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With the Cedar Rapids Kernels winning the Midwest League Championship Wednesday night, the St. Paul Saints were the lone affiliate in action on Thursday. Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was back in action as the designated hitter. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS OF Byron Buxton begins MLB rehab assignment with St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Toledo 2 Box Score Playing with a full complement of Twins rehabbing talent again on Thursday night, the Saints had Byron Buxton batting second as the designated hitter while Joey Gallo batted third and was in left field. Nick Gordon had a scheduled day off. The pitchers, Chris Paddack, Brock Stewart, and Jorge Alcala were all available out of the bullpen. Making his final start of the season, now as the Saints single-season strikeouts record holder, was Randy Dobnak. Chris Williams, fresh off his franchise-record 21st home run, was out of the lineup on Thursday night. It was St. Jude night at the ballpark, and there’s still an opportunity to join Randy and Aerial Dobnak for the walk/run on Saturday. Kicking off the scoring, Toledo grabbed a first inning run off of Dobnak and the action was underway. Former Twins prospect Bryan Sammons started for the Mud Hens. While he recorded eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings, Dobnak nearly matched him. The Saints starter worked six innings allowing just one run on three hits and four walks. Dobnak struck out seven to finish his season with 115. Andrew Bechtold came on for his 20th appearance on the mound this season. While he’s been wild all year for St. Paul, pumping triple-digits continues to be fun to dream on. After striking out the first batter he saw, Bechtold walked the next, gave up a single, and then walked another to load the bases. A sacrifice fly then made it a 2-0 lead for Toledo. Bechtold got out of the inning before more damage was done. Continuing the trend of former Twins prospects, Andrew Vasquez came on in relief of Sammons for Toledo in the seventh inning. After a Brooks Lee single, Kyle Garlick rolled a ground ball to the hot corner. Rather than the third baseman starting an easy double play, he threw the ball at Lee sliding into second, and it went sailing into right field. Lee came around to score with Garlick finishing the play on third base as the tying run. After hitting Jair Camargo, Vasquez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Garlick to score and tie the game. Hernan Perez ripped a single back through the middle, just out of the shortstop’s reach, and brought Camargo in from second base. For the first time on the evening, St. Paul had a lead. After a Michael Helman single put runners on first and second, Byron Buxton stepped in for the fourth time with a pair of strikeouts to his credit. Buxton swung at a first pitch slider, from newly inserted righty Garrett Hill, and rolled it back up the middle to score another run. Joey Gallo walked to load the bases, but the Saints couldn’t push another one across and it was 4-2 headed to the eighth inning. Buxton was lifted for pinch runner Chris Williams, and his night of rehab work was done. Going 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts and the single, Buxton will look to get more action in before St. Paul ends their season on Sunday afternoon. Curtis Taylor worked a scoreless inning for St. Paul to open the eighth inning, and the Saints didn't add on in their final frame. Ronny Henriquez came on to close it out in the ninth inning. He got a strikeout before issuing a walk, and then struck out another Mud Hens hitter to leave just one final out. Henriquez put the tying run on with a second free pass, and the go ahead run stepped in. Colt Keith flew out and this one was over. St. Paul moved to 20 games over .500 with their 83rd win. Helman and Perez were the only two Saints to grab a pair of hits. Just three games remain at CHS Field for the year, and there are still great seats available. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Hernan Perez (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2B, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-4, 3 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s game! View full article

Randy Dobnak set a single-season record for the St. Paul Saints in a loss Thursday afternoon, while Cedar Rapids had runs in more than one way during the evening matchups. Check out all of the action on the farm. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 9, St. Paul 2 Box Score The Saints played a matinee on Thursday, with Randy Dobnak taking the mound. He worked 5 2/3 innings but allowed six runs on nine hits. Dobnak walked just two while striking out four but did allow a home run. The additional strikeouts helped to set the Saints single-season strikeout record. His 107 strikeouts took the lead from teammate Ronny Henriquez. With St. Paul and Iowa battling for playoff position, Matt Mervis started things off with his 20th home run of the year. The two-run shot gave Iowa a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jair Camargo answered with a home run of his own, a solo shot, to make it 2-1 in the second inning. Unfortunately, the Cubs kept adding, and by the seventh inning, they held a 6-1 lead. Brooks Lee looked to keep the Saints close with a double that plated Michael Helman and brought them within a grand slam. However, a tough seventh inning saw three runs score, and Iowa was up by a comfortable 9-2 margin. Chris Williams stepped in with the bases loaded and just one out in the eighth. Unable to get the big hit, he put up a sacrifice fly that brought Camargo home and made it a six-run game. Carlos Luna finished the game on the mound, working 1 1/3 innings after his recent transfer from Double-A. Lee led off the ninth inning with his second double of the day, but an Austin Martin groundout and Yunior Severino strikeout didn't bring him in. Kyle Garlick went down looking at that's how this one ended. Camargo had three hits Thursday afternoon, with Lee adding his two doubles. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Midland 4 Box Score Travis Adams took the pill Thursday night for Wichita and worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He was cruising until a four-run fifth inning did him in. Adams didn't walk anyone and struck out five on the evening. The good guys got on the board when David Banuelos homered for the 10th time. His solo shot made it a 1-0 game in the second inning. In the third inning, Alerick Soularie did his best impression of Banuelos, launching his own solo home run. Midland got a run back in the fifth inning to halve the lead and keep Wichita on their toes. Adams faced serious damage during the inning, with runners on first and second still having no outs. Instead of getting a double play ball, William Simoneit launched a three-run blast to take the lead 4-2. Working for the comeback, Jake Rucker singled home both Dalton Shuffield and Banuelos in the sixth inning to tie things up before Will Holland drove in Ben Ross for the lead. Ahead 5-4, Wichita needed the pitching to hold it down. Curtis Taylor did just that throwing 2 2/3 inning of scoreless relief before Francis Peguero grabbed the last out, with the Wind Surge emerged victorious. Both Soularie and Rucker recorded a pair of hits on the evening. Rucker also added a pair of RBI for himself. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Peoria 4 Box Score Needing a win to extend their season, the Kernels sent Cory Lewis to the mound. He turned in a strong performance going four innings, allowing just a single run. He scattered four hits and didn't allow a run while striking out four. While Cedar Rapids was already up against a 1-0 deficit in the series, their bodies were also up against it. Despite playing against some internal adversity, the Kernels showed up in a big way. After giving up a run in the third inning, Cedar Rapids answered with four of their own during the fourth inning. Scoring all four runs before recording an out was a strong response. Jose Salas scored Luke Keaschal to tie the game, and then Jeferson Morales went ya-ya, scoring Noah Cardenas and Salas in the process. Still without Peoria recording an out, Noah Miller launched a two-run shot, scoring Carson McCusker and making it a 6-1 game. Malik Barrington took over for Lewis and ran into trouble during the sixth inning. He gave up a run and had two runners on before recording the third out of the inning. Jorel Ortega put himself on the board with a seventh-inning solo blast, and the home run made it a 7-2 game for Cedar Rapids. McCusker added some additional insurance with a double that scored both Cardenas and Morales. Both Miller and McCusker had two hits on the night with both adding a pair of RBI. Morales drove in three runs on his own as well. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo (St. Paul) - 3-4, 2 R, RBI, HR(19), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-5, RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-2, 3 BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R ,K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-5, 4 K #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins signed Randy Dobnak out of Alderson-Broaddus back in 2017. He was an undrafted free agent playing indy ball, and two years later he made a postseason start in New York against the Yankees. That story is well told, but he continues to give back along the way. Image courtesy of Joey Steinbach Calling Randy Dobnak a self-made millionaire would be putting it mildly. After signing a five-year, $9.25 million contract, Dobnak could have pinched himself. He had pitched ten games during a Covid-shortened 2020 season, and his 4.05 ERA showed he had plenty to offer at the major league level. Things haven't gone so well since. He has dealt with a substantial finger injury that sapped his effectiveness and saw him post an ERA north of 7.00 across 50 2/3 innings in 2021. He threw just 25 innings last season, all in the minors, and has worked his way back since. There have been bright spots during the 2023 season, and while the Twins have substantial pitching depth, he's looked to be part of that. Regardless of where Dobnak has been on the field, it's been equally or more impressive what he has done off of it. With his wife, Aerial, the Dobnaks have substantially supported St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Whether selling his mustache t-shirts to raise funds or simply talking about a cause they support so unwaveringly, the Dobnaks and St. Jude's run hand in hand. As he did a couple of years ago, Randy turned brewmaster for a bit with the help of Insight and now has another way to give back. Selling the "Honey Nut Beerios" honey wheat ale, Insight partnered with the Twins starter to create a unique offering. Each beer sold generates $1 donated to St. Jude's. I met with head brewer Sean Carnahan to discuss the new offering and partnership with the Minnesota starter. Having done this once before with the Dobnaks, Carnahan talked about their desire to make more than just great-tasting beer. "We really enjoy brewing beer with a purpose. Randy and his wife, Aerial, are passionate about beer, but are truly dedicated to St. Jude's and raising funds/awareness whenever possible. They're great folks, fun to be around, so it was really a no-brainer to put a second beer