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Devin Smeltzer provided the Minnesota Twins with a quality start in the first game of their doubleheader Tuesday against the Tigers. With the Twins dealing with so many injuries and illness, the St. Paul Saints roster was left extremely thin. After Caleb Hamilton exited with an injury of his own, several players were pressed into action in unfamiliar roles, including several pitchers hitting and catcher David Bañuelos making his first career appearance at second base. Bañuelos homered earlier in the game and even made a couple plays at second base. All that and much more in tonight's Twins System Recap. View full video

The Minnesota Twins have played 16 games during the 2022 season, and while they’ve largely avoided the injury bug, the catching depth is being tested early. Jose Godoy drew his first start, and it seemed there was no one behind him. Throughout the season thus far, manager Rocco Baldelli has used both Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez in the same starting lineups often. With both catchers being deployed, there’s the reality of a lost designated hitter should they need to swap out mid-game. Baldelli has noted that the club was working through identifying an emergency option, and while that hasn’t yet been needed, the depth is being tested early. After being in the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, Sanchez walked with catching coach Hank Conger back to the dugout after initially heading to the bullpen for warmups. Jeffers was shifted into the starting lineup, and it was announced that Sanchez had a sore abdomen. He underwent further testing on Saturday, but an MRI revealed only a minor indication of injury. Avoiding the Injured List, for now, he remained on the active roster over the weekend. On Sunday, Minnesota had penciled Jeffers into the starting lineup with Sanchez out, but ultimately he was scratched with a left knee contusion. After placing Jorge Alcala on the 60-day Injured List, the open 40-man roster spot was given to Jose Godoy as a necessary move to have a catcher available. Although Jeffers was said to be potentially available off the bench, that seemed thwarted with multiple late-game situations where his bat or glove could’ve provided an upgrade. While it’s certainly understandable that Minnesota wants to be cautious given the length of the season and needing to keep guys healthy, Sunday’s action brought up questions regarding what happens at a position tied to significant injury risk. Before the season started, the Twins dealt both Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt in separate trades. While that signified Jeffers as the starter and led to an acquisition of Sanchez, it turned the position on its head. Minnesota claimed Godoy off waivers in a depth move, but he brings just 16 games of experience to the table after debuting with Seattle last season. The Twins have a trio of backstops at Triple-A, and each provides a different skill set. David Banuelos is a 25-year-old with just a .574 career MiLB OPS. Caleb Hamilton is a 27-year-old with a better bat owning a career .667 OPS. The most intriguing name may be the recently claimed Chance Sisco. He’s a former top prospect with an .807 OPS in the minors. He’s yet to put it together at the big-league level but may be next in line for Minnesota. There’s no denying that it would be a very negative development if both Sanchez and Jeffers were lost at any point during the season. Happening a few weeks in is even less ideal. As their injuries stand now, both seem to be highly short-term and are being managed to have them back quickly. However, playing catcher will invite nicks and bruises, and the Twins may have seen a quick glimpse of what they wish to avoid in keeping all of their backstops healthy. Over the weekend, Jeffers saw his bat start to heat up, and carrying that momentum forward would be an excellent development for a player the front office so clearly believes in. Sanchez has flashed extreme pop at times, and while his glove still leaves plenty to be desired, he’s settling into a new home with the Twins. The duo looks like part of a strong position group, and Baldelli needing to figure out how to operate without them is not something he will want to do often. I don’t know if Godoy or Sisco can hack it for the Twins over any significant stretch of time. I’d certainly prefer not to find out as well. View full article

While it is only one game, as every league besides the Triple-A level doesn’t start until Friday, this is always one of my favorite days of the year, even more so than the actual Major League opener. Find out how the St. Paul Saints did on Tuesday night. Tuesday evening saw the St. Paul Saints kick off their season against the Louisville Bats down in Kentucky, and it’s hard not to drool at the top of their lineup that started with Jose Miranda, Royce Lewis, and Trevor Larnach. They've got pitching too, with Jordan Balazovic (though he's on the IL to start the year), Cole Sands, Jovani Moran, and Drew Strotman some of the names to watch or that you already know. The biggest story in this one is, without a doubt, the return of Lewis to official game action. The last time he was seen on a minor-league diamond, was all the way back in 2019 when he ended the year mashing in the Arizona Fall League to the tune of a Most Valuable Player award. He definitely made his presence known in this one, and in each phase of the game, which we will get to. TRANSACTIONS With it being Opening Day in Triple-A and the other affiliates kicking off their seasons on Friday, there will likely be a lot of roster movement in the next few days, so be sure to check out this section moving forward. Outfielder Elijah Greene, who was signed this spring, was released. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Louisville 2 Box Score Taking the mound for the Saints to start the year, was offseason signee Mario Sanchez and he was solid for the first four innings, allowing just one hit, one walk, and striking out one. He threw 59 pitches, with a whopping 42 of them going for strikes (71%). Up to that point he was matched by Bats starter Ben Lively, who had held the St. Paul lineup hitless through the first four frames. Outfielder Derek Fisher changed that with a leadoff double to start the fifth inning and would later score the first run of the season for Twins affiliates on an RBI groundout from catcher David Banuelos. After a nice play at shortstop to end a threat from the Bats in the bottom of the inning, Lewis led off the top of the sixth with a single through the hole into left field. After a Trevor Larnach flyout, Lewis then demonstrated he still has his speed, taking second base for his first steal of the season. He would then come around to score on a Jake Cave single and 2-0 lead for the Saints. Wladimir Pinto was the first reliever for St. Paul, pitching the fifth and sixth innings. He gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out four. Trevor Megill then came on and worked around a leadoff single for a scoreless seventh inning, before serving up a home run to JT Riddle in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 2-1 and before it was said and done Yennier Cano would be summoned to end a two-out threat to tie the score. He got a flyout to keep the Saints out front heading into the ninth. Megill went 1 2/3 innings total, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out two. In the top of the ninth, catcher David Banuelos added a needed insurance run with the first home run of the 2022 season, a 431-foot blast to left-center: Cano stayed in the game with a chance at his first save of the year, and it got interesting. A check swing led to a leadoff infield single and was followed by a double into the right-field corner that put the tying run in scoring position. An awkward passed ball led to a run (I could swear it was a foul tip, and Cano complained about it…), before he got a big strikeout and a lineout into left field for two outs. With the game on the line, Louisville brought on a pinch hitter, and Jose Miranda proceeded to make a game-saving play diving to his left to get the final out, and secure the first win of the 2022 minor league season! The Saints lineup managed just five hits, were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and left eight men on base for the game. Miranda went 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts, Trevor Larnach was 0-for-3 with a walk and one K, and as a team, they struck out twelve times. In his first action since the 2019 season, Royce Lewis finished 1-for-4 with a single, walk, run scored, and a stolen base. He also struck out twice, but what stood out to me was there are no ill-effects from his knee surgery. He made a couple of nice plays in the field, showed his speed on the base paths, and there wasn’t any type of leg kick I’d call even remotely excessive in his swing. Most of all, I am sure it felt great for him to be back in action! Be sure to take a look at the Saints Roster Preview. WIND SURGE WISDOM The Wind Surge will begin their season on Friday at home against the Tulsa Drillers. While the Wind Surge have yet to name their opening day starter, the Tulsa Drillers have a prospect named Gus Varland scheduled for them. This is notable, as he’s the older brother of Twins Daily’s #14 Prospect Louie Varland, who is on the Wind Surge roster to start the year. If Wichita and Twins brass know what’s good for them, they’ll make this brotherly battle happen to start the year! In the meantime, be sure to check out the Wind Surge roster preview. KERNELS NUGGETS The Kernels open their season at home as well, facing off against a former Twins affiliate, the Beloit Snappers. You can also get a look at the Cedar Rapids roster in advance of their opener on Friday. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers hits the road to Clearwater to open their 2022 season against the Threshers on Friday. There should be quite a few of the Twins 2021 draft picks on their roster, which has yet to be officially announced. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Wladimir Pinto, St. Paul Saints (W, 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) Hitter of the Day - David Banuelos, St. Paul Saints (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, BB, SB (1), 2 K #3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, 2 K #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Injured List (knee strain) #11 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM CST) - RHP Daniel Gossett Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s game! View full article

Following their 9-4 win over the Pirates at Hammond Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, 11 players found out they will be heading to minor-league camp. Soon several of them will be on a plane to Minnesota to start their Triple-A season with the Saints. Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda were both optioned to Triple-A St. Paul today. Nine players were reassigned to minor-league camp. They are pitchers Chi Chi Gonzalez, Ian Hamilton, Trevor Megill, and Juan Minaya, catchers David Banuelos and Caleb Hamilton, infielders Jermaine Palacios and Curtis Terry, and outfielder Derek Fisher. The moves put the Twins' spring training roster at 38 players which means over the next five to six days, they will need to drop ten more players from the roster to get to the 28-man Opening Day roster. Of course, there could be other transactions and Injury List moves in between. There are currently 20 pitchers in camp (3 non-roster), three catchers (0 non-roster), eight infielders (2 non-roster), and seven outfielders (2 non-roster). Jose Miranda was added to the 40-man roster following his incredible 2021 season between Wichita and St. Paul in which he hit .344 with 32 doubles and 30 homers. He hit .231 (.544) during his spring training appearances and made some nice plays at third base. Trevor Larnach needs to play. Last year, after missing the 2020 season due to the pandemic, he was called up to the Twins during the season's first week. He sure showed glimpses of the immense talent he has, but he went through a prolonged slump that included a ton of strikeouts. For both Miranda (23) and Larnach (25), they need at-bats. They need repetition. They will both have long big-league careers, but sitting on the bench for the first month instead of playing every day for the Saints just doesn't make sense. Both will be impact players in 2022 and beyond. No real surprises among the non-roster position players that were reassigned on Wednesday. Both catchers are likely to spend the majority of the season in St. Paul. The question is, will they be joined by Jose Godoy? Jermaine Palacios impressed with his glove, and after a strong 2021 season in Wichita, he should start the 2022 season as the Saints' primary shortstop. Curtis Terry can hit, and at just 25, he will get a lot of at-bats as the Saints first baseman and be prepared if needed. Again, not a lot of surprise with the non-roster pitchers reassigned either. That said, Juan Minaya was so good with the Twins over the final two months of the season, it is a little surprising he was only able to get a minor-league deal this spring. Hamilton and Megill are young and throw hard. My sense is that both will get time with the Twins during the season. And Chi Chi Gonzalez only joined the Twins the last 7-10 days as a free agent. He will likely make starts and/or work long relief out of the Saints bullpen. What do you think? The roster is coming together? Any surprises for you? What do you think the final ten moves will be? Leave your COMMENTS below. View full article

