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Ed Julien had three extra-base hits, including an opposite field home run, Matt Wallner collected four hits including a home run, and Willi Castro hit two home runs to dead center field. That backed a decent effort from Pablo López in a much-needed victory for the Twins. Jorge Lopez continued his struggles and made it interesting in the ninth, but Brock Stewart was nails in getting the final three outs of the game against the top of the powerful Blue Jays lineup. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Pablo López: 5.2 IP 5 H 4 ER 3 BB 6 K 2 HR (88 Pitches, 54 Strikes, 61.4 %) Home Runs: Willi Castro 2 (4), Matt Wallner (1), Edouard Julien (4) Top 3 WPA: Wallner (0.272), Castro (0.231), Julien (0.182) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Bo Bichette is unconsciously good, beats Pablo López twice Coming off a solid start against the Angels in which his bullpen cost him a loss, Pablo López struggled a little with his command. He gave up a first inning home run to Bichette, who looked unstoppable in driving a pitch off his knuckles into the second deck in left field. Bichette got López again in the third, but the groundwork was laid by nine-hole hitter and catcher Tyler Heineman drawing a walk and George Springer lacing a fat changeup into center field to set up Bichette’s two-run triple. López got out of trouble, but not of his own merit, striking out a struggling Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a fastball down the middle, walking Brandon Belt and getting Matt Chapman to line out (106.3 MPH) to a leaping Matt Wallner, ending the threat. López was okay after that outside of a hanging breaking ball that Cavan Biggio deposited over the scoreboard in right center to tie the game in the fourth, exiting after allowing a walk with two outs in the sixth. Twins beat a hot pitcher Chris Bassitt was cruising coming into this start, pitching to a sub- 1.00 ERA so far in May and relying, somewhat like Sonny Gray, on throwing a multitude of quality pitches all around the strike zone despite lacking high-end velocity. It was the Twins’ most inexperienced hitters that got to him, with Alex Kirilloff, Wallner and Julien all collecting multiple hits off the righty, before Will Castro gave the Twins the lead with his two-run home run in the sixth. Kirilloff breaks his slump A poor stretch from Kirilloff, including plenty of strikeouts and ground outs, prompted some speculation that his wrist was bothering him again, a beyond-ominous thought given the overall struggles of the Twins offense. He put those fears to rest (for now) by grounding out sharply for an RBI in the first and lining singles to left and then right in his next two at-bats. He scored in both those instances. Twins ruin Dalton Varsho’s day on back-to-back pitches After Kirilloff’s leadoff single in the fifth, Willi Castro rocked a low cutter off the top of Varsho’s glove for a go-ahead two-run home run. Not to be outdone, Matt Wallner contributed his third hit of the day, blasting a middle-middle fastball off of Varsho’s glove in left-center, giving López some much-needed breathing room and knocking Chris Bassitt from the game. Varsho was only in center because platinum glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier had exited early with a back issue. Wallner shows off bat, arm, and defensive deficiencies Wallner had a huge hit in the first inning, driving in two by waiting on a Bassitt off-speed pitch. He then reached first on a soft infield pop-up and homered in the fifth to the deepest part of the park. He later added a single in the seventh raising his batting average from .077 to .294 in the process. He mis-played Bichette’s triple to right center in the third as well as a potential double from Belt in the sixth, but recovered in the latter instance to gun down Belt from the warning track, an incredible throw that showed the ridiculous arm Wallner possesses. What’s Next: Bailey Ober (3-1, 2.55 ERA) goes against old friend José Berríos (4-4, 4.22 ERA) in the rubber game. Berríos has recovered some since looking like a payroll-busting albatross in the first year of his six year deal with the Jays, pitching to a 3.77 ERA in May, though he has allowed six home runs. Ober is coming off of his worst start of the season against the Giants where he allowed the first four hitters he faced to score before settling down and pitching four scoreless after that. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Morán 10 24 0 0 9 43 Stewart 10 20 0 0 13 43 De León 0 21 0 19 0 40 J. López 18 0 0 0 22 40 Pagán 9 0 0 21 0 30 Durán 0 13 0 0 12 25 Jax 18 0 0 0 0 18 Sands 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Originally signed to fill out the roster in St. Paul, Willi Castro is close to removing himself from the send-down conversation altogether. Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports In December, I was pleasantly surprised when the Twins landed Willi Castro on a minor league contract. Despite some disappointing years in Detroit, I anticipated the toolsy utility man would’ve had a bigger market than what he settled for. I even wrote about how he compared similarly to former Twin Danny Santana. However, all of that excitement on my behalf was with the expectation that Castro would be in St. Paul for most of the year and would be more of a reclamation project than a semi-platoon Big-Leaguer. If you had told me, coming into 2023, that 50 games into the season, Castro would have not only been on the Major League squad for all of those games but eighth on the team in fWAR, I would have guessed some horrible things happened in Minnesota. While this season has undoubtedly had its lumps, the Twins are still on pace to meet their preseason projections. The hope moving forward is the Twins never get to the point where Castro needs to be an everyday player, but it seems like they’re getting dangerously close. There is value in having capable role players, but I would be worried if Castro is ever more than that. His lack of plate discipline and his propensity to swing and miss can infuriate Twins fans, and while defensively versatile, versatility is often caused by the inability to stick in one spot. While not playing a huge role offensively or defensively, Castro has been a nice surprise in demonstrating his ability to hold down a spot as a 26th man on a Major League Roster. He is having his best offensive season since 2020 and has earned the trust of the coaching staff to play all three infield spots and all three outfield spots. Castro’s most significant impact on the team has been his baserunning. Despite having the 11th most plate appearances on the Twins, Castro leads the team in stolen bases with seven. He also ranks sixth on the team in baserunning runs above average. Castro’s utility as a defender and his ability to switch hit earned him a spot on the roster initially, but his performance has kept him in The Show. Having options on his contract ensured he has always been a send-down candidate whenever a prospect has been ready, or a player was coming back from an injury. However, he has played well enough to force the Twins to keep him away from St. Paul. Having out-performed Nick Gordon and Donovan Solano thus far, combined with his ability to create chaos on the basepaths, Castro has proven to be an important piece on the Twins. With the current status of injuries, Castro will likely become even more valuable, and they may need to rely on him in a way they didn’t anticipate coming into the year. You can bet the Detroit Tigers regret DFA-ing the 26-year-old, as both his 93 wRC+ and 0.4 fWAR would rank fifth on the Tigers. Their lineup remains futile. When the Twins are going through a tough stretch, sometimes it’s nice to find some positives with the team and remind yourself it’s about the whole season, not just ten or 20-game samples. Castro isn't putting up eye-popping offensive totals – or at least he wasn't before Saturday's multi-homer outburst – but he's found a role on a division-leading team, and his skill set is helping his team win games. I mean, heck, the guy stole home. Who doesn’t love that? View full article

The only way to beat the Dodgers: have their old players on your team. Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Bailey Ober: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (102 pitches, 65 strikes) Home Run: Kyle Farmer (3) Top 3 WPA: Bailey Ober (.259), Jovani Moran (.165), Kyle Farmer (.135) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Even the gruffest amongst us could not fault him if he did it. Clayton Kershaw lost his mother on Saturday. Suffering a painful Mother’s Day and coming to terms with life without one his most crucial supporters, Kershaw insisted on making his scheduled start, hopefully using baseball as the emotional crutch so many others before have done. Heartless—and cruel—the Twins allowed no time for grievance: a leadoff double by Donovan Solano begat a Kyle Farmer single beyond the infield, plating a rare early run off the future Hall-of-Famer. And so the game stayed during its first act. Bailey Ober found similar challenges in his time on the mound—hits, general chicanery—while his command swayed in the gentle California breeze. Perhaps fortune or gumption aided him, but in any case, Ober was able to avoid the damaging blow Minnesota earned against their opponent. It wasn’t from a lack of trying by the Dodgers: they placed two runners on in the opening frame before flailing meekly to end the inning. Things got crazier in the 4th, however; Max Muncy