Ted Schwerzler

TRANSACTIONS: INF Edouard Julien optioned to Triple-A St. Paul COMPLEX CHRONICLES Game 1: FCL Rays 2, FCL Twins 1 Box Score Anthony Narvaez made the start today for the FCL Twins and he allowed just a single unearned run across four innings. Allowing three hits and a walk, Narvaez struck out nine. Walker Jenkins was not in the lineup today because he is joining Fort Myers tomorrow and being activated off the injured list. Down 1-0 in the fifth inning, Javier Roman doubled to score Omari Daniel and the Twins tied the score with their first run. A sixth inning error by Hendry Chivilli allowed the Rays to score what wound up being the game winning run. Roman and Anderson Nova were the only Twins players to get a hit. Game 2: FCL Rays 7, FCL Twins 0 Box Score Playing a makeup game for the May 16 rainout, Yency De Jesus drew the start for the Twins. He worked three innings giving up two unearned runs. The bats were cold for the home club though as Giovanny Rivero was the only Twin to record a hit, and while it was a double, that wasn't going to get it done. DOMINICAN DAILIES The Twins were set to kick off their Dominican Summer League schedule on Monday against the Washington Nationals. Unfortunately weather caused a suspension of the game. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 25-31 (3-4 last week) Eighth place in the IL West Overview: Royce Lewis wrapped up his rehab assignment with St. Paul as they faced the former Twins Triple-A affiliate. Matt Wallner was joined by Michael Helman as the only players to appear in all seven games this week. He was dialed in with a 1.331 OPS, three doubles, and four home runs. Diego A. Castillo (.417), Tony Kemp (.391), Yunior Severino (.333), and Michael Helman (.333) all batted above .300. Adam Plutko turned in a scoreless start working four innings and striking out four. Louie Varland’s six strikeouts were a team high on the bump. What’s Next: It remains a New York state of mind but this time at CHS Field. St. Paul hosts Syracuse this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 19-31 (1-5 last week) Fifth place in the Texas League North Overview: Facing the top team in the Texas League North, it was tough sledding for the Wind Surge. Aaron Sabato posted a .471 average and 1.232 OPS with a double and a homer. Kyler Fedko also batted over .400, going 5-for-12 with three doubles. Luke Keaschall made his Double-A debut and acted like nothing had changed. He was 8-for-25 (.320) with a double. Austin Brice worked 2 2/3 innings of relief and posted a 7/1 K/BB. Jaylen Nowlin had a highlight start working 5 2/3 innings scoreless. What’s Next: NW Arkansas is just above Wichita in the Texas League North standings, and the Wind Surge will face them for a road series this week. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 30-20 (2-4 last week) First place in the Midwest League West Overview: Facing the top team on the East side of the Midwest League, the Kernels had a losing week. Misael Urbina and Dillon Tatum each had a pair of doubles and a dinger. Ricardo Olivar hit three longballs and his 17 total bases were nearly double the next closest teammate. Juan Mendez threw four scoreless innings in relief and his five strikeouts were a team high. A.J. Labas pitched a team high six innings across two relief outings allowing just a single run. What’s Next: Going to Great Lakes for a series, Cedar Rapids plays against the second best team in the Midwest League East. Low-A: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 24-27 (5-1 last week) Fourth place in Florida State League West Overview: Going up against a Bradenton team near them in the standings, Fort Myers handled business losing just one of the six games. Payton Eeles and Carlos Aguiar were on fire with each batting over .400 and posting a 1.200 OPS. Eeles also had the only Fort Myers homer and four stolen bases. Poncho Ruiz and Brandon Winokur each had a pair of doubles this week. Brooks Lee was with the Mighty Mussels on a rehab assignment and owned an .818 OPS. Ross Dunn worked a three inning start allowing just one (unearned) run while striking out four. A bunch of Fort Myers pitchers had scoreless weeks but Nolan Santos did so across five innings with an 11/1 K/BB. Samuel Perez had 10 strikeouts across 6 2/3 scoreless innings. What’s Next: Traveling to Tampa, the Mighty Mussels squad off against the bottom team in the Florida State League West division. Complex League: FCL Twins Overall: 13-7 (2-2 last week) First place (tied) in Florida Complex League South Walker Jenkins continued his rehab assignment and lit up the FCL with a .462 average and 1/6 K/BB. Ricardo Pena, Dameury Pena, and Anderson Nova each went deep this week and all three had an OPS north of .900. Yilber Herrera, Yasser Mercedes, and Harold Grant each had a pair of steals. Cory Lewis continued his rehab assignment with a scoreless three-inning start. He struck out four. Dylan Questad made the best start of his young career going three scoreless innings and striking out five. PROSPECT SUMMARY #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – Rehab with FCL - 6-13, 5 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 K, 6 BB #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Rehab with Fort Myers - 6-18, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 K, 3 BB, SB #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – DNP, IL #4 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #5 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – DNP, IL #6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K #7 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) – 2.