Minnesota Twins News

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Mick Abel • SP • Twins

Mick Abel Pitches Out of Relief Role on Sunday

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Mick Abel operated out of the bullpen on Sunday, allowing five earned runs and eight hits over 3 1/3 innings of work. He also issued four walks while striking out four batters. It was an ugly outing for the 24-year-old, who struggled with control and only induced ground balls at a 25% rate (albeit over a small sample size). Abel had been projected to be the Twins' No. 5 starter, so it was somewhat surprising to see him pitch out of the bullpen this weekend. Minnesota's starter for Tuesday's game against the Kansas City Royals has yet to be determined. If Abel is stuck in the bullpen for the time being, he can be avoided in most fantasy baseball leagues.

10 hours ago

Cole Sands • RP • Twins

Cole Sands in the Lead in Minnesota's Bullpen Heirarchy After First Save?

Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Cole Sands was called on for the team's first save opportunity on Saturday in Baltimore against the Orioles at Camden Yards, and he delivered for his first save of the year and his ninth total in his fifth big-league season. The 28-year-old slammed the door shut by striking out two in two scoreless and hitless innings in the 4-1 victory. The Twins are expected to utilize a closer-by-committee situation for saves, but it's definitely worth noting that Minnesota went with Sands for their first save chance. Other relievers that could be options for saves for manager Derek Shelton include Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa. Sharpening his secondary pitches would go a long way towards helping Sands lock down more save chances in the Twin Cities. For fantasy managers in deeper leagues in need of more saves options, Sands will be worth a look early on. He's currently only rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues.

Yesterday

Mick Abel • SP • Twins

Mick Abel Could be a Sneaky Pickup

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel is expected to make his season debut at some point during the upcoming series against the Kansas City Royals. Although fantasy managers might not want to wait until then to scoop up Abel. The young right-hander earned a spot in the starting rotation after an impressive performance during Spring Training. Abel posted a 2.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings of work. The former first-round pick was part of the trade that sent Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies mid-season last year. Abel struggled in four outings with the Twins last season, but appears to have turned a corner. The 24-year-old could be a consistent big league starter as long as he can keep his walk rate in check. He's worth a look in mixed leagues and could quickly become a popular waiver wire pickup.

3 days ago

Matt Wallner • RF • Twins

Matt Wallner Starting Against a Lefty on Opening Day

Minnesota Twins left-handed-hitting outfielder Matt Wallner is in right field and is batting fifth on Opening Day on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles and left-hander Trevor Rogers at Camden Yards, according to MLB.com. At least to begin the season, the Twins plan to play Wallner every day, even though he has just a .641 OPS in his career against southpaws. Fantasy managers setting DFS lineups should probably avoid the 28-year-old, who has never faced Rogers. Wallner had a solid spring training showing, batting .333 (16-for-48) with three home runs, four doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base in 18 Grapefruit League games for the Twins. If Wallner can continue to improve against lefties like he did last season (.790 OPS) and reduce his strikeout rate, there's no reason why he won't continue to play regularly in Minnesota. Last year in a career-high 104 games, he slashed .202/.311/.464 with 22 homers, 40 RBI, 47 runs, and four steals in 392 plate appearances.

4 days ago

Kaelen Culpepper • 3B • Twins

Kaelen Culpepper to Begin Regular Season at Triple-A

Minnesota Twins top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper is set to begin the 2026 regular season with Triple-A St. Paul. Culpepper will open the campaign just one step away from the major leagues, which will set him up for an early 2026 debut. Culpepper joined the Twins as the 21st overall selection in the 2024 Draft out of Kansas State. Last summer, Culpepper split his time between High-A and Double-A. At High-A, the infielder carried a .293/.385/.479 line with nine home runs and 15 stolen bases. At Double-A, the 23-year-old took a slight step down, carrying a .285/.267/.460 slash line with 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases. If Culpepper continues this trajectory with St. Paul, he should join Minnesota before the All-Star break. He is worth monitoring in deeper formats for now and could emerge as an early-season top stash candidate.

