Minnesota Twins News

Willi Castro  • 2B  •  Twins

Willi Castro Heads To The Bench

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The injuries have piled up in Minnesota which has pushed Castro into basically an everyday role. He's hitting .248 with 11 home runs, 52 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 139 games. The first-time All-Star has been in a slump at the plate lately with only two hits in his last seven games. Hopefully a day off will help Castro get back on track at the plate. Austin Martin will cover center field and bat sixth while Kyle Farmer bats fifth against left-hander Cole Ragans. Neither player brings much to the plate right now, but Martin is the better streaming option between the two. He's hitting .250 with 16 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 87 games this season.
Yesterday   
Ryan Jeffers  • C  •  Twins

Ryan Jeffers Heads To The Bench

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. This appears to be a routine rest day for Jeffers after he started in each of the last three games. That being said, Christian Vazquez will do the catching and bat seventh versus left-hander Cole Ragans. Vazquez has been cold at the plate with only one hit in his last 11 at-bats. He's unlikely to have much success against a tough southpaw here. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option on Friday.
Yesterday   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Twins Put Max Kepler On 10-Day Injured List

The Minnesota Twins placed outfielder Max Kepler (knee) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with left-patellar tendinitis and recalled rookie outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. from the minors in a corresponding move. Pitcher Kody Funderbunk (oblique) was moved to the 60-day IL to add Keirsey to the 40-man roster. Kepler had been dealing with a knee injury for a while and had only played in three of the team's last 11 games, so a move to put him on the IL made sense. The 31-year-old left-handed hitter has been a disappointment in 2024, but the Twins will likely just be looking to get him healthy for a potential playoff run now. Keirsey, who will be making his MLB debut, will likely just be a bench player in Minnesota for the time being, with most of the extra playing time in right field going to Matt Wallner. Wallner, also a lefty hitter, has batted .261 (42-for-161) on the year with 10 homers and 28 RBI.
2 days ago   
Byron Buxton  • CF  •  Twins

Byron Buxton Feels More Soreness, Won't Rejoin The Team In KC

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) felt some more right-hip soreness before he was ejected from a minor-league rehab game with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday and will not rejoin the team for their series in Kansas City against the division-rival Royals this weekend. Buxton is set to be re-evaluated. The oft-injured outfielder was expected to come off the 10-day injured to rejoin the team on Friday, but that won't be happening now, and it's unclear when Buxton might be able to rejoin the big-league roster. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf since the middle of August, and depending on what the Twins find, there's a chance that Buxton could have to be shut down for the rest of the 2024 season. Until Buxton is able to return from his hip ailment, expect the Twins to continue to use a combination of Willi Castro and Austin Martin in center field.
2 days ago   
Royce Lewis  • 3B  •  Twins

Royce Lewis Making First Career Start At Second Base

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis is making his first career major-league start at second base and will bat in the two-hole in Wednesday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Cole Sulser at Tropicana Field. Jose Miranda will man the hot corner and hit cleanup for the Twins. Minnesota may want to transition Lewis to the keystone because of some throwing issues he's had on defense at third base recently. It remains to be seen if this is a permanent move going forward, but if it is, it will only make the 25-year-old former first overall pick that much more attractive in fantasy. Injuries have been Lewis' biggest obstacle early in his MLB career, but in just 59 games in 2024, he's already set a new career-high with 16 home runs to go along with 44 RBI in 235 plate appearances. Lewis is a must-start for his power alone in fantasy.
3 days ago   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Max Kepler Out On Tuesday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (knee) is out of the starting lineup again on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Kepler will miss his second straight game after he was scratched from Monday's lineup with more soreness in his left knee. In his place, rookie Michael Helman will make his major-league debut, starting in right field and batting ninth against Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs. It's an issue that Kepler has been dealing with recently. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. The 31-year-old German has provided very little to fantasy managers in 2024 with a .253/.302/.380 slash line with a below-average .682 OPS and just eight homers and 42 RBI in 368 at-bats. Helman, a former 11th-round pick in 2018 out of Texas A&M, got the call-up to the big leagues after hitting .283 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI and 10 steals in 63 games for Triple-A St. Paul this year.
4 days ago   
Michael Helman  • 2B  •  Twins