together." As good as Dobnak is on the mound and as an athlete, he's equally fun to work with behind the scenes. Sean said, "It's a great time. It's a pleasure to work with both him and Aerial. We've done this twice now, and they're always here for a super long time, hanging out, chatting with the team, signing autographs, and helping to brew of course." This venture isn't just about beer, though, similar to how Dobnak isn't just a pitcher. There is always a greater purpose to everything he ties his name to, and this is no different. Carnahan is appreciative that there is a deeper purpose here. "Beer is a community, and every chance we have to connect with that community we love to take. The decision to work with St. Jude's came from Randy's history of collaboration and charity work with them, and we were excited to be able to further his work." Insight Brewery has a beautiful tap room in Northeast and has been among the staples of the Minnesota beer scene. This collaboration couldn't tie two better things together, which isn't lost on Carnahan. "There aren't many things better than beer and baseball, why not enjoy a beer designed by the pitcher you're watching?" Twins fans can do just that on Monday, August 28. While Honey Nut Beerios is already on tap, the Dobnaks will be at the brewery to launch their newest concoction. You can find them in attendance from 6:00pm-close. Although Dobnak is with the St. Paul Saints in Omaha, they'll be back in town next week, squaring off against Columbus. A trip to the brewery to celebrate the new offering was a must on Monday's off day. Randy will be available for pictures and autographs. This collaboration was open, too. Dobnak picked the pairing for a purpose. "I've always loved honey. In the past, I have actually tried different kinds of honey or orange flavored beers. Combining the two together made sense and created something smooth and refreshing." It was a natural idea to work with Insight again after Dobnak created FuMan Bru back in 2021. "They're a local place that is really passionate about what they do and I love that about them. It's a really cool place to just hang out, have some beers, and talk to people or play the various games they have available." To know Dobnak is to understand the compassionate and servant heart he and his family have. Uber may have been the company he was synonymous with during his debut, but St. Jude's has become his calling card. "The work St. Jude's does for children that find themselves in their care is such a beautiful thing. It completely takes the burden of having to deal with medical bills stacking up, and lets the parents focus on giving 100% of their attention and love to their child. My wife lost one of her childhood best friends to cancer when they were kids. For us to be able to give back in any ways has been an absolute blessing, and has far exceeded our expectations thanks to everybody who is passionate about the work that they do. To see everybody come together and help each time we have some type of fundraiser has been awesome, and we are thankful to those that have been part of this special journey supporting St. Jude's." Make sure to get out and try Honey Nut Beerios before it's gone, and find ways to get involved with St. Jude's here. You can find out more about Insight and its offerings here. Grab tickets for the Saints here, including a very special bobblehead giveaway next Tuesday night. 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The Minnesota Twins have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball. Minnesota’s front office has done an incredible job employing high-ceiling arms, and they have been supplemented by depth. One of the overlooked arms may be former playoff starter Randy Dobnak. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Randy Dobnak) After pitching for Alderson-Broaddhaus in college, the Twins unearthed Randy Dobnak during the 2017 season. He was throwing in independent baseball and signed a deal that sent him to Elizabethton. Two years later, he was pitching in the Major Leagues. A month later, he pitched against the New York Yankees in the postseason. He received more notoriety for grinding as an Uber driver than as a pitcher, and people did not take his prospect status seriously despite Rocco Baldelli selecting him as a Game Two starter against the Evil Empire. No matter what you wanted to make of him, he had made it and was a big leaguer. Things didn't go well in that postseason game, but the Twins were undeterred. He started ten games in 2020 during a weird Covid season and received a $9.25 million contract spanning five seasons. Then he pitched 50 2/3 innings at the highest level in 2021, and things worsened. A finger injury had him battling an ERA nearly hitting 8.00. It was clear that Dobnak needed a reset. Dobnak has battled through the injury while regaining confidence and ability over the past two years. In 2023 though, he has been fully back and looks the part of a solid arm once again. Despite a St. Paul Saints rotation full of options, Dobnak has established himself as a pillar of consistency. Talking with Dobnak on media day, he was still determining where his role would lie. Knowing the guys ahead of him needed innings, he would likely eat bullpen innings. He bounced between roles for a while but has been in the rotation since mid-May. Nothing about his role ever deterred Dobnak. "I'm going to go out there and give my best effort regardless of my role with a team. I know what I am capable of doing and this year has been very important to me to stay healthy after everything I went through the past two years. I've never worried about things that are out of my control. If I can control what I can control, then at the end of the day I can look at myself and know that I gave my best effort." Having made 15 straight starts, Dobnak owns a 3.91 ERA in that stretch, and removing his one blowup takes it down to a 2.79 ERA. He has been more of a five-and-dive guy, but that's not unexpected for a pitcher that uses an approach to induce weak contact. He has posted a K/9 north of 8.0 and allowed just eight homers in over 90 innings. It's not lost on Dobnak that he's been on a roll. "Taking care of my body each day and attacking the zone has been key," Dobnak said. "If I fall behind, getting back into counts with competitive pitches has been key." Dobnak's bugaboo this season has been traffic. He has an inflated WHIP while working around and an inflated walk rate, and he still allows too many hits during each outing. The recipe there is one that could tax a bullpen, but he's at least making the conversation worth having again. Pitching against a good Triple-A club for the Reds on Wednesday, Dobnak turned in a scoreless start. He went just four innings, allowed zero runs, and worked around three walks. For Dobnak, pitching at this level has to feel good after what he has gone through. Working back from an injury that never made any sense and a rehab process that was unclear, results are what matter for now. "Going back to look at the game today I'm sure I will see that the guys reaching base were primarily hitters I fell behind on. Attacking early is where my focus has been. I have tried to keep hitters off balance with a good mix of pitches and location." The Twins committed to Dobnak through the 2025 season, and there are team options in consideration in the following three seasons. Even if they don't, he still gets another $1 million as a buyout before 2025. Seeing success down the stretch this season hasn't been by accident. Dobnak said, "Finally finding a slider that has pretty decent movement has helped me discover who I can be going forward. After the ginger injury, the sinker doesn't sink nearly as much as it used to. I think I am a better pitcher now than when I broke into the big leagues four years ago." Maybe the Twins don't find a spot for Dobnak this season or the rest of his time with them, but he's continued to put forth the effort that has earned him each opportunity. Dobnak will be just 31 in 2026 and can continue his career elsewhere. No matter what happens, a kid from an overlooked school earned his opportunity and then gained it back again. Dobnak's family embraces hard work but remains humble in every way. He has embodied that on a public stage, and whatever is next, you can bet he'll take that opportunity and run with it as well. View full article

From the Dominican to Fort Myers to Iowa. From Cedar Rapids to Wichita. Then up to Minnesota where the Saints are just 10 miles from fulfilling their dreams at Target Field. At Twins Daily, we love promoting these great athletes who are reaching for the stars from the time they sign through their individual journeys in pro ball. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Maddux Houghton) In my opinion, the players in the Dominican Summer League don't get talked about enough. Understandably so. The league is comprised of players who are 16-22 years old (most of the "prospects" are 17-18), and they are six promotions from the big leagues. It is a long-term game, but the players still deserve to be discussed when they do well. That's what we want these reports to be. So along with their normal "Game Recap," I have also posted the hitting statistical leaders so you can see which players are performing there. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 60-55 St. Paul Saints: 63-46 Wichita Wind Surge: 45-58 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 63-41 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 50-54 FCL Twins: 19-25 DSL Twins: 10-32 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS After getting a couple of games with the FCL Twins, Jose Salas returned to Cedar Rapids. Former Saints and Twins pitcher Aaron Sanchez, who was released about a month ago, signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks. In more former Twins prospect news, it has been a wild couple of months for Chris Vallimont. The Twins DFAd him in the offseason, and he was claimed by the Orioles. On July 1st, his contract was purchased by the Orioles. Dream come True! He made his MLB debut and the next day he was optioned to Triple-A. The following day, he was DFAd by the O's. The Guardians acquired him and he went to Triple-A. Days ago, Vallimont was DFAd to make room for Ramon Laureano on the Cleveland 40-man roster. On Wednesday, he was outrighted to Columbus. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Louisville 3 Box Score Solid pitching and a big inning helped the Saints to a matinee win on Wednesday. Randy Dobnak got the call for St. Paul. He needed 86 pitches to get through four innings, but he gave up no runs and just two hits. He walked three and struck out four batters. Andrew Bechtold came in and pitched a scoreless fifth inning despite a hit and two walks. Austin Brice was charged with two runs on three hits in the sixth inning. But Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless, walkless seventh frame. Oliver Ortega earned his third Saints save with two innings of one-run ball. The Saints got solid contributions in this game from their newbies. Brooks Lee went 2-for-4 and had two RBI. DaShawn Keirsey went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. He had an RBI, and he stole a base. Yunior Severino added a triple, high off of the wall in the team’s four-run fourth inning. He scored on a line-drive single by Keirsey for the first run of that inning. Jair Camargo took the next pitch and drilled a two-run homer to center field, his 17th long ball of the season. Later in the inning, Lee drove in Andrew Stevenson with a single as he had done in the first inning to get the Saints on the scoreboard. The Saints added an insurance run in the eighth inning when Austin Martin’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Keirsey. Stevenson went 1-for-2 with two walks, his seventh triple, and his 35th and 36th stolen bases. Congratulations to Andrew Bechtold on his first Win as a professional. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Again, a reminder that you should head to CHS Field on Friday for that game. You may have seen him on MLB Network and on MLB.com’s draft coverage. He certainly knows prospects. Jonathan Mayo will be at the ballpark that night signing copies of his new book, Smart, Wrong, and Lucky; The Origin Stories of Baseball’s Unexpected Stars. I got my copy on Amazon a few weeks ago, and I will tell you it is fantastic. In addition, Jonathan is a terrific person who clearly loves what he is doing and has a strong passion for writing about, talking about, and really promoting prospects and the minor leagues and the scouts who found them. Get to meet him at CHS Field on Friday (August 11th). And on Thursday night (TONIGHT!!), watch as Blayne Enlow takes on the rehabbing Hunter Greene in a matchup of Team USA teammates. In addition, Austin Martin and Royce Lewis were teammates with Greene when they were 14-15 years old. Royce Lewis (JSerra HS) and Hunter Greene (Notre Dame HS) were high school opponents and friends, and then Team USA teammates. Then in 2017, Lewis and Greene went 1-2 in the draft. Lots of reasons to head to CHS Field this week! Tickets Available! Click here. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, NW Arkansas 1 (5 innings) Box Score Since losing their top three hitters last week, the Wind Surge offense has struggled. But on this night, they scored just enough to win in this rain-shortened, five-inning game. In the second inning, the recently-promoted Dalton Shuffield hit a two-run homer. That was it for the Wichita offense. They had just four hits. Jake Rucker’s 15th double was the only other extra base hit. Tanner Schobel went 1-for-1 with a walk. Isaac Mattson started and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up no hits, walked two and struck out one batter. Regi Grace came in for the final 2 2/3 innings. He gave up one run on two hits and two walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 4 Box Score Kyle Jones started and gave up three runs on five hits. In four innings, he walked four and struck out four batters. Jarret Whorff came on for his first High-A appearance. He gave up an unearned run on two hits over two innings. He struck out two batters and walked none. Mike Paredes tossed two scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Unfortunately, it was a rare day when the Kernels offense didn’t have a big game. In fact, they had just three hits and were shut out. Misael Urbina hit his third triple of the year. Ben Ross was the only Kernel hitter to get on base more than once. He had two walks. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Bradenton 5 Box Score The Mighty Mussels scored a touchdown (with the extra point) in the first inning and held on the rest of the way. The inning started with a walk and two singles to load the bases. Rubel Cespedes drove in two runners with his 24th double. Jay Harry grounded out, but the third run scored. After a pitching change, Gregory Duran welcomed him with a single that drove in a fourth run. Then with two runners on, Maddux Houghton’s three-run homer made it 7-0. Jose Mercedes started and gave up three runs on five hits in just two innings. He walked two, hit two, and struck out four batters. Danny Moreno came in and gave up two runs on one hit in 1 2/3 innings. However, he walked four and struck out two batters. Juan Mendez got the next four outs and struck out two. Jackson Hicks then walked two and struck out three batters over two scoreless, hitless innings. Ricardo Velez and Zach Veen each tossed a scoreless inning. Maddux Houghton went 2-for-4 with a walk and his third homer and five RBI. Along with the first-inning three-run homer, he had a two-run single in the eighth frame. Oh, and he had an outfield assist too. Danny De Andrade went 2-for-5. Kamron Willman was 2-for-4 with a walk. 2023 draft picks Luke Keaschall and Jay Harry both went 1-for-3 with two walks. Alec Sayre had four walks in the game. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 10, DSL Reds 3 (7 innings) Box Score For about the 37th straight day, the DSL Twins’ game was shortened due to rain. OK, I think it’s just three straight days, but that’s plenty. This one was deemed a final when it ended in the 7th inning. The Reds took the early lead with three runs in the second inning, but the Twins clawed their way back. They scored in five of the six innings they came to bat including a big, five-run fifth inning that created comfortable separation. The Twins got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Hendry Chivilli walked, stole second, and then scored on a Yilber Herrera double. They added nine more unanswered runs. The same duo combined to give the Twins their second run as well. In the third inning, Chivilli walked, stole second and went to third on an error. He scored on a Herrera sacrifice fly. Their second run in that third inning came when Junior Del Valle was caught in a run-down between first and second base. He remained un-tagged long enough for Dameury Pena to score. Ewing Matos scored the fourth-inning run on a triple by Juan Hernandez. The five-run fifth inning started with a walk and two singles. Del Valle drove in Herrera with a sacrifice fly. Then Ewing Matos doubled to plate Jayson Bass and Denyerbe Gervis. After a pitching change, Javier Roman doubled in another run. Juan Hernandez drove in the fifth run on a sacrifice fly. There was a lightning delay before the bottom of the sixth inning. When they returned, Herrera and Bass walked. Gervis singled to drive in the Twins 10th and final run. The game was called after the top of the seventh inning. Jose Vasquez started and gave up three runs in the first but followed it with two scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out two batters. Eider Machuca tossed two scoreless innings despite two walks and two hits. Luis Rincon worked 2/3 of an inning and gave up a hit and a walk. Jose Betancourt came on and got the final out of the sixth inning. Alejandro Crisostomo worked a perfect seventh inning. Gervis went 2-for-2. Matos went 2-for-4. Herrera was 1-for-1 with two walks. Here are the stats leaders of the DSL Twins: AVG: Dameury Pena (.414), Jayson Bass (.322), Junior Del Valle (.278) OBP: Dameury Pena (.476), Jayson Bass (.413), Jesus Peraza, Yilber Herrera (.389) SLG: Dameury Pena (.541), Moises Lopez (.435), Yilber Herrera (.412) OPS: Dameury Pena (1.017), Moises Lopez (.809), Yilber Herrera (.801) 2B: Yilber Herrera (11), Dameury Pena (8), Ewing Matos (6).. 3B: Ariel Castro, Moises Lopez, Dameury Pena (3) HR: Ariel Castro, Moises Lopez (3), Javier Roman (2). BB: Ariel Castro (24), Yilber Herrera (23), Moises Lopez (19) R: Ariel Castro (26), Jayson Bass, Yilber Herrera, Dameury Pena (22). RBI: Moises Lopez (26), Ariel Castro, Yilber Herrera (19) SB: Jayson Bass (12), Dameury Pena (11), Yilber Herrera, Moises Lopez (8) G: Jayson Bass (37), Ariel Castro, Moises Lopez (36), Yilber Herrera (35) PA: Ariel Castro (158), Jayson Bass (143), Moises Lopez (139), Yilber Herrera (126). TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Maddux Houghton (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-3, BB, HR(3), R, 5 RBI Pitcher of the Day – Michael Paredes (Cedar Rapids) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2 RBI. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 3 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, HBP, R, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, RBI, SF, SB(8) #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-for-1, BB. #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, K #15 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, K, WP, 39 pitches, 25 strikeouts (64.1%) #17 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 3B(1), R #18 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4. THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Louisville @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.99 ERA) vs Hunter Greene. Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (2-7, 5.88 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - LHP Christian MacLeod (3-0,3.69 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge (2-5, 2.18 ERA) FCL Twins @ FCL Pirates (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Giants Black (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

There was a full slate of games across the Twins minor league system today, but the biggest notes included the promotion of top prospect Brooks Lee, and the activation of Walker Jenkins. (NOTE: Night games will be updated upon their completion.) Image courtesy of Ken Blevins, USA Today Sports TRANSACTIONS OF Walker Jenkins assigned to FCL Twins SS Brooks Lee promoted to Triple-A St. Paul OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. promoted to Triple-A St. Paul INF Yunior Severino promoted to Triple-A St. Paul INF Ernie Yake assigned to Double-A Wichita OF Willie Joe Garry Jr promoted to Double-A Wichita INF Dalton Shuffield promoted to Double-A Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 6, St. Paul 3 Box Score The big news for St. Paul was the promotion of Brooks Lee from Double-A Wichita. He wasn’t in the lineup for Thursday’s matinee action, but presumably will be tomorrow. It was Randy Dobnak’s turn on the mound, and he’s put together a great run of outings recently. Going five strong (no runs, no hits), Dobnak didn’t get an out in the sixth inning and was lifted following three hits. He was charged with three runs while walking four and striking out seven. Staying hot, Andrew Stevenson tripled for the sixth time this season, and then Anthony Prato’s 18th double brought him home and put the Saints on the board. Dobnak took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but then things unraveled. Columbus grabbed three straight hits, and when Mark Contreras threw to the cutoff man after the final one, Jair Camargo lazily played the throw, booting it, and allowing a run to score. Jose Tena doubled off of Ronny Henriquez to bring in both inherited runners, and St. Paul was now looking at a 3-1 deficit. In the seventh inning Austin Martin made a poor throw to catcher Tony Wolters, allowing a run to score, before a sacrifice fly plated another for the Clippers. Mounting a comeback in the eighth inning, Camargo blasted a two-run shot that was completely annihilated. After Gilberto Celestino walked, he was able to jog around the rest of the bases. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, and facing Guardians prospect George Valera, Michael Boyle walked in a run allowing his first run of the season. James Karinchak, still working to figure out his command issues on the farm for Cleveland, got the ninth against the Saints. He closed it out and the Saints fell 6-3 on Thursday. Camargo was the lone St. Paul hitter to record multiple hits. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 10, Wichita 0 Box Score Carlos Luna got the ball tonight for Wichita and went 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. He didn't give up a walk but struck out three. A pair of homers did him in. Jorbit Vivas launched a solo homer for Tulsa in the first inning to open the scoring. They added another in the third inning to make it 2-0 and tacked on a third during the fourth inning. Vivas plated another with a sacrifice fly during the fifth inning and Tulsa led 4-0. Josh Stowers made matter worse for the Wind Surge when he blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. For a team pilfered of talent today, things could have been going better. Vivas kept being a pest with a seventh inning single, and the score was now 7-0. Diego Cartaya added another on a single before Stowers did more damage and it was 10-0 deficit. Yoyner Fajardo did have a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot tonight, but those were two of the three Wichita hits. This was one to forget. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Lansing 5 Box Score Kyle Jones started tonight for Cedar Rapids and went five innings allowing four runs on eight hits. Two homers were the big bugaboo, but he did strike out three while walking none. After getting down 1-0 in the first inning, Cedar Rapids answered with runs of their own. Kala'i Rosario doubled for the 24th time scoring both Noah Miller and Emmanuel Rodriguez before Andrew Cossetti brought him in on a sac fly. The three runs were enough to win the inning and give the Kernels a 3-1 lead. A Carson McCusker third inning single drove in Cossetti and made it a 4-1 game. Emmanuel Rodriguez added another run in the fourth inning with his 14th homer of the season, and the addition was necessary as Lansing scored three in the top of the fifth. Brennan Milone homered in the sixth even to even the score, and the Kernels lead was gone. In the eighth inning Noah Miller roped his 11th double, driving in Kyler Fedko, and putting the Kernels back in front. Ben Ross then took a bases loaded walk to bring home Miller before the inning ended. Ross grabbed a pair of hits as did Noah Cardenas. A.J. Labas and Niklas Rimmel combined to work scoreless relief for Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Dunedin 1 Box Score Juan Mercedes made the start Thursday for Fort Myers. He worked four innings of two-hit baseball allowing just a single unearned run. Mercedes also struck out four while scattering three walks. After getting behind in the first inning, Fort Myers took a second inning lead and never gave it back. Maddux Houghton singled to score Nate Baez before a balk during Jay Harry's at bat allowed Dylan Neuse to come home. In the third inning Neuse recorded his 13th double of the season to bring home Rafael Cruz, and then Kyle Schmidt singled home both Baez and Neuse. In the fifth inning Alec Sayre lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Cruz again, and make it a 6-1 game. Another balk, this time with Yohander Martinez batting, allowed Sayre to cross the plate and make it 7-1. Ricardo Olivar singled in Houghton during the inning to add another run, and Baez walked on a wild pitch that allowed Olivar an opportunity to scamper home. In the ninth inning Martinez reached on an error that allowed Schmidt to score before Olivar drew a bases loaded walk driving in Sayre. For the second time today, the Twins system was part of an 11-1 game in Florida, but this time they were on the right side of it. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Rays 11, FCL Twins 1 Box Score It was an exciting day for the FCL Twins as they wrote 2023 first-round pick Walker Jenkins’ name in the lineup for the first time. Brayan Medina was on the bump to start the game, but allowed three runs on two hits before being removed from the game without recording an out. Jenkins batted third for the FCL Twins, and that slotted him in just ahead of fellow Twins draftee Brandon Winokur. In Jenkins’ first professional at bat, he ripped a double to left field. Pitching woes continued for the Twins, this time reliever Pierce Banks, as he allowed a five-spot in the fourth inning to make it a 9-0 game. The Twins did get on the board in the fourth inning when Endy Rodriguez singled home Winokur. They needed to get to work if a comeback was in the cards. Unfortunately the Rays added two more runs, making it an 11-1 lead. With 16 hits on the day, they had plenty of opportunities. Jenkins finished with two hits, on of which was a double, and a stolen base during his debut. He was the lone Twins batter to record a pair of hits on the afternoon. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Cardinals 6, DSL Twins 3 (F/7) Box Score The DSL Twins faced off against the same organization the big league club is playing later on Thursday. Yency De Jesus made the start and worked five strong innings of no-hit baseball. He allowed a pair of walks but struck out five. Moises Lopez opened the scoring in the first inning with a single that scored Jayson Bass. The Twins added another in the second inning on a solo shot by Ewing Matos, his first as a professional. In the third inning, Hendry Chivilli lofted a sacrifice fly allowing Ariel Castro an opportunity to cross the plate. Unfortunately, things got out of hand in the sixth inning and the Cardinals took the lead. Adding two more in the top of the seventh, the lead now was 6-3. No Twins hitters recorded multiple hits, and they couldn’t mount a comeback. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Dylan Neuse (Fort Myers) - 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B(13), BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - Did not play, but he was promoted to the Saints. #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 2-4, 2B, SB(1) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, HR(14) #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-1, 3 BB, K, SB(6) #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-2 #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 1-3, R, BB, K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(24), 2 K #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 1-4 FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Christian MacLeod Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins bounced back to take a road series against the Cardinals, winning 5-3 on Thursday. Ryan Jeffers and Michael A. Taylor both hit two-run homers early and Sonny Gray delivered seven strong innings. There were a ton of transactions! Dallas Keuchel will be joining the big club with Joe Ryan headed to the IL. Brooks Lee, Yunior Severino and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. were all promoted up to Triple-A. As if that wasn't enough, 2023 first-round pick Walker Jenkins made his pro debut for the FCL Twins. Also featured in tonight's video are Randy Dobnak, Emmanuel Rodriguez and much more. View full video

There was another walkoff for the Kernels today, and Randy Dobnak was nothing short of lights out for the Saints. Maddux Houghton kept the Fort Myers lineup rolling, and it was a busy day on the farm. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Randy Dobnak) TRANSACTIONS RHP Aaron Sanchez released from St. Paul OF Luis Baez released from Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 3, St. Paul 1 Box Score It was Randy Dobnak’s night on the bump for St. Paul, and he worked four innings of very strong baseball. Allowing only a single run on four hits and a walk, Dobnak also struck out six and continued a stretch of solid performances. Two-way player Andrew Bechtold then took over in relief. The Saints called him Bechtani tonight, which is amazing. After getting down in the first inning, it took the Saints a bit to score, but they finally broke through during the sixth inning. Mark Contreras roped his 17th double of the season to bring home Kyle Garlick and even the score at one. Omaha added a pair in the seventh inning, and it was up to St. Paul to find an answer in the ninth inning. After Garlick struck out, Contreras singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Chris Williams struck out swinging, but Jair Camargo made it first and third with two outs. Austin Martin stepped in and got down 0-2 before battling back to a full count. He punched out on a cutter and that’s how the game ended. Contreras grabbed two hits off the bench for Trevor Larnach and Camargo followed his lead. Rehabbing Jorge Polanco was 1-for-2 with a HBP and didn't have a ball hit to him. This was his first game at third base since 2016. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 12, Amarillo 6 Box Score Taking the ball for Wichita was Aaron Rozek, but it was an abbreviated outing with the starter working just three innings. Rozek gave up a pair of runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out two, but both of the runs came on solo shots in the first inning. Answering and taking the lead during the fifth inning, Wichita first got an RBI double from David Banuelos when he drove in Seth Gray. Then DaShawn Keirsey Jr. tripled home Will Holland and Banuelos. The good guys had their first lead of the night. Yunior Severino singled to score Keirsey Jr. and double up Amarillo. In the sixth inning, Gray singled home Jake Rucker. Later in the inning, Gray stole home on a double steal with Banuelos. With two more runs, the Wind Surge led 6-2. The Sod Poodles scored a run in the sixth inning, but the Wind Surge quickly responded. During the seventh inning, Yoyner Fajardo singled home Severino. Next, Rucker doubled to drive in Alex Isola and Fajardo. Gray continued his hot hitting with a ground-rule double. Jake Rucker scored to make it a 10-3 lead. Amarillo had yet to record an out during the inning. Tanner Schobel did flew into a double play. However, Gray scored their 11th run on the play. Amarillo drew closer in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runs. Ivan Melendez homered for Amarillo in the eighth inning to make it an 11-6 game, but Will Holland answered with a solo blast in the ninth. Wichita stayed out in front and their commanding lead was enough. Rucker recorded three hits in the game. Keirsey Jr., Severino, Fajardo, Gray, and Banuelos each added two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 6 Box Score Christian MacLeod drew the start on Sunday for Cedar Rapids and went 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just one run on four hits and a pair of walks. MacLeod struck out five and his ERA dropped to 3.22 on the year. After allowing Peoria to take a lead during the third inning, the Kernels answered and jumped ahead in the fourth inning. Jorel Ortega singled to center scoring both Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala’i Rosario. In the sixth inning, Noah Cardenas doubled for the 16th time this season, plating Rodriguez to make it a 3-1 game. Noah Miller drove in Andrew Cossetti on a seventh-inning double play. After giving up the lead, the Kernels found themselves down 6-4 heading to the bottom of the ninth. Cedar Rapids mounted a comeback. Cossetti scored when Rosario was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Still down a run, Ben Ross singled to drive in Willie Joe Garry, Jr., and Emmanuel Rodriguez for another walk off win. Cardenas was 3-for-3 on the day to lead the Kernels offense. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 7 Box Score Samuel Perez started on Sunday for the Mighty Mussels and went three innings. He allowed two runs on three hits (including a home run). He struck out three batters. During the first inning, Perez served up a two-run blast putting Fort Myers behind. Maddux Houghton singled to score Gregory Duran in the second inning and put the Mighty Mussels on the board. Entering the eighth inning down 7-1, Fort Myers was sick of playing from behind and responded in a big way. Rubel Cespedes blasted a solo shot for his ninth homer on the year. Dillon Tatum drove home Duran. Trailing by four entering the top of the ninth inning, Fort Myers exploded for eight runs. Carson McCusker doubled to drive in Danny De Andrade before a dropped third strike to Rafael Cruz allowed McCusker to scamper home. Tatum took a bases-loaded walk, bringing home Kamron Willman, and Houghton singled in Duran and Alec Sayre to give the team a lead. Ricardo Olivar crushed his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot that gave the Mighty Mussels up 11-7. Jackson Hicks worked two scoreless innings of relief and punched out three batters. He gave up no hits or walks. He recorded his fourth win of the season. Houghton had three hits while Olivar, De Andrade, and Cespedes each had a pair. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Maddux Houghton (Fort Myers) - 3-5, R, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, 3 R, 2 BB, K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-2, R, 2B, BB #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI, BB, K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, BB, 2B, 2 K #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R, RBI, BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Frisco @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40PM CST) - TBD Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (5:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! 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Plenty of activity to follow at this time of the year, but this is your go-to website for Twins minor league coverage. We're going to wrap up the week on the farm here. There are daily recaps posted each and every day. This is your one-time-a-week, catch-up-on-everything-you-missed recap. Image courtesy of Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK (photo of Andrew Morris) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. The Twins are a league-best 8-2 since the All-Star break. But there's much more to be talking about as well. The draft wrapped up but the activity following the draft will start to ramp up this week with assignments. But, of course, the Twins still have business to do in regards to signing their first-round pick. You can catch up on all the draft news here. Additionally, the Trade Deadline is a week away too. TwinsDaily has you covered for that too! WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 12-9 in the second half; 1.5 games behind Iowa. Overview: The Saints dropped four of six to Omaha, including the final three games. 🔥: Left-handed hitting outfielders continue to rake in the minors. This time it's Mark Contreras, who went 6-for-18 with two doubles and a home run. 🔥: Randy Dobnak made two starts, spanning 10 innings. He allowed only one run on five hits and three walks while striking out 11. 🔥: Not to be outdone by Contreras, Andrew Stevenson went 7-for-21 with a double and home run. 🔥: Louie Varland only struck out three in his six innings of work, but walked none and surrendered five hits. The two earned runs were the blemish but an overall strong start. 🥶: Blayne Enlow allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks. He only recorded four outs. 🥶: Gilberto Celestino went only 1-for-12 on the week. What's Next: St. Paul will play hose to Toledo this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 9-12 in the second half; 3.5 games behind Arkansas. Overview: The Wind Surge lost four of six to Amarillo, ending two-game losing streaks with each of their wins. 🔥: Will Holland was 6-for-16 which is impressive enough, but four of his hits were of the extra-base variety (one double, one triple, two home runs). He also stole a base. 🔥: Marco Raya allowed a home run, but in four innings, he only allowed one other hit and struck out four. 🔥: Yunior Severino went a ridiculous 10-for-25 this week, with three doubles and a home run. He continues to strike out a lot, walking back to the dugout eight times over his last six games. 🔥: David Festa has had an uneven year at AA, but this was a successful week. In three innings, Festa yielded only two hits and a walk while striking out six. He definitely needs more seasoning, but seeing how his stuff plays out of the major league bullpen could be sorta fun. 🥶: Aaron Sabato went 2-for-19 with four walks and six strikeouts to post a .419 OPS. 🥶: Taylor Floyd appeared twice and retired four batters. He also allowed seven hits (including two home runs) that resulted in six runs. What's Next: Back home, Frisco will come visit Wichita. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 16-8 in the second half, 3.0 games ahead of Beloit and Peoria. Overview: It's been a continuation of a good month. After dropping the opener to Peoria, the Kernels take a five-game winning streak and first place in the standings into next week 🔥: We got to see a stretch of the good Emmanuel Rodriguez. He went 7-for-16 with a double, triple and home run. He drove in two and scored five runs. He drew six walks while striking out four. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper tossed five shutout innings. He struck out four. In 16 innings at High-A, Culpepper has allowed only nine hits and three walks with no earned runs. He's getting four times as many outs on the ground as he is in the error. 🔥: Noah Cardenas continues to impress. He collected six hits in 17 at-bats, including a double. 🔥: Both Zebby Matthews and Jaylen Nowlin pitched six innings and had a WHIP lower than one. They struck out six and seven, respectively. 🥶: Misael Urbina was 1-for-18. It's beyond time for a reset. 🥶: A.J. Labas gave up five hits and two runs in his only inning of work. What's Next: On the road for six games against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 11-13 in the second half, 6.0 games behind Clearwater. Overview: Fort Myers split with Bradenton, winning the last two games. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar led the Mighty Mussels with two home runs and six walks and tied for the lead with seven hits, three doubles, seven runs and five runs batted in. 🔥: Andrew Morris struck out eight in six innings and allowed only four hits and a walk. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned. Morris hasn't made it to high-A like many of his draft counterparts, but he's still have an impressive start to his pro career. This just happened: 🔥: Yohander Martinez was limited by his lack of power, but 6-for-16 was the best average (.375) on the team and his four walks helped him post a team-high OBP of .476. 🔥: Jose Oliveras walked four, which is too many in 4 2/3 innings. But he struck out eight and held opponents to a .125 batting average. 🥶: Kamron Willman struggled in his 14 at-bats, collecting only one hit. 🥶: Jarret Whorff struggled in his only start of the week. In 2 1/3 innings, he allowed six hits and issued four free passes. This resulted in five runs. What's Next: Fort Myers will return home to host Palm Beach. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 15-18, 10.0 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Endy Rodriquez led the team with six hits despite only getting 10 at-bats. He collected two doubles, a triple and a home run for a robust OPS of 1.936. 🔥: Brayan Medina pitched five innings in his start, allowing only three hits and two walks, but the result was two runs. His WHIP was 1.00 and his opposing batting average was .150. 🔥: Byron Chourio was almost perfect going 5-for-7 in the two games he played. 🥶: Jankel Ortiz, Andres Centeno and Alec Sayre all got double-digit at-bats and only had one hit a piece to show for it. 🥶: Pierce Banks (six hits, three walks and five runs) and John Klein (five hits, three walks and four runs) both struggled in this shortened week. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-25, 18.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Ariel Castro led the lineup with five hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats. He tied for the team lead with four RBIs and collected the team's lone stolen base. 🔥: Juan Cota had the best pitching performance of the week, allowing only one hit, a walk and an unearned run over four innings. He struck out six. Though he did hit two batters, the opposing batting average of .071 is impressive. 🔥: Moises Lopez had a double and home run among his four hits. Angel Trinidad had three doubles. 🥶: Christian Hernandez allowed three hits and four walks in three innings in the least impressive start of the week. 🥶: Hendry Chivilli is back in the lineup after being out of it since his two-hit debut, but he's been struggling. Only one hit (a double) in 11 at-bats. He did draw four walks, but struck out six times. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. 20. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-15, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.270/.341/.426. .767 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, H, ER, HB, 4 BB. (1.29 WHIP, .262 BAA). 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 10-25, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 8 K, CS. (.285/.259/.525. .884 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-22, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.271/.385/.477. .862 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K (1.63 WHIP, .287 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 4-20, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 K, 2 SB. (.200/.244/.413. .657 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 3-18, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (high-A/AA combined .281/.364/.475. .839 OPS), played 3 games (28 total) at second base and committed no errors in 6 chances (5 errors in 123 total chances), played two games (48 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 100 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 4-19, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.164/.266/.218. .484 OPS), 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K. (1.37 WHIP, .253 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, HRA, 4 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 0.92 WHIP, .176 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 7-16, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 4 K, SB, CS. (.228/.392/.434. .826 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF: Unsigned as of Sunday night. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-21, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.283/.360/.472. .832 OPS), played 4 games (75 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 16 chances (11 errors in 309 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Pitcher - Randy Dobnak. It's been a disappointing few years for Dobnak after exploding onto the scene and starting a playoff game for the Twins in 2019. Prior to the 2021 season, the Twins locked Dobnak up with a five-year extension which guaranteed him almost $10 million. He would spend the next handful of years in the Twins rotation and the "happily ever after" story would continue. Instead, Dobnak suffered a pulley injury to his right middle finger that derailed his career. Healthy again, Dobnak is starting to perform like the Randy of old and gives the organization some starter depth going into the late summer. Hitter - Emmanuel Rodriguez. He won't turn 21 until spring training next year, so even during the cold streaks it's too early to be alarmed. But during the hot streaks... woo boy. He's got all the tools, just too much swing-and-miss. He's this close to getting it straightened out and being a 21-year-old at AA knocking on the door for an opportunity in 2024. But right now it's more tease than something you can count on. And there was plenty of teasing over the last seven days. View full article