attempted to swipe home on a double steal; a wise Solano anticipated his move and promptly threw him out by many feet. The Dodgers likely felt the need to press because the Twins again jumped on Kershaw. A walk and two singles added a second run to Minnesota’s total, with Willi Castro providing the clutch hit on a slicing single into left. Underpinning all the offense was a truly bizarre inability by Austin Barnes to throw the baseball to second base. The catcher has struggled with baserunners all season, and—despite their stagnant nature—the Twins pushed firmly on that pressure point at all times, leading to four total steals and a disengagement violation when Kershaw tried to save his backstop from embarrassment in the 4th. The opportunity for small-ball shenanigans was great, and Minnesota embraced it fully in the 5th, earning a run off a walk, steal, groundout, hit by pitch, and safety squeeze bunt. And Ober held up his end of the bargain. A shaky opening to his start gave way to solid, effective, normal Bailey Ober proceedings; the big right-hander ended his night after six innings with one earned run to his name and more than a few warning track threats. The Twins could avoid it no longer, though, and the game shifted to a battle between the bullpens. Both exhausted after a nightmare game on Monday, the onerous was on Minnesota to defend the lead, placing their relief arms in a much more precarious position. Brock Stewart was the first hero, and he could only muster two outs after his 28 pitches last night. Jovani Moran then stepped up the mound, immediately walked Freddie Freeman on four pitches, and coaxed a soft fly out from Chris Taylor on the only strike he threw in the inning. The Twins needed six more outs. Yet, somehow, as if the forces surrounding the game joined together in one miraculous effort, Moran made it through a clean 8th inning, eliciting three outs with relative ease. And the same forces grew from a quiet grin to a shining smile in the 9th, observing the Twins’ lost work from the previous night and realizing that a correction was in order: Farmer extended the lead with a relieving two-run shot just above the outfield wall. Dodgers fans left their seats in frustration. It finally ended. Minnesota’s 18-year drought of winning at Dodgers’ stadium, Clayton Kershaw’s nearly two-year grip on winning on his home turf, and whatever demons have cursed Griffin Jax in 2023 all came to an end. Post-Game Interview What’s Next? The Twins and Dodgers will partake in a day game on Wednesday as Sonny Gray will face off opposite Dustin May. The game starts at 2:10 PM central time. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Let’s look at the cases for each. Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports Kyle Farmer has only played in 11 games for the Minnesota Twins this season, but he has certainly been missed since going out with a facial injury on April 12. He brings a much needed right handed bat, as well as the positional flexibility to play all over the infield. With the Twins returning home from their road trip on Tuesday, it’s likely that Farmer will join the big league club, but who will be the odd man out on the roster? There are two likely options: Willi Castro and José Miranda. The first option for a demotion is star prospect José Miranda. Coming into the season, Miranda was thought to be a core member of the team following his breakout season in the Minor Leagues in 2021 and his strong showing as a rookie in 2022. His 2023 season has been a different story, though. In 32 games played thus far, Miranda has just a .589 OPS with just six extra base hits and a tough 21/9 K/BB ratio. His underlying statistics don’t provide much confidence either, with a barrel %, chase rate, BB% and xSLG all below the 25th percentile. I mean, just look at this Baseball Savant batter profile. This doesn’t look like someone who is demanding playing time at the Big League level, does it? The other reason for sending down Miranda is his defense. First of all, Miranda has been a negative in the field for the Minnesota Twins this year. According to Baseball Savant, Miranda has provided -2 outs above average this season, putting him in the 8th percentile in baseball. When the Twins bring back Kyle Farmer, they will likely slot him in as the new everyday starting third baseman. Farmer provides much better defense than Miranda and with the way Miranda is performing at the plate, he likely will provide better offense as well. Secondly, José Miranda doesn’t provide much of any defensive flexibility. Miranda could be a right handed platoon at first base for Joey Gallo/Alex Kirilloff, but he showed last year that he’s a bit of a butcher at first base, and keeping Miranda in the bigs as a platoon first baseman doesn’t make a lot of sense either. Whether