On Sunday, the Minnesota Twins announced their non-roster invitations to spring training, and their top prospect is on the list. The number, 18, is less than normal, but spring training, in general, is going to be different this year. Several players had to switch their lockers from the minor league clubhouse to the clubhouse at Hammond Stadium. That is certainly not a 'normal' thing to happen. Normally big league camp starts several weeks before minor league spring training begin, but due to the lockout things are different. Twelve of the 18 non-roster invites have spent time in the big leagues previously. Here is a look at the players invited to camp. Pitchers LHP Danny Coulombe LHP Devin Smeltzer RHP Jake Faria RHP Ian Hamilton RHP Trevor Megill RHP Juan Minaya Catchers David Banuelos Caleb Hamilton Infielders Tim Beckham Austin Martin Jermaine Palacios Daniel Robertson Aaron Sabato Spencer Steer Curtis Terry Outfielder Jake Cave Derek Fisher Kyle Garlick There are a lot of familiar names among these players. With so many free agents remaining still, it is very possible that the Twins add players to this list. This means 58 players are in Twins major-league spring training. The depth will be helpful, especially once games start, but also remember that the Twins will be able to bring more players from minor-league camp to play in spring games too. Maeda Arrives Sunday was mandatory report day for spring training. Among those reporting was Kenta Maeda who told media that things are going fine in his rehab, but he isn't ready to say when he will be able to return. Feel free to discuss the non-roster invites. Which of them do you think have a legitimate opportunity to make the Twins Opening Day roster? Leave your Comments below. View full article

The Saints crushed their opponents on Sunday while the Kernels season came to an end with a loss in the championship series Game 5. TRANSACTIONS None Saints Sentinel St. Paul 11, Iowa 1 Box Score Andrew Albers: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K HR: David Bañuelos (3) Multi-hit games: Jose Miranda (3-for-6, 2B, R, 3 RBI), David Bañuelos (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB) The Saints steamrolled the Cubs on Sunday. St. Paul took all the way until the 2nd inning to score a number of runs that would be wholly unnecessary for them to win. A wild pitch plated B.J. Boyd before Jose Miranda brought two more runners in safely with a single up the middle. Miranda racked up three RBIs in the game; his first time doing that since… Friday. David Bañuelos provided the firepower for the 3rd inning. He unclogged the bases with a two-run double that put St. Paul up 5-0 after the first third of the game. They would be far from done scoring. The 7th inning would prove to be the most fruitful for the Saints’ offense. Jose Miranda flexed his muscles once more and banged a run-scoring double to take the lead 7-1. Drew Maggi singled home a run before B.J. Boyd tripled home two more. Mr. Bañuelos added a solo homer in the 8th for good measure. In total, the Saints offense knocked ten hits, walked an astounding 13 times, and scored 11 runs. Somehow, actually, it seems that the Cubs got off easier than they should have. But it did not matter as Andrew Albers and the rest of the Saints pitching staff carried the torch the rest of the way. Albers allowed a single run over his five excellent innings of work while Ian Hamilton, Derek Law, and Ian Gibaut combined to hold Iowa’s offense scoreless. In total, the three relievers struck out five, walked one, and allowed one hit en route to that lopsided victory. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 5 Box Score Cody Laweryson: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Kernels lost Game 5 to Quad Cities, finish second in High-A Central League. Cody Laweryson was wild early. Four of the first five hitters he faced reached base, and he was pulled after throwing 26 pitches to net one out. Denny Bentley held the bleeding to just a pair of runs, but he was also touched up for two runs over his 2 2/3 innings of work. Derek Molina was the most effective out-getter of the night as he allowed no runs over 2 2/3 innings while striking out three batters. Even if the River Bandits failed to score after the 1st inning, they still would have won the game. The Kernels’ offense was completely blanked in the game as, despite walking eight times, they were unable to score a run. In a unique outcome, the team left ten men on base despite only having two hits in the ballgame. The River Bandits gave the Kernels a plethora of opportunities to plate a run, but the offense could not find a single hit with a runner on base. DaShawn Keirsey tried to kick-start the bats with a 9th inning double-the only extra-base hit of the game for Cedar Rapids-but he was stranded at second. It was a tough loss for a team that was in the driver’s seat just two days ago. Cedar Rapids was up 2-1 in the series but lost on Saturday and Sunday, and they now find themselves as the second place team in the High-A Central, as they were in the regular season. Nonetheless, it was an impressive season for the team as they were without Matt Canterino and Blayne Enlow for most of the year, and only had one healthy player from our Twins Daily Top 20 on the roster for the final game (Matt Wallner). TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – David Bañuelos PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #6 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 3-6, 2B, R, 3 RBI #12 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #13 – Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K #16 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - 0-2, 2 K View full article

Between the blasts for St. Paul and Cedar Rapids and Noah Miller’s near cycle down in the Complex League, there was plenty of offense to go around this afternoon in the Twins system. It’s not often a two home run game gets outdone, but here we are. TRANSACTIONS None reported SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 17, Omaha 3 Box Score It was Drew Strotman’s turn today for the Saints, and he danced around a good Omaha lineup. Working 5 1/3 innings, Strotman picked up six punch outs while allowing three runs on four hits and three walks. Uber-prospect Bobby Witt Jr. tagged him for a solo shot that never left the park. The Saints provided him with plenty of offensive support. Looking to make up for the inside-the-park homer from Witt Jr., St. Paul answered quickly. Jose Miranda recorded his 18th double to drive in Sherman Johnson, and Tomas Telis then lifted a two-run blast over the left-center field wall. Tied up after the top half of the 4th inning, the Saints took the lead again in the bottom half. Drew Maggi hit his 15th homer of the year before David Banuelos recorded his first for St. Paul. Up 5-3 in the 7th inning, B.J. Boyd recorded his first double with the club and scored Mark Contreras on the play. After a bases loaded walk allowed Gilberto Celestino to score, Banuelos crushed his second home run of the day. A grand slam put the Saints up 11-3 and this one was way out of reach. In the bottom of the eighth, the Saints scored six more runs. JT Riddle hit the team's second grand slam of the game, and Jose Miranda followed with a solo shot, his 13th with the Saints. Banuelos went 3-for-5 with his first two Saints homers, three runs scored and six RBI. Drew Maggi went 3-for-4 with a walk and his 15th homer of the season. Miranda went 3-for-6. Tomas Telis, Mark Contreras and BJ Boyd each had two hits. Sherman Johnson walked four times in this contest. Strotman got his first Win with the Saints. Chris Nunn recorded the next four outs. Nick Vincent got the final out of the seventh inning. Chandler Shepherd pitched the eighth and ninth innings. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 1, Wichita 0 Box Score Austin Schulfer shoved tonight for the Wind Surge. Yes, he lacked command, but he went 4 1/3 innings giving up just two hits and working around five free passes. Schulfer also recorded six strikeouts before turning the ball over to Ben Gross. Gross then put in solid work of his own going 3 2/3 innings allowing just a single run on five hits while walking two and fanning three. Despite combining for 13 hits, these two teams plated just one run. An 8th inning single for the opposition put Wichita behind and that was enough to do them in for the evening. Roy Morales recorded three hits while D.J. Burt had two of his own. Jordan Gore worked a scoreless 9th inning but the offense remained dormant and Wichita wound up being shut out on the evening. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Wisconsin 5 Box Score Cody Lawyerson was on the bump for Cedar Rapids in today’s matinee and worked six strong. He was dominant, striking out nine and walking just two while allowing only three hits. The Kernels have a thing for threes in today’s tilt. Putting up the first runs of the game, it was a three-spot in the third inning. Edouard Julien lifted his 11th homer to driver in Daniel Ozoria, and Michael Helman made it back-to-back jacks with his 18th. Then in the fourth inning it was again a three spot started by a Julien walk with the bases loaded. Helman ripped a single to center plating both DaShawn Keirsey and Ozoria on the play. As had been the case all afternoon the 6th inning featured another three-spot. Last night’s hero Matt Wallner drove in Julien on a single before Alex Isola hit his 14th dinger to also bring home Wallner. Giving up five runs across the 7th and 8th innings, Cedar Rapids looked to grab some extra breathing room. Wallner homered for the second straight game, his 13th on the season, and Seth Gray drove in Yunior Severino to push the final tally up to 11-5. Wallner and Gray both had three hits on the afternoon with Helman adding two of his own. Following Laweryson was Derek Molina who gave up one run in the seventh inning. Stephen Cruz came in for his High-A debut in the eighth frame. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on two hits and two walks. He recorded just one out, but it was on a strikeout. Melvi Acosta came on and got the final five outs. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 2 (Susp B/4) Box Score John Stankiewicz was tonight's starter as he celebrated his 23rd birthday. Working through four innings, he allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks. Stankiewicz also struck out four. Despite being at just 69 pitches, his night was done in by rain with the game being suspended in the 4th inning. Fort Myers scored first tallying a run on a Kyler Fedko walk with the bases loaded in the 1st inning. After giving the run back in the 2nd inning, Alerick Soularie reached on an error that allowed Mike Perez to scamper home. Again tied after the top half of the 4th inning, Perez drove in Willie Joe Garry in the bottom half to retake the lead for the Mighty Mussels. The clubs will finish this one out tomorrow evening. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles Orange 15, FCL Twins 8 Box Score If you’re a fan of offensive outputs then this one was for you. A makeup of a previously postponed contest, the Twins and Orioles complex clubs combined for 23 runs on 25 hits. It was also a rather sloppy affair with both teams adding to the eight total errors on the day. After a starter Juan Mendez was able to record just a single out before giving up four runs, Cole Bellair worked 4 ⅓ innings. He was tagged for seven runs, but just one of them was of the earned variety. His eight strikeouts looked very nice up against just one walk. Ricardo Velez gave up one run over 2 1/3 innings of relief. Rafael Feliz gave up three runs over the final two innings. Down 8-1 after the 3rd inning, this one got out of hand early. The Twins did combine for seven runs the rest of the way, including a four-run effort in the bottom of the 9th inning. 2021 draftee Noah Miller was the star of the show with a 5-for-5 effort where he finished just a double shy of the cycle. Malfrin Sosa (three hits) and Luis Baez (two hits) joined Miller with multi-hit efforts of their own. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Cody Lawyerson (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day - Noah Miller (Complex) - 5-5, 3B, HR(2), R, 5 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (rehab) - Out for season (torn ACL) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-3, K #3 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) - Did not pitch #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did not pitch #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) - Injured List (elbow strain) #6 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 3-6, 2B (18), HR (13), 2 R, 2 RBI, K #7 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #8 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (right elbow strain) #9 - Chase Petty (Complex) - Did not pitch #10 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - Did not play #11 - Josh Winder (St. Paul) - Injured List (right shoulder impingement) #12 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR(13), 2 K #13 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 1-2, 2 BB #14 - Drew Strotman (St. Paul) - 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K #15 - Noah Miller (Complex) - 5-5, 3B, HR(2), R, 5 RBI #16 - Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - Did not play #17 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Out for season (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) - 2-2 #19 - Cole Sands (Wichita) - Did not pitch #20 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 0-3, K, BB THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Beau Burrows (2-4, 6.20 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland (5-1, 1.85 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina (3-2, 3.23 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games View full article

Unfortunately, rain won the night in both Rochester and Ft. Myers, but there were still two games played on Thursday night. The Blue Wahoos and the Kernels got strong pitching and some big offensive performances on their way to wins.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS None.RED WINGS REPORTRochester, Pawtucket Box Score Game postponed by rain. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 4, Mississippi 0 Box Score Randy Dobnak went undrafted after four years of college. The Twins signed him in 2017. He spent all of 2018 in Cedar Rapids. After one month in Ft. Myers, he was promoted to Pensacola. On Thursday night, he made his second start for the Blue Wahoos. He threw six shutout innings. He gave up just one hit and walked one while striking out seven. Tyler Jay came on and struck out four batters in two scoreless innings. Alex Phillips threw a scoreless inning. Travis Blankenhorn led the offense. He went 3-for-4 and hit his third home run in 13 games since being promoted to the Wahoos. Mark Contreras went 1-for-2 with two walks. Luis Arraez was 1-for-3 with two walks. Miguel Sano went 0-for-5 in what is likely to be his final Double-A game before moving up to Rochester. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Tampa Box Score The game was postponed by rain. These teams will play a doubleheader on Friday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, West Michigan 4 Box Score Blayne Enlow had a rough game in his previous outing, but he came back strong on Thursday night. The right-hander was charged with only an unearned run on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. Jose Martinez came in and gave up three runs in the seventh inning. Carlos Suniaga worked the final two innings. He struck out five batters in two scoreless innings. The Kernels got contributions from the middle of the lineup. Their second and third hitters, Gilberto Celestino and Chris Williams both went 2-for-6. Their fourth and fifth hitters, Gabe Snyder and David Banuelos, each went 2-for-5 with a walk. The biggest hit in the game came when their sixth hitter, Jacob Pearson, emptied the bases with a three-run double. Snyder and Celestino each had a double. Banuelos had two doubles in the game. The team’s sixth through ninth hitters showed good patience. Pearson, Andrew Bechtold, Estamy Urena and Yeltsin Encarnacion each walked twice. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Randy Dobnak, Pensacola Blue Wahoos Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Pensacola Blue Wahoos PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out. #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - Injured, early May return #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Rained Out #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Rained Out #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (95 pitches, 61 strikes) #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Rained Out #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List, late-May return possible #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-6, 2B(4), SB(5) #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Rained Out #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Durham @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Chase De Jong (0-3, 16.20 ERA). Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35 CST) - RHP Griffin Jax (2-0, 0.53 ERA) Tampa @ Ft. Myers (2:30 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (1-3, 5.06 ERA), LHP Charlie Barnes (2-2, 7.99 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ West Michigan (6:05 CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (1-2, 2.60 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. Click here to view the article

Most days, the pitching lines from Cedar Rapids RHP Cole Sands or Pensacola RHP Griffin would garner Pitcher of the Day consideration. And based on the previous sentence, it was given some thought. But what Jordan Balazovic did in his Miracle debut on Sunday afternoon was really impressive. Three Twins affiliates played and all three won on a great day for the Twins' minor league affiliates.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Sunday, starting with the awards and transactions of the day. AWARDS Every Sunday, the Twins announce their Minor League Hitter and Pitcher of the Week. Here are this week’s winners. Hitter of the Week: Chris Williams, C/1B, Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Twins eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson, Williams his .333 (6-for-18) with three homers. He also walked six times.Pitcher of the Week: Jorge Alcala, RHP, Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Acquired last July from the Astros, Alcala made one start last week. He threw five shutout innings. He gave up five hits, no walks and struck out eight.In case you missed any of them, Twins Daily named it’s Award winners for April.Hitter of the Month - Trey CabbageStarting Pitcher of the Month - Devin SmeltzerRelief Pitcher of the Month - Ryan MasonTRANSACTIONSRHP Ryan Mason was activated from the injured list.RED WINGS REPORTRochester, Pawtucket Box Score It was raining which caused this game to be postponed. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 7th. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 9, Biloxi 2 Box Score Things started out really well for the Wahoos on Sunday. The team’s first two hitters, Luis Arraez and Alex Kirilloff, each singled. Then Miguel Sano followed with a long, three-run home run. The team added a fourth, first-inning run on Jaylin Davis’s fourth home run of the year. Griffin Jax started the game. He gave up two unearned runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings of work. Ryan Mason, fresh off the IL, worked the final 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run. He struck out three. Jax improved to 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA while Mason recorded his fifth save and kept his ERA at 0.00. Jaylin Davis went 2-for-3 with a walk and his fourth home urn of the year. Caleb Hamilton gave some extra cushion in the eighth inning when he hit a bases-clearing double, his sixth double of the year. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 0 Box Score Jordan Balazovic was promoted to the Miracle over the weekend, and on Sunday, he made his Florida State League debut. It is hard to imagine that it could have possibly gone any better. Balazovic, the Twins fifth-round pick in 2016 out of high school near Toronto, threw seven perfect innings. Not just scoreless. Not even just hitless. Perfect. He needed 97 pitches to complete seven innings. No hits. No walks. And he struck out ten batters. His catcher, 2018 second-round pick Ryan Jeffers, was impressed. “He (Balazovic) did amazing. He was in complete control from the beginning and he didn’t even really have his offspeed for the first couple of innings.” Jeffers continued, “He definitely settled in after one or two innings. He had his curveball, his changeup. He had it all working. We were able to throw any pitch in any count, and he was executing all day. It was something special for me to watch as a catcher. I’m putting down the signs, and he’s the one executing all the pitches. All credit to him for putting on such a great performance today.” Because of the pitch count, he was removed after seven innings and replaced by RHP Anthony Vizcaya. After getting the first out in the eighth frame, Vizcaya gave up a double off of the wall in left field to end the perfect game and no-hitter. He issued a walk after that, but he finished that inning with two strikeouts to end the threat. He worked a perfect ninth inning to complete the shutout. It was Vizcaya’s second save of the season. Jeffers was instrumental in the near-perfecto, but he also led the offense on Sunday afternoon. Jeffers started the season by going 1-for-17 (.059), but after going 4-for-4 on Sunday, he is now hitting .295. He added his second homer of the season as well. His approach throughout the early slump is part of what helped him start to take off since those early struggles. “Team-wide, we started out a little slow, but we are all starting to settle in, put good at-bats together and string them together. We’re putting up a lot of runs and hits consistently.” Of course, hitting in the Florida State League is never an easy thing. Big ballparks and high humidity have a tendency to subdue offensive production. Jeffers noted, “You just try to eliminate it from your mind. There’s nothing you can do about how big the parks are and how the ball doesn’t fly. You just continue to do what you do. You find consistent barrels and it will eventually drop. You’re going to find holes, and you’re going to find gaps.” Jeffers’ homer gave the Miracle a 1-0 lead. In the seventh inning, the Miracle added on. Royce Lewis doubled in Jeffers and Malique Ziegler to give them a 3-0 lead. In the top of the ninth, they added another on an RBI double off the bat of Jose Miranda. Lewis and Trevor Larnach each went 2-for-5 with a double. Aaron Whitefield went 2-for-4 with a double. The Miracle are now 20-10 on the season, and Jeffers is excited to be a part of this talented young team. “We feel really good right now as a team. We trust everyone on this team, everybody and the plate and everybody that we roll out on the mound. We’re just playing well and we want to keep it rolling.” KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Dayton 0 Box Score Most days, the pitching line from Cole Sands’ Sunday start would easily make him the Pitcher of the Day. Instead, he’ll have to settle for a terrific line. The right-hander from Florida State used 99 pitches to complete seven shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out six batters. Before today, Sands' previous career high for innings pitched in a game was five. His catcher today, David Banuelos, noted that the only other time that the two had worked together this season was Sands' first start of the year, his first pro start. In that game, Sands threw five no-hit innings with eight strikeouts. Banuelos could tell early that Sands had his good stuff. "From the bullpen, I could see everything was working well. From when the first inning started, it was going to be a good day. He was throwing strikes, getting guys out with every single pitch. He was just attacking guys, getting ahead early and stuck with it through the whole game. Both our guys did well, him and Schulfer pitched well today. Our staff has done pretty well this entire year." Austin Schulfer worked the final two innings to complete the shutout. The Kernels got things going right away in the first inning. Chris Williams knocked in the first run with his first of two doubles on that day. He then scored on a Gilberto Celestino single. The next inning, Gabriel Maciel singled in Banuelos to give the team an early 3-0 lead. Banuelos added some insurance in the seventh inning when he hit a solo home run. It was his second long ball of the year. Banuelos said he's feeling good at the plate too. "I feel confident, trying to take it one day at a time and not press, and try to build off of it." TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Jordan Balazovic, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ryan Jeffers, Ft. Myers Miracle PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, 2B(3), 2 RBI, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, R #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, 2B(10), K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - Injured, early May return #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Rained Out #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Rained Out #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List, late-May return possible #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 4-4, HR(2), 2 R, RBI #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, RBI #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Rained Out #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, BB, 2B(6), RBI, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - No Game Scheduled. Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-1, 2.57 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (1-0, 2.53 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

This week, we started posting the 2018 Twins Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipients. Tonight, we share the 2018 Cedar Rapids Kernels recipient David Banuelos. I believe Banuelos becomes the recipient with the closest ties to Harmon Killebrew, indirectly. Killebrew was a monster on the baseball field. He was a three-true outcomes player decades before that became a baseball term. He struck out, but he hit a lot of home runs and a lot of walks. Off the field, Killebrew was known as a gentle, caring, respectful man. Following Killebrew’s death, the Twins announced that they would be handing out an award each year to one recipient at each of the four full-season affiliates. The award would go to the player who exemplified Killebrew’s generosity through their efforts in the community.David Banuelos was the fifth round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in June of 2017. This past offseason, he found himself in the middle of the Ohtani sweepstakes. The Minnesota Twins traded $1 million in international pool money to the Mariners and the Twins received the talented backstop. Banuelos came to spring training and spent the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids with the Kernels. He caught 68 games, and when the Kernels got to the playoffs, he was behind the plate. Touted for his work defensively, he proved the part. He also did tremendous work in the community. Ryne George is the Kernels Director of Community Relations and Entertainment. He is the person who organizes the community opportunities and with the players. Regarding Banuelos, George was very complimentary. “When David first arrived in Cedar Rapids back in April, he was pretty shy and kept to himself. A week or two into the season our first player appearance was inching closer and to my surprise David was the first one to sign up! From that moment on David ramped up his community appearances and by the end of the long season he did 16 of the 35 total player appearances for the Kernels. My goal is to get our players out in the community as much as possible while respecting their time and focus on baseball activities.” George continued, “With David being a catcher, I know games take a little more of a toll on his body so it’s extra special that he woke up early the day after a game and took the time to give back during his time here in Cedar Rapids. David made multiple visits to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, helped promote adoptable animals on the local news and was a vital piece in helping out with the Kernels “Catch with a Cop” youth program.” For his part, Banuelos enjoyed his experiences and opportunities to help others or make their days better. “Some of the things we did in Cedar Rapids included the Meals-on-Wheels program, catch with the cops, children’s hospital, and taking dogs from the shelter to the local news station to advertise adoption. Going around the community and giving back was an awesome experience. Helping make other people’s days is what it’s all about.” To win an award given in the name of Harmon Killebrew has special meaning to Banuelos. “It is an honor to win an award named after Harmon Killebrew. Knowing how much he gave back to the community, I thought, I can try and do the same and help make others days a little better.” However, for Banuelos has an additional level of special meaning because of a tie to Killebrew. “In high school, my really good friend Grant Hockin, a grandson of Harmon, would always tell me stories of his grandfather and all the things he would do.” The two went to high school at Damien High School in La Verne, California. The same school as several former big leaguers, including Mark McGwire. Hockin was Cleveland’s second-round pick in 2014 and pitched for the Low-A Lake County. In June, he underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career. He had previously missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Twins 12th round pick in 2018, Jon Olsen from UCLA, also went to Damien High School. Previous Twins Low-A Killebrew Award winners: 2011 - Ryan O’Rourke 2012 - Corey Williams 2013 - Niko Goodrum 2014 - Tanner Vavra 2015 - Jared Wilson 2016 - Nelson Molina 2017 - Hector Lujan 2018 - David Banuelos Other 2018 Killebrew Award Recipients Rochester Red Wings - Jake Reed Chattanooga Lookouts - Chris Paul Fort Myers Miracle - Cedar Rapids Kernels - David Banuelos Congratulations to David Banuelos on earning the 2018 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Click here to view the article

The Fort Myers Miracle scored eight runs in the first inning Saturday night, the most runs they’ve scored in an inning all season, and won Game 2 of the Florida State League Championship Series in convincing fashion. Unfortunately, the Cedar Rapids Kernels dropped the first game of their Midwest League semifinal series. Keep reading for more details on what happened in these two postseason games from the Twins’ minor league system Saturday night.MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 12, Daytona 2 (Game 2 of the FSL Championship Series) Box Score W: Griffin Jax (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) HR: Royce Lewis Multi-hit games: Travis Blankenhorn (3-for-4, 2B, BB), Alex Kirilloff (2-for-5, 2B), Jose Miranda (2-for-5, 2B), Taylor Grzelakowski (2-for-5, 2B), Ryan Costello (2-for-4, BB) The Miracle lineup took all the suspense out of this one. They hung an eight-spot on the board in the first inning, followed that up with two more runs in the second and cruised to victory in Game 2 of the Florida State League Championship Series. Fort Myers had four runs and knocked out the opposing starting pitcher before they even recorded an out. Royce Lewis led things off by reaching on an error. He would come around to score. The Miracle batted around, and in his second at-bat of the inning Lewis hit a three-run homer. Griffin Jax set the tone in the top of the first by striking out the side, but he switched over into cruise control from there. He gave the Miracle 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits while issuing just one walk. He finished with six strikeouts. Kevin Marnon took over from there and shut out the Tortugas over the final 2 1/3 innings. Marnon did exactly what you’d want from a pitcher in that situation. He threw 22 of his 29 pitches for strikes (75.9 percent). Lewis had the big blow, but this blowout was a great team effort. Five Miracle hitters had multi-hit games and Travis Blankenhorn reached safely in four of his five plate appearances. Fort Myers also combined to go 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Fort Myers now leads the series 2-0, meaning they’re just one victory away from winning the FSL title. Brusdar Graterol gets the start for the Miracle. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 5, Cedar Rapids 3 (Game 1 of the MWL Semifinals) Box Score SP: Bryan Sammons (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: David Banuelos (3-for-4, 2 2B), Michael Helman (2-for-5) Bryan Sammons was outstanding and the Cedar Rapids lineup built an early lead, but Peoria just wouldn’t go away. Sammons held the Chiefs to two hits over six shutout innings and struck out six batters. He exited with the Kernels up 2-0. Zach Neff took over in the seventh and pitched a clean inning. He went back out for the eighth but things didn’t go so well, as Peoria scored three runs in the top of the eighth to go up 3-2. Cedar Rapids managed to tie the game up in the bottom of the inning, but the Chiefs responded with two more runs off Jose Martinez in the ninth. The Kernels had plenty of opportunities to score more runs, as they tallied 12 hits and drew five walks on the night. They left the bases loaded in both the first and third innings. The sixth ended with runners on second and third base. They got a lead-off walk from Gabriel Maciel in the eighth, but he made the first out of the inning at home plate, trying to score on a double. They left the bases loaded up again that inning. Tough way to lose a ballgame, tough way to open up a series. The Kernels now face elimination tomorrow night at Peoria. If they survive, a decisive Game 3 will be played at Peoria Monday. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Bryan Sammons, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R 6. Trevor Larnach (CR): 1-for-5, K 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 0-for-2, 3 BB 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 3-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 3 R 18. Ryan Jeffers (CR): 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 1-for-1, RBI (as a pinch hitter) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Fort Myers at Daytona, 4:35 pm CT: Brusdar Graterol Cedar Rapids at Peoria, 4:00 pm CT: Blayne Enlow Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

Tonight at 8:00 (central time), Episode 5 of Seth's Twins On Deck Podcast will go live. Tonight, he'll be joined by four Minnesota Twins prospects each of who is relatively new to the organization and another senior on the Minnesota Gophers roster. Tune in at 8:00 tonight to listen live. If you can't listen live, it will be available at the same link shortly following the show's completion. You can also search iTunes and subscribe to it. (search Minnesota Sports Weekly)Tune in live at 8:00 central time tonight when Seth will again be joined by five guests. Charlie Barnes was the Twins fourth-round pick out of Clemson. After signing with the Twins, he went to Elizabethton where he went 2-1 with a 1.19 ERA over six games and 22.2 innings. He moved up to Cedar Rapids where he went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA over 25.2 innings. In 48.1 combined innings, he walked 18 and struck out 46. Another new member of the organization is also a left-handed starter, Tyler Watson. The 6-5 southpaw was the 34th round pick of the Washington Nationals out of high school in 2015. He came to the Twins at the July 31 trade deadline in exchange for closer Brandon Kintzler. He reported to Cedar Rapids where he made five starts to close out the year. David Banuelos was drafted in the fifth round just last June by the Seattle Mariners out of Long Beach State. He came to the Twins this offseason in exchange for some international slot dollars. The catcher is known for his great defense, but he put up some strong numbers in his final collegiate season. Alex Robles was the Twins 30th round pick last summer out of Austin Peay in Tennessee. He was a two-way player all four seasons, and he was really good as a pitcher. However, as a pro, he is likely to play around the infield. So, we’ll get to know four new members of the Twins organization. In addition, we will be joined by another member of the Minnesota Gophers baseball program. Senior third baseman Micah Coffey hit .340/.396/.493 (.889) with 15 doubles, two triples, four homers and 46 RBI for the Gophers. If you have any questions for any of these guests, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I'll ask them during the show. If you are listening during the live show, I will also ask for questions on my Twitter feed, so you can ask questions there as well. You can listen live, or you can listen later. Either way, you'll want to listen and learn more about some Twins minor leaguers and more. PREVIOUS EPISODES While you're eagerly anticipating tonight's show, tune in to some of the previous episodes... Episode 1: Twins (LaMonte Wade, Stephen Gonsalves, Tyler Wells), Gophers (Luke Pettersen), MLB.com's prospect guru Jonathan Mayo. Episode 2: Twins (Aaron Slegers, Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker, Royce Lewis), Gophers (Toby Hanson) Episode 3: Twins (Bryan Sammons, Ryley Widell, Zack Littell, Travis Blankenhorn), Gophers (Alex Boxwell) Episode 4: Twins (Zack Granite, Nelson Molina, Lewis Thorpe, Josh Rabe), and Baseball HQ prospect guru, Chris Blessing. Click here to view the article