Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien Both Expected To See Time At Second
Minnesota Twins second basemen Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien are the favorites to make the team out of camp and share duties manning second base for Minnesota. The Twins also have super-utility man Willi Castro, who can play the position as well, but would likely see time all over the field after playing five different positions last season for the Twins. Lee made his MLB debut in 2024 with mixed results but is showing well this spring and comes with 2B, 3B, and SS eligibility on Yahoo, while Julien draws lots of walks and hit as many as 16 homers back in 2023. Neither one makes for a great fantasy option at the moment, though, unless one secures the position for themselves.
Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee Competing For Second Base Job
Minnesota Twins infielder Edouard Julien and prospect Brooks Lee are expected to compete for starts at second base during spring training. Willi Castro is also expected to be in the mix as well but could find a role at another position. Last season, Julien held an underwhelming .199/.292/.323 line with eight home runs and six stolen bases. He drew walks at an elite 11.0 percent rate but held a hefty 33.9 percent strikeout rate. He was deployed primarily on the strong side of a platoon. Lee was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly. Lee made his MLB debut last summer and posted a .221/.265/.320 line with three home runs across 50 contests. At Triple-A, Lee posted a .308/.368/.606 line in 25 games. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their development during camp. While both have flashed upside at times, they could be tough to trust in standard formats if they end up splitting time.
The Minnesota Twins officially optioned struggling second baseman Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday. Julien, an 18th-round pick in 2019 out of Auburn, hit .263 as a rookie with 16 home runs and 37 RBI in 109 games for the Twins last year but hasn't been able to replicate that so far in 2024, slashing .207/.309/.367 with seven homers, 17 RBI and six stolen bases in 58 games played. The 25-year-old infielder really struggled in the month of May and will now go down to the farm to work on some things. In the meantime, utility man Willi Castro should see most of the starts at the keystone in Minnesota, with Kyle Farmer also seeing an uptick in opportunities. Eventually, the plan is likely for Julien to come back up this summer to try and regain the starting job at second base for the Twins.
Minnesota Twins infielder Edouard Julien is expected to be sent down to Triple-A St. Paul prior to Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old had a closed door meeting with manager Rocco Baldelli following Sunday's game. Afterwards, Julien was seen giving handshakes and hugs to teammates. The assumption is that Julien is going to be sent down with Royce Lewis set to return on Tuesday. Julien is slashing .207/.309/.367 with seven home runs and 17 RBI this season. Fantasy managers who are rostering Julien will likely need to look for another option.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien and outfielders Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff are not in the starting lineup on Friday with the team facing Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The Twins typically sit a lot of their left-handed hitters when they face a southpaw, so this isn't really anything new. Kyle Farmer is starting at second base and is hitting seventh, Manuel Margot is in right field and is batting fifth, and Ryan Jeffers is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for the Twins. Jeffers is hitless in four career at-bats against Kikuchi, but he's been one of the hottest hitters in baseball the last couple weeks and is hitting .306/.389/.631 with a 1.020 OPS, eight home runs, 29 RBI and 20 runs scored in 111 total at-bats. He'll be a prime DFS target against a southpaw.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien is not in Sunday's lineup as the Twins are scheduled to face left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers. Julien has had a great week at the plate with an incredible .474/.565/.1.105 stat line with three long balls. However, he has only made two starts this season against left-handed pitchers and will be on the bench once again. Instead, Kyle Farmer will shift to second base and bat in the eight-hole. Farmer has struggled to begin the campaign and has a difficult matchup today and should be avoided in DFS as he will face Reid Detmers who enters Sunday with a 2.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
Minnesota Twins infielder Edouard Julien is off to a shaky start at the plate, but he has turned it around recently. On Thursday, Julien went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the win over the Chicago White Sox. His slash line is at an ugly .213/.308/.513, but Julien does have seven home runs and nine RBI this season. The Twins are banged up right now, so expect Julien to continue playing everyday. His pop alone makes him worth snagging off the waiver wire.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouardo Julien is staying at second base and batting ninth on Monday against left-hander Cole Irvin and the Baltimore Orioles. This will be the second straight time that Julien has stayed in Minnesota's starting lineup with the team facing a southpaw. It will be a boost for Julien's fantasy stock if he continues to play every day, although his move from the leadoff spot to the nine-hole will make him a bat to fade in DFS lineups. The Canadian infielder does have four home runs in his first 14 games of 2024, but he's also gone just 9-for-46 (.196) with five RBI, a stolen base and seven runs scored in 52 trips to the plate. Julien has never faced Irvin in his career.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien put together a strong performance versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Julien blasted a leadoff home run to kick off the bottom of the first inning. He later homered again in the fifth inning to give the Twins a 3-2 lead. The score would hold as Julien provided most of the offense in this victory. Outside of this performance Julian has struggled this season, so hopefully this game will help him get back on track.
Edouard Julien Making First Start Of Season Saturday
Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien is getting his first start of the 2024 season on Saturday against Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Julien started Thursday's Opening Day contest on the bench against the left-handed Cole Ragans but went 1-for-2 with a walk after infielder Royce Lewis departed with an oblique injury. The 24-year-old enjoyed a big rookie season that saw him hit .263 with 16 home runs, 60 runs, three stolen bases, and an .840 OPS across 109 games and 408 trips to the plate. He should see more playing time in the 2024 season as the everyday second baseman against right-handed pitching as he spent time to begin last season in the minors. That won't be the case in 2024 as he is a premium option for fantasy managers at the second-base position.