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 5-18, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 K, 5 BB #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) - 8-25, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 5 K, BB, SB #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 4-13, 4 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 K, 4 BB #12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 4-20, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 K, 5 BB #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 3-19, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 6 K, 1 BB #14 – Zebby Matthews (Wichita) – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – Rehab with FCL - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 6-18, 2 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 K, 3 BB #19 – C.J. Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) – 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 8-26, 3 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 K Hitter of the Week - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 7-24, 8 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 7 K, 4 BB Pitcher of the Week - Nolan Santos (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 11 K, 2 SV

After the dust settled on the best season the Minnesota Twins have had in decades, fans reasonably hoped that ownership would provide the means for Derek Falvey to add another top-of-the-rotation arm. Instead, in an offseason disrupted and constrained by a misbegotten payroll reduction, Falvey brought in only Anthony DeSclafani, who never touched the Target Field mound. Looking to bolster the rotation for another postseason run and hoping to catch the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, the Twins will have to turn to the trade market instead. Miami Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo would fit the bill. Ken Rosenthal recently called the southpaw the most likely player to be traded at the deadline, and since Miami has already sent Luis Arráez packing, there is no reason to believe they’ll stop moving the rest of their assets any time soon. Currently making $5.5 million through arbitration and under team control for another two seasons, the 26-year-old Luzardo is the exact type of cheap payroll guy that intrigues a front office working under a restrictive budget threshold. Of course, that means he’s going to cost significant prospect capital. If Falvey isn’t going to be allowed to spend more on this roster, then he’ll have to target top talent by flipping prospects. An arm like Luzardo is certainly going to hurt from a return perspective, but having previously linked up with the Marlins for Pablo López and Steven Okert, maybe the Twins can find common ground with them again. Walker Jenkins would be off the table for Minnesota, and it stands to reason that Emmanuel Rodríguez would be as well--though the Marlins might counter that, if Rodríguez is off the table, so is Luzardo. Brooks Lee is ranked higher than Rodríguez by most, and while his floor is probably the safest, his ceiling could be the lowest. That’s probably where the Marlins start, and it’s something the Twins could consider. Rather than lead with a Jenkins or Rodríguez, maybe the teams could agree on Lee and someone like Marco Raya, Gabriel González, or Brandon Winokur. The Marlins aren’t close to competing, and by the time they are, Luzardo will be more expensive than they're ever willing to tolerate. The Twins don’t have the plethora of top-100 types that other organizations do, but they have a significant amount of depth on the farm, and parting with one blue-chip player could work. How deep Falvey delves into conversations with Miami for Luzardo would depend on what the Twins believe he can be in the future. Similar to López, there have been some dazzling glimpses thus far in his career, but the track record is limited. Last season was the first time he threw more than 150 innings in a season, and injury concerns are a constant factor for him. Luzardo’s strikeout stuff has slowed some, dipping from 10.5 K/9 last year to 8.7 K/9 this season. However, almost any organization acquiring his services will be better equipped to unlock his potential than the Marlins are. Even when the Twins were spending at the top of their means, they were reluctant to pay the going rates for top arms in free agency. Trading for these types of players is a way for the organization to level the playing field, and Luzardo could be another worth plucking from Miami. If the Twins were going to explore a deal like this, what would you be willing to give up? Is there another arm you’d part with a bigger piece for, and if so, who is it?