it’s his shoulder injury that kept him out of the World Baseball Classic this winter, or simply a sophomore slump, there is a good argument to be made that Miranda should be the player to be sent down to St. Paul where he can regain his confidence and hopefully find the swing that made so many people confident in him heading into the season. The other option for being sent down to make room for Kyle Farmer is utilityman Willi Castro. Castro was a surprise addition to the Opening Day roster for the Minnesota Twins this season after signing a minor league contract in December. Castro hasn’t exactly been great for the Minnesota Twins during the first month of the season, posting an OPS of just .643 with three extra base hits over 44 plate appearances. In his four seasons prior to joining the Twins, Castro posted a cumulative OPS of .673 with an average of just six home runs per season, so expecting any offensive run from the utilityman isn’t wise. Castro does not provide the offensive ceiling that Miranda does, though as a switch hitter, Castro does provide the Twins with more lineup flexibility against pitchers of both right and left handedness. Defensively, Willi Castro provides about league average defense and can play all over the infield as well as the corner outfield. Castro provides more speed than Miranda, though isn’t necessarily a burner on the bases. With Nick Gordon on the roster as a right handed bat with plus-speed and a higher offensive ceiling coming off the bench, it’s not exactly clear how often Willi Castro would play if he stuck on the roster after Kyle Farmer gets called up. However, unlike José Miranda, the Twins would be okay with having Willi Castro stick on the bench most days, whereas with José Miranda, if he’s not playing almost everyday the Twins would prefer to have him playing in St. Paul where he can play every day. The ultimate question that would determine if José Miranda or Willi Castro gets sent down for Kyle Farmer is how often the Twins are comfortable playing Farmer. If Farmer is healthy enough to play everyday, it’s safe to reason that Farmer would take over the role as the everyday third baseman and there would be no at-bats left for Miranda. If the Twins don’t feel comfortable playing Kyle Farmer everyday, then Miranda might stick with club as he still provides upside at third base that Willi Castro simply doesn’t provide. Who do you think should get sent down for the Twins to make room for Kyle Farmer? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View full article

With Alex Kirilloff heating up, Kyle Farmer continuing baseball activities soon and Royce Lewis getting closer each day, how will the Twins fill the 13 spots on their roster for hitters? View full video

The Twins played their final game of their east coast road trip in Boston on Thursday afternoon. They followed their blowout win with a blowout loss and a familiar reliever returned to his usual antics of throwing meatballs as he did in 2022. A ninth-inning comeback still wasn't enough to overcome Emilio Pagan's deficit. Image courtesy of Eric Canha, USA Today Sports Box Score SP: Kenta Maeda 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (28 pitches, 15 strikes (53.5% strikes)) Home Runs: Willi Castro (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Emilio Pagan -.299, Jose Miranda -.041, Nick Gordon -.032 Win Probability Chart Maeda’s Day Shortened The day did not go quite as planned for the Twins and Kenta Maeda, who made his first start in 10 days. Unfortunately, Maeda had to exit the game early with an injury concern. On the bright side the injury was on his left leg and not anything related to his throwing arm. The reality of the injury though could have him missing another start as he was hit by a line drive that came 111.6 MPH off Jarren Duran’s bat. The line drive caused a left ankle contusion which will require x-rays. Pagan Implodes Out of Bullpen All good things must come to an end eventually and today’s game saw the end of Emilio Pagan’s strong start to the 2023 season. Pagan was the first reliever out of the Twins bullpen following Maeda, and the Red Sox took full advantage, scoring six runs on seven hits. Pagan remained in the game for the fourth inning, retired the first two batters he faced, but was removed after giving up a single off the Green Monster to Justin Turner. His final line for the day showed six earned runs on eight hits. A Fan Fair Fifth The Twins finally got a run in the fifth inning, and they had Red Sox fans to thank for it. Willi Castro hit a double that bounced near the edge of the left field bleachers, which was picked up by a fan and turned into a double. Next, Max Kepler hit a double to right field. It was touched by a fan but remained in the field of play. Kepler tried for a triple