5 days ago

Mick Abel • SP • Twins

Mick Abel Has Late-Round Sleeper Potential Entering 2026

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel won a spot in his team's starting rotation to open 2026 with an impressive performance in Grapefruit League action. The 24-year-old recorded a 2.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 23 strikeouts across 18 innings pitched. Abel was one of the key pieces the Twins received from the Philadelphia Phillies in last year's trade deadline deal for star reliever Jhoan Duran. However, Abel struggled in a small sample size in 2025, posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 39 strikeouts across 39 innings split between Philadelphia and Minnesota. Walks have been a persistent issue for Abel to this point in his career. He recorded a 10.1% walk rate across 98 1/3 minor-league innings in 2025 and never recorded a single-digit walk rate in any of his four minor league seasons. Still, Abel logged an impressive 28.6% strikeout rate in the minors in 2025. If he can keep his walk rate under control, Abel could be an undervalued source of strikeouts for fantasy managers in 2026.

Mar 22

Matt Bowman • RP • Twins

Matt Bowman Opts Out of Twins Deal

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Matt Bowman has opted out of his minor league contract following a scoreless spring training, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Bowman didn't pitch in the majors from 2020 through 2022, but he came back in 2023 and has made big-league appearances every year since then. He had been particularly effective this spring, allowing zero runs over 5.1 innings of relief work with two walks, six strikeouts, and a 50% ground ball rate. He also maintained a 0.00 ERA while pitching for Israel in the World Baseball Classic. Presumably, Bowman was told he didn't make the Twins' Opening Day roster, so he's hitting the open market in hopes of finding a better opportunity elsewhere.

Mar 22

Mick Abel • SP • Twins

Mick Abel to Make Twins Opening Day Roster

Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel will make the team's Opening Day roster with right-hander Zebby Matthews being sent to Triple-A St. Paul, according to Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. Abel has won a starting rotation spot to begin the 2026 regular season over Matthews after posting a 1.35 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP, 17 strikeouts, and only one walk in 13 1/3 Grapefruit League innings over his four starts this spring. The 24-year-old took a 10-inning scoreless streak into his last outing. The former 15th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 made his big-league debut in 2025 and had a 6.23 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 39:16 K:BB in 39 innings over 10 outings (eight starts) with the Phillies and Twins. Abel has had concerning walk rates in the minors and in his first taste of the big leagues, so if he can clean that up like he has this spring, he will have a shot to stick at the back end of Minnesota's starting rotation. Abel's leash will be short in the big leagues, though, as he has minor-league options remaining.

Mar 20

Zebby Matthews • SP • Twins

Twins Option Zebby Matthews to Triple-A

The Minnesota Twins optioned right-hander Zebby Matthews to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, according to Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. Even with Pablo Lopez (elbow) injured, Matthews won't make the team's Opening Day starting rotation, paving the way for right-hander Mick Abel to make the team. The 25-year-old struggled again in 2025 in his second time in the big leagues, going 5-6 with a 5.56 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 88 strikeouts and 24 walks in 79 1/3 innings over his 16 starts, but his underlying metrics painted a different picture. The former eighth-rounder looked great at St. Paul, posting a 1.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and only nine walks in 36 2/3 innings. Matthews has a wide range of fantasy outcomes in 2026, but for now, since he's starting in the minors, he's mainly just a stash candidate with plenty of upside in AL-only and dynasty/keeper leagues. Matthews should be Minnesota's first option for a call-up if a rotation arm is needed early this season.

