across after Ben Ross led off with a walk, and Jorel Ortega followed with a single. After a double-play ball moved Ross to third, Kyler Fedko brought him in with an RBI single to tie it up. Relievers Michael Martinez (1 1/3 IP, H, K), Jacob Wosinski (W, 2 IP, H, 3 K), and Tanner Andrews (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K) kept the Travelers in check the rest of the way. In the seventh the Wind Surge manufactured a two-out run to take the lead. Jake Rucker reached on a single, stole second base, and came around to score on another Fedko single. They tacked on four insurance runs in the eighth when the first five hitters of the inning reached base. There were two hit-by-pitches, and four singles in the frame to push the lead to 6-1. Andrew Cossetti drove in two with his booming single, while Rubel Cespedes and Rucker drove in one with each of theirs. Leading the lineup was Cossetti who picked up three hits in four at bats while scoring a run and driving in two. Fedko (2-for-5, 2 RBI, K), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K), and Rucker (2-for-4, R, RBI, K, SB) also had multiple hit efforts. As a team they racked up 12 hits and finished 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position compared to 1-for-9 the Travelers. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 4 (10 innings) Box Score Right-hander Ty Langenberg took the bump for the Kernels in Beloit, WI and delivered a quality effort. He went the first six innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits and three walks, while punching out five. He left the game with a 3-1 lead as the Cedar Rapids lineup put up a three-spot in the top of the fifth inning. Newcomer Andy Lugo led off the frame with his first home run in a Kernels uniform, tying the game at one. Misael Urbina followed with a double and after a groundout, Caden Kendle traded places with him to put them in front. Kaelen Culpepper followed with a single and stole second base, before Kyle DeBarge brought in Kendle with a grounder for their third run. Debarge then stole his 36th base of the season (in 37 attempts), which leads the Midwest League. Unfortunately for the Kernels and Langenberg, after his exit the Sky Carp were able to break through in the seventh. Gabriel Yanez finished the frame, but before it was over Beloit had three runs of their own to retake the lead 4-3. Yanez was charged with a blown save and three earned runs on three hits, including a homer. He struck out one. Brandon Winokur wasn’t about to let that be the story, however. He led off the top of the eighth with his eighth home run of the season to tie the game back up. It was crushed to dead center field off the batter’s eye. Hunter Hoopes pitched the eighth and ninth innings, keeping the Sky Carp off the scoreboard to send this one to extra innings. In those two frames he allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out two. In the top of the 10th Kendle started the inning on second base, and with two outs Winokur came through again. He sent a liner into right field to score the ghost runner and the Kernels were up by one. In the bottom half of the extra frame Samuel Perez was summoned from the bullpen and got the job done. He struck out the leadoff man, induced a shallow pop-up, and got an easy ground ball to end the game as lightning threatened the area. Hoopes was credited with the win, his first of the season, while Perez picked up his first save. Culpepper (2-for-4, BB, SB), Winokur (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB), Lugo (2-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB, 2 SB), and Kendle (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, K, SB) paced the lineup with two hits apiece and caused havoc on the basepaths, stealing six bases amongst them. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 5, Fort Myers 1 (Suspended in 3rd inning) Box Score The Mighty Mussels and Flying Tigers weren’t able to complete even three innings at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday, as rain in the area all day just wouldn’t go away. This one will be completed as a nine-inning contest starting tomorrow at 11:05 AM CDT, with a seven-inning game two following. To this point, starting pitcher Christian Becerra was hit for five earned runs on six hits and three walks in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out one. Zander Sechrist recorded the final out of the third before the suspension. Byron Chourio had two hits in two at-bats out of the leadoff spot. Yasser Mercedes had a double in his return to the lineup. The Mighty Mussels lone run scored came on the second home run of the season from Daniel Pena. Billy Amick singled in his lone at-bat to start his rehab assignment. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (Postponed, rain) Tuesday: FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (Postponed, rain) Each of the FCL Twins games versus the Orioles early this week were postponed by tragedy in the Baltimore Orioles organization over the weekend. They say it best: DOMINICAN DAILIES Monday: DSL Twins 4, DSL NYY Bombers 1 (Suspended in 4th inning) Box Score The Twins game against the Bombers was suspended before the fourth inning got underway down in the Dominican on Monday. They will resume play with a 4-1 lead, thanks to an RBI groundout from Carlos Taveras, a wild pitch, and RBI singles from Darwin Almanzar and Jamesson Val in the top of the first. Omar Montano pitched all three completed innings for the Twins, allowing one run on one hit and a walk, while striking out three. Tuesday: DSL Rockies 9, DSL Twins 4 Box Score Starting pitcher Diego Rosal got ambushed by the Rockies lineup, and didn’t make it out of the first inning. He was charged with five earned runs on three hits and two walks while recording just two outs, though both came via the K. The bullpen trio of Agustin Campusano (3 1/3 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K), Jeicol Surumay (3 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K), and Rey Pacheco (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K) finished off the final 8 1/3 innings of the game. The Twins lineup scored two runs in each of the sixth and ninth innings to make the final score. Pablo Castillo (2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K) led the way for the offense, clubbing his first home run as a professional in the ninth. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ty Langenberg, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Brandon Winokur, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they performed on Tuesday. #6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, BB, SB (15) #7 – Marco Raya (St. Paul): 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 3 K #9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, R, HR (8), 2 RBI, BB, SB (16) #11 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-5, RBI, SB (36) #13 – Billy Amick (Rehab w/Fort Myers): 1-for-1 #14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 1-for-4, R #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers): 1-for-2, 2B, K #19 – Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 1-for-6, 2B, RBI, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-4, R WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-4, 4.40 ERA) Wichita @ Arkansas (4:35 PM CDT) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Chase Chaney (4-1, 3.19 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP Jason Doktorczyk (2-3, 5.26 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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It was something they were quite clearly, predicting. They went so far as to comment that it appeared similar to how the organization had figured out Andrew Morris was doing something to tip his pitches a few weeks ago.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Walker Jenkins) TRANSACTIONS There was quite a bit of action in the Minnesota Twins farm system when it comes to transactions over the weekend. The St. Paul Saints released RHP Tyler Beede and 1B Mike Ford, as they made room for the activation of IF Payton Eeles. They also placed 1B Yunior Severino and OF Emmanuel Rodriguez on the 7-day injured list with and oblique injury and a right hip injury, respectivly. They activated RHP Jacob Bosiokovic from the temporary inactive list, and received RHP Jarret Whorff from the Wichita Wind Surge. The Cedar Rapids Kernels released RHP Jack Noble in order to make room for the promotion of RHP Hunter Hoopes from the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. To take Hoopes’ place in the Fort Myers bullpen, RHP Ruddy Gomez was promoted from the FCL Twins. Finally, in news that should get our prospect enthusiasts excited, the Wichita Wind Surge sent OF Walker Jenkins to the FCL Twins to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday. SAINTS SENTINEL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 8, St. Paul 5 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson was on the bump at CHS Field for the Saints, looking to build upon his two strong starts since being optioned back to triple-A in which he had allowed just three earned runs in 12 total innings. He did so by retiring the first six hitters of the game before the anomaly that was the third inning happened. Back-to-back home runs put the RailRiders up 2-0 before an out was recorded, then a single, a third home run, and two other near home runs put a five-spot on the scoreboard for the visiting team. This prompted the Saints broadcasters to prognosticate if he was tipping pitches, but Woods Richardson was back out for the fourth and finished his outing with two more scoreless frames. He was charged with those five earned runs on six hits and two walks, and punched out six in the game. The Saints struck back in the bottom of the third, getting a pair of home runs themselves from Patrick Winkel and Jose Miranda, his second in as many games, to close that lead to two. In the bottom of the fourth the Saints chased the rehabbing JT Brubaker after a leadoff walk to Carson McCusker and a single from DaShawn Keirsey Jr put the tying run on base. Armando Alvarez then greeted their bullpen with a two-run double to knot it up. It stayed that way until the top of the seventh as the RailRiders took advantage of an error to go up by two. Alex Speas came on after Woods Richardson’s exit, and was the victim of that sequence. He finished 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks, while striking out two. Anthony Misiewicz (1 2/3 IP, H, R (0 ER)) and Jacob Bosiokovic (IP, K) finished off the game for the home team. Payton Eeles picked up his first hit with a solid grounder up the middle in the bottom of the seventh in his return to triple-A, but the Saints weren’t able to mount any comeback in the final three innings. He batted leadoff and played shortstop in this one after spending some of his time in the outfield while on rehab. Miranda finished this one 2-for-4 and was the only Saints batter with multiple hits. He has been showing some life in his last three games, going 6-for-13 with a double, two homers, and four RBI. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, NW Arkansas 1 Box Score It was a good old fashioned pitchers duel in the Texas League on Tuesday, as neither team got on the scoreboard until the eighth inning. Making the start for the Wind Surge was lefty Aaron Rozek, and he delivered six scoreless innings, scattering six hits and striking out four. He needed just 71 pitches, with 51 of them going for strikes (72%) as he challenged the Naturals lineup all game. They weren’t ever able to take advantage of their hits, grounding into three double-plays to kill several innings and finishing just 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Jaylen Nowlin worked a scoreless seventh frame, working around a pair of two-out singles. Michael Martinez came on for the eighth and after a leadoff single, a stolen base and error led to the first run of the game, and a 1-0 Naturals lead. A fly-out-throw-out double play ended any further threat in the inning, and the Wind Surge finally broke through in the top of the ninth. Ricardo Olivar and Noah Cardenas started the inning with back-to-back singles, before a double play off the bat of Rubel Cespedes put a damper on their threat. But Aaron Sabato came through and sent a liner into right field for an RBI single to tie the game at one, before a Tyler Dearden single put speedster Sabato in scoring position. I make this joke because the go-ahead run of the game is credited in the summary to Sabato stealing third base, and scoring on a throwing error from the pitcher. Cody Laweryson came on in the bottom of the ninth to close it out, and got some heads up defensive play from his defense to do so. With two outs and the tying run on second base, Laweryson broke the bat of the hitter, but it rolled slowly to third and Cespedes. He fielded the ball cleanly, but recognizing he had no play, faked the throw to first, inducing that tying runner to stray too far around third. Shortstop Tanner Schobel understood the assignment and was racing to the third base bag for a return throw, and they caught him retreating back to end the game. Laweryson picked up his sixth save of the season, while Martinez was credited with his first win. Cardenas was the only Wind Surge hitter with multiple knocks, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and a walk. As a team Wichita was just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base while being outhit 11-to-7 in the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (Postponed, rain) The series opener between the Kernels and Timber Rattlers was postponed on Tuesday as the rain that hit the Twin Cities early in the day moved on to Appleton, Wisconsin in the evening. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 12:10 PM. MUSSEL MATTERS Palm Beach 3, Fort Myers 4 Box Score Dylan Questad took the mound for the Mighty Mussels in this one, and got ambushed in the first inning. After striking out the first hitter of the game, he gave up a walk and a two-run homer for an early Cardinals lead. His lineup had his back however, as Dameury Pena and Jay Thomason clubbed solo bombs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game up. Questad then finished the next two innings in scoreless, though inefficient, fashion before walking the leadoff man in the fourth to finish his day. In three innings he allowed those two earned runs on two hits and five walks, while striking out two. The home team’s lineup added two runs in their half of the third inning thanks to another solo shot from Maddux Houghton that was followed by a triple from Thomason. He scored their final run of the game on a sac fly from Luke Napleton to make it 4-2 at the time. From there the Mighty Mussels bullpen trio of Tyler Stasiowski (IP, K), Christian Becerra (W, 3 IP, 2 H, BB, K), and Ruddy Gomez (S, 2 IP, H, ER, K) clipped the wings of the Cardinals for the final six innings to seal the win. The top of the lineup consisting of Pena (1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K), Houghton (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K) and Thomason (3-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI, SB) keyed the victory, as the rest of the lineup finished a combined 0-for-16 with four walks and eight strikeouts. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (Postponed, rain) The Twins and Rays were rained out on Monday, with the game scheduled to be made up the next day. But that one didn’t go as planned, either… Tuesday: Game 1 - FCL Rays 6, FCL Twins 7 Box Score Besides the rain hanging around in Florida, the big story in the scheduled morning-tilt was the beginning of a rehab assignment for organization uber-prospect, Walker Jenkins. He slotted first in the Twins lineup, playing center field. He reached on an error in the first, and was promptly caught stealing second base…At least that means he’s likely got his legs under him already coming off his sprained ankle. In his next two plate appearances he led off the frames by drawing a walk. In the fifth he was able to come around and score the first run of a five run outburst before being replaced in the field to start the sixth. The Twins were outhit 9-to-5 on the game, but took advantage of seven walks to come out on top. Irvin Nunez