but the fan interference kept him at second. Additional Bullpen Weaknesses Showing Cracks The two relievers that followed Pagan in this game were Jorge Alcala and Jovani Moran. Alcala worked in the fifth, and Yu Chang hit a two-run home run off him to put the Red Sox up 10-3. He at least finished the afternoon strong in the sixth facing the minimum batters. Moran had the final two innings of the game and his struggles to start the 2023 continued to show. He failed to face the minimum number of batters in either inning and struggled to make his pitches where Christian Vazquez wanted them. Other Notes Willi Castro hit his first home run in a Twins uniform in the top of the seventh to close the wide gap on the scoreboard. Castro was also the Twins final pitcher of the afternoon as they trailed 11-3 in the bottom of the eighth. Castro was the only Twins pitcher to face the minimum number of hitters on five pitches. The Twins made noise in the ninth to get a couple of runs back. Edouard Julien his first chance at a grand slam in the Majors. Julien got an RBI single to bring in a run, but Kepler overran third base trying to score a second run, fled back to third base and was tagged out to end the game. What’s Next? The Twins return home Friday for a long, 10-game homestand that kicks off against the Washington Nationals. Tyler Mahle (1-2, 4.11 ERA) gets the start for the Twins against the Nationals Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.52 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins got blown out in Boston this afternoon and Kenta Maeda took a painful come-backer to the shin. He exited early, creating an opportunity for Emilio Pagán to do his magic. Willi Castro had an eventful day which included a home run and 1/3 of an inning pitched. In the minors we have highlights of Alex Kirilloff, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Ben Ross and info on another crazy game from Andrew Cossetti. View full video

We have seen the Minnesota Twins look to utilize handedness as a way to generate lineup flexibility in recent years. This year more than others, it’s hard to argue that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine didn’t nail the roster configuration. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports All offseason the two largest storylines surrounding the Twins needs, aside from the general notion for pitching, included a desire to retain Carlos Correa and a push for a right-handed bat that can play the outfield. Max Kepler wasn't traded, Trevor Larnach has been among the best hitters on the team, and Joey Gallo looks like a great bounce back candidate. None of those players are right-handed, but Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, and Willi Castro have fit the bill. Originally, Farmer was tabbed as a baseline option to fill the starting shortstop role. The Twins sent minor leaguer Casey Legumina to the Cincinnati Reds after it was clear they were set to move on from Farmer. He provided a security blanket had Correa not returned which seemed likely since he agreed to deals with both the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. No longer the starting shortstop, Farmer settled into a utility role but is not a guy that should be overlooked. He has already been responsible for a walkoff win during the home opener, and followed up that performance with a multi-hit day against the Astros that featured both a home run and a double. Playing time was cleared for Farmer because Rocco Baldelli is without starting second baseman Jorge Polanco. Dealing with knee issues, he has just started rehabbing with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. That has led to plenty of starts for Farmer, but Baldelli has an immediate pairing because of Nick Gordon. Splitting handedness, Farmer and Gordon are each continually put in advantageous situations because of how the Twins built the fringes of their roster. After posting a 113 OPS+ last season, Gordon established himself as a high-level utility option a season ago. Playing on the infield and in the outfield last year, maybe no one on the Minnesota roster has provided the coaching staff more flexibility. He is off to a slow start this season, but there is no reason to believe he won’t bounce back. When the Twins signed Solano during spring training, it was seen as an interesting move. Maybe Polanco wasn’t on track (he wasn’t) or maybe Alex Kirilloff wasn’t going to be ready (he wasn’t), but Solano as a righty made even more sense. He’s not an offensive juggernaut, but in three years for the Giants, he constantly was above league average. Being able to play multiple infield positions and first base, he has already proven his value to his new organization. Rounding out the group was what could arguably be considered the final