Mar 20

Joe Ryan • SP • Twins

Joe Ryan Named Opening Day Starter for Twins

The Minnesota Twins announced on Friday that right-hander Joe Ryan will be their Opening Day starter for next Thursday's game in Baltimore against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Ryan will get the nod after being named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2025, when he went 13-10 for the Twins with a career-low 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP with 194 strikeouts and 39 walks in 31 appearances (30 starts) over 171 innings. He had a back injury flare up in February, but he's fine now and is ready for the start of his sixth year in the big leagues. Despite not throwing very hard compared to most other pitchers in the big leagues nowadays, Ryan gets plenty of swing and misses and has posted a 27.6% career strikeout rate in his 641 1/3 innings pitched. When healthy, he has a high fantasy floor in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Minnesota. RotoBaller has Ryan ranked as the No. 21 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.

Mar 20

Austin Martin • CF • Twins

Austin Martin Resumes Baseball Activities

Minnesota Twins outfielder Austin Martin (concussion) "went through a workout and actually did some baseball activities" on Thursday, manager Derek Shelton told Matthew Leach of MLB.com. Martin suffered a concussion during the Twins' spring training game on Monday, so it's encouraging that he was able to resume some activities within just a few days. Presumably, this recovery timeline at least leaves the door open for Martin to play on Opening Day. The 26-year-old former top prospect is looking to build on a strong 2025 stat line that saw him slash .282/.374/.365 with 11 stolen bases, a 12.2% walk rate, a 17.1% strikeout rate, and 113 wRC+ across 50 games in the majors. This year, he projects to platoon with left-handed-hitting outfielder Trevor Larnach in left field.

Mar 20

Trevor Larnach • RF • Twins

Trevor Larnach is Returning on Friday

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (side) is back in the starting lineup for Friday's Spring Training contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. Larnach has been sidelined since being scratched on Sunday due to left side soreness. Barring any setbacks, Larnach should be ready to go for Opening Day. He should be a lock to make the roster after slashing .250/323/.404 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI across 142 games last season. He could help fantasy managers in deep leagues, but isn't someone that needs to be rostered in most formats right away.

Mar 20

Bailey Ober • SP • Twins

Bailey Ober's Velocity Continues to Tumble

Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober's average fastball velocity was down even more in his Grapefruit League start on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Ober averaged 89.9 mph in his first spring training start, then 88.8 mph in his second start, and now he's down to 88.2 mph. None of the 58 pitches that Ober threw on Tuesday cracked 90 mph, and he also failed to record a strikeout and generated just three swings and misses. The 30-year-old veteran only has three strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched so far this spring, and his low velocity is a concerning trend that fantasy managers must pay attention to. In 2025, Ober barely averaged over 90 mph on his fastball and career-worst 5.10 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 120 strikeouts and 31 walks in 146 1/3 innings over 27 starts. Ober missed some time with a hip injury in the second half, which could have contributed to him falling apart after a decent start. He's trending down ahead of the 2026 season and is currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 97 starting pitcher in fantasy.

Mar 17

Austin Martin • CF • Twins

Austin Martin Leave's Monday's Game With a Concussion

Minnesota Twins outfielder Austin Martin (concussion) left Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a concussion, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Martin suffered a concussion after landing awkwardly in right field while trying to make a catch on defense. With Opening Day coming in less than two weeks, the 26-year-old outfielder could be in danger of being forced to open the 2026 regular season on the injured list due to his head injury. The former top prospect looked better in a small sample size of 50 games in 2025 in his second year in the big leagues, slashing .282/.374/.365 with a .740 OPS, one home run, seven RBI, 22 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 181 plate appearances. When Martin is cleared from his concussion, he's expected to be in the big leagues as a platoon bat for Minnesota, limiting his fantasy value to mainly AL-only and keeper/dynasty formats.

Mar 16

Trevor Larnach • RF • Twins

Trevor Larnach Experiencing Left-Side Soreness

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (side) was scratched from the lineup with left side soreness prior to Sunday's spring training game, according to Nick Nelson of Twins Daily. Manager David Shelton said the injury isn't currently serious enough to require imaging, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the organization exercise caution and keep him out of game action for a couple of days. Larnach stepped into an everyday role last year, slashing .250/.323/.404 across 142 games. He launched a career-high 17 home runs while posting a modest 9.3% walk rate and 21.5% strikeout rate. We expect Larnach to split time at designated hitter and the corner outfield spots in 2026, and he'll likely bat in the back half of the order.

