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It's a new year, so time for a new ex-Twins thread. As posted by @mnfireman, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. signed a minor league deal with Atlanta. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/braves-sign-dashawn-keirsey-jr-to-minors-deal.html

Andrelton Simmons featured in today's print New York Times with an Athletic article https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7322869/2026/06/01/andrelton-simmons-angels-braves-mexico-defense/

TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins signed free agent RHP Failin Placencio to a minor league contract and assigned him to the DSL Twins. Cedar Rapids Kernels send OF Caden Kendle on a rehab assignment to FCL Twins. The Twins traded #OldFriend Cash Considerations to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Taylor Rashi. SAINTS SENTINEL After a week at home in which the Saints went 5-1 against Indiana, the team will head on the road to face the Toledo Mud Hens. One of the highlights of the week will be the Saints lineup facing a scheduled rehab start by veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander. At age 43, Verlander saw one outing with the Detroit Tigers before facing injury. In that one start, the right-hander only completed 3 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs. Another name to watch from the Toledo side is top organizational prospect CF Max Clark. As a 21-year-old, Clark is hitting .257/.341/.390 (.731) to this point in 2026. Clark is certainly a player the Tigers hope Twins fans will have to see a lot of in the years to come. Alan Roden is also on rehab assignment with the FCL Twins and could be returning to the Saints soon. Before going down with a shoulder injury, Roden was hitting .275/.425/.464 (.889) for the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM The Wind Surge did not have a good week. They went 1-5 while hosting San Antonio. They will leave Wichita for Tulsa this week, hoping to regain their winning form. As the Wind Surge visit Tulsa, they will face three top ten outfield prospects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Josue De Paula leads the way for the Dodgers prospects. The 21-year-old left-hander is hitting .319/.420/.551 (.971) with 10 home runs. Fellow left-hander Zyhir Hope has also been hitting well with power, hitting .294/.351/.528 (.879) with 13 home runs. Rounding out the trio is right-handed hitting Mike Sirota, who has hit .339/.488/.602 (1.090) with 10 home runs of his own in 2026. KERNELS CHRONICLE The Kernels managed a 2-3 week, with a Sunday rainout, as they hosted the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers this past week. This week, the Kernels travel to play the Lansing Lugnuts, an affiliate of the Athletics. The Kernels will face off against outfield prospect Devin Taylor. A left-handed hitting but right-handed throwing 22-year-old who is hitting .292/.425/.436 (.861 OPS). MIGHTY MATTERS Coming off a 4-2 week, Fort Myers will host the Dunedin Blue Jays. This version of the Blue Jays boasts two top ten organizational prospects who each play the left side of the infield. JoJo Parker is 19 years old, bats left-handed, and has been hitting .226/.373/.367 (.740). Parker is joined by 18-year-old Juan Sanchez, who is batting .226/.315/.384 (.699) for the season. FCL TWINS Twins 10, Braves 3 Box Score For the majority of Twins Territory, eyes were on the rehabbing Alan Roden, who started in left field for the FCL Twins. Roden went 2-for-3, with a double and a walk, driving in a run, and scoring a run, a positive development for Roden as he looks to return to the Saints soon. Roden was just a small part of the offensive output from the Twins as they scored 10 total runs on Monday. Catcher Miguel Caraballo had the biggest performance on the day. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, run scored, and three RBIs. Center fielder Teilon Serrano also homered for the Twins for his lone run but was on base two other times via walk and scored all three times he reached base. Hendry Chivilli rebounded from last Monday’s start, going 4 1/3 innings. He allowed no runs on three hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Chivilli pitched in relief of the rehabbing Matt Barr who made his third rehab start in the FCL. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Halton Hardy signed earlier in the week and made his affiliated debut. He gave up one run on one hit. DSL TWINS Twins 9, Mets Orange 5 Box Score The Mets were able to score first in Monday’s matchup with the Twins, but it was the Twins and their bats that would prevail in their 9-5 victory. The Twins were held scoreless by the Mets until the fifth inning when Abel Sosa hit a two-run home run for his third on the season, and Luis Duarte hit a solo home run, his first of the young DSL season. The pair of long balls put the Twins up 3-1. Duarte wasn’t finished displaying power with his homer in the fifth. The right-handed-hitting catcher hit another solo home run in the 9th inning to give the Twins an insurance run to go up 6-3. It was a Jhon Gonzalez double and an Enmanuel Merlo 2-RBI single that helped the Twins reach nine total runs scored for the day. Agustin Campusano improved on his opening start by going 3 1/3 innings, striking out five batters, issuing three walks, and cutting back to two earned runs from five last week. Miguel Martinez did an exceptional job once again in relief, tossing 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, one unearned run, walking two batters, and striking out five. Right-hander Aldwin Morillo recorded the save in ugly fashion, giving up two runs in the ninth before shutting the door on the Mets. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Luis Duarte: 2-4, 2 HR Hendry Chivilli: 4 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 Ks TOP 20 PROSPECT WEEK IN REVIEW #2- Kaelen Culpepper (Saints)- .368/.478/.684, (1.162) 2 HR. #4- Connor Prielipp (Twins)- 1-1, 10 1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 14K #5- Eduardo Tait (Kernels)- .304/.386/.609 (.993), 1 2B, 2 HR #6- Dasan Hill (Kernels)- 0-1, 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #7- Marek Houston (Kernels)- .375/.524/.750 (1.274), 2 HR #8- Riley Quick (Kernels)- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K #10- Gabriel Gonzalez (Saints)- .176/.333/.176 (.510) #11- Charlee Soto (Kernels)- 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. #12- Andrew Morris (Twins)- 1 GS, 4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 K #13- Hendry Mendez (Saints)- .292/.370/.417, (OPS), 1 HR #14- Quentin Young (Mussels)- .158/.182/.316 (.498), 1 2B, 1 3B #15- Brandon Winokur (Kernels)- .222/.462/.556 (1.017), 2B, 3B, HR #16 Ryan Gallagher (Saints)- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4K #17-C.J. Culpepper (Saints)- 2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB #19- Khadim Diaw (Kernels)- .353/.522/.471 (.992), 2 2B #20- Kyle Debarge (Wind Surge)- .167/.318/.222 (.540), 1 2B TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul Saints @ Toledo- RHP Ryan Gallagher Wichita Wind Surge @ Tulsa- TBD Cedar Rapids Kernels @ Lansing- TBD Dunedin @ Fort Myers Mussels - TBD FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins - TBD DSL NYY Yankees @ DSL Twins - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of Zach Del Bello (photo of Jorel Ortega) TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Sunday. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Indianapolis 0 Box Score John Klein: 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (2-for-4, 2B, R), Tanner Schobel (2-for-4) The Saints shut out their opponent on Sunday. It was a surprisingly tame match for International League standards. Indianapolis simply never got anything going against St. Paul’s litany of pitchers. John Klein? Effective, if not wildly so with three hits and three walks against him. Ty Langenberg? The star of the show. The one who delivered 2 1/3 efficient frames in arguably his best showing in a Saints uniform. Marco Raya? Even more efficient by netting two shutout frames with just 13 pitches. Then Kody Funderburk and C.J. Culpepper finished the job, with both hurlers needing fewer than 10 pitches to do so. St. Paul as a whole threw 110 pitches. It was as if the entire Indianapolis lineup had a tee time to make. The pitching success rendered St. Paul’s relatively meager offensive showing more than enough to claim the win. Tanner Schobel brought in a run in the fourth off an infield single—and though the lineup could have napped at the plate the rest of the game and still won—they tacked on thanks to a two-run single by Aaron Sabato in the fifth. Sabato ended play with a .975 OPS on the season, the eighth-best mark in the International League. Third-ranked Pirates prospect Hunter Barco provided bulk innings for Indianapolis, tossing four frames while surrendering three earned runs. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, San Antonio 7 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Billy Amick (14), Jorel Ortega (2) Multi-hit games: Jorel Ortega (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI) The team soon to be formerly known as the Wind Surge came up short on Sunday. Donning the moniker “Turbo Tubs” that will eventually become the team’s permanent name, Wichita didn’t appear especially turbo-ed, though they had chances (whatever that means). They plated a trio of runs off starter Ian Koenig, yet are likely kicking themselves for not scoring more, as the righty walked five in a scattershot outing. Instead, all the Wind Surge could muster against the starter was one run in the second, and two in the fifth. That’s Billy Amick in there somewhere amongst the rain haze, we promise. Amick now has 14 homers on the season, as he’s now tripled what was his career long ball total at the season’s start. His meager .212 batting average betrays a healthy .341 OBP and a robust .475 slugging percentage, giving him a prototypical slashline for a slugging corner infielder. Jorel Ortega added on in the sixth with a solo homer, his second shot of the season. Only former Volunteers could go long on Sunday, evidently. Unfortunately, Wichita pitching matched the sloppiness of the endured weather. Cory Lewis continued to struggle in his attempt to rebound from a disastrous 2025 season; his AA ERA this year sits at 5.60, a disappointing number given his mark across 66 innings with the team two years ago was 2.59. Sam Ryan coughed up three runs in his lone inning of work. Then Nick Mikolajchak became the third pitcher to fail in shutting out the Missions. Zach Vennaro and Paulshawn Pasqualotto finally delivered zeroes, but by then, it was too late. Uber prospect turned ordinary top-100 guy, Ethan Salas, caught for the Missions, collecting two hits in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels started play on Sunday before rain quickly squashed any hopes of completing nine innings. The game was canceled and will not be made up later. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 5 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (2-for-3, 3B, R, 2 RBI), Graham Brown (2-for-4, RBI), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels were bested late on Sunday. Perhaps the second inning best portends how the game was to go: Ryan Sprock led off the frame with a triple, only to be stranded as his next two friends went down whiffing, and the third flew out. Then pitcher Ramiro Villanueva walked two—and nearly escaped the inning without allowing a run—only for a single to plate both runners. Villanueva also balked. It didn’t end up mattering. But a balk always foretells grave matters. And if it wasn’t for Sprock, the Mighty Mussels would have walked away from Sunday embarrassed instead of merely beat. The DH lived up to the position’s namesake: he added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and drove in another run with a single in the eighth. Then he stole second. That’s a lot of bases, and a significant amount of runs, given that Fort Myers only scored thrice, credited to just one player. Graham Brown added on with a game-tying single, yet the Mighty Mussels pitching that bent all game finally broke for good, surrendering two in the bottom half of the frame in what became the game’s deciding effort. Dameury Pena stole his 17th base of the season, tying him for the 10th-most in the Florida State League. Lakeland DH Nick Dumesnil ranks as the Tigers’ 23rd-best prospect. He walked twice in four plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ty Langenberg Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jorel Ortega PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #4 – Connor Prielipp (Twins) - 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-2, R, 2 BB #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-4, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-4, 3 K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Braves @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Mets Orange (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Eduardo Tait) TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins signed veteran Austin Voth to a minor-league contract. He was DFAd recently by the Blue Jays. He cleared waivers and elected free agency. Just days later, he signed with the Twins. The 33-year-old was assigned to the Saints and started Thursday night’s game. The Twins also signed Jake Covey, a 24-year-old non-drafted free agent. He has made two starts for the Glacier Range Riders in Kalispell, Montana, this season. In 12 innings, he gave up two runs on 11 hits. He had two walks and 14 strikeouts. After high school, he went to New Mexico State for the 2021 season, but he redshirted that year. Then he spent two seasons at Orange Coast College. He pitched the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Concordia University - Irvine. He went undrafted in the 2025 draft. This is his first opportunity with a big-league organization. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Indianapolis 4 Box Score When Royce Lewis was optioned to St. Paul, his bat immediately heated up. The same can’t be said for fellow optionee, Matt Wallner. When the Saints ended their game in Louisville, Wallner had an 0-for-4 and was hitting .184/.305/.265 (.570). His past five games: Saturday: 2-for-5 Sunday: 2-for-5, HR Tuesday: 2-for-4, 2B Wednesday: 2-for-4, BB, HR Thursday: 3-for-5, 3-HR. After Thursday’s game, he is now hitting .278/.361/.556 (.917), numbers you might expect. Oh yeah, there was a game played too. Austin Voth started and gave up three runs in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Hendry Mendez signed with one out. He advanced to third base on a Royce Lewis double. Both scored ahead of Wallner who launched his first home run of the game. The game was tied at 3-3. In the bottom of the third, Wallner led off with his second home of the day and fourth of the Saints season. With two outs, Tanner Schobel doubled to drive in Gabriel Gonzalez to make it 4-3. Voth settled in. He gave up just the three first-inning runs on five hits and went 4 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts without a walk. Marco Raya came in and got the final out of the fifth inning. He worked a perfect sixth frame too, and two of the four outs he recorded were on strikeouts. Then there was a 36-minute rain delay. John Klein came on and gave up one run on one hit and two walks in the seventh inning. He had two strikeouts. Leading 6-4 going to the bottom of the seventh inning, the Saints held a 6-4 lead. Matt Wallner led off with his third home run of the game and fifth of the season. Trent Baker came on and struck out four batters over two perfect innings to record his second save. Wallner was 3-for-4 with the three homers, three runs scored, and five RBI. Hendry Mendez was 2-for-4 with a walk. Royce Lewis was 1-for-3 with two walks and a double. Kyler Fedko was 2-for-4. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, San Antonio 5 Box Score Preston Johnson made his first Wichita start and gave up three runs on five hits over four innings. He walked two and struck out one batter. Nick Mikolajchak made his debut in the Twins organization. The 28-year-old gave up two runs on two hits and a walk over two innings. Both hits were home runs. Jarret Whorff had two strikeouts over two perfect innings. Kyle Bischoff worked a perfect ninth frame. The Wind Surge offense faced a rehabbing former major leaguer, Juan Brito. They scored one run in five innings against him. The run came on the first Double-A home run for Jaime Ferrer. The homer was one of the Surge’s six hits. Kalai’ Rosario went 1-for-3 with the team’s lone walk. Garrett Spain hit his ninth double, and Miguel Briceno hit his first Surge double. The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Be sure to check out one of our DiamondCentric sites, Padres Mission. Also, check out how many of these Missions players appear on the Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Rankings. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 5, Wisconsin 8 Box Score The TimberRattlers roster is loaded with prospects, some pitchers but the lineup has a lot of potential big leaguers. Be sure to go to our sister site, Brewer Fanatic, and check out how many of their top prospects play for Wisconsin. Rattlers starting pitcher Josh Knoth was the 33rd overall pick of the 2023 draft out of high school. He made 21 starts at Low A Myrtle Beach in 2024, but he missed the full 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery. He made three rehab starts in the ACL and on Thursday night, he made his third start with Wisconsin. He went two innings in the first one. He threw three innings in the second start. On Thursday, he gave up two runs on two hits over 3 2/3 innings. And, thankfully, Luis Pena was back in their lineup on Thursday after leaving the game due to illness on Tuesday. Scary after what he went through a month ago. And, why has 2025 top pick Andrew Fischer not been promoted to Biloxi. And, personal opinion, Josh Adamczewski is one of the most underrated prospects in baseball right now. After going 2-for-3 with a walk with his ninth homer and 10th stolen base. And 2024 top pick Braylon Payne has a .900+ OPS and is still just 19. The Kernels have a pretty solid offense, but through the first three games of this series, all Rattler wins, Cedar Rapids has been outscored 32-20. But if you’re in southern Minnesota or near the Twins Cities and are looking for something to do this weekend, make the drive down to Cedar Rapids and watch a couple of solid High-A teams compete. Now to the Kernels. Wisconsin scored four runs in the top of the first inning. The Kernels responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Brandon Winokur led off with a walk, and then Eduardo Tait hit his eighth home run of the season to cut the deficit in half. Wisconsin added two runs in the third and another in the fifth inning. So when the Kernels came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, they were behind 7-2. Eduardo Tait led off that inning with his second home run of the game and ninth of the season. Khadim Diaw followed with a double. He went to third on a fly out and scored on a second fly out to make it 7-4 Wisconsin. In the bottom of the seventh, the Kernels cut the lead by one more run. Danny De Andrade led off with a double and then scored on a two-out triple by Brandon Winokur. Tait had two of the team’s eight hits and three of their five RBI. Jay Thomason went 2-for-3 with a walk. He also stole his 13th and 14th bases. Diaw’s double was his 13th, and De Andrade’s was his fourth. Winokur had a walk to go with his second triple of the season. Michael Ross started and gave up six runs on four hits and four walks in four innings. He actually walked the first three batters he faced, which is never good, so his line could have actually been worse. Christian Becerra gave up one run on two hits and a walk over two innings. He had three strikeouts. Sam Rochard struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. Eston Stull gave up one run on four walks in the ninth inning. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 11, Lakeland 0 Box Score The Mussels scored double-digit runs on Thursday, but we have to talk pitching first. Justin Mitrovich’s season started late, but since he has joined the Mussels and made his pro debut, he has been fantastic. In fact, he was the Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May. In his five May starts, he worked a total of 15 2/3 innings. In his first start in June, Mitrovich tossed five scoreless innings and threw 71 pitches, easily his career high. He gave up two hits, walked two and had five strikeouts. It earned him his first professional Win as well. Mitrovich was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2025 out of Elon. Their 18th-round pick in 2025 was Matthew Dalquist. He pitched at UC-San Diego. He came on and earned his first pro save by tossing four shutout innings in relief. He began by getting the first 11 batters out. With two outs in the ninth, an error put a runner on base, but Dalquist got the next batter out to end the game. In his final May start, Dalquist tossed five shutout innings, so he’s pitching very well too. A lot went right for the Mussels at the plate. They scored their 11 runs on 15 hits and four walks. They had just three extra base hits and one stolen base. They scored three runs in the first inning and then had a seven-run second inning. They held the 10-0 lead until the top of the ninth when they added one run. They were 9-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left eight one base. Quentin Young led the way. He went 3-for-4 with his sixth double, his second triple, two runs and three RBI. Luis Fragoza was hit by a pitch and went 2-for-4 with his fifth double and three RBI. In 12 Mussels games, the 19-year-old is hitting .318/.388/.636 (1.024) with five doubles and three triples with 14 RBI.Ramiro Dominguez went 2-for-4 with a walk. Irvin Nunez went 2-for-4 with a walk. Bryan Acuna went 2-for-5. COMPLEX CHRONICLE FCL Twins 5, FCL Braves 1 Box Score Frederick Hiciano signed with the Twins on January 15th out of the Dominican Republic. He was added to the DSL Twins roster on May 27th, but apparently, they had a change of heart or saw him pitch and realized he was ready for the FCL. He was added to the FCL Twins roster on May 30th. He made his professional debut on Thursday. He tossed two scoreless, hitless, walkless innings and had one strikeout. Six batters faced. Six batters out. Next, Callan Fang made his second rehab start. The 2025 13th round pick from Harvard tossed two innings. He gave up an unearned run on one hit. He walked none and had four strikeouts. Nick McAuliffe worked the final three innings. He gave up no runs, no hits, no walks and struck out five batters. The one hit that the FCL Braves had was an infield single by Diego Tornes. Tornes stole second base and went to third on a throwing error. He scored the unearned run on a fielding error off the bat of Yamvier Carrero. Carrero stole second and went to third on a throwing error. However, Fang got a strikeout to end that inning. The Twins got on the scoreboard with a three-spot in the top of the third. With one out, Yilber Herrera singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Yovanny Duran and Miguel Caraballo walked to load the bases. Jhomnardo Reyes drove a single to left to drive in two runs. Caraballo scored on a wild pitch. The Twins held the 3-1 lead until the top of the sixth. Carlos Taveras led off with a single. He moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Darwin Almanzar was hit by a pitch. Victor Leal singled to right to drive in Taveras with the fourth run. With two outs, Herrera walked. Almanzar scored when the power had a throwing error. The Twins had five runs on six hits and six walks. Yovanny Duran, Miguel Caraballo, Jhomnardo Reyes, Victor Leal, and Yilber Herrera each had a single and a walk. Caraballo was also hit by a pitch. DSL Twins 3, FCL Rockies 11 Box Score Not a great day for the DSL Twins. Through four innings, they were behind 11-0. However, they won the final three innings 3-0. (Yes, I realize that doesn’t actually mean anything.) Fernando Hernandez made his professional debut. The 19-year-old gave up one run on one hit and one walk. He had one strikeout. 19-year-old Alam Soriano made his pro debut too. He gave up seven runs on three hits and four walks. In 1 2/3 innings, he had three strikeouts. Next up was the pro debut of 17-year-old Juan Germosen. He gave up three runs on one hit and five walks in 1 1/3 innings. He had one strikeout. Each of the first three pitchers threw a wild pitch. Soriano and Germosen each hit one batter. Yolcar Garcia, an 18-year-old right-hander, came on for his professional debut. In two innings, he faced just six batters. He gave up no runs, no hits and issued no walks. He had two strikeouts. As mentioned earlier, the Twins were behind 10-0 after four innings. In the top of the fifth, Daiyer Barboza walked with one out. He moved to second on a ground out and then third on a balk. Juan Holman walked, and then Barboza scored on another balk. With two outs in the top of the seventh, the Twins were down to their final out. Barboza recorded his first pro hit, and his first pro home run, both on the same swing. Jendy Martinez followed with a walk, and Juan Holmann drove him in with a double to center. Holmann was 2-for-2 with two walks and his second double. Barboza was 1-for-1 with two walks a homer and two runs scored. The only other hit the team had was a double by catcher Luis Duarte. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Matt Wallner (St. Paul): 3-for-5, 3-HR(5), 3 R, 5 RBI, K. Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids: 2-for-5, 2-HR(9), 2 R, 3 RBI. Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 3-for-4, 2B(6), 3B(2), 2 R, 3 RBI, K Pitcher(s) of the Day Justin Mitrovich (Fort Myers): 5 IP, 2H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 71 pitches, 43 strikes (60.6%) Matthew Dalquist (Fort Myers): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 48 pitches, 31 strikes (64.6%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, CS(2). (batted first, played 3B) #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 2-HR(9), 2 R, 3 RBI (batted second, played catcher). #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, R, K. (batted sixth, played DH) #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 48 pitches, 32 strikes (66.7%) #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, BB, R (batted second, played LF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 3-for-4, 2B(6), 3B(2), 2 R, 3 RBI, K (batted sixth, played 3B) #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 3B(2), R, RBI, K (batted first, played SS) #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B(13), R, K (batted third, DHd) #20 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K (batted third, played SS) UPCOMING PROBABLES Friday, June 5: Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07 pm CT) - RHP Ricky Castro (0-0, 4.32 ERA) vs Jose Urquidy (2-3, 4.78 ERA) San Antonio @ Wichita (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-3, 6.55 ERA) fs RHP Miguel Mendez (1-1, 4.76 ERA), Padres #3 prospect (#2 pitching prospect) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - RHP Riley Quick (0-1, 4.41 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Lakeland (6:30 pm CT) - RHP Reed Moring (1-0, 1.95 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (11:00 am CT) - TBD DSL Marlins @ DSL Twins (10:00 am CT) - TBD CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 29-35 (3rd place (of 5) in AL Central, 7.0 GB)) St. Paul Saints: 32-27 (4th place (of 10) in IL West Division, 5.0 GB)) Wichita Wind Surge: 22-30 (5th place (of 5) in TL North Division, 12.0 GB)) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 26-28 (4th place (of 6) in MWL West Division, 8.0 GB)) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 31-23 (2nd place (of 6) in FSL West Division, 3.0 GB)) FCL Twins: 11-12 (4th place (of 6) in FCL South Division, 4.5 GB)) DSL Twins: 0-3 (7th place (of 7) in DSL East Division, 2.0 GB)) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

I'm just going to post the stuff I'm going to track this season. I usually do this type of stuff for my benefit. This year... I might as well share it. Some won't be interested.... everybody should be... but I know some won't. Regardless. I'll update the LH/RH starting pitcher tracker every day and if there are a couple of you folks that would be interested in such stuff... it'll be worth it to share. For what it's worth. This first post will just be a start of the season marker of how many players under three years experience that made the 26 man rosters of all 30 teams. This can always be referenced when looking at what teams are having good years or not having good years. Under three years experience is a quick way to count players making the minimum. The more players making the minimum... the less spots remaining to fill and more money to spend on those less spots. All teams have a budget... this is an important head count. Disclaimer: Players with under three years experience who were offered multi-year contracts buying out some years... are not making the minimum and are still counted as players with less than 3 years experience. Nats: 20 - Payroll 97 Cards: 19 - Payroll 99 White Sox: 18 - Payroll 87 Marlins: 18 - Payroll 73 Guardians: 18 - Payroll 84 Rockies: 16 - Payroll 122 A's: 16 - Payroll 95 Giants: 15 - Payroll 204 Twins: 14 - Payroll 107 Brewers: 14 - Payroll 129 Rays: 14 - Payroll 88 Pirates: 14 - Payroll 105 Astros: 12 - Payroll 237 Dodgers: 12 - Payroll 397 Red Sox: 12 - Payroll 196 Orioles: 11 - Payroll 166 Jays: 11 - Payroll 289 Mariners: 11 - Payroll 162 Reds: 11 - Payroll 126 Padres: 10 - Payroll 208 Angels: 10 - Payroll 183 Tigers: 9 - Payroll 217 Cubs: 9 - Payroll 233 Royals: 8 - Payroll 149 Mets: 8 - Payroll 366 Rangers: 8 - Payroll 186 Yankees: 8 - Payroll 319 D-Backs: 6 - Payroll 196 Phillies: 6 - Payroll 285 Braves; 5 - Payroll 250

Image courtesy of William Parmeter Joe Ryan has been everything the Minnesota Twins could have hoped for this season. Through his first 64 1/3 innings, the right-hander has posted a sub-3.00 ERA while striking out 70 hitters and establishing himself as one of the most reliable starters in the American League. He's coming off a stretch of five consecutive quality starts (excluding the outing where he threw just nine pitches) and has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of them. The advanced metrics suggest his success is no fluke, either. Ryan's expected ERA sits below his actual ERA, while his FIP is even lower. The underlying numbers paint the picture of a pitcher who has legitimately taken another step forward in 2026. Put simply, Joe Ryan has pitched like an ace. And that's exactly why the Twins should consider trading him. That might sound counterintuitive. But Ryan's combination of performance, affordability, and remaining control is precisely what would make him one of the most coveted players on the trade market. If the Twins decide they aren't positioned to seriously contend in the near future, there may never be a better opportunity to maximize the value of one of their most important assets. One of the biggest reasons why is Ryan's contract situation. If he were approaching free agency, the decision would be relatively straightforward. The Twins would either keep him for a playoff push or move him for whatever return they could get before losing him. But that's not the situation here. Ryan isn’t an unrestricted free agent until 2028, meaning whatever team (hypothetically) acquired him would be getting him beyond this year. Acquiring a frontline starter for one postseason run is valuable. Acquiring one for multiple seasons is something entirely different. That's why teams are often willing to pay a premium for pitchers in Ryan's position. They're buying a pitcher who can slot near the top of the rotation immediately. They're buying cost-controlled production, and a player they don't have to compete for on the open market for multiple years. Those players rarely become available. And when they do, bidding wars tend to follow. A recent example (to an extent) is the Garrett Crochet trade. When the White Sox moved Crochet to Boston, they landed four prospects in return, including a pair who ranked highly on Top-100 lists. While Ryan wouldn't command quite that level of return, the comparison illustrates the type of value that frontline pitching can generate. The Twins could realistically target a package built around a Top-100 prospect and additional high-upside talent. More importantly, they would likely have multiple teams competing to make those offers. The market for starting pitching is almost always aggressive, and there are plenty of contenders that could use help. Teams like the Braves, Padres, Yankees, Diamondbacks and Brewers are all teams firmly in the postseason hunt that could really use a top-of-the-rotation starter like Ryan. There are probably several other clubs that would get involved as well. The point is that the Twins wouldn't be negotiating from a position of weakness. They would be negotiating from a position of strength. If Ryan were made available, Minnesota could afford to be selective. The front office could compare offers, identify the prospects they like the most, and ultimately choose the package that best fits the organization's long-term vision. That's a luxury many sellers don't have. Of course, none of this means trading Ryan would be easy. In fact, it would probably be one of the most difficult decisions the front office could make. Ryan is a popular name. He's developed into exactly the type of pitcher every team wants leading its rotation. Trading players like that is never fun. But front offices have to separate emotion from evaluation. The question isn't whether Joe Ryan is good; the answer to that is obvious. The question is whether keeping Joe Ryan gives the Twins a better chance to build a championship-caliber roster than trading him for a significant haul of young talent. That's where things become more complicated. If the Twins were clearly positioned to compete for a World Series over the next couple years, holding onto Ryan would be an easy decision. You keep great players when you're trying to win championships. But if the organization believes it's still several pieces away, then Ryan becomes something different. He becomes an opportunity to add multiple young players and improve the organization's long-term outlook. An opportunity to accelerate a retooling process without committing to a full rebuild. And while Ryan is still relatively young, there's also the reality that pitcher value can change quickly. Pitchers get hurt, performance fluctuates, and circumstances change. There's no guarantee Ryan's trade value will ever be higher than it is right now. That's what makes this summer so intriguing. The Twins have one of the most valuable trade assets in baseball. They have a pitcher performing at an ace level, multiple years of team control remaining, and a market that would almost certainly be filled with interested buyers. Whether the front office ultimately agrees is another question entirely. They may view Ryan as a foundational piece worth building around, and that's a reasonable position to take. But at the very least, the Twins should strongly consider the possibility. Because as difficult as it would be to trade a pitcher as good as Joe Ryan, the return might ultimately do more for the future of the franchise than keeping him ever could. View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Ryan Gallagher) TRANSACTIONS RHP Nolan Santos activated from 7-day IL (Cedar Rapids) 3B Murphy Stehly retired (AA Wichita) RHP Charlee Soto sent to A Fort Myers on MiLB rehab RHP Hunter Gregory signed to a minor league contract Hunter Gregory? Yes, the Twins dipped into independent reserves once more. This time, they looked to the mound: former Blue Jays farmhand Hunter Gregory inked a deal to join Minnesota’s farm system. Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported he’ll join the Wichita Wing Surge. Gregory was a four-year player at Old Dominion between 2018-2021, starting the majority of his senior season to great results (a 2.95 ERA over 79 1/3 innings with more strikeouts than frames). Following that year, Toronto selected him in the 8th-round. He reached AAA in 2025, but was roughed up, and the franchise decided that a 26-year-old who walked more batters than he struck out wasn’t worth a roster spot. The York Revolution came calling, and he has been excellent for them: hitters who talk about destruction were counted (called) out, as he racked up 20 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings. We shall see what he can do in the Twins system. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 10, Indianapolis 1 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K HR: Hendry Mendez (4), Matt Wallner (2), Royce Lewis (10) Multi-hit games: Kaelen Culpepper (2-for-4, 3 R, BB), Hendry Mendez (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Royce Lewis (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI), Matt Wallner (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB) The St. Paul Royce Lewis’s stomped their opponent on Wednesday. At some point, it actually becomes difficult to capture a performance like this in writing: purple prose and exasperation isn’t a happy combination. Lewis is a supernova. He’s played 11 games with the Saints since being demoted and has eight homers. His AAA OPS in 2026 is literally nearly triple his major league mark. And Wednesday’s blast was of the ilk that made him a once-foreseen superstar many moons ago—a grand slam. What he’s doing in St. Paul is unbelievable. He wasn’t the only Saint in a hitting mood on Wednesday, as everyone in the lineup accrued a base knock. More blasts came from Hendry Mendez, who smoked a gorgeous shot to center with a slight fade, and Matt Wallner, who thundered a signature mutant flyball that refused to return to earth. Ryan Gallagher authored five shutout frames on the mound, occasionally giving in to temptation with a walk or two—or four, but who’s counting—yet never budging from his goal to stop Indianapolis from scoring. In fact, only twice did a runner even reach second base. Indianapolis’ leadoff man Termarr Johnson likely caught your eye. The fourth overall pick in 2022, Johnson earned overtures for being unusually “hitterish” at such a young age; his time in the minors has been beset by more ordinary play and a jump in strikeouts (and walks). He’s no longer a top 100 guy, but he’s Pittsburgh’s fifth-ranked prospect, and he singled and walked in five plate appearances. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 7, San Antonio 6 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti 2 (4, 5), Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI) The Wind Surge eked out a win on Wednesday. It’s good to have a big dude who can hit the ball far. Just ask Earl Weaver. That’s what Andrew Cossetti is here for. He stepped up to the plate in his first at-bat with the bases loaded—an ultimate chance to give his team an early advantage—and walloped a mammoth 452 foot grand slam to spearhead a five-run frame before returning in the seventh to blast a two-run shot that catapulted the Wind Surge back into the lead. That’s also, by the way, how a team can score seven runs despite going 1-5 with runners in scoring position. Sometimes, home plate is scoring position. The Missions started Ethan Salas at DH on Wednesday. MLB.com’s 51st-ranked player walked twice in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 10 Box Score Dasan Hill: 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Yasser Mercedes (3) Multi-hit games: Eduardo Tait (2-for-4, 2B, BB, R), Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, R), Yasser Mercedes (3-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI) The Kernels were out-slugged on Wednesday. All remains unruly in Dasan Hill’s 2026 season. He struggled to find the strike zone consistently, walking three as just 42 of his 70 pitches went for strikes. He surrendered four hits. The young lefty has flashed tantalizing ability at times, yet an affliction remains that causes the strike zone to often appear like a mustard seed. Hopefully he can figure things out soon. Yasser Mercedes continued to be a dual-threat menace, smacking a three-run homer while stealing his 12th base of the season. He was joined by Brandon Winokur and Jay Thomason, who also swiped a bag for the 12th time on the year. Strange happenings. It was a good, not awe-inspiring line, but Eduardo Tait reaching base thrice without a strikeout was an encouraging sight. He hit a poor .174/.245/.315 in May, so this game could be the positive augur the young catcher was undoubtedly looking for. The Timber Rattlers are an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, and they are the home of their most recent first-round pick, Andrew Fischer. He manned third and reached base three times in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Lakeland 11 Box Score Charlee Soto: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: JP Smith II (7) Multi-hit games: None An explosive eighth sunk the Mighty Mussels on Wednesday. Charlee Soto is back! More than a year after not pitching in a competitive game, Soto took the mound and… looked like someone who hadn’t pitched in a competitive game in more than a year. Which is fine. His stuff looked good, and he topped out at 99.9 (they don’t round in Florida). Jason Reitz entered once the Soto fanfare died down to deliver his finest outing since joining the Twins organization, whiffing three in a trio of extraordinarily efficient innings. He didn’t even reach a three-ball count. JP Smith hit the lone homer for Fort Myers—yet it was one of the inside-the-park variety. And it was hit to the pull-side. How is that possible? Well, the left-fielder decided that running the wall flailing would be better than playing the ricochet. He was wrong. And as a result, a rotund man had to run the bases with a vigor likely foreign to him. But what a sight it was! Tigers’ seventh-ranked prospect, Jordan Yost, played shortstop and reached base three times, once each via a hit, walk, and hit by pitch. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Gallagher Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Andrew Cossetti PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2-4, 3 R, BB #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, R, BB #6 – Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #11 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-3, RBI, 2 K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB, 2 K #16 – Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, R, BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - RHP John Klein San Antonio @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Preston Johnson Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - RHP Michael Ross Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM) - RHP Justin Mitrovich FCL Twins @ FCL Braves (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Colorado (9:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut, Cedar Rapids Kernels (photo of Eduardo Tait) TRANSACTIONS The Minnesota Twins officially optioned 3B Royce Lewis to the St. Paul Saints on Tuesday. They also purchased the contract of infielder Orlando Arcia and recalled RHP Travis Adams. To fill in for catcher Ryan Jeffers, they also recalled C Alex Jackson. To make room on the 40 and 26-man rosters, the Twins also DFAd RHP Justin Topa and moved Garrett Acton to the 60-Day Injured List. In Double-A Wichita placed 3B Jake Rucker on the 7-day injured list and received SS Miguel Briceno from Cedar Rapids. The Wind Surge also activated LHP Jake Higginbotham who has pitched in Triple-A for multiple organizations the past three seasons but was in independent ball to begin 2026. The Kernels activated LHP Garrett Horn from the 7-day injured list. In the Florida State League, the Mighty Mussels placed RHP Jace Kaminska on the full-season injured list and sent RHP Matthew DesMarets to the FCL Twins. They also activated RHP Dylan Questad and RHP Jason Reitz from the 7-day injured list. In the Rookie Leagues, RHP Preston Johnson was assigned to the FCL Twins after signing with the Twins. He last made seven appearances in Triple-A with the Norfolk Tides in 2025. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 5, St. Paul 3 Box Score Over his last five outings starting pitcher Mike Paredes had delivered a 1.47 ERA for the St. Paul Saints. He continued that strong trend by allowing just one in his four innings in this one. He allowed just two hits, walked two, and struck out six. 35 of his 57 pitches went for strikes (61%), including 12 swings and misses. Over his last 22 1/3 innings after this one, Paredes has allowed just four earned runs on 15 hits and five walks, while striking out 21. He left the game with the Saints out front 2-1 thanks to an Aaron Sabato home run in the bottom of the second, and a bases loaded double-play ball to score a run in the third. An RBI single from Ben Ross in the sixth would be all of their scoring for the game, however. Matt Wallner finished 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of strikeouts. Ross was the only batter with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4. Sabato (2), Kyler Fedko (8), and Wallner (1) all stole a base. Right-hander Andrew Bash was the first out of the bullpen in the fifth and was charged with two earned runs on two solo homers over his two innings. Marco Raya gave up a run of his own in the seventh, striking out one. Kody Funderburk had a scoreless inning, walking one but striking out two. Drew Smith allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk in the ninth. He struck out one. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 7, Wichita 5 Box Score After a scoreless top of the first inning from starting pitcher Sam Armstrong, leadoff man Kyle DeBarge wasted zero time getting this one going for the Wind Surge. He swung at the first pitch and launched it onto the berm in left field for the early 1-0 lead. Caleb Roberts followed with a walk and later scored on a double from Ricardo Olivar to make it 2-0 after one. An RBI groundout from Billy Amick in the second made it 3-0 after two, but Armstrong wasn’t able to keep the Drillers at bay. They scored three in the third then two in the fifth to chase him after 4 1/3 innings. He allowed those five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk but did strike out five. Spencer Bengard finished off the fifth and sixth innings but gave up two earned runs of his own on four hits while punching out four in his 1 2/3. The Wind Surge were able to tie the game at five in the bottom of the fifth after Amick was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Olivar delivered another double to put them on second and third, and a walk from Andrew Cossetti loaded the bases. Murphy Stehly scored one with a sac fly, then a run-scoring balk knotted it up before the Drillers were able to retake the lead against Bengard in the top of the sixth. Jarret Whorff (1 IP, H, BB) and Jacob Wosinski (2 IP) gave the lineup a chance by keeping the Drillers out of the run column the rest of the way, but Wichita’s offense wasn’t able to start any rallies over the final four frames. Olivar (2-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI, K) was the only batter with multiple hits and they tallied just five as a team compared to Tulsa’s 12. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 10, Peoria 5 Box Score Catcher Eduardo Tait got the Kernels started early, launching his seventh home run of the season in the top of the first inning. Jacob McCombs followed up with a solo shot in the second inning for a 2-0 lead, before the Kernels plated three more in the fourth to take control. Danny De Andrade delivered a bases loaded single to score two and then executed a double steal with McCombs to make it 5-1 at the time. Taking the mound for Cedar Rapids to start the game was righty Ivran Romero and he went the first three innings. He was charged with one earned run on two hits and two walks, while striking out three. Nolan Santos was the first reliever out of the bullpen to begin the fourth inning and finished 1 1/3 to be credited with the win. He allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks, striking out one. Nick Trabacchi scattered five hits over the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one run. He also walked two and struck out three. In the top of the seventh the Kernels lineup got back to business. De Andrade hit his fourth home run of the season and Jay Thomason followed with his fifth for back-to-back shots to make it 7-2 Kernels. They tacked on three more insurance runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI double from Khadim Diaw, a run scoring balk, and an RBI groundout from McCombs. Reliever Cole Peschl finished off the final two innings for the pitching staff, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out three. While the Kernels four solo home runs were a big part of the win, the rest of the lineup's seven hits and situational success that did most of the damage on the scoreboard. Tait (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 K), McCombs (2–for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) and De Andrade (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K) each had two hits in the win. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers @ Dunedin The series opening game in Dunedin was postponed on Tuesday as bad weather was moving into the area. They will make up the game as part of a doubleheader on Thursday. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Braves 0, FCL Twins 2 Box Score Four Twins pitchers combined for a shutout against the Braves on Monday. As a staff they allowed just four hits, no walks, and struck out 14 for a dominating effort. The rehabbing Garrett Horn made the start and went the first three innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced, including two strikeouts. Geremy Villoria pitched the fourth inning and struck out two. Hendry Chivilli began the fifth inning and finished the next three frames. He allowed two hits and struck out five. Nick McAuliffe finished off the final two innings to pick up the save. He gave up two hits and also struck out five. The Twins lineup scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Murphy Hernandez was hit by a pitch, stole second base, and then scored on a double from Darwin Almanzar. Miguel Caraballo added an insurance run in the eighth with his second home run of the season to make the final score. Yovanny Duran had two of their six hits on the game out of the leadoff spot and stole a base. Tuesday: FCL Twins 3, FCL Braves 7 Box Score The same two teams switched venues on Tuesday, and the Braves were able to exact some revenge. Starting pitcher Cristian Hernandez held the Braves scoreless for the first four innings. He allowed three hits and three walks in his 4 1/3 innings but was not charged with any runs. Carter Holjes got the final two outs of the fifth with a pair of strikeouts. Up to that point the Twins had taken the lead thanks to Teilon Serrano driving in Enrique Jimenez with an RBI single in the first (Jimenez had doubled in front of him). Daiber De Los Santos tripled in the third inning and scored on a wild pitch. And Jhomnardo Reyes hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot, to make it 3-0 after the top of the fourth. But the Braves scored two runs against Rainer Marin (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K) in the sixth, and five against Yoel Roque (1 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER) and Brad Rudis (2/3 IP, 2 H, ER) in the eighth to take this one. Reyes (2-for-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K) and De Los Santos (2-for-4, R, 3B) each had two hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Mike Paredes, St. Paul Saints (4 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Jacob McCombs, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 0-for-2, R, BB #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (7), RBI, 2 K #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, 2B, 2 K #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 1-for-4, RBI, K #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, BB, K #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-5, K #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K #20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 1-for-4, R, HR (5), RBI, BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (0-0, 0.96 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (0-4, 4.71 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Michael Ross (2-2, 6.48 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Ramiro Villanueva (0-1, 2.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Who is the Yankees 5th starter - the 5th starter for the Braves - the 5th starter for the Phillies ? Do any of these teams or the other current 9 playoff teams trade that guy for a 2 month rental? …… and you want more than the 5th starter. Also, the Twins won’t trade for anyone that currently makes a decent salary. Limiting. There’s a difference between what one wants - what one hopes for - & what one can get. How many contending Teams are going to add a “starting catcher” or need to add one? Not getting Jeffers via deadline trade to sit as a depth piece. 20 Teams may be interested at the end of the year but I don’t see a strong market for two months……… coming off a BROKEN BONE.

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images When the Minnesota Twins selected Royce Lewis with the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, the organization believed it was taking the highest-upside position player available. Nearly a decade later, the results have been frustrating, complicated, and increasingly difficult to defend. Last week, the Twins officially optioned Lewis to Triple-A after a brutal opening stretch to the 2026 season. In 31 games, Lewis slashed just .163/.261/.279 while producing only six extra-base hits. For a player once viewed as a franchise cornerstone, the performance became impossible for the organization to ignore. The frustrating part is that Lewis has shown flashes of being exactly what the Twins hoped he could become. Injuries interrupted multiple seasons, but when healthy, he looked like an explosive middle-of-the-order bat capable of carrying an offense. Those stretches are why he has still managed to accumulate 3.7 rWAR for his career, ranking 10th among first-round selections from the 2017 draft class. Unfortunately, most of that value came earlier in his career. Right now, Lewis looks lost offensively, overaggressive at the plate, and short on confidence. The Twins are hoping a reset in St. Paul can help him rediscover the version of himself that once looked destined for superstardom. Still, the bigger picture surrounding the 2017 draft is important context. In hindsight, the Twins may have been trapped in a no-win situation, no matter which direction they chose. Let’s revisit the names that followed Lewis near the top of the draft board. RHP Hunter Greene The Cincinnati Reds selected Greene second overall and handed him the largest signing bonus in the draft at $7.23 million. When healthy, Greene has absolutely looked like the best player from the class. He has accumulated 13.3 rWAR, the highest total among all first-round picks from 2017, thanks to overpowering stuff and ace-level flashes. If the Twins could redo the draft today, Greene is probably the choice. But that comes with a giant asterisk. Injuries have constantly interrupted his career. Greene underwent an elbow procedure this March and is expected to miss 14-16 weeks. Last season, he also missed more than two months because of a groin strain. The talent is undeniable, but durability concerns have followed him since the moment he entered professional baseball. LHP MacKenzie Gore The San Diego Padres went with Gore third overall, betting heavily on a high-school left-handed pitcher. That’s always a terrifying profile at the top of the draft, especially for a small-market organization that can’t afford a complete miss. Gore eventually found success after being traded to Washington, earning his first All-Star appearance last season while posting a career-best 3.0 rWAR campaign. This year has been a different story. Through 10 starts with Texas, Gore owns a 76 ERA+ and -0.1 rWAR. His career has featured massive swings in performance, and it’s easy to understand why the Twins avoided prep pitching at the top of the board altogether. Minnesota likely viewed both Greene and Gore as too risky for the first overall selection. 1B/RHP Brendan McKay Few players in the draft generated more intrigue than McKay, the Louisville two-way standout selected fourth overall by Tampa Bay. McKay was dominant on both sides of the ball in college, posting a .966 OPS while also recording a 2.23 ERA across three collegiate seasons. Tampa Bay gave him a $7 million signing bonus, another total that exceeded Lewis’s deal. It never came together professionally. Injuries completely derailed McKay’s development. He appeared in only 13 major-league games as a pitcher, and his last professional appearance came in Double-A during the 2024 season. Considering the expectations attached to him entering the draft, McKay would have been an even more painful outcome for Minnesota than Lewis has become. RHP Kyle Wright The Atlanta Braves selected Wright fifth overall after a dominant college career at Vanderbilt. He was viewed as one of the safer collegiate arms in the class and eventually delivered at least one excellent season. In 2022, Wright won 21 games for Atlanta while posting a 128 ERA+ over 180 innings. For a moment, it looked like the Braves had landed a frontline starter. Since then, his career has stalled out. Wright has bounced between multiple organizations in recent years, including the Royals and Cubs organizations. He hasn’t appeared in a major-league game this season, and last year he split time between Double-A and Triple-A. That’s the reality of this draft class. Even some of the “successful” picks came with major caveats. The painful truth for the Twins is that the top of the 2017 MLB Draft was loaded with warning signs. Nearly every option carried significant risk, whether it was injuries, inconsistency, stalled development, or outright collapse. Minnesota chose the player it believed offered the best combination of upside and long-term value. At times, Lewis absolutely justified that belief. There were stretches where he looked like a future superstar capable of changing the direction of the franchise. Right now, though, something clearly isn’t working. The Twins are hoping this stint in Triple-A becomes a reset instead of a farewell. Because while the 2017 draft may have been full of landmines, Minnesota still needs Royce Lewis to prove he isn’t one that permanently blew up their future plans. If the Twins could repick, who would they take with the first overall selection? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

No. Rogers. Aaron Bummer pitches for the Braves this season.

Hartman, Caminiti, and 2 other pieces or JR Ritchie from the Braves. Done and done. I think you're underselling the Dodgers' outfielders, though. I'd certainly prefer a legit fielder, but if De Paula is going to be an Alvarez/Martinez/Ortiz/Cruz type DH, I'd be very happy with him as the centerpiece of a deal. Up to the Twins to decide if he can be that, and get him there if he can. I think Quintero, Sirota, and Hope are all intriguing as well. Not big on Tibbs or River, but as the 3rd or 4th piece in a deal they would be very nice. If you can snag 3 or 4 of those guys you should jump at it. I wish Baltimore had a little more in the minors as they've been my destination for Ryan for a while. Was hoping for a Ryan for Basallo deal last year. That ship has sailed (unless Baltimore is getting real crazy). Ike Irish is interesting as a possible long-term 1B solution, but I don't think I'd be real happy with him as the centerpiece. Him and George is a solid 1-2 punch in a deal, but I don't think I'd love any realistic deal with them. Walcott is certainly incredibly intriguing, but he's going to miss essentially this entire season so I'd want another top 50ish guy with him and I don't think Texas has one which would make a deal with them pretty tough. Milwaukee would be the ideal situation as they have premium up the middle players coming out of their ears, but they'd be putting themselves in the same situation as the Twins with Ryan under short control so I'm not sure you're talking them into Made or Pena. I think there's deals to be done, though. Teams will throw a bunch at the Twins if he keeps rolling like he is now.

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins entered the season hoping to convince everyone that last year’s disappointment was a temporary stumble. Instead, the first half has only created more uncertainty about where this organization is actually headed. Minnesota’s ownership would say this isn’t a full rebuild. It also doesn’t look like a legitimate contending effort. That middle ground is the worst place a franchise can live in modern baseball. Teams either push their chips in or aggressively build toward the future. The Twins continue to hover somewhere in between, and with the trade deadline approaching, they may finally have to choose a direction. Minnesota still has enough talent on the roster to intrigue contenders around the league. However, they also have enough flaws and long-term concerns to justify selling pieces for the future. The biggest question is whether the front office is willing to admit this core may not have the runway everyone once expected. Here’s an early look at some of the most fascinating trade deadline decisions facing the Twins. Byron Buxton No player better represents the current state of the franchise than Buxton. On one hand, he remains the face of the organization. He has a full no-trade clause, and he has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to stay in Minnesota. When healthy, he is still one of the most electric players in baseball and one of the few stars capable of changing a game by himself. The Twins should do everything possible to keep him. Trading Buxton would signal far more than a roster adjustment. It would essentially announce the end of this competitive era. He is one of the few players casual fans still associate directly with Twins baseball, and moving him would create major backlash inside the clubhouse and throughout the fanbase. At the same time, the situation becomes more complicated if Minnesota starts moving other veteran pieces. If the front office deals away multiple core contributors, Buxton may eventually decide he no longer wants to spend the remainder of his prime stuck in another retooling phase. There would almost certainly be interest if he became available, especially from teams looking for a dynamic postseason weapon. The Atlanta Braves would immediately become a fascinating fit. Buxton is from Georgia, and a return closer to home could appeal to him if the Twins no longer appear serious about competing. Still, unless Buxton himself pushes the issue, it is difficult to envision Minnesota voluntarily moving him. Joe Ryan Ryan might be the most realistic blockbuster candidate on the roster. He is under team control only through the 2027 season, and his value may never be higher than it is right now. Ryan survived an early-season injury scare that initially looked far more concerning, and he has continued pitching like a frontline starter whenever healthy. That combination would make him one of the most attractive arms available at the deadline. The timing also matters. With Tarik Skubal injured, the market for controllable starting pitching could become even more aggressive. Teams desperate for rotation help would likely line up to make significant offers for Ryan. From Minnesota’s perspective, there is logic behind considering it. The Twins do not currently look like a team positioned to seriously