delivered a two-run double in that five run fifth inning that gave the Twins a 6-5 lead. A sac fly from Yandro Hernandez gave them their final insurance run that inning to make the difference in the final score. Right-hander Yoel Roque started the game and went the first two scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out one. Leonardo Rondon allowed four earned runs on two hits and five walks in his two innings, striking out three. Andrew Huffman (W, 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 2 K), Sebastian Pulido (H, 1 2/3 IP, 2 H), and Anderson Ramos (S, 2 IP, BB, 4 K) finished off the win for the Twins. Game 2 - FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (Postponed, rain) While the Twins and Rays got in their game in the morning, the afternoon matchup wasn’t able to get started. It will be made up on June 19th. DOMINICAN DAILIES Monday: DSL Twins 9, DSL Rangers Red 23 Box Score The DSL Twins kicked off their 2025 season with a division B versus division C type softball matchup on Monday, allowing 25 hits and 23 runs to the Rangers. They led 4-3 after five innings, but the Rangers scored six, four, seven, and three runs in their final four at-bats to make this one a laugher. Carlos Taveras (2-for-5, R, RBI, K) and Jhomnardo Reyes (2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, K) had multiple hits in their professional debuts. The Twins went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, compared to 13-for-20 for the Rangers. All five Twins pitchers allowed at least three runs, with starter Omar Montano coming out the least scathed with three runs (one earned) allowed in his three innings. He gave up three hits, walked three, and struck out two. Tuesday: DSL Phillies White 19, DSL Twins 16 (8 innings) Box Score Another beer-league softball game broke out in the DSL on Tuesday, with the teams combining for 35 runs on 36 hits in an “extra” eight inning slugfest. Tied at 14 after seven, the Phillies tacked on five in the top of the eighth, while the Twins were only able to manage two, coming out on the losing end. Each team racked up 18 hits, with Twins players Teilon Serrano (3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, RBI, BB), Haritzon Castillo (4-for-6, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI), Carlos Taveras (4-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI), and Dencer Diaz (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB) picking up multiple hits. Jhomnardo Reyes drew three walks, scored a run, and drove in two with a triple. Pitching again didn’t have much success, obviously, with five of six hurlers on the day giving up multiple runs. Agustin Campusano allowed two unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings on two hits and four walks, while striking out four. Rey Pacheco delivered the lone scoreless inning, surrendering one hit and walking one. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek, Wichita Wind Surge (6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 4 K) Hitter of the Day – Jay Thomason, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (3-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI, SB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they performed on Tuesday. #1 – Walker Jenkins (Rehab w/FCL Twins): 0-for-1, R, 2 BB #14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 0-for-3, BB, K #16 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #17 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita): 0-for-4, BB #19 – Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (2-1, 2.83 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP John Klein (3-4, 3.03 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin, Game 1 (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Cole Peschl (1-0, 2.70 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin, Game 2 - TBD Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Eli Jones (1-5, 4.33 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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I mean, if option 1 were to be enough to get him, there is no way option 2 is even close. But the fact I'm saying an immediate yes to either of them, says they're not even in the ballpark. That said, I'd trade pretty much anybody on the planet, and any combination of them, for Paul Skenes.

The lineup is still not hitting well-enough to win a playoff series. They're in the bottom third of MLB for OPS, and well-below the league average overall. Pitching can get them there, and it's great to have what they do, but those teams will have good pitching, too. And probably better hitting. Buxton and Wallner will help, but I'm not convinced that will be quite enough yet.

Well, can certainly make an argument. The three hit game is nice, but Miranda definitely hasn't been knocking down the door recently. That's why I say it was perhaps a good sign, but I'd need to see much more of that, personally. I am not too versed on LaViolette, but have seen a few notes about him recently. Like his batting average this season is significantly below the averages of first round hitters in the last 20+ years. I would bet our own @Jamie Cameron would have some better intel, though!

Has been primarily playing CF thus far, but that is because Walker Jenkins isn't around. More of a corner outfielder profile, that can slide to center when needed.

That's in there. Definitely a good sign for him. Is there something further you're implying?