While there was only one affiliate that won their game on Tuesday, there were still big performances throughout the system. One pitcher looked like his old self, everybody hit in double-A, a top-prospect went yard for the Kernels, and a rookie league team scored 10+ runs but still almost fell by the mercy rule. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Randy Dobnak) TRANSACTIONS In triple-A, the St. Paul Saints placed SS Elliot Soto on the 7-day injured list with a right-thumb strain. In his place, SS Ernie Yake was promoted from the Wichita Wind Surge. With Yake moving upward in Wichita, the Wind Surge were assigned 2023 Cedar Rapids standout SS Tanner Schobel. The Kernels were involved in multiple moves on Tuesday, including transferring SS Jose Salas to the development list, receiving SS Mikey Perez from Fort Myers, and IF Keoni Cavaco from the FCL Twins. The Mighty Mussels sent OF Alec Sayre on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. He batted leadoff with them on Tuesday as the designated hitter. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Omaha 1 Box Score The Saints' Randy Dobnak delivered his best start of the 2023 season, finishing six one-hit innings against the Kansas City Royals' top affiliate. He walked two, struck out five, and recorded six groundouts compared to just two flyouts. If you recall his meteoric rise up the system in 2019, this is precisely the type of game he pitched, game-in and game-out. My fun stat from back in those days before he made his MLB debut was this: And he continued that trend all the way to the MLB playoffs that season. So forgive me if I’m a little giddy about this start from him after what he’s gone through the past few seasons. Unfortunately in this one, his competition was just as good. Storm Chasers' starter Anthony Veneziano went five shutout innings of his own, allowing just two hits and two walks to Saints hitters, while striking out seven. The St. Paul lineup got a single from Kyle Garlick and a walk from Trevor Larnach in the top of the first, and a one-out double from Austin Martin in the second, but only one other walk the rest of the game. Omaha’s pitchers retired the last 17 Saints hitter’s of the game. Dobnak was relieved by Michael Boyle to start the seventh, and he kept the game scoreless with a one-two-three inning. In the eighth the Saints went to righty Josh Winder and he got them to the ninth with the game still 0-0. In the bottom of the ninth, Winder gave up a leadoff double and it looked like the game was over on the next batter, but center fielder Mark Contreras fielded the single and gunned the runner out at home to preserve the tie, at least for a few more batters. He intentionally walked the next hitter to put a double-play in order, then picked up a strikeout for out number two, before another single into center didn’t have the same result as the first one, and the Storm Chasers' walked them off 1-0. Winder took the loss to move his record to 5-2 on the season with the Saints, and he was charged with one earned run on four hits and a walk in his 1 2/3 innings pitched, striking out two. Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4 and struck out three times as the DH, batting second in the second game of his rehab assignment. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Amarillo 10 Box Score While the Wind Surge outhit the Sod Poodles 17-9 in the game, it was the long ball that the home team had the advantage that won out, out slugging them four to two. The ball was flying around and out of the Amarillo ballpark all night, getting no resistance from the dry 105 degree air. Wichita scored first in the top of the first, after Brooks Lee jumped on the first pitch of the game to line a single into center field. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. followed with a single of his own, before Alex Isola brought in Lee with a double down the third base line for a 1-0 lead later in the frame. The second inning started with some loud contact from Aaron Sabato, but his blast to center field hit off the wall for a double before he ran himself into an out at third base in the next at-bat. Carlos Luna made the start for the Wind Surge and that dry air reared its head from the second inning onward. He gave up a two-run homer in the second, a three-run bomb in the third, and a solo shot in the fourth before his outing came to an end. In all, Luna gave up eight earned runs on seven hits and a walk in his four innings, striking out five. Wichita’s offense did its best to keep pace early, as they added three runs in the third to take a 4-2 lead. Will Holland led off with a triple and was driven in by a single from Lee, before Keirsey Jr. clubbed his 12th homer of the season. After falling behind 7-4 after three, they closed the Amarillo lead to one in the fourth on Holland's fourth home run of the season, but from there, they couldn't capitalize on their opportunities. After starting with such promise, they finished just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base for the game. Every hitter in the lineup collected at least one hit and six collecting multiple, with Holland leading the way from the nine-spot by going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI, finishing a double shy of the cycle. Keirsey also had three hits in five at-bats, scoring two runs and driving in two. Yunior Severino had two doubles and a walk in five plate appearances, driving in one. The bullpen duo of Isaac Mattson (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, K) and Francis Peguero (2 IP, K) finished the game for the Wind Surge. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score The Kernels got a quality effort from left-hander Jaylen Nowlin in this one, but his offense could not back him up. He finished six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and zero walks while striking out seven. The only knock on Nowlin's outing was the bat of the Chief's number nine hitter, Darlin Moquete, who clubbed two solo home runs against him. In the sixth inning, Cedar Rapids cut the two-run lead in half thanks to Emmanuel Rodriguez's 11th home run, but that was all the lineup could muster. Noah Miller added his ninth double of the season to the effort, but as a team, the Kernels collected just three other hits, went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and left six men on base for the game. After Nowlin was done, Malik Barrington (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 K) and Matthew Swain (1 IP) finished the game for the pitching staff. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Bradenton 5 Box Score Right-hander Jack Noble made the start for the Mighty Mussels, and he was solid for his five innings. He allowed just one earned run on three hits and three walks while punching out four Marauders hitters. The lone run he gave up came on a solo home run on his first pitch of the game, so he recovered well after that. His lineup tied the game at one in the top of the fourth inning when the first three hitters singled, with Carlos Aguiar driving in Carson McCusker from second base. The first reliever summoned for Fort Myers was Wilker Reyes to start the sixth inning, and he proceeded to give up a two-run homer and the lead back to Bradenton 3-1. He gave up another run in the seventh but finished two innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three. In the eighth inning, the Mighty Mussels could put another run on the board after Ricardo Olivar clubbed a one-out double and was driven in by a triple from Danny De Andrade to make the score 4-2. Zach Veen pitched the eighth inning to finish the game for Fort Myers and allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk. Rebel Cespedes had two hits on the game to pace the offense. Gregory Duran reached base twice with a single and a walk in four plate appearances. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Rays 2, FCL Twins 4 Box Score The Twins got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning when an RBI triple from Yasser Mercedes followed an Isaac Pena single. Jose Rodriguez then drove in Mercedes with a sac fly to make it 2-0. Daniel Pena put them ahead 4-0 in the sixth, following a Rodriguez walk and Harold Grant double with a two-RBI single. That was all the Twins needed, as their pitching staff was sharp throughout this one. Zarion Sharpe went the first 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and walking one. Kyle Bischoff went the next 1 1/3, walking one and striking out two before Eduardo Soriano did the heavy lifting. He finished the next 4 2/3 innings, allowing the Rays two runs (none earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three. Yon Landaeta picked up his second save with 1 1/3 scoreless frames to close it out. He walked three and struck out four. The Penas -- Isaac and Daniel -- each had two hits in the game to lead the way. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 11, DSL Giants Orange 20 Box Score Unlike their top-of-the-system brothers on Tuesday, the bottom of the system couldn't stop runs from causing the plate all game, as the teams combined for 31 runs on 24 hits and 16 walks, going 11-for-23 with runners in scoring position between them. That said, the Giants Orange squad got the better of the Twins, slugging four home runs compared to their two. The Twins lineup was led by Moises Lopez, who finished 4-for-5 with a double, home run, three runs scored, and four RBI. Ariel Castro (2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Ricardo Pena (2-for-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB), and Carlos Silva (2-for-5, 3 RBI) had multiple hits in the game. The Twins' pitching staff got knocked around all game, with only two innings with no runs scored by the Giants and just two of their six pitchers not being charged with one, though both those pitchers (Gerardo Abrego and Jose Betancourt) each pitched less than an inning. Starter Yency De Jesus did go 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out five. His bugaboo was the long ball, as he surrendered three of the Giants' four home runs. Jose Vasquez had the most trouble, allowing seven earned runs on six hits and two walks while recording just one out. The DSL Twins will throw this one in the garbage and return on Thursday with fresh minds after a day off. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Randy Dobnak, St. Paul Saints (6 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K) Hitter(s) of the Day - Will Holland, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-3, 2 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB) Moises Lopez, DSL Twins (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, HR (11), RBI, BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - game in progress. #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - game in progress. #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 1-for-4, R, 3B, RBI, K #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, 2B #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4 #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 0-for-2, R, RBI, BB, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (3-0, 5.17 ERA) Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Chad Donato (1-5, 9.38 ERA) Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (3-0, 1.52 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (11:00 AM CDT) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas (0-2, 6.91 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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It's been an eventful week in the Twins organization. Minor league teams are playing their first full week in the second half of their seasons and the major league team is providing a better rollercoaster ride than anything Valleyfair offers. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photos of Jair Camargo) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. Please check out all the upcoming draft content here! TRANSACTIONS RHP Marco Raya - arguably the top pitching prospect in the system - has been promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Jose Bravo was placed on Wichita's Development List. RESULTS Monday (6/26): David Festa Named to Futures Game Tuesday (6/27): Complex Pirates Take Care of Complex Twins Wednesday (6/28): Camargo Walkoff Highlights Huge Offensive Day for Twins... Minor Leaguers Thursday (6/29): Wallner Stays Hot for Saints Friday (6/30): Saints Lose No-Hit Bid In 7th Inning, Wallner Keeps Mashing Saturday (7/1): Saints March On, Ross Powers Another Kernels Win Sunday (7/2): Minnesota Farm Provides Some Early Fireworks MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month: June 2023 Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: June 2023 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month: June 2023 Marco Raya Is Refining His Repertoire in Cedar Rapids Top Twins Minor League Performers in Season's First Half WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 48-31 (5-0 last week) Overview: A great week for the Saints, going for the sweep against Gwinnett on Monday night. 🔥: It's time for the Twins to get Matt Wallner back in their lineup. Nine hits in 20 at-bats over the last seven days including two home runs. He scored six runs but struck out five times (with zero walks). 🔥: Randy Dobnak was great in his lone start. He pitched five innings and allowed only a hit and a walk resulting in an impressive 0.67 WHIP. He struck out six. A return to the Randy of old would be a huge boost. 🔥: Jair Camargo drove in a team-leading 10 runs for the Saints and tied Wallner for a team-high with nine hits (including four doubles). The Twins might just have a legitimate catching prospect on their hands. He also hit a walk-off grand slam and the pictures (included) were awesome! 🔥: Blayne Enlow threw five innings in his start and allowed no hits (!), but walked five (!). He struck out three. 🔥: Dallas Keuchel allowed three hits and four walks, but struck out three and allowed three hits in 4 1/3 innings. 🥶: Jose Miranda earned that promotion by posting a team-low .696 OPS over the last week. 🤨 🥶: Louie Varland pitched 4 2/3 innings and issued five walks and allowed six hits (including two home runs) and six earned runs. What's Next: The Saints will pay a visit to the Iowa Cubs beginning on Tuesday. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 32-41 (4-1 last week) Overview: The Wind Surge saw a four-game winning streak end on Sunday and will finish their series on Monday evening. 🔥: Aaron Sabato hit two home runs among his six hits. He had a 1.170 OPS though he needs to cut down on the strikeouts (seven in 19 at-bats). 🔥: Travis Adams threw five two-hit, one-run innings while striking out seven. 🔥: Yunior Severino hit three home runs. (He also needs to cut down on his strikeouts - nine in 20 at-bats.) 🔥: Brooks Lee led the team with seven RBI. 🥶: Regi Grace allowed two home runs in his 4 2/3 innings. He did strike out six but also allowed five hits, a walk, and four runs. 🥶: Both Will Holland and Seth Gray got only two hits in their ten or more at-bats. What's Next: Wichita heads to Tulsa before the All-Star Break. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 5-3 in the second half. (3-2 last week) Overview: The Kernels got a late start to their week, getting three days off before a doubleheader on Thursday. They'll finish their Peoria series on Monday night. 🔥: Tanner Schobel has done everything he can to deserve a promotion. In the last seven days, he led the team with eight hits, two home runs, eight RBI, and four runs. 🔥: Kyle Jones struck out five in 5 1/3 shutout innings. He allowed two hits and two walks. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper only struck out two in six innings. But he allowed no runs on three hits and a walk. 🥶: Marco Raya looked human - allowing four hits and two walks - in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four... and got promoted. 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez is quite something. He'll do some unbelievable things... both good and bad. This week, it was bad. He went 0-for-14 while striking out nine times. But he did draw eight walks... which resulted in a .364 OBP. 🥶: Noah Miller (4-19), Kala'i Rosario (1-17), Jose Salas (3-15), and Misael Urbina (1-11) all would deserve their own line, but collectively... woof. What's Next: Cedar Rapids will host Quad Cities beginning on Tuesday. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 3-5 in the second half. (2-3 last week) Overview: After taking the first two from Lakeland, Fort Myers has lost three straight and finish the series Monday night. 🔥: Dylan Neuse went 5-11 and scored seven runs. He drew nine walks (which is the same amount as the second- and third-place walkers on the team combined). His on-base percentage was a freakish .727. 🔥: Ben Ethridge picked up the torch for all the recently-promoted starters by throwing five shutout innings. He struck out five and allowed only one hit and two walks. 🥶: Rubel Cespedes finished the week 2-for-22 with five strikeouts. 🥶: Miguelangel Boadas allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in two innings. What's Next: Fort Myers will head to Jupiter. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 10-11 (1-6 last week), 5.0 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Jose Rodriguez and Andres Centeno tied for the team lead with five hits each. But also had seven and eight strikeouts, respectively, which paced the team as well. 🔥: Six different players hit home runs, including Rodriguez. 🔥: Brayan Medina allowed no earned runs in six innings, while striking out four. 🤔: Bryan Acuna went 4-for-15 with a home run. I'm just waiting for him to immediately turn into his brother at any time. 🤔: Kyle Bischoff struck out eight in four innings, but also allowed five earned runs and two home runs. 🥶: Matt Gabbert pitched four innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 6-15 (1-5 last week), 9 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Jayson Bass had a team-high seven hits (in 17 at-bats). He also stole two bases. 🔥: Adrian Bohorquez and Eduardo Soriano paced the team with six strikeouts each. 🔥: Yilber Herrera and Moises Lopez hit home runs. 🥶: Jesus Peraza only managed one hit in 14 at-bats. 🥶: Jose Vasquez allowed eight runs on five hits and four walks while only recording five outs. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. Fielding stats are since the last update three weeks ago. 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 5-20, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, BB, 9 K, CS. (.274/.345/.517. .862 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 5-21, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K. (.289/.351/.422. .773 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 0 H, 5 BB, 3 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.19 WHIP, .230 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.30 WHIP, .270 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-19, RBI, R, BB, 5 K. (.208/.278/.275. .553 OPS), played shortstop in 14 games (59 total) and committed one error in 74 chances (six errors in 253 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-15, 3 K, SB, 2 CS. (.168/.263/.236. .499 OPS), played no games at shortstop (11 total; three errors in 36 chances total), played three games (13 total) at third base and committed no errors in nine chances (three errors in 31 total chances). He played 10 games (35 total) at second base with one error in 45 chances (three errors in 145 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS, St. Paul: Debuting Monday. Had been rehabbing with the FCL Twins and Fort Myers up to this point. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: hasn't played since June 19, but isn't on the injured list. (.143/.240/.190. .430 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 9-20, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 5 K. (.309/.416/.570. .986 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, HRA, 4 K. (1.42 WHIP, .262 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, K (1.88 WHIP, .311 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. (0.92 WHIP, .192 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins, but hasn't thrown since June 9. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota. St. Paul: (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; currently up with the Twins. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 0-14, R, 8 BB, 9 K. (.211/.376/.422. .798 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota. Currently on the injured list and expected to miss six weeks. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-19, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.265/.342/.428. .770 OPS), played 15 games (63 total) at shortstop and committed five errors in 70 chances (10 errors in 267 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when we can vote on a day when there are no games. Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