Mar 16

Walker Jenkins • CF • Twins

Walker Jenkins Expected to be Healthy Ahead of Triple-A Regular Season

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins (hamstring) is expected to be ready for the beginning of the Triple-A regular season, according to Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune. The team's top prospect is dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring strain but is not expected to be limited in any capacity ahead of the start of the regular season. Jenkins was in the mix to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster but was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to continue his development earlier in March. However, a hot start should push me into serious promotion conversations. Last season, Jenkins played 23 games at Triple-A and hit for a .242/.324/.396 line with two home runs and four stolen bases. Managers in deeper five-outfielder leagues should pay close attention to his early-season production as he could emerge as a high-end stash candidate.

Mar 16

Mick Abel • SP • Twins

Mick Abel Looks Impressive in Camp

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel has put together impressive numbers early in camp. Through four starts, Abel has a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 17/1 K/BB ratio. The 24-year-old is making a strong case to crack the 26-man roster to begin the season. Abel was part of the trade that sent closer Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia last July. He posted an ugly 6.23 ERA with eight home runs allowed across 39.0 innings of work with the Phillies and Twins last season. The Twins have already lost starter Pablo Lopez (elbow) for the entire 2026 season. They definitely need help in the rotation, and Abel could provide that if he keeps pitching like this. He's someone worth monitoring in deep league fantasy drafts.

Mar 15

Joe Ryan • SP • Twins

Joe Ryan Won't Pitch in the World Baseball Classic

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan will not pitch in the World Baseball Classic, a club official told MLB.com's Matthew Leach. The decision is not injury-related. Rather, the move reflects the fact that the USA coaching staff wasn't planning to use him as a starter, and they preferred a reliever to give them short-length relief outings. Leach explains that the decision was "probably not quite as black and white" as simply rostering a reliever over a starter, but that fans should rest assured Ryan is healthy and the team would have supported his choice to pitch in the WBC. Returning to Twins camp should give him the opportunity to make one or two more starts before Opening Day. He remains the #21 starter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

Mar 14

Joe Ryan • SP • Twins

Joe Ryan to Join Team USA in World Baseball Classic

Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan will join Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, replacing future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Ryan was scratched ahead of his first scheduled Grapefruit League start on Feb. 21 with back tightness, but he has since recovered and thrown three shutout innings with two walks and no strikeouts in his lone spring training outing to this point. Now that he's recovered from his back injury, he'll be available to USA for the quarterfinals of the WBC against Canada. The 29-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his fifth year in the big leagues, going 13-10 with a career-best 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, and 194:39 K: BB in 171 innings over 31 outings (30 starts). The injury bug has been one of Ryan's biggest issues, like so many other pitches, but when healthy, he's a solid low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 fantasy starting pitcher.

Mar 12

Kaelen Culpepper • 3B • Twins

Kaelen Culpepper Continuing to Trend Upward

Minnesota Twins infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper was invited to major league camp this spring and has not disappointed, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a double and a stolen base, a continuation of the success he saw a season ago. The Twins' second-ranked prospect spent half of 2025 at High-A and the other half at Double-A, posting similar numbers at both levels, culminating in a .289/.375/.469 slash line with 20 home runs and 25 steals in 113 games. He may begin the season with Double-A Wichita, but it shouldn't be long before the former first-rounder gets his first taste of Triple-A action, and a late-season debut in the majors could be in the cards. Brooks Lee is currently slated to play shortstop for the big league club, but even after a 16-homer campaign in 2025, Lee has produced an uninspiring .636 OPS, .277 wOBA, and 75 wRC+ through 189 major league games, so there is certainly an offensive hole Culpepper could fill if Lee's struggles continue. Culpepper is not a stash candidate in season-long leagues at this point, but could become one later in the year, so fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress throughout 2026.

Mar 12

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