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TRANSACTIONS With Caleb Thielbar going in the IL, the Twins recalled RHP Yennier Cano. Minnesota Twins sign RHP Michael Feliz to a minor-league deal, assign him to St. Paul The Saints placed RHP Josh Winder on the 7-Day IL (right shoulder impingement syndrome) LHP Brent Headrick promoted to Wichita RHP Tyler Palm transferred to Cedar Rapids INF Daniel Ozoria transferred from Wichita to Fort Myers OF Emmanuel Rodriguez transferred from 7-day IL to 60-day IL RHP Logan Campbell transferred from 7-day IL to 60-day IL C Jair Camargo reinstated from 7-day IL INF Ernie Yake reinstated from 7-day IL C Roy Morales transferred from Wichita to St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 6, Indianapolis 7 Box Score Jordan Balazovic: 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Spencer Steer (12), Miguel Sano (3), Curtis Terry (9) Multi-hit games: Spencer Steer (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI), Jake Cave (2-for-5, R), Miguel Sanó (3-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI), Curtis Terry (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Saints lost on a walk-off Saturday. Jordan Balazovic could not exorcise his first-half demons; the righty allowed four runs while netting just eight outs. Triple-A has been a nightmare for the top prospect, as advanced batters have knocked Balazovic around to the tune of a 10.41 ERA. The top of St. Paul’s lineup had the good vibes going; all three batters recorded multiple hits, and half of the team’s runs came from this triumvirate. Spencer Steer kicked off the scoring quickly with a lead-off homer. Then Miguel Sanó blasted his own bomb in the 4th inning. Curtis Terry capped the firework show with his home run in the sixth frame. The bullpen held their own until the final frame; Dereck Rodríguez shouldered most of the burden, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings. The arms only wobbled when it mattered the most, as Indianapolis hopped all over Wladimir Pinto in the 9th inning, plating a game-winning run with some help from a Sanó error. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Tulsa 10 Box Score Louie Varland: 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: Jair Camargo (3), Chris Williams (17) Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI), Anthony Prato (2-for-4, 2B, R) The Wind Surge lost handily on Saturday. Louie Varland could not win against Tulsa’s bats. He allowed eight hits and a relatively-low total of three runs over four innings. It appears the Dodgers’ typically elite minor league talent shone through once again. Wichita’s offense put up a fight, as both Jair Camargo and Chris Williams homered in the effort. Williams’ blast was expected—the catcher now has seven homers in his last seven games—while Camargo’s home run ballooned his Double-A OPS to 1.000. Leobaldo Cabrera, Edouard Julien, and Anthony Prato doubled on Saturday. Brent Headrick met his Double-A debut with a trip and a faceplant; the Drillers dropped 10 hits, and seven earned runs on the fresh lefty before he could net his eighth out. In his first inning, the fifth, he gave up homers to the first two batters he faced. He gave up some soft contact on a couple of singles after that, but with two outs, he served up a three-run homer. Hopefully, this outing is just the result of unruly nerves. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 11 Box Score Cade Povich: 4 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K HR: Yunior Severino (6), Jeferson Morales (5), Aaron Sabato (11) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI), Yunior Severino (3-for-4, HR, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB) Cade Povich pitched one of his worst games as a young professional; it was a textbook clunker. The lefty allowed runs at a 2-1 pace compared to his innings. Hopefully, Povich can throw the memory of this start away and start fresh the next time he climbs the mound. Cedar Rapids’ bats were efficient, mirroring eight runs with eight hits; nearly the entire lineup contributed to the impressive showing, as six batters claimed hits on Saturday. Yunior Severino, sitting in the heart of the lineup, stole the show, knocking a homer and speeding for a triple in a three RBI effort. Wander Javier also tripled. The Chiefs pounced on multiple Cedar Rapids pitchers; Bradley Hanner and Derek Molina felt their wrath, allowing three runs each long after Povich exited the game. Molina suffered through three homers. He had given up just two homers in 24 previous outings (33 1/3 innings). Sabato blasted a two-run homer in the final frame to pull the game within four while ensuring that the team scored in all but two innings. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels started play on Saturday, but early rain pushed the game to tomorrow as part of a double-header; Keoni Cavaco hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 0, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Juan Nunez: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The FCL Twins were silenced on Saturday. Juan Nunez was a bright point; he did not allow a run over four innings while striking out six. Danny Moreno and Isaiah Rivera also had scoreless outings. FCL Twins hitters were flummoxed, with just three hits and four walks to their name; no knock went for extra bases. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 6, DSL Brewers 2 Box Score Cesar Lares: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K HR: Yasser Mercedes (3) Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI), Isaac Pena (2-for-3, R, BB) The DSL Twins won easily on Saturday. Breakout arm Cesar Lares pitched wonderfully again; the lefty struck out seven batters on his way to nabbing 12 outs. Just one score blemishes his performance. Yasser Mercedes continued his impressive first impression, launching a game-breaking grand slam in the 4th inning; Mercedes already collected a single in the previous frame. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sanó PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, HR, R, RBI, K #7 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Suspended game #10 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K #11 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-3, BB #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B, RBI, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Suspended game SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:35 PM) - RHP Cole Sands Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM) - RHP Daniel Gossett Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - RHP David Festa Clearwater @ Fort Myers (DH @ 11:00 AM) - RHP Travis Adams

Defensive metrics have significantly improved over the last decade. With Statcast tracking every batted ball, the amount of information available to fans is at an all-time high. One metric developed by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is called the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). According to SABR's website, the SDI "draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts." Since 2013, MLB has used SDI as part of the process for selecting Gold Glove winners. The rankings below are through games played on July 17, 2022. Pitcher (AL Ranking): No Twins Pitchers Qualify The Twins have yet to have a pitcher qualify for the SDI leaderboard in this season's rankings. Now that some of the team's starters are healthier, they may start appearing on the updated rankings in the season's second half. Former Twin Jose Berrios currently ranks 9th in the AL with a 0.6 SDI. Catcher (AL Ranking): Ryan Jeffers 2.0 SDI (6th) Ryan Jeffers didn't see his SDI score change over the last month, resulting in him losing a spot on the leaderboard. His recent thumb injury and surgery are going to keep him out for most of the remainder of the season. This likely means he won't appear on the final SDI leaderboard. Gary Sanchez does not yet appear on the leaderboard, but that will change as he is given more regular opportunities in the second half. First Base (AL Ranking): Luis Arraez -0.5 SDI (T-9th) Luis Arraez placed sixth overall in the first SDI ranking last month, but the last month hasn't been kind to him. He lost nearly a whole SDI point and dropped multiple places on the leaderboard. First base was an unfamiliar defensive position for Arraez when the season began, so his ranking may improve as he gets more familiar with the position. Second Base (AL Ranking): Jorge Polanco 0.2 SDI (8th) Since the first SDI rankings, Jorge Polanco missed time on the injured list for the first time in his career. He also dropped one spot on the leaderboard among AL second basemen. Last season, Polanco finished in the top-four at his position, but he would need to have a tremendous second half to jump that many spots in 2022. Third Base (AL Ranking): Gio Urshela -1.8 SDI (T-10th) According to SDI, only one AL third baseman, Boston's Rafael Devers, ranks lower than Gio Urshela. He did move up one spot on the leaderboard since June, but that's because fewer players qualified. Former Twin Josh Donaldson doesn't appear on the rankings because of the time he has appeared as a designated hitter. Shortstop (AL Ranking): Carlos Correa 0.6 SDI (9th) Carlos Correa's first ranking with the Twins was disappointing as he had a negative SDI. It was especially perplexing considering he dominated the rankings last season with an MLB-high 15.8 SDI. He made some of the most significant gains among Twins players over the last month, so it will be intriguing to see if he can continue to improve in the second half. Left Field (AL Ranking): Nick Gordon 0.2 SDI (6th) Trevor Larnach was the team's best-ranking left fielder on the first SDI leaderboard, but he's on the IL after having surgery on a core injury. Even with Larnach no longer qualifying, Nick Gordon dropped a spot on the leaderboard as he lost 0.3 SDI points over the last month. Larnach will still be out for multiple weeks, so Gordon will get playing time in left field. Center Field (AL Ranking): No Twins Players Qualified No Twins center fielders have appeared on the SDI leaderboard this season because Byron Buxton has been getting regularly scheduled rest days and time at DH. According to Baseball Savant, Buxton has an Outs Above Average in the 96th percentile, which places him among baseball's best defenders. Right Field (AL Ranking): Max Kepler 4.4 SDI (2nd) Max Kepler doubled his season SDI total over the last month to move him into second place among AL right-fielders. Only Houston's Kyle Tucker (5.1 SDI) ranks ahead of Kepler. Since he ranks in the AL's top 3, there is a good chance Kepler will be a Gold Glove finalist by the season's end. The next closest qualified player behind Kepler is Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr., who has 1.5 fewer SDI points. SABR will continue to update the rankings periodically throughout the remainder of the season. Which rankings above surprise you the most? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

TRANSACTIONS No transactions within the Twins organization on Sunday. SAINTS SENTINAL Indianapolis 5, St. Paul 3 Box Score A stellar day at the plate from Mark Contreras wasn't enough to push the Saints to a win against Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. Contreras crushed two homers in St. Paul's loss, marking his multi-homer game of the season and first game with a home run since July 2 against Omaha. Contreras' first moon shot came in the fourth inning with Jermaine Palacios on base, scoring the Saints' first two runs. Contreras would launch a solo shot to right-center field in the eighth inning to plate St. Paul's final run of the day. Both of Contreras' homers came on the first pitch of the at-bat. That aggressive approach at the plate is only going to benefit him as he continues to develop his offense in hopes of a return to the parent club in Minneapolis. Elliot Soto was the only other Saint with a multi-hit game, tallying a double (11) in the second inning and a single in the fourth. The pair of hits were Soto's first since July 10 at Louisville, where he recorded a pair of singles. Starting pitcher Cole Sands lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six in Sunday's loss. Sands threw 45 of his 70 pitches for strikes and pitched scoreless innings in the first and third innings; ultimately, the talented prospect ran into trouble with a trio of hits in the second and a leadoff walk followed by a homer in the fourth. St. Paul's bullpen was excellent on the day. RHP Ariel Jurado followed Sands with 3 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless, and walk-less ball while striking out three. Northfield, Minnesota native Jake Petricka pitched a flawless eighth inning for his hometown organization, striking out two while walking none. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 3, Wichita 0 Box Score Like a wind turbine on a still day, the Surge weren't able