Image courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge (Kyler Fedko) TRANSACTIONS Early week transactions in the system included the Cedar Rapids Kernels activating IF Rayne Doncon from the 7-day injured list, while RHP Juan Mercedes was released. The St. Paul Saints also placed IF Will Holland on the 7-day injured list. The only move on Tuesday was RHP C.J. Culpepper being sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins from the Wichita Wind Surge roster. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Omaha 7 Box Score The rehabbing Matt Wallner led off this one with a bang, taking the third pitch of the game deep down the line in right. The Saints would build a 4-0 lead after three innings, as Jeferson Morales added a solo home run in the second inning, and Mickey Gasper and Jose Miranda traded places with doubles in the third, along with a sac fly from Edouard Julien, to score two more. Starting pitcher Cory Lewis worked around some trouble in the first two innings before getting a one-two-three frame in the third on just seven pitches to keep the Storm Chasers off the scoreboard. But he lost his command in the fourth inning and was removed before it was over. In his 3 2/3 total innings, Lewis ended up charged with three earned runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out three. He threw 75 pitches, with 45 of them going for strikes (60%). Jacob Bosiokovic got the final out of the fourth, before Randy Dobnak came on to begin the fifth. He got knocked around a bit in his first inning, allowing four runs to put Omaha in front 7-5. Dobnak finished 2 2/3 innings, allowing those four runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out two. Kyle Bischoff got the final four outs for the Saints, allowing one hit and striking out two. St. Paul was only able to score one more run after the third inning, when Miranda scored Gasper with an RBI single in the fifth. Miranda was thrown out at second on the play to end the inning, but Gasper was able to touch home before he was tagged out. Wallner finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk in addition to the home run. Gasper (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K) and Miranda (3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) had multiple hits. MLB.com’s #10 overall prospect, Jac Caglianone, was recently promoted to the Storm Chasers in the Kansas City Royals farm system, and came into this one with five home runs in his first six Triple-A games. Saints pitchers had his number in Round 1 of this series, however, as he finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 0, Wichita 11 Box Score The Wind Surge scored early and didn’t let up, riding the hot bat of an outfielder who leads the Texas League in home runs after this one, including passing that top prospect of the Royals mentioned above. Kyler Fedko is his name, and he got this blowout started for the Wind Surge in the bottom of the first. With a runner on first base, he launched his ninth home run of the season the opposite way to make it 2-0 early. He made it 10 on the season in the bottom of the third with a solo shot to put Wichita up by three. He and the Wind Surge weren’t done there, but the pitching staff of the home team wasn’t about to be forgotten. Lefty Aaron Rozek got the starting nod, and was fantastic for the first five innings. He scattered just three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Pierson Ohl then matched that effort with three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out six. By that time the home team’s lineup had blown the game open. They scored six runs in the fifth, including an RBI single from Fedko, but the big hit of that inning was Aaron Sabato’s fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot that made it 9-0. Ricardo Olivar also contributed a two-run single in the inning. They tacked on two more in the sixth to make the final, as Rubel Cespedes delivered an RBI single and Olivar brought in another on a bases loaded double-play ball. Fedko finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, the two home runs, a walk, and four runs batted in. For comparison sake, to give you an idea of just how good Fedko has been, remember that top prospect from the Royals? He had nine home runs and a .947 OPS in 38 games in the Texas League before being promoted. After this one, Fedko now has 10 bombs in 39 games, and leads the league in OPS with a .966 mark. Absolutely scorching start to the 2025 season for the 25-year old Fedko. Lefty Jaylen Nowlin closed out the ninth with a scoreless inning to keep the shutout intact. He gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out one. In addition to Fedko’s outburst, Cespedes (3-for-5, R, RBI) and Olivar (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, 2 SB) contributed multiple hits. Tanner Schobel was 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and scored two runs from the leadoff spot. Kala’i Rosario and Noah Cardenas each drew three walks. On the visitors side, #OldFriend Noah Miller went 2-for-4 for the Drillers. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 4, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score Cedar Rapids got a quality start from right-hander Tanner Hall, but it wasn’t enough to give the Kernels a victory at home on Tuesday. Hall completed six innings, with the score being 3-2 Captains upon his exit. He gave up those three runs on nine hits, while walking none and striking out two. He threw 83 pitches in the game, with 56 going for strikes (67%). The Kernels got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Danny De Andrade delivered a two-out triple. Caden Kendle made it count with an RBI single that put them in front 1-0 early. In the bottom of the fourth De Andrade did one better, sending his fifth home run of the season out to center field to tie the game at two. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Jose Salas got a rally started with a one-out double. A wild pitch and throwing error from the catcher then allowed him to score the game-tying run. Reliever Wilker Reyes came on for the top of the seventh after Hall was done, and was able to work around three singles for a scoreless inning. Back out for the eighth after the Kernels tied it, a leadoff walk followed by an error ended his outing and left him on the hook for the go-ahead run. Eston Stull was the next reliever summoned and he got a strikeout before a balk put that run 90-feet away. A fielder’s choice out at home kept the game tied for another batter, but a walk and a wild pitch gave Lake County the lead. Reyes (1+ IP, 3 H, ER, BB, K), Stull (1 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K), and Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2/3 IP, H, K) finished off the final three innings for the home team. The Kernels got to the top of their lineup up in the bottom of the ninth after a leadoff single from Kendle, but weren’t able to advance him past first base. Nate Baez (2-for-4, 2B), De Andrade (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI), and Kendle (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, K) picked up multiple knocks in the loss. Kyle DeBarge was 1-for-5, but stole his Midwest League leading 25th base of the season in his 25th attempt. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 3, Fort Myers 6 Box Score Lefty Michael Carpenter got the starting nod for the Mighty Mussels and pitched into the fourth inning. A pair of singles and a wild pitch led to a Marauders run in the first, then an error and a triple in the second plated two more. But that would be all Bradenton could manage the rest of the way. Carpenter pitched a scoreless third and recorded one out in the fourth before giving way to the bullpen. He was charged with all three runs (two earned) on seven hits, no walks, and struck out three. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second thanks to the bat of the recently-signed Luke Napleton. His first professional home run made the score 3-2 after two. Relievers Jakob Hall (W, 3 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K) and Jacob Kisting (S, 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 K) combined to shut out the Marauders the rest of the way. The Mighty Mussels big inning came in the sixth once the Bradenton bullpen came into play. The rehabbing Payton Eeles got the hitting started with a one-out single, and he trotted home on a Jose Rodriguez homer, his sixth of the season. Miguel Briceno and Maddux Houghton followed by trading places with doubles, and Yohander Martinez scored their fourth run of the inning with an RBI single. Houghton (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K) and Napleton (4-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI) collected multiple hits in the win. Eeles batted second, played second base, reached base twice in four trips to the plate, and stole a base. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Twins 1, FCL Pirates 2 (7 innings) Box Score The Twins outhit the Pirates 6-5 in their game on Monday, but the squad wearing yellow and black was the only one that had some go for extra bases, leading to a one-run win. Hendry Chivilli started the game for the Twins and pitched into the third inning. He allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks in his 2 1/3 innings, striking out one. Liam Rocha pitched the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Leonardo Rondon went the final two innings and was hit with the loss after allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out two. Twins hitters were led by Luis Fragoza, who finished 2-for-3. Bryan Acuna (1-for-3, BB, K), Ricardo Paez (1-for-3, R, K), Victor Leal (1-for-3), and Irvin Nunez (1-for-3, RBI) had the other hits. Nunez’s single in the fifth was the team's third in a row, leading to their lone run. Tuesday: Game 1 - FCL Orioles 2, FCL Twins 8 (7 innings) Box Score In their regularly scheduled contest on Tuesday, right-handed pitcher C.J. Culpepper made his first appearance of the season to begin his rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. He gave up a single to the first hitter he faced, then hit the second one with a pitch, but that pretty much got the nerves out of the way. He struck out the next four hitters he faced and finished two scoreless innings. Will Ambruester came on to begin the third inning, and went the next three. He allowed two earned runs on three hits, while striking out two to pick up the win. Sebastian Pulido went the final two innings to pick up the save, giving up one hit, walking two, and striking out three. The Twins scored a run in four of their six at bats, including multiple in three of those. Eduardo Beltre singled and stole second base in the first, before Daiber De Los Santos brought him in with a single for their first run. Three more singles in the third led to two more runs and a 3-1 lead. Multiple errors and three walks added two more in the fourth, before the Twins and capped the game with three runs in the sixth, punctuated by a two-run single from Isaac Pena. Beltre (2-for-3, 3 R, 2 SB) and De Los Santos (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB) picked up multiple hits in the win. Game 2 - FCL Orioles 9, FCL Twins 8 (7 innings, makeup of 5/12) Box Score All four of the Twins pitchers in this one got hit around a bit, as the Orioles gave the Twins a bit of their own medicine from game one in the morning. Yoel Roque got the start and went the first 1 1/3 innings. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits and a walk, but did strike out three. Miguel Cordero went the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two. Anderson Ramos came into the game for the fifth with the Twins leading 5-4, but would get tagged with a blown save and the loss after recording only two outs. He surrendered four runs on three hits and a walk, but both of his outs did come via the K. Ruddy Gomez finished out the final 2 1/3 innings for the Twins, giving up just one run of his own on two hits and a walk. He struck out one. The Twins did score first in this one thanks to a two-run homer from Ricardo Pena in the first, his first of the season. They added a single run in the second thanks to an error, and took a 5-4 lead in the fourth thanks to three walks in the frame, an error, and a wild pitch. Down 9-5 going into their final at bat, the Twins did their best to mount a rally. A pair of two-out singles brought Carlos Silva to the plate, and he clubbed his first home run of the year to make it 9-8. But that was as close as they would get. Irvin Nunez (2-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB) and Silva (1-for-1, R, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB) reached base in all four of their plate appearances in the game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl, Wichita Wind Surge (3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Kyler Fedko, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 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 performed on Tuesday. #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K #6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, K #9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, BB, K #11 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, SB (25) #12 – Cory Lewis (St. Paul): 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 0-for-4, 2 R, BB #15 – C.J. Culpepper (Rehab w/FCL Twins): 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K #16 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 2-for-5, 3 R, BB, K, 2 SB (7) (2 games) #17 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita): 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (5) #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, 2 SB (4) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ricky Castro (0-3, 6.04 ERA) Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-1, 4.71 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Dylan Questad (1-2, 5.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

He was getting bad calls in this one, too. This was the most egregious to me, but there were multiple others I noted as well.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Connor Prielipp) TRANSACTIONS There were no new transactions in the system on Tuesday ahead of the affiliates series opening games. SAINTS SENTINEL Norfolk @ St. Paul, Postponed (Rain) The opening game of their series against the Tides was postponed on Tuesday as the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was mired in rain. It is the 12th game the Saints have had postponed on the season. This one is scheduled to be made up as part of a doubleheader at CHS Field on Thursday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, San Antonio 5 Box Score Top pitching prospect Connor Prielipp was tapped to start the series opener for the Wind Surge, and he looked every bit the part in his 3 2/3 innings. Prielipp has been on a strict pitch count of about 50 so far on the season, and reached exactly that number in this one. 36 of those went for strikes (72%), while by my count he induced 12 swings and misses and hit 97 MPH on the San Antonio radar gun. He struck out two Missions hitters in each of his first three innings, though the home team was able to get him for a run in the second with a double and a single for a 1-0 lead. The Wind Surge got that run back in the top of the third when the first three hitters of the inning reached base to load the bases. A Rubel Cespedes ground ball went for a double-play that limited the damage, but this did allow the tying run to score. In the bottom of the fourth Prielipp retired the first two hitters of the inning, but gave up a solo home run to end his day. In all, Prielipp allowed three hits, two earned runs, and struck out six. He gave way to John Klein who went the next 3 1/3 innings. He allowed a solo home run himself, two other hits, a walk, and struck out three. Down 2-1 to begin the seventh, Noah Cardenas led off with a single to put the tying run on base. A Ben Ross single and walk to Tanner Schobel loaded the bases, and with two outs Kyler Fedko cashed them in with a bases clearing double to put the Wind Surge out front 4-2 and stay hot. John Stankiewicz kept them in front with a one-two-three eighth inning, including two strikeouts, before Jarret Whorff was summoned to close it out in the bottom of the ninth. A pair of singles and a sac fly tied the game at four, but a flyout gave Whorff a chance to salvage extra innings. Instead, a double into the right-field corner walked it off for the Missions. The Wind Surge got three hits from Tanner Schobel batting in the leadoff spot, and he also scored two runs, drew a walk, and had an injury scare on a collision in shallow center, but stayed in the game. Ricardo Olivar drew three walks and stole a base. The visitors were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but had done enough to steal game one before the San Antonio rally. Gabriel Gonzalez went 1-for-4 in his first game in double-A. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Fort Wayne 1 (5 innings) Box Score The Kernels matchup with the TinCaps started with a delay, and ended after another one, but they made it through five innings so it was made official. After the initial delay, Kaelen Culpepper got it started with a bang, sending the first pitch of the game over the left-field fence for his fifth home run of the season. Tanner Hall made the start on the road, and worked around some trouble through four innings to pick up his second win of the season. He allowed one unearned run on three hits and three walks, striking out two. Samuel Perez came on for the fifth and worked a one-two-three inning, striking out two. The lineup for the Kernels extended their lead to five with a four run fourth inning. Brandon Winokur got it started with a 113.5 MPH triple and scored on an RBI single from Nate Baez. Khadim Diaw drew a walk before Caden Kendle brought in another run with a double. A walk from Jaime Ferrer loaded the bases, and a groundout and single from Culpepper would each bring in a run to put them out front 5-0. The TinCaps run versus Hall came in the bottom of the fourth and gave the final score before the rain cut things short after five innings were complete. Culpepper led the way for Cedar Rapids going 2-for-3 with the home run, two-RBI, and his eighth stolen base on the season out of the leadoff spot. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 13 Box Score Right-hander Adrian Bohorquez took the pill for the Mighty Mussels on Tuesday, but unfortunately it was the wrong prescription. The Tigers bludgeoned him for eight earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings. He gave up four in the first, and four in the second on five hits and three walks. He struck out two. Jakob Hall came on in the second and stabilized things some, but it was already too little, too late. In his 4 1/3 innings, Hall was charged two earned runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out five. Tyler Stasiowski gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in his lone inning of work. He struck out two. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning thanks in part to an error from Lakeland. Daniel Pena drew a walk, but was forced out on a grounder from Jose Rodriguez. The double-play throw from second went wide and Rodriguez moved to second, however. Miguel Briceno then brought him in with an RBI single that made it 4-1 at the time. They added two more runs in the fifth when the rehabbing Payton Eeles led off with a single. Two batters later Yasser Mercedes drilled a double into left to score Eeles, but Rodriguez would get run down trying to take third. Singles from Poncho Ruiz and Pena around a wild pitch scored the second run of the inning. That would be it for the Mighty Mussels offense. Despite matching the Tigers with 11 hits on the game, the home team was the only one that was able to string them together in bunches. Hunter Hoopes got the final inning and was the only one to come out unblemished. He retired the side in the eight, striking out two. Dameury Pena (2-for-5, K) and Ruiz (2-for-4, R, 2B, K) were the only Fort Myers hitters with multiple knocks. Maddux Houghton also contributed a double. Eeles played the first five innings in left field, and finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk in the fourth game of his rehab assignment. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 4, FCL Twins 5 Box Score The Braves ambushed Twins starter Yoel Roque in the top of the first, who was only able to record one out before they went reaching into their bullpen. The first batter was retired on a flyout, but the next four all reached base (three singles and a walk) for the first run of the game. Will Armbruester then came on and allowed all three inherited runners to score as the Braves went ahead 4-0 after the top half of the game. Armbruester went on to retire the next six hitters he faced to complete 2 2/3 innings. He allowed two hits in the first, but nothing else, and struck out two. Sebastian Pulido pitched the fourth inning and also set them down one-two-three, picking up a K in the process. In the bottom of the fifth the Twins lineup finally broke through after a leadoff double from Irvin Nunez. Bryan Acuna promptly brought him home with an RBI single to make it 4-1. Miguel Cordero came out of the bullpen to start the fifth inning and went the final three innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced to continue the trend. He struck out five and Ambruester, Pulido, and Cordero combined to set down the final 19 Braves hitters in the game after they scored four in the opening frame. The Twins took the lead in the sixth thanks to a two-out rally. Jayson Bass led off with a walk before Ricardo Pena and Ricardo Paez were both retired. Then Victor Leal was hit by a pitch and Nunez drew a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch scored the first run of the inning and Acuna drew another walk to reload the pond with ducks. Eduardo Beltre then cleared them with his first double of the season to put them up 5-4. Cordero picked up his first win of the season thanks to the late comeback. Acuna (1-for-3, R, RBI, BB), Pena (1-for-2, BB), and Nunez (1-for-2, R, 2B, BB) each reached base twice in the win. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Connor Prielipp, Wichita Wind Surge (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K) Miguel Cordero, FCL Twins (W, 3 IP, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Kaelen Culpepper, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, SB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Tuesday. #5 – Connor Prielipp (Wichita): 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K #6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-3, R, HR (5), 2 RBI, SB (8) #9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, R, 3B (1), K #11 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, 2 K #14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 1-for-4 #16 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K #18 – Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 K, SB (2) WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLES Norfolk @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (1-3, 9.27 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-1, 3.94 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-1, 5.19 ERA) Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM CDT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-2, 7.45 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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MacLeod was injured to start the season, so his time in Fort Myers were rehab appearances. He made a spot start with the Saints last year, so he pitched at 3+ levels just like Matthews and Morris. Probably getting the bump here again to fill in for whatever is going on with Festa. I would expect he goes back to Wichita until at least the midsummer, unless he doesn't because of performance, haha. He's only thrown just over 50 innings in double-A. I had him in my "Dark Horse" section for making an MLB debut this year. I like what I've seen of MacLeod a lot, but he doesn't necessarily have the "stuff" that other guys have. He's only 88-92 with his fastball, which means he'll need to work a bit harder than others to improve his control and command where it needs to be.

I mean, that's not what the math says if your numbers are correct above, but I'll agree the pace is "better."