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Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (oblique) did some light glove work off to the side on the field on Wednesday and said he's swinging and doing baseball activities as he recovers from an oblique injury that sent him to the injured list. It sounds as though there's some possibility that he could come off the IL on the coming road trip without a minor-league rehab assignment if things keep trending well. The Twins start their road trip in Los Angeles against the Angels this Friday. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican is itching to get back as the team's starting shortstop after starting the year 11-for-36 (.306) with a homer and four RBI in 11 games played. Willi Castro has been serving as Minnesota's primary shortstop since Correa was placed on the IL.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. This appears to be a routine rest day for Kepler against a tough left-handed starter. Kepler has been hot since returning from the injured list with four RBI in two games. In his absence, Manuel Margot will cover right field and bat third versus left-hander Garrett Crochet.
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez has been doing it all this season for Double-A Wichita. The 21-year-old outfielder has dealt with injuries the last two seasons, but looks fully recovered in his first 14 games of the season. Over that span, Rodriguez is hitting a healthy .289 with four homers, 10 RBI and eight stolen bases. He also has a shiny 1.219 OPS. Rodriguez has risen a level in each year of professional career with the Twins and held his own at each stop. The left-handed hitter has very good bat speed and strong plate discipline at such a young age and his power game is just developing as he fills out his body. The biggest flaw for the youngster has been his ability to stay healthy, but he has the future makings of a five-tool star, if everything clicks. He is a couple years away, but he should be looked at by dynasty managers and a name for redraft managers to file away for as early as next season.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack earned his first win of the season in Monday's 7-0 game against the White Sox. Paddack took advantage of a favorable matchup, pitching seven innings while allowing six hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. Despite this good start, the 28-year-old's return to the starting rotation has not been very successful. He is now 1-1 with a 5.57 ERA in his first four starts. While he was a fantasy prospect early in his career, fantasy managers should wait to see more consistency from him before trusting him. Paddack will look to build on his success in a decent matchup at the Angels.
The Minnesota Twins optioned right-hander Louie Varland and catcher Jair Camargo to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday. Manager Rocco Baldelli didn't commit to Varland taking his next turn through the team's starting rotation after another subpar performance on Sunday, when he allowed four runs in just 2 2/3 innings in a loss to the Detroit Tigers. The 26-year-old former 15th-round pick in 2019 out of Concordia University has lost all four of his starts so far in 2024 and is sporting an ugly 9.18 ERA and 2.16 WHIP with nine walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings pitched. He's already allowed six home runs in four starts after allowing 16 all of last year in a career-high 68 innings pitched. Prospect Simeon Woods Richardson is most likely to take Varland's spot in Minnesota's rotation moving forward.