Minnesota Twins Roster
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The Minnesota Twins activated middle infielder Jorge Polanco (back) from the injured list on Tuesday, and he's starting at second base and batting fifth in Game 2 of a doubleheader against Cleveland Guardians left-hander Konnor Pilkington. Polanco landed on the injured list on June 17 with lower back tightness, but he never ended up going on a minor league rehab assignment. The 28-year-old is hitting .245/.340/.389 overall with seven home runs, 33 RBI, 28 runs scored and three stolen bases in 58 games this year, but fantasy managers will be hoping he can pick up where he left off in June, when he was hitting .325 (13-for-40) with two homers and seven RBI in 11 games before his injury.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (core) will have bilateral surgery to fix his core muscle injury, according to president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. The Twins are hoping that Larnach can return in roughly six weeks. The 25-year-old landed on the injured list on Saturday after already missing time in 2022 with a groin injury. He's only played in 51 games this year and is hitting .231/.306/.406 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored in 180 plate appearances. Larnach just hasn't been able to find his groove due to injuries, and he struggled in his rookie year in 2021 when he hit just .223 with seven homers and 28 RBI in 79 games. Nick Gordon should continue to benefit from regular playing time in the outfield with Larnach out for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Josh Winder will be called up to make a start against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. It's uncertain which game Winder will pitch since it is a doubleheader. The 25-year-old has made seven appearances (three starts) with the Twins this season. He has posted a 3.68 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 23/9 K/BB ratio across 29 1/3 innings. Winder is likely to head back to the minors after this start. However, he could be worth a look as a streaming option.
The Minnesota Twins placed relief pitcher Joe Smith (neck) on the 15-day injured list with upper trapezius tightness on Sunday. The move is retroactive to June 24. The Twins called up fellow relief pitcher Jovani Moran to fill Smith's roster spot. Smith has had a solid year out of the Twins' pen. He's made 28 appearances and he's racked up 14 holds while pitching to a 2.78 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. However, his 4.63 xERA suggests that he's been fortunate thus far. He's also currently sporting a career-low 13.3% strikeout rate, which ranks in the bottom 6% of the league.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Archer was sharp during Saturday's 6-0 win over the Rockies, tossing five-shutout frames to improve his record to 2-3. The veteran allowed just one hit and a walk in the contest while striking out five in the 78-pitch performance. Archer hasn't gone very deep into games this season, but he's managed to post a respectable 3.14 ERA and 1.27 WHIP through 57 1/3 IP this season. Since the Twins have yet to let him eclipse 80 pitches in a start, his win total will suffer, but he remains a viable streamer for his upcoming matchup versus the Guardians next week.