player to make the 26-man roster. Former Detroit Tigers utility man Willi Castro is an ideal end-of-the-bench option. He is a switch hitter, and while he’s traditionally been an infielder, last season saw him play a whopping six different positions. Castro has been a regular in the past, and while his 80 OPS+ the past two seasons leaves plenty to be desired, he can be utilized in advantageous scenarios. By being flexible at the end of their bench and the fringes of the roster, Minnesota has afforded Baldelli a perfect mix-and-match spot. Farmer and Gordon are able to spell each other, while Solano brings more focus to the corner infield. Castro can be sparingly used and is never in a position where he has to be utilized, but also gives higher-level prospects time to develop on the farm. Knowing how much injury that they dealt with last year, it was clear Minnesota sought to find depth. In doing so, they had a plan to incorporate flexibility, and the completeness of this roster is something we haven’t seen for quite some time. Platoons have become a much larger focus in baseball, and although the Twins don’t need to rely on them, they’re constantly available at their disposal. View full article

Shortstop has taken quite a hit early on with Carlos Correa dealing with back spasms and Kyle Farmer taking a fastball to the face. Who is available to fill-in until one or both are healthy? View full video

If you’re into old-school lineup management with consistent lineups and no true off-days, the Twins’ early-season lineups should give you hope Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Rocco Baldelli has earned a reputation for mixing and matching his lineups. In 2022, there were no two back-to-back games in which the same lineup started. Through four games in 2023, the only lineup move made was swapping the catchers, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers —a routine move to give the starter at the most demanding position a day off. In truth, when he can, Baldelli often begins altering the lineup early in the season. In 2022, by the fourth game against a right-handed starting pitcher Nick Gordon, Gilberto Celestino, Trevor Larnach, Luis Arraez, and Gary Sanchez had all been rotated in. In 2020, Jake Cave and Marwin Gonzalez were in the lineup by the second game. In contrast, in years like 2023—years where the top reserve has been thrust into the starting lineup (this year Gordon, in 2019 Gonzalez, in 2021 Arraez), he has been relatively consistent. However, there have been in-game moves, so let’s look at Baldelli’s bench usage through four games. Kyle Farmer Farmer was the first of the three starting-caliber players acquired over the offseason who will occupy reserve roles in 2023. When Farmer was traded for, he was penciled in as the starting shortstop, though those plans ended when Correa signed his 200 million dollar deal. Farmer is now anticipated to serve as the utility infielder, having experience at all four infield spots. In the first three games, Farmer was brought in in the middle innings to replace Gordon at second base after a left-handed reliever entered the game. Given the difference in their splits against lefties (Gordon’s OPS in 2022 was .542; Farmer’s was .948), Baldelli seems keen on swapping them for each other when the pitcher’s handedness changes. We will likely see the inverse when Farmer starts against lefties, like what we saw on Wednesday. In all cases, Farmer will be expected to be locked into the game, whether he starts or begins the game on the bench. Max Kepler ’s injury may lead to Farmer seeing more starts against righties, with Gordon being shifted to the outfield, though that was not the case Tuesday, the first game without Kepler, who is day-to-day. He will also see spot starts around the infield to give the starters a day off, but he himself will likely never see an actual put-up-your-feet day off, even though he didn’t make it into Tuesday’s game, his first of the year despite no starts. Donovan Solano Solano, the other lefty killer on the bench, has seen two pinch-hitting appearances and a start at designated hitter, giving Byron Buxton a day off. Following Farmer’s pinch hit for Gordon on Opening Day, Solano hit for lefty Joey Gallo, driving in a run on a line-drive single. Given that the starting lineup currently contains four left-handed starters (Kepler, Larnach, Gordon, Gallo), even as the second option behind Farmer, he will also be called upon to pinch hit versus lefties and then stay in the game at first base, with a potential Gallo move into the outfield. In addition to his pinch-hitting duties, he will also probably start every game against a southpaw while potentially getting spot starts on the infield or at designated hitter against righties. No matter what, though, he’s in the