Some new faces carried the load for Rocco Baldelli’s Minnesota Twins in the month of may. After Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, and Alex Kirilloff commanded attention in April, that trio found the last flip of the calendar to be quite challenging. Being without Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis at times the past few weeks didn’t help either, but there were a few players who stepped up. Honorable Mention #3 - Jose Miranda 25 G 23-85, .271/.308/.424, 4 2B, 3 HR, 15 R, 11 RBI Maybe no one needed this May more than Jose Miranda. After a shoulder injury slowed him to start last season, he never got going and ultimately his sophomore campaign was a lost year. Looking to find a way into the Twins lineup on a consistent basis, nothing he did during 2023 was going to provide those answers. While Miranda didn’t light the world on fire during May, he hit for a solid average and got on base. Dating back to spring training this year, quality of contact has been an issue. Miranda did launch a pair of home runs in May, but his 23.2% hard hit rate is a career-low, and brings cause for concern. The expected stats aren’t pretty, and maybe regression comes, but for now he’s making a case to get more run. Honorable Mention #2 - Willi Castro 28 G, .278/.358/.454, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 18 R, 5 RBI, 5 SB Continuing to provide value as a utility player, Castro has been thrown into the Twins lineup all over the place while being very good in that role. His 1.5 fWAR is third-best among position players for Minnesota this season, and his two triples in May tied Carlos Correa for the team lead. How Baldelli uses Castro as the lineup gets healthy remains to be seen, but the expectation should be that he’ll see most of his run in the outfield. Having been acquired at a young age after being jettisoned by the Tigers, Minnesota seeing Castro continue to grow has been a fun part of the process. He swiped five bases in May as well, which easily led the team. Honorable Mention #1 - Carlos Correa 27 G, .255/.318/.480, 9 2B, 2 2B, 3 HR, 16 R, 14 RBI What a difference a year can make. Now healthy and with the bout of plantar fasciitis behind him, Correa is becoming everything the Twins believed they signed up for. Somewhat of a slow-starter traditionally, Correa returned from his intercostal strain and hit the ground running. His ten walks were a team high, and he looks more locked in than ever at the plate. Correa also has motored around the bases for a pair of triples, and had seven doubles in May as well. The home run swing hasn’t really been prominent thus far, but three longballs is a respectable number and canrise monthly as the weather turns warmer. Hitter of the Month - Max Kepler 26 G, .294/.362/.529, 11 2B, 3 HR, 16 R, 11 RBI Following a brief stint on the injured list after fouling a ball off his leg, Kepler returned and looks healthy while absolutely crushing the baseball. From being a potential DFA candidate early last season, to what he has done since, it’s hard not to wonder if he’ll be around for longer than initially expected. Although being utilized in platoon spots, Kepler led the team with 11 doubles in May, and he cracked three home runs as well. His ten RBI matched Correa’s total, and his approach at the plate looks dialed in. While some of his teammates have yet to get it going, Kepler keeping up this run will be vital if the Twins are going to chase down the Cleveland Guardians any time soon. Who do you think was the Minnesota Twins best hitter in the month of May? Leave a comment below to start the conversation.

Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (95 pitches, 58 strikes, 9 whiffs) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-.247), Christian Vazquez (-.092), Willi Castro (-.045) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Longball Beats Ryan Early Joe Ryan took the mound against the Houston Astros for the first time since facing them during the 2023 American League Division Series. Completing just two innings in that contest, and facing eight batters, he gave up a run on two hits. The Astros lineup is largely unchanged from that series, but the results have been substantially different this season. After getting Jose Altuve out to open the game, Ryan walked Kyle Tucker and allowed Yordan Alvarez to kick off the scoring with a big fly. Down 2-0, after the first inning, Houston got Ryan again in the 2nd inning. Jose Abreu recently returned from his first trip to the minors, and he figured out enough with his swing to launch another Ryan ball into the seats. Tucker tagged Ryan for a dinger in the third inning, and he had now given up three on the day despite allowing just seven in his first 11 starts. The Barrage Continues Despite coming into the contest with a HR/9 below 1.0 for the first time in his career, Ryan saw regression in a major way against the Astros. Houston wasn’t done with the longball following the first three, as Alvarez got Ryan yet again, for Ryan’s fourth home run in the game. The designated