Michael Helman To Make Major-League Debut

The Minnesota Twins will have Michael Helman batting ninth and starting in right field in Tuesday's game at the Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Jeffrey Springs, marking the major-league debut for the 28-year-old. Helman, an 11th-round pick in the 2018 draft by the Twins, hit .283/.367/.508 with 13 homers, 43 RBI, and 45 runs scored along with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts with Triple-A St. Paul. While Helman won't entice many in standard fantasy leagues, daily fantasy managers might want to consider a low-risk investment in the former Texas A&M University standout.
4 days ago   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Max Kepler Scratched On Monday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (undisclosed) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team hasn't given a reason why Kepler was scratched, but it's probably related to his lingering knee issue. For now, fantasy managers should consider Kepler as day-to-day until further notice. Carlos Santana will replace him in the lineup, while Trevor Larnach takes over the designated hitter spot against right-hander Zack Littell. Larnach has been a surprisingly decent bat for the Twins this season. He's hitting .253 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI, so he'll probably see more time at DH until Kepler returns. UPDATE: Kepler was scratched with left-knee soreness after missing time last week with the same injury.
5 days ago   
Byron Buxton  • CF  •  Twins

Byron Buxton Starting Rehab Assignment On Monday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Monday and will play center field. Buxton has been sidelined since the middle of August with a hip injury, but he's getting close to a return and could rejoin the big-league roster later this week, barring a setback on the farm. Buxton is scheduled to play seven innings in center field on Monday before taking the day off on Tuesday and then playing nine innings on defense on Wednesday. If all goes well, the 30-year-old outfielder could be activated from the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener on the road at Kaufmann Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. The Twins could choose to ease Buxton back into center-field duties at the major-league level once he's back. The former first-rounder doesn't run much these days but can still provide decent power and speed for fantasy managers.
5 days ago   
Louie Varland  • SP  •  Twins

Louie Varland Likely To Start On Wednesday

MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park assumes that Minnesota Twins right-hander Louie Varland will get the nod to start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field given how he lines up this week, which also plays into why he wasn't part of the team's roster expansions on Sunday. Varland is currently at Triple-A St. Paul, but he figures to come up this week for a spot start as the Twins look to get their regular starters some extra rest to kick off the final month of the regular season. The 26-year-old has an ERA over 6.00 with 32 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings over eight outings (seven starts) for the Twins in 2024. However, he had a quality start in six innings in his last start on Aug. 14 against the Kansas City Royals and has been very solid of late at St. Paul. Regardless of his recent hot stretch in the minors, Varland will be a shaky fantasy streamer if he starts on Wednesday with not much strikeout upside.
5 days ago   
Bailey Ober  • SP  •  Twins

Bailey Ober Bounces Back Against Blue Jays

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober dominated the Blue Jays on Sunday, going six innings while allowing just one run on one hit. Ober struck out eight and walked three in this one, with the only damage coming in the first inning off of an Ernie Clement solo home run. Ober needed a start like this after getting blown up by the Atlanta Braves for nine runs in his last start. To be fair to Ober, that was the only start in his previous 13 where he'd gone less than six innings or given up more than three runs, a span that dates back to June 9. The 29-year-old remains a must-start pitcher heading into fantasy playoffs.
5 days ago   
Brooks Lee  • 3B  •  Twins

Brooks Lee Activated And Starting On Sunday

Minnesota Twins shortstop prospect Brooks Lee (biceps) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday and is starting at the 6 and batting eighth for the Twins in Sunday's series finale at Target Field against the Toronto Blue Jays and rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez. Lee, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should play regularly for the Twins, at least until Carlos Correa (heel) is able to make his return. The 23-year-old switch-hitter has played in only 26 games for Minnesota in 2024 in his first year in the big leagues and has hit .253/.309/.333 with a .642 OPS, two home runs, two doubles, 15 RBI, three steals, nine walks and 16 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances. He has an advanced approach at the plate from both sides and favors contact over raw power. At least in deep mixed leagues, Lee could be serviceable as middle-infield depth if he's playing regularly.
6 days ago   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Max Kepler Held Out On Friday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (knee) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old outfielder continues to deal with a lingering left knee issue. The hope is that Kepler can rest on Friday and be available to play this weekend. For now, fantasy managers should consider Kepler as day-to-day. Matt Wallner will play right field and bat cleanup against right-hander Kevin Gausman on Friday. Wallner has eight hits, two home runs, and three RBI over his last five games. He's worth a look as a streaming option until Kepler is back in the mix.
Aug 30   
Walker Jenkins  • OF  •  Twins

Walker Jenkins Extends Hitting Streak To Seven Games

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins has been swinging a hot bat over the past week and is currently carrying a seven-game hitting streak at High-A. On Wednesday evening, the top prospect went 3-for-5 with a triple and a stolen base. Since joining High-A Cedar Rapids on July 29, the former fifth-overall pick has posted a strong .289/.352/.485 line with two home runs, nine doubles, 11 RBI, and five stolen bases. Earlier this season in his second look at Single-A, Jenkins posted a .273/.404/.413 line. The South Brunswick HS product currently sits as the fourth-best prospect in the sport on MLB.com and remains a coveted asset in dynasty leagues.
Aug 29   
Joe Ryan  • SP  •  Twins

Joe Ryan Done For The Regular Season

The Minnesota Twins moved starting pitcher Joe Ryan (triceps) to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, ending the hurler's regular season. Since Ryan's IL placement for the Grade 2 teres major strain behind his right shoulder was dated to Aug. 8, the 60-day placement means he is eligible to return on Oct. 7 at the earliest. He has not yet resumed throwing. As of Tuesday, Ryan also did not have a sense of any potential timeline, or if there was even any path for him to return to pitching this season. The Twins can only hope he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason if they embark on a deep run in the playoffs. The 28-year-old star right-hander was one of fantasy's most reliable starters this season, registering sevens wins, a 3.60 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 147:23 K:BB across 135 innings for Minnesota.
Aug 28   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Max Kepler Back In Twins Lineup

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (knee) is starting in right field and is batting sixth against Atlanta Braves rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach at Target Field on Tuesday. Kepler will make a return to the lineup for Minnesota after missing the previous two games with left-knee soreness. The 31-year-old left-handed hitter won't be a popular DFS play in his return given his recent slump. He's hitting only .236 (17-for-72) with two home runs, three doubles, six RBI and 16 strikeouts in 19 games in the month of August but has also gone 4-for-30 (.133) in his last eight games since Aug. 15. Kepler is always a better bet against right-handed pitching, but he's done very little for fantasy managers in 2024 with a .259/.309/.392 slash line and only eight home runs, 42 RBI and 42 runs scored in 355 at-bats.
Aug 27   
Matt Wallner  • RF  •  Twins

Matt Wallner Goes Deep On Monday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner hit his 10th homer in Monday's 10-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves, part of a 2-for-3 evening, including two runs scored. Wallner is hitting .271/.403/.612 with 26 RBI, 21 runs scored, and three stolen bases on the year. Daily fantasy managers should make Wallner a priority when facing right-handers, as he's hitting .277/.408/.625 with nine homers, and 24 RBI against him. He has been a solid fantasy asset over the last month and is a must-start in leagues that use on-base percentage as a category.
Aug 27   
Byron Buxton  • CF  •  Twins

Byron Buxton "Getting Closer" To Rehab Assignment

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) is "getting closer" to a minor-league rehab assignment but is "not there yet." Baldelli doesn't expect it to be a long rehab assignment, but the expectation is that Buxton will be sent to the minors for at least a few games. It means that the 30-year-old outfielder isn't quite ready to come off the 10-day injured list, although it probably won't be long after he goes on a rehab assignment. When he does rejoin the Twins, Minnesota could ease him back into action in the designated hitter spot. Buxton has been out since Aug. 12 with right-hip inflammation. The former first-rounder hasn't stolen double-digit bases since 2019 and is now providing modest power (16 home runs and 49 RBI) when he's on the field. He was hitting .250 (6-for-24) with three homers, two doubles and five RBI in eight games in August before he went on the IL.
Aug 27   
Ryan Jeffers  • C  •  Twins

Ryan Jeffers Retreats To The Bench

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers will head to the bench ahead of Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Jeffers returned to the lineup on Sunday after leaving Friday's game due to a right hand injury. It's uncertain if Jeffers suffered a setback or if he's just getting a rest day on Monday. Regardless, Christian Vazquez will do the catching and bat seventh against left-hander Max Fried. Vazquez hasn't been much of a fantasy option this season. Through 75 games, Vazquez is hitting .231 with seven home runs and 27 RBI this season. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option ahead of Monday's game. It sounds like a rest day for Jeffers, but fantasy managers should check back for another update.
Aug 26   
Max Kepler  • RF  •  Twins

Max Kepler Dealing With Knee Soreness

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (knee) was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to left-knee soreness, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. As a result, he was replaced by Manuel Margot. It is still unclear how severe the injury is, so fantasy managers should consider the 31-year-old to be day-to-day for the time being. If Kepler were to miss any significant period of time, Margot would be a strong candidate to see the majority of starts in right field, with Matt Wallner occasionally slotting in when he is not serving as the designated hitter. Before the injury, Kepler carried a .236 average this month with an overall .259/.309/.392 slash line this summer.
Aug 25   
LEGEND
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