contend over the next two seasons. By the time the roster is realistically ready to compete again, Ryan could already be nearing free agency. Add in his injury history and the general volatility that comes with pitchers, and there is a legitimate argument that the organization should capitalize on his value now rather than waiting for something to go wrong later. Of course, there is another side to the conversation. Quality starting pitching is incredibly difficult to acquire. Ryan is already proven, affordable, and capable of anchoring a rotation. Trading him would create an enormous hole and likely force the Twins into another lengthy search for pitching stability. Unless Minnesota receives an overwhelming package centered around elite prospects, there is still a strong case for keeping him and attempting to build around him instead. Ryan Jeffers Before his injury, Ryan Jeffers looked like one of the few clear success stories on Minnesota’s roster this season. He was off to a tremendous start offensively and had arguably been the team’s MVP through the first half. Jeffers provided stability in the middle of the lineup while continuing to handle a difficult workload behind the plate. At a time when much of the offense struggled with consistency, he was one of the few hitters regularly producing quality at-bats. That is what makes this week’s injury so frustrating for both Jeffers and the Twins. Minnesota placed Jeffers on the injured list earlier this week with a broken hamate bone, an injury that will likely sideline him for six to eight weeks. The timing could not be much worse with the trade deadline approaching quickly. Under normal circumstances, Jeffers would have made plenty of sense as a trade candidate. He is a veteran catcher on an expiring contract who could help a contender looking for offense behind the plate. Catching depth is always in demand at the deadline, especially from teams searching for postseason upgrades. Now the situation becomes far murkier. Even if Jeffers returns before the deadline, he will likely need time to prove he is fully healthy. Hamate bone injuries have a long history of sapping hitters’ power temporarily after they return. Many players eventually regain their production, but it is rarely an immediate process. That uncertainty could significantly shrink his market. Contenders may hesitate to part with meaningful prospects for a catcher who is still working his way back physically and trying to rediscover his power swing. The Twins would still likely prefer to move him rather than risk losing him for nothing after the season, but the return may not justify making the deal unless Jeffers comes back quickly and looks like himself immediately. Josh Bell Bell feels like the classic trade deadline rental candidate. He has been traded four different times during his career, so another move would hardly be surprising. Bell’s offensive profile also makes him the type of player contenders often gamble on in July. When he gets hot, he can carry a lineup for stretches, and playoff teams are always searching for extra power from the designated hitter spot. A contender could easily convince itself that Bell is one productive month away from becoming an impactful postseason bat. The problem is that his market may be limited. Bell’s defensive limitations narrow the list of interested teams considerably. His streaky offensive production also makes him difficult to trust as an everyday option. Since he is on an expiring contract, the return would likely be modest even if he finishes the first half strongly. Minnesota may ultimately decide his veteran presence is more valuable in the clubhouse than the low-level prospect package they would receive in return. Still, among the Twins’ veteran position players, Bell remains one of the more obvious names to watch. Austin Martin Martin has quietly become one of the more interesting depth pieces on the roster. Since being recalled during the second half of last season, he has consistently found ways to get on base and provide quality at-bats. He has also proven capable defensively in corner outfield spots, giving Minnesota a versatile player who can contribute in multiple roles. That type of player tends to matter more over a full season than many fans realize. However, his trade value is probably fairly limited. Contending teams could view Martin as a useful bench bat or platoon player, but there are questions about how large a role he can realistically handle. Since he bats right-handed, his ideal usage against left-handed pitching becomes somewhat restrictive compared to a traditional platoon option. The Twins also may not gain much by moving him. Martin is under team control through 2030, and his versatility fits well on a roster that constantly deals with injuries and lineup instability. Unless another organization views him as more than a complementary piece, Minnesota likely benefits more from simply keeping him around. Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner A few months ago, Lewis and Wallner might have carried substantial trade value. Now, both players are coming off demotions, and their stock has cratered. That creates an awkward dilemma for Minnesota. Selling low on talented players is almost always dangerous, especially when both still possess significant upside. Lewis was a former top prospect that the club has invested in, while Wallner’s raw power and patience still intrigue evaluators despite the swing-and-miss concerns. Some organizations would absolutely be willing to take a gamble on either player. Teams constantly believe they can unlock talent that another franchise could not fully develop. A rebuilding club, in particular, may view Lewis or Wallner as ideal buy-low opportunities. But that same upside is exactly why the Twins may hesitate. Trading either player right now would almost certainly mean accepting pennies on the dollar compared to what their value once looked like. Minnesota would essentially be betting that both players are closer to finished products than temporary struggles. That is an extremely risky gamble to make this early. The more likely scenario is the Twins allow both players time to rebuild value at Triple-A before revisiting any long-term decisions during the offseason. The most frustrating part about the Twins right now is not simply that they are losing games. It is that the organization no longer feels aligned with what this current roster is supposed to accomplish. There are still recognizable stars. There are still talented players capable of contributing to a winning team. But there are also growing signs that this core may not be built to sustain contention much longer. That reality makes this trade deadline incredibly important. If Minnesota decides to aggressively sell, it could mark the beginning of a major organizational reset. If the front office stands pat or buys marginal help, it risks prolonging the same directionless cycle the franchise already appears trapped in. Either way, the next few months may determine what Twins baseball looks like for the rest of the decade. Who will the Twins trade at the deadline? Will it be another trade deadline selling spree? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

It is NOT too early to be discussing this. Reality Check: The Twins are a bad baseball team with serious roster holes. We are a half game out of a Wildcard spot by playing in the worst division in baseball. We'd get destroyed in said Wildcard game. Reality says we need to be aggressive and smart in dealing for young talent to retrofit this roster. There were a couple of players NOT mentioned in the article who should be included. 1. Buxton-He's 32 and now has 10 and 5 rights. I do not trade him unless he requests it. There would be teams, with the Braves at the top of the list, who could and probably would provide a handsome return. But he's the face of the franchise and deserves the chance to be a one-team player, It's got to be Buxton's choice. 2. Ryan-After the injury scare, the loss of Lopez for the season, the near deal with Boston last year and with the emergence of Bradley, Abel, Prielipp and hopefully Matthews, it's time to cash in on Joe Ryan. He will start getting more and more expensive and he will bring a solid package back. 3. Jeffers-The injury is disappointing, but further points to the need to move him. he should have been traded a month ago. With Boras as his agent, he's never signing an extension. He's having his best season ever. Smart FO's see this opportunity and move on it. We have Caratini. We have some emerging catching talent in the minors and the chance to draft the top catcher with the 3rd overall pick. Find the team willing to give up some real talent and make the deal. 4. Josh Bell is a release candidate. Trade him for anything you can get. 5. Ober-His season to date offers a tremendous chance to maximize the return. While Ryan could be a All Star caliber #2 on a contending team, Ober is an intriguing #4 or #5. I'd trade him right now to open up spots for younger pitchers. From this point forward, his value can only decrease. 6. Lewis and Wallner-Lewis is still just 26 years old. Wallner is 28. Each has flashed a tantalizing future only to look so lost it's maddening. There are younger players who are making them less and less of a Twins future. EVERY TEAM in MLB has players just like Lewis and Wallner. It's time for the Twins to move on and take a chance on getting a Shane Mack type back in return who thrives on a change in scenery. 7. Larnach-He's having his best season at age 29. But I'd move on with the young OF we have coming up. I wouldn't give him away, but somebody may give up a nice piece if Larnach would be a good fit for them. 8. SWR-There are younger players who have far greater upside than SWR. If the Twins move him to the BP and he does well I'm hanging on to him as a 25 year old. He's got no spot in a future Twins rotation, but has a chance to be a decent BP pitcher. With a labor stoppage sure to affect at least SOME of 2027 and the hopes that the Pohlad's will finally sell this off season the tear-down should continue with enthusiasm. The Twins are NOT a contender this year. Trade the guys who no longer have a place on a 2027 roster, get the team in a good sale position and build for 2028 & 2029 with young players. It's 1981 all over again.

Well, can't trade him, really. Note sure they even should if they could get a lot. However, Braves do have prospects. Cam Caminiti JR Ritchie Eric Hartman Tate Southisene

He held the Braves to two runs in his last outing and they’re just a tad bit better than the Twins 😀