hitter’s fifth inning solo shot made it a 5-0 ballgame and closed the book on Minnesota’s starter’s day. It wasn’t until Manuel Margot started off the seventh inning with a single against Framber Valdez that the Twins put a tally in the hit column. Advancing to second base on a wild pitch, Margot scored Minnesota's first run when Jose Miranda singled and brought him home. Miranda, too, advanced on a wild pitch before Byron Buxton worked a seven-pitch walk. With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, the Twins had something cooking. But Willi Castro grounded out and one was all they would get. Diego Does Work Veteran Diego Castillo came on to work the sixth inning in relief of Ryan, and he shut down the Astros for two innings. Working around two hits and a walk, he struck out one and continued to keep the perfect 0.00 ERA since joining the Twins. Finally getting to the Houston bullpen in the eighth inning, Minnesota immediately put runners on against Bryan Abreu. An Edouard Julien pinch-hit single and Carlos Santana walk had them in business with nobody out. Christian Vazquez continued his horrid season, killing the scoring chance with a double play. Max Kepler took Margot’s at bat and drew a walk, which extended the inning for Carlos Correa. The former Juice Box shortstop smacked a broken bat single to score Julien, but Ryan Jeffers couldn’t come through as the tying run. Josh Staumont got the bottom of the inning for Minnesota, and while he continues to throw up zeroes, the velocity was noticeably down today. Topping out at 91.8 mph on his sinker, he was roughly 3 mph down from his season average. Josh Hader came on for the ninth inning and shut down the Twins in order. Buxton was robbed of a home run by Jake Meyers on a leap at the wall, but that was was the extent of a threat. Winning the series will be reliant on a win Sunday. Notes Royce Lewis got the day off for Triple-A St. Paul, and Sunday’s action should be his last before returning to the majors. Walker Jenkins had a three-hit day in FCL action, and Saints catcher Jair Camargo joined him on a rehab assignment, picking up a double. What’s Next? Simeon Woods Richardson goes on Sunday against Hunter Brown as the Minnesota Twins wrap up a series with the Houston Astros. After an off-day on Monday, they’ll get the New York Yankees in The Bronx. Royce Lewis is expected to rejoin the team. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

On November 18, 2022 the Detroit Tigers non-tendered Willi Castro. It took just over a month for him find a new home with the Minnesota Twins, who were able to grab him on a minor league contract signed just before Christmas. Despite having shown versatility with the Tigers, and having played in over 300 games in four seasons, they decided to be done with the 25-year old utility man. Last season the Twins positioned Castro at every single spot except for first base and catcher. This wasn’t a Cesar Tovar or Andrew Romine decision either, it was clear that Castro could competently handle each of them. Twins' manager Rocco Badelli needed that flexibility, and Castro’s offensive production warranted finding it. This spring the Minnesota skipper talked about a potential for Castro to take another step forward in 2024. The logic was sound. It’s not often that a guy who has the track record of Castro finds themselves on the open market prior to their arbitration years being burned up, and even less so on a minor league deal. After posting a 108 OPS+ last season, Badelli has gotten an even better 118 OPS+ through 57 games this year. He will have a chance to surpass the nine home runs he belted in 2023, and Castro recorded his fourth triple of the season on Friday night, to start the scoring in a 6-1 win over the Astros. Within two of his career-best, he has shown his wheels plenty. He doesn’t have the same success rate swiping bases that Minnesota saw from him last year, but he has contributed elsewhere. In limited work as a fill-in at the hot corner during the time that Royce Lewis has missed, Castro graded out well. He has made some memorable mistakes in center field but has been given those opportunities over Manuel Margot, who was acquired solely to back up Byron Buxton. Moving between the infield and outfield with extreme fluidity, his switch-hitting bat has been a key to the Twins' platoon tendencies. A year ago, the Twins played Castro in 124 contests. Through 57 games this year, he is the only player to appear in every single one of them. Making just $3.3 million and again arbitration eligible next season, it’s hard not to question if the Pohlad family hasn't looked into cloning his presence. Losing out on talents like David Ortiz, Tyler Wells, or the countless others that have been misread too soon, seeing the organization hit the proverbial jackpot with Castro has been nothing short of exceptional. Similar to another Latin American before him, Eduardo Escobar, his infectious smile and great personality makes him an easy guy to root for. The production just winds up being icing on the cake.