same spot as Farmer, as Baldelli could call his number any game, even in the middle innings like on Opening Day. That’s especially true if Farmer starts that game, as Solano would be the top righty pinch-hitter. Ryan Jeffers The second two members of the bench are less noteworthy in their early usage. The acquisition of Vazquez has moved Jeffers into a backup catcher role, as opposed to his starting role in 2022 or the timeshare he had in 2021. As such, he’s one of the top backup catchers in the league. Given that he’s only started one game thus far, there’s evidence that he will be a proper backup, though he will likely get more play against a left-handed starter, given his .790 OPS against them for his career and his .909 last season. If things go right, he may even see time as the designated hitter. For now, though, he has been relegated to a backup role behind one of the best defensive catchers in MLB. Keep an eye on his usage in the near future to get a better idea of his role, especially if he shows that he can hit enough to get time at designated hitter. Willi Castro Castro finally got into a game Monday, and drew a start in left field in place of Kepler Tuesday. As a 2023 non-roster invite to spring training, he was added to the Opening Day roster to provide additional depth at every outfield and infield position. However, he seems to be a late-tenure Willians Astudillo -type—a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option, and Kepler’s injury probably qualifies as an emergency, in the short-term. He provides positional flexibility to make any lineup work—if needed. However, he doesn’t have a stand-out skill and will likely be the first player on the chopping block when players get called up or return from injury. He still has an option remaining, so he can return to AAA without being exposed to waivers. He’s the quintessential 26th man who provides a warm body, and thus far, he’s been treated as such, only seeing action in a blowout to get the big boppers off their feet and as an extra outfielder covering for a day-to-day injury.. How do you feel about the early roster management? Are my assessments correct? Would you like to see any changes so far? View full article

'Tis time! Minnesota Twins spring training has come to a close and so we have to crown a 2023 Sire of Fort Myers. It came down to Danny Coulombe and Willi Castro among this year's candidates. Here is who will have the crown, cape and scepter bestowed upon them. View full video

We knew it would happen. None of us thing that he is a minor leaguer. However, on Sunday, the Twins officially optioned right-handed starter Bailey Ober to St. Paul for the start of the season. Three other players were re-assigned to minor-league camp meaning just 32 players remain in spring hoping for one of 26 spots. Image courtesy of William Parmeter The Twins will open their season on Thursday afternoon in Kansas City. After making four roster transactions on Sunday morning, it appears their Opening Day roster is pretty well set. Of course, the Twins front office will be talking to other teams about trades as well as watching the waiver wire, so it is obviously subject to change. Heading into spring training, we knew that the Twins had six potential starting pitchers for five Opening Day rotation spots. Would all six of them stay healthy through the spring schedule? Would they consider a six-man starting rotation? Well, the most important thing for the Minnesota Twins is that all six managed to stay healthy. Unfortunately for Bailey Ober, it means that he will have to start the season with the St. Paul Saints. In 2014, Ober was the national Freshman of the Year at the College of Charleston after he went 10-3 with a 1.52 ERA over 106 2/3 innings. That summer, he played for Team USA and hurt his elbow. He had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2015 season. he returned in 2016 and was drafted but chose to go back for his senior season. Following that 2017 season, the Twins made him their 12th round pick. Since then, two things have held true. First, he has pitched incredibly well. Just a look at ERAs by minor-league level are impressive: 2.43 in the rookie league, 3.62 in Low-A, 0.99 in High-A, 0.38 in Double-A, and 3.51 in Triple-A. Over 31 starts for the Twins the past two seasons, he is 5-6 with a 3.82 ERA. In 148 1/3 innings, he has 147 strikeouts with just 30 walks. This spring, he made three starts in big-league games and gave up no runs and no hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out six batters. However, the other truism of Ober's career is that he has missed a lot of time due to injury in the past. He has had some elbow concerns and the Twins have been very careful with him, knowing his potential. When he debuted in 2021, the Twins were very cautious. He was often limited to 60 pitches, or 75 pitches. Why? Because of his injury history, and because he did not pitch at all in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2022, Ober posted a 3.21 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over his 11 starts and 56 innings. Unfortunately, he had a groin injury that limited his availability. As fans, I think we can understand the pecking order, but I think that we can say that while acknowledging that Bailey Ober is and should be a big leaguers. And we know that over the course of the season, Ober will make a lot of starts for the Twins as well. In addition, Aaron Sanchez was reassigned to minor-league camp on Sunday. That leaves these five as the Twins starting pitchers on the Opening Day Roster: Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle. Let's jump to the bullpen. The Twins also reassigned left-hander Danny Coulombe to minor-league camp. The veteran southpaw signed a minor-league deal with the Twins in 2020 after missing the 2019 season with an arm injury. He has pitched in 41 games for the Minnesota Twins over the past three seasons. This is the fourth consecutive season that Coulombe has signed a minor-league deal with the team. And this spring, he was incredible. He pitched in seven spring games. In nine innings, he gave up only an unearned run on eight hits and four walks. He had 13 strikeouts. The very clear assumption is that, unless there are more moves coming, Jovani Moran will make the Opening Day roster. The bullpen will consist of eight pitchers. With the moves on Sunday, there are 10 pitchers for those eight spots. On Saturday, the Twins reassigned Jeff Hoffman to minor-league camp, and it is believed that he will opt out of his deal on Monday. There are no more non-roster guys, so let's figure out who is yet in play. Twins Opening Day Bullpen: Jhoan Duran, Jorge Lopez, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, Jovani Moran, Emilio Pagan, Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands. Presumably Josh Winder and Ronny Henriquez will begin the season on the Injured List as neither has pitched this spring due to injury. Alright, let's jump to the offensive side of roster. We know that Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff, and Gilberto Celestino will start the season on the Twins IL. Catchers: I don't need to spend too much time on this position. Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers will split the time behind the plate. Tony Wolters remains on the spring roster as a non-roster guy, but he'll be assigned to the Saints unless something unfortunate happens. The Twins announced that Kyle Garlick has been reassigned to minor league camp on Sunday, just hours before he doubled off of lefty Chris Sale and the Red Sox. So, the position players on the Opening Day roster appear set as well. Infielders: Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda, Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, Willi Castro Outfielders: Byron Buxton, Michael A. Taylor, Max Kepler, Joey Gallo, Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon. The semi-surprising name on the list is non-roster Willie Castro. The club will need to add him to the 40-man roster on Thursday, but there is an open spot after Dennis Santana was claimed by the Mets a week ago. The 25-year-old from Puerto Rico has spent much of the past four seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He's got 303 games and 1,092 plate appearances in the big leagues. While his career numbers are just .245/.292/.381 (.673), he can play all over the infield and outfield. And that can be said for several of the players that will be on the Twins opening day roster. With Jorge Polanco out, we could see Nick Gordon, Kyle Farmer, and Donovan Solano could all get time at second base. With Alex Kirilloff out, we could see Solano, Farmer, Jose Miranda, and quite a bit of Joey Gallo at first base. So, let's put a fun summary Opening Day Roster list here, and then feel free to discuss it in the comments. (again, pending transactions) Catchers: Christian Vazquez, Ryan Jeffers. (2) Infielders: Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda, Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, Willi Castro. (5) Outfielders: Byron Buxton, Michael A. Taylor, Max Kepler, Joey Gallo, Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon. (6) Starters: Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda. (5) Relievers: Jhoan Duran, Jorge Lopez, Griffin Jax, Emilio Pagan, Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands, Caleb Thielbar, Jovani Moran. (8) Injured List: Alex Kirilloff, Jorge Polanco, Gilberto Celestino, Ronny Henriquez, Josh Winder. (5) 60-Day IL: Chris Paddack, Royce Lewis. (2) Share your thoughts. View full article