Matt Wallner continues to crush at Triple-A for the St. Paul Saints, and Tanner Schobel stays red hot for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. More than a handful of performers stood out across the Twins farm system today. Take a look at what was an eventual Thursday on the farm. Image courtesy of Jean Pfiefer (aka, go4twinkies on Instagram) TRANSACTIONS UT Austin Martin assigned to Low-A Fort Myers for minor league rehab. RHP Gererdo Abrego activated from IL and assigned to DSL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 13, Gwinnett 5 Box Score Old friend Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound tonight for Gwinnett, but the Saints' Randy Dobnak stole the show. Working five scoreless innings, Dobnak allowed three hits and three walks while striking out five. He has now been lights out in three straight outings. In the second inning, St. Paul got on the board, and they did so in a big way. Mark Contreras kicked things off with a single that brought Trevor Larnach home. The recently-signed Mark Kolozsvary drove in Contreras and Chris Williams with a single of his own. Elliot Soto scored Anthony Prato on a sacrifice fly before Andrew Stevenson plated Kolzsvary on his 14th double. After picking up his first hit with the Saints, Kolzsvary homered in the bottom of the fourth inning, recording his first extra-base hit. Matt Wallner's fifth-inning big fly made this a 7-0 game. Stevenson kept the barrage going when he homered for the seventh inning, and his two-run shot scored Prato to make it 9-0. The Stripers made some noise in the seventh inning when two-way player Andrew Bechtold lost his command. A bases-loaded walk and Jesus Aguilar's grand slam brought the game closer at 9-5. Wanting to answer, Wallner decided to go yard for the second time, making it a 10-5 game. As the Saints continued wiping away the last inning, Prato doubled, scoring Contreras and Williams. Then Kolozsvary followed with a double of his own and brought Prato home to make it 13-5. Putting Gwinnett down in the ninth, that's how this one would end. On the night, Wallner finished with three hits, adding a single to his pair of longballs. Kolozsvary also had three hits, while Stevenson, Contreras, and Trevor Larnach had a pair of their own. Ronny Henriquez, who is back from the injured list, pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 1 Box Score Wichita sent Pierson Ohl to the mound tonight. He lasted five innings allowing just a single earned run on five hits. Ohl didn't allow a walk and struck out three. Getting behind on a first inning home run, the Wind Surge evened the score with an Alex Isola single that scored DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the bottom half. Aaron Sabato then stepped in with Isola on during the third inning, and he cranked home run number three on the season to make it a 3-1 game. Protecting the lead in the middle of the game, Isola and Brooks Lee combined for a very nice double-play turn. The Twins' star prospect is known for his bat, but there's plenty to like with his glove and arm. Curtis Taylor worked two scoreless innings of relief to pick up his second save on the season. Isola had three hits tonight, while Keirsey Jr. added a pair of his own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 6 Box Score It was Zebby Matthews night on the bump for Cedar Rapids, and he worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. While he did strike out and allowed no walks, the two home runs surrendered did him in. One of the hottest-hitting players in the Midwest League, Tanner Schobel, continued to torch opposing pitching with a solo shot to lead off the game. In the second inning, Cedar Rapids continued to add on. Willie Joe Garry Jr. singled in Noah Miller before Schobel's single brought Misael Urbina and Garry Jr. across the plate. Peoria had evened things up by the sixth inning, but the Kernels were again up to the challenge in the eighth inning. Kala'i Rosario doubled for the 15th time this season, scoring Emmanuel Rodriguez. Ben Ross then singled and brought Rosario home to make it a 6-4 game. After allowing Peoria to even things up in the bottom of the eighth, Schobel added to his big game with a single that brought in Andrew Cossetti and gave them the lead again. Miguel Rodriguez came on to slam the door and picked up his ninth save. Schobel posted three of the seven hits for Cedar Rapids tonight. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Lakeland 4 (F/10) Box Score Ben Ethridge took the ball tonight for the Mighty Mussels, and he was great over his five innings of work. Allowing just one hit and two walks, Ethridge punched out five and dropped his ERA to 2.58. Rehabbing Twins prospect Austin Martin was in the lineup tonight for Fort Myers. He batted second and played centerfield. With the bases loaded in the second inning, Dillon Tatum drew a walk to drive in Rubel Cespedes and score the game's first run. Needing to add more, Dylan Neuse singled in Danny De Andrade to make it a two-run lead in the third inning. Gregory Duran doubled for the fifth time this season, and the extra-base hit brought home both Mikey Perez and Neuse. Leading 4-0, Fort Myers was in a great spot. Unfortunately, Lakeland ripped off four unanswered runs and sent the game into extra innings. Forcing the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, Neuse walked, scoring Luis Baez the easy way. Cespedes and Neuse both had two hits for Fort Myers, while Martin finished his debut 0-5. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 12, FCL Twins 4 Box Score The FCL Twins lacked some punch in their lineup as Austin Martin's minor league rehab assignment was transferred to High-A. Down 3-0 headed to the fourth inning, Jose Rodriguez launched his second homer of the season to put the Twins on the board. By the fifth inning, the Pirates had taken a commanding 7-1 lead. The Twins mounted a comeback and put together a three-run inning, however. Omari Daniel recorded his second double of the season to score Daniel Pena, and then Isaac Pena tripled in Daniel. Rodriguez's second hit of the day was a run-scoring double, and when Pena scored, the deficit was cut to three. That was as close as the Twins would get, though, and the Pirates added another five runs. Both Pena and Rodriguez recorded a pair of hits on the day. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Giants Black 5, DSL Twins 3 Box Score After the Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, the Twins answered in the bottom half. Ricardo Pena scored Jayson Bass with a single, and things were again even. Giving up a run in the third inning, the Twins capitalized immediately in the fourth inning when a wild pitch allowed Pena to scamper home. In the fifth inning, Yilber Herrera lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Twins their first lead, but Dameury Pena's run wouldn't be enough. The Giants grabbed more on a seventh inning home run, and that 5-3 lead was enough to secure the victory. Ariel Castro went 1-for-3 on the day as Bass continued his hot start with two more hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ben Ethridge (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, R, 4 RBI, HR(11) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-4, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB, 3 K, R #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR(11) #11 - Austin Martin (Fort Myers) - 0-5 (rehab, played CF) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B(4), HR(2) #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - LHP Develson Aria FCL Twins @ FCL Red Sox (DH @ 9:00 AM CST) - TBD, TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Yankees (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins moved on from their former front office regime in an attempt to bring their baseball operations forward. Getting to a place that more closely replicates the game's current state, the Twins hired Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. The former came from Cleveland; his calling card was organizational pitching development. But has it worked? Image courtesy of © Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports In October 2016, the Minnesota Twins hired Derek Falvey as their executive vice president and chief baseball officer. He brought a substantial track record of success when looking at how the Guardians have churned out pitchers over the years, and the hope was that Minnesota could replicate that system. Now in season seven, it's worth wondering how well the belief in the process has paid dividends. Looking at the draft first, the Twins have made just one first-round pick that was a pitcher during Falvey's tenure. Surprisingly, they took a high school arm in the form of Chase Petty. There is almost nothing more volatile than a prep arm, but Petty and his high-velocity fastball at 26th overall made sense as a reasonable gamble. The most indicative of developmental results is how arms from the later round progress through the system. Perhaps nothing is more notable there than both Bailey Ober and Louie Varland. The former was a 12th-round pick during the 2017 draft, and he has elevated himself to the point of being a consistent rotation mainstay. He was left out of the Opening Day staff due to unprecedented depth, but he's pitched himself into ink. Even further out than Ober, Varland was taken in the 15th round during the 2019 draft from Concordia-St. Paul, a Division II program. He immediately saw velocity jump up as he went to work with a pro team, and he quietly climbed the ranks. Moving into actual prospect status for the Twins and eventually cracking the top 10, Varland forced his way into the rotation. We have seen him struggle with home runs thus far, but getting that under control can help him to take a massive next step. A bit further down the line, Minnesota can hang a hat on Randy Dobnak, who came out of nowhere to break through at the big league level. After an unfortunate injury, he hasn't seen sustained success, but earning a big payday and contributing at the highest level can be attributed to internal development. On the relief side, we have seen stories like Caleb Thielbar and Griffin Jax succeed at a very high level. The former was out of baseball and came back to be among baseball's most dominant left-handed arms. Thielbar has been wildly successful for Minnesota and a mainstay in a bullpen that has constantly shuffled arms. Although this regime did not draft Jax, they had a hand in shaping his current position. Moving on as a starter, Jax has pushed his stuff into high-leverage spots and has shown an ability to set up one of the game's best closers in Jhoan Duran. Only some prospects are a finished product too. While there are highly touted arms such as Connor Prielipp and Simeon Woods Richardson still waiting to put it all together on the farm, there are pitchers such as David Festa, Marco Raya, Cory Lewis, and C.J. Culpepper that are turning heads as they make their way through the system. Developing a pipeline is about more than just big league production, too. As we saw with Petty, having the depth to move prospects is a must. Making big trades meant having arms like Cade Povich and Brusdar Graterol. Flipping assets to grab arms like Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez is less about the pitching development but adds to the overall depth. Overall, the Twins have yet to truly develop an ace, but that's not necessarily what Cleveland did. Ryan could wind up being Minnesota's Shane Bieber, and they've stockpiled some arms that could produce dividends to the tune of Triston McKenzie, Aaron Civale, and others. Cleveland's arms have come mainly into the system by fitting a mold. The organization takes big-bodied guys that can throw strikes. They then look to add velocity and help them grow. Corey Kluber was an example back in the day, and there have been many additions. The bar for what a pitching pipeline looks like is murky, but Minnesota being where they are now, is as good of a representation as we may see. The pipeline has been built through a combination of development and acquisition. Marrying those two together has created depth. The further this organization can get from needing to spend on big names or hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with Chris Archer or Dylan Bundy, the more self-sustaining it will be. It hasn't been perfect by any means, and we're still hoping to see the trend continue, but for now, the Twins' pitching pipeline is starting to come into focus. View full article