With five of the six affiliates in action, and promotions coming for some key top prospects, the Twins were active on the free agent market this month. Multiple minor league free agent moves were made, and a couple of them have gotten off to hot starts. Quick production from Kyle Hess and Payton Eeeles has been good to see. They have been teammates with some of the best bats the system has to offer as well, and here’s how that looks for the month of May. Honorable Mention #3 - Yasser Mercedes 18 G, 22-64, .344/.432/.547, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 12 SB While Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins have been the big-name Twins prospects to play for the FCL squad on rehab assignments, Mercedes has been in 16 games to start the season, and he’s drawing massive attention. A solid prospect in his own right, Mercedes has gotten off to a quick start in 2024. With an OPS north of 1.000 and a team-leading two homers to his credit, he also has three doubles and a pair of triples. To say the Puerto Rican has been impressive would be putting it lightly. After a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, Mercedes struggled stateside last year. He has made that look like a mirage, and the 12 stolen bases having him more than blazing his own trail as well. Honorable Mention #2 - DaShawn Keirsey Jr. 22 G, 28-88, .318/.408/.568, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB With the way Manuel Margot has played for Rocco Badelli’s lineup since being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s hard not to think about replacements. Keirsey Jr. isn’t a top prospect, but he’s looked the part of an MLB-ready talent this season in St. Paul. Solid defensive ability with an aptitude for center field, combined with his offensive production, is hard to ignore. Keirsey flirted with a 1.000 OPS in May, and could have gotten there had he not finished the final couple of games on the injured list. Not only did he put up five doubles and a triple, but an otherwise gap hitter blasted five home runs as well. His 23 RBI were easily the best on the team for St. Paul this month, and he swiped eight bases in ten attempts. Honorable Mention #1 - Emmanuel Rodriguez 20 G, 20-71, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI To suggest there is little left for Emmanuel Rodriguez to prove at Double-A may be putting it lightly, and that’s certainly saying something given that he has played just 36 games. However, after a solid season with High-A Cedar Rapids last year, one of Minnesota’s best prospects has made the Texas League look easy. In May he owned a .995 OPS with five doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Rodriguez drove in 10 runs while drawing 20 walks against just 25 strikeouts. His plate approach is well beyond his years, and he has honed in what pitches to swing at while attempting to do damage. It truly is something special, and he could close in on a big-league debut this season if this keeps up. Hitter of the Month - Luke Keaschall 27 G, 39-104, 8 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 6 SB One of the early-season promotions, Keaschall played just 44 games for Cedar Rapids in 2024. After finishing his final eight games there last year, a May that included a 1.097 OPS was never going to keep him in the Midwest League long. The second round pick during the 2023 draft has blossomed early in his professional career, and it’s worth wondering if he isn’t a top-5 Twins prospect at this point. With seven doubles and five home runs for Cedar Rapids, Keaschall also struck out two less times than the amount of walks he drew. The former Arizona State Sun Devil plated 14 runs and stole five bases at Cedar Rapids, and he has gotten off to a strong start in limited action with Double-A Wichita as well. Who would have been your choice for Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month? Get involved in the comments below.

TRANSACTIONS None to report SAINTS SENTINEL Rochester 8, St. Paul 2 Box Score It was Louie Varland making the start on Friday night for St. Paul, and he is still looking to find sustained and renewed success at Triple-A since his demotion. Working five innings, Varland gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Saints pitcher walked a pair and struck out six. Royce Lewis remained in the lineup for the Saints, and will reportedly return for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday as he makes the short trek from upstate New York into the big city. On the evening he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Down 4-0 through four innings, complete with a bases-loaded walk by former Minnesota prospect Travis Blankenhorn, St. Paul finally answered. Diego A. Castillo doubled home both Tony Kemp and Will Holland to halve the deficit. Rochester continued to add, though, and they pushed it back to an 8-2 tally by the bottom of the seventh inning. Despite pushing a pair of runners into scoring position during the ninth inning, St. Paul couldn’t cash in on either, and the potential rally never got going. Kemp had three of the team’s seven total hits while also stealing a base. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 3, Wichita 1 Box Score Prospect Marco Raya got the start for Wichita, but it was a tough one. Allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, that was the only frame he’d be given. Needing 28 pitches to record three outs, Raya was sent to the showers. Luke Keaschall scored on a Tanner Schobel first-inning groundout to get one back, but the sides then went scoreless. Down to their final three outs, needing a pair of runs, Wichita sent the top of their lineup to the dish. Unfortunately, they went down in order, and that's how this one ended. With just five hits, only Aaron Sabato recorded a pair. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 4 Box Score Cedar Rapids turned to Darren Bowen for the start on Friday night. He allowed four hits on seven runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bowen didn’t walk anyone and struck out three. Dalton Shuffield opened the scoring in the second inning with a single that scored Misael Urbina. Ricardo Olivar then homered for the seventh time this season to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Urbina scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before a four-run fifth inning put Lake County on top for the first time. Urbina continued his productive night with a sixth-inning home run to retake the lead. His two-run shot, the third of his season, scored Rayne Doncon and made it a 5-4 ballgame. Blasting his second shot of the game, Olivar hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, scoring Keoni Cavaco and giving the Kernels a 7-4 cushion. Urbina joined him as the only other Cedar Rapids batter with a pair of hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 2 Box Score Cesar Lares made the start and worked five innings of two-run baseball. Scattering six hits and a pair of walks, the Mighty Mussels starter also picked up six strikeouts on the evening. Scoreless into the fourth inning, Fort Myers plated the first run of the game. Byron Chourio doubled to score Poncho Ruiz before a Maddux Houghton sacrifice fly scored Rixon Wingrove to make it a 2-0 lead. A fielder error allowed Yohander Martinez to reach and the errant throw scored both Chourio and Ryan McCarthy. The fifth inning saw Brandeton plate a pair two draw within two, but Chourio scored Brandon Winokur on a single to mitigate the damage. Up 5-2 in the sixth inning, Payton Eeles brought home Houghton on a sacrifice fly before Brooks Lee drove in McCarthy and Martinez with a single of his own. Up 8-2, needing just nine more outs, they found themselves in a good spot. Tanner Hall and Xander Hamilton both worked a pair of innings to close out the game. Lee, who is continuing his rehab assignment, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Chourio had two hits as well. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0 Box Score Rehabbing Twins prospect Cory Lewis drew the start today for the FCL squad. He was great, allowing just a single hit across three innings of work. Lewis walked one but struck out four. Walker Jenkins also continued his rehab assignment, leading off as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-1 with three walks. The only run of the game came on a Dameury Pena solo shot in the fourth inning. The big fly was his second of the season. Pena also had two hits on the day to lead the team. Tomas Cleo got the win, his first of the season, working three scoreless innings of relief. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – FCL Rehab - 1-1, 3 BB #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Fort Myers Rehab - 2-4, 2 RBI #6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-2, 2 BB #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-5, R #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-2, R, 2 BB, K #12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-2, 2 BB #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-4, RBI, K #15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – FCL Rehab - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8) SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:45 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-1, 2.77 ERA) Wichita vs Springfield (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Pierson Ohl (3-2, 3.51 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs Bradenton (3:00 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.35 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working. Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups. As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR. What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been. Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size. It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion. The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better. We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

TRANSACTIONS RHP Cody Laweryson activated from IL by Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Rochester 6, St. Paul 3 Box Score Royce Lewis continued his rehab assignment with the Saints, as he batted second and played third base this morning. The game started at 10 AM Central, and maybe that contributed to something of a sluggish start. Jordan Balazovic worked as the opener, throwing two innings and allowing a pair of runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Down 5-0 through five innings, Matt Wallner got the good guys on the board with a home run. His two-run shot scored Diego A. Castillo and became his fourth straight game with an extra-base hit. Down 6-2 in the eighth inning, Lewis was lifted for Yoyner Fajardo, after going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Yunior Severino crushed a solo shot in the ninth inning to give St. Paul another run, but with two outs already recorded, there wasn’t enough runway to complete the comeback. Alex Isola was the lone Saints hitter to record a pair of hits, as they struck out 12 times while drawing only three walks. Kody Funderburk was the only pitcher to avoid a run, but did give up a walk. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 7, Wichita 5 Box Score Travis Adams started for the Wind Surge on Thursday, and the Cardinals saw him a bit too well. They got him for 11 hits, leading to seven runs. He didn’t walk anyone, but struck out just two. Down 5-0 before they took at-bats in the bottom of the second inning, Wichita had plenty of work to do. Tanner Schobel provided a spark, launching his second home run of the season, and the solo shot got them on the board. Unfortunately, Springfield answered with two more runs of their own. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kala’i Rosario singled home Jake Rucker, and while it wasn’t the damage he did on Wednesday night, it notched the second Wind Surge run of the evening. Luke Keaschall singled home Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko in the fifth inning to make it a 7-4 game. He has picked up right where he left off prior to his promotion. Carson McCusker lofted a sacrifice fly, scoring Keaschall and bringing Wichita within two. Sabato singled to open the ninth inning and give Wichita a chance, and Jorel Ortega replaced him on the base paths. Down to the team's final out, Keaschall stepped in and singled, bringing the winning run to the plate. Rucker, the only other player with two hits on the night, was set to be the batter. He singled to load the bases for Rosario with a chance to do it again. On a 1-2 pitch, he swung through a foul tip and the threat was over. After a tough start, the bullpen of Mike Paredes, Cody Laweryson, and Miguel Rodriguez pitched wonderfully to cover four scoreless innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Lake County 2 Box Score Christian MacLeod worked four innings of one-run baseball. He worked around three hits and a walk, while striking out one. The sides traded runs in the second inning, and the Kernels got theirs on a José Salas double that scored Misael Urbina. Lake County took the lead again with a run in the seventh inning, but Cedar Rapids wasn’t going to settle. Ricardo Olivar singled to score the recently promoted Kyle Hess and tie the ballgame. Looking for a victory before extras, Rayne Doncon stepped up in a big way. With one out in the ninth inning, following an Urbina walk, the prospect acquired alongside Manuel Margot blasted his first High-A home run to walk it off with a victory. With just five hits on the day, it was the big fly that did the most damage. Reliever Ricardo Velez got the win, moving his record to 5-0 on the year. MUSSEL MATTERS With inclement weather appearing at Hammond Stadium on Thursday, the game with Bradenton was postponed and will be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 10, FCL Twins 2 Box Score After they had a day off Wednesday, Walker Jenkins and the FCL Twins were back in action. Joel Garcia made the start and worked two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Orioles put up a three-spot against Eduardo Soriano in the third inning, and got him for four more in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Dameury Pena scored Amilcar Vasquez on a fifth inning groundout to score the Twins first run. Down 10-1 before their final at bats, Jenkins crushed a double to score Yilber Herrera. Jenkins scored on a Hendry Chivili single, but the third run was the last for the Twins. Javier Roman was the only player to grab a pair of hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker (Wichita) - 3-5, R, K PROSPECT SUMMARY #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-4, 2B, R #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-4, 2 K #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K #12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 1-4, RBI, K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-4, R, RBI, HR(2), 3 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-3, HR(9), BB, K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (2-3, 4.41 ERA) Wichita vs Springfield (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Marco Raya (0-0, 4.21 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Darren Bowen (2-2, 4.32 ERA) Fort Myers vs Bradenton (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Ross Dunn (0-0, 3.42 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

Box Score SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base. Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field. Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away. Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked. They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth. Kepler Comes Up Clutch As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding. Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning. With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game. Notes Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city. What’s Next? Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows: 5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco 6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez 6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

You’re plenty familiar with Walker Jenkins, the Minnesota Twins fifth overall pick from last summer’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, but Luke Keaschall followed him (and Charlee Soto) as their second round selection, and he’s climbing the charts. Not yet on the level of Brooks Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez, it’s getting hard not to consider him the next-best hitting prospect in the system. After a recent refresh of the Twins Daily Top Prospects list, the former Arizona State infielder finds himself sitting ninth. He trails Gabriel Gonzalez and Austin Martin among hitters, but there are valid reasons for both. The former is a toolsy outfielder with potential on both sides of the game, and the latter is a one-time top prospect, with first round pedigree, that has already made a big league debut. Related: Keaschall Looking to Do Damage for Kernels None of that is to discredit Keaschall, and if you’re trying to find a way to do that at this point, it would be difficult. Just 74 games into his professional career, Keaschall has made the next level look like anything but a challenge. After posting a 1.168 OPS in his final season with the Sun Devils, Keaschall immediately took to the professional ranks and ascended to High-A as a 20-year-old. Now 44 games into his second run with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Keaschall is batting .338 with a 1.007 OPS. He has seven longballs to his credit and has doubled 12 times. Speed isn’t something you’d necessarily expect from his profile, but quickness and instincts help to elevate him in a big way. After going a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season, he has started out 14-for-15 in 2024. Not only is there real power potential from a guy that is playing second base up the middle, but his ability to command the plate and strike zone is special. With more walks than strikes, he’s built of a mold somewhere in between Luis Arraez and Edouard Julien. Continuing to be that selective while doing damage, and showing such a keen eye as he ascends the ladder, will only benefit him. Related: Get to Know Twins Draft Pick Luke Keaschall Among the most egregious moves, in retrospect for Minnesota’s front office over recent years has been the Tyler Mahle trade. Derek Falvey dealing two bat-only prospects in Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand for a controllable starting pitcher they believed had more almost immediately backfired. Keaschall has something of a similar profile to the two aforementioned sluggers, and can give the Twins something of a redo. Expecting Keaschall to be a 30 homer guy down on the farm certainly isn’t going to happen, but some of his limitations could have him searching for a home defensively. Stretched on arm talent, he has played predominantly designated hitter this season for Cedar Rapids. An early injury influenced that, but he has gotten just ten starts on the dirt with another five coming in center field. A corner spot probably isn’t ideal from his overall power value, and if second base can’t be a home, then things get tough. Like Steer before him though, the bat playing to this level would be worthy of hiding him anywhere, and we’ll soon see how legitimate it is as things come against enhanced competition. Keaschall isn’t extremely young for the High-A level, and a jump to Double-A Wichita would make sense early this summer. Beyond what the Twins have shown from their top prospects, there are more than a few worth being aware of in the next wave. Keaschall could be among the best of them, and you’d best get familiar with him before it’s too late. Going to Double-A after just 52 games at High-A will be his toughest test yet.

Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (82 pitches, 61 strikes, 15 whiffs) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Bailey Ober -0.349, Edouard Julien -0.078, Carlos Correa -0.065 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Miranda Strikes, but Ober Gets Royal’d After posing a two-out threat against Seth Lugo in the first inning, the Twins finished the frame scoreless. Following a Willi Castro double in the second inning, Carlos Santana singled to put him just 90 feet from home. José Miranda then lofted a sacrifice fly to put the Twins on the board and up 1-0. Including (but not limited to) his start against them in the opening series of the season, Ober has proved unable to keep the Royals offense down. For whatever reason, they absolutely have him figured out, and Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez are especially lethal against him. Kyle Isbel singled to open the third inning; Witt later scored him from second base on a single of his own. Perez then traded places with the talented shortstop, and the Twins were down 2-1. By getting Adam Frazier to fly out, Ober nearly escaped a big inning, but Nelson Velázquez took him deep and the two-run dinger made it a 4-1 game. As they have done following an opposing outburst far too often, the Twins went down in order during the bottom of the third inning. Continuing to terrorize the Minnesota starter, Perez got him again in the fifth inning, this time for a solo home run to make it a 5-1 game. Velázquez got him for the second time in the game thereafter, widening the Kansas City lead to 6-1. Twins Can’t Touch Lugo Despite getting the first run early, the Minnesota Twins had no answers for Major League Baseball’s ERA leader. While some of his secondary numbers suggest likely regression, it wasn’t happening at Target Field on Wednesday night. Although Seth Lugo struck out just five, while walking three, he worked around six hits and multiple frames of traffic. Throwing 100 pitches across six innings, Lugo held Minnesota to 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight. After having warmed up a couple of times previously, Diego Castillo made his Minnesota debut tonight. Working a pair of scoreless innings, he walked a batter and didn’t strike anyone out. All in all, it was a fine opening salvo. Miranda singled and Manuel Margot walked to open the ninth inning, but neither advanced beyond those bases, and the Twins took a 6-1 loss. Castro went 3-for-4 with a run scored and the only extra-base hit in the loss. Notes Walker Jenkins had a day off with no FCL action while Brooks Lee batted second and was the Fort Myers designated hitter. Lee went 2-for-4 on the night. Royce Lewis also got an off day for the St. Paul Saints but is expected to play tomorrow in Rochester. Former Twins reliever Jorge López, the one they traded Cade Povich and Yennier Canó to Baltimore for, had quite the night. First he sent his glove flying into the stands following an ejection, then he doubled down in his postgame comments. He will be DFA’d, so guess he doesn’t have to worry about his employer anymore. What’s Next? Wrapping up the four-game set with the Kansas City Royals, Chris Paddack goes for the Twins looking to turn in another good start. He’ll be opposed by Brady Singer. The Twins need to grab the victory in order to walk away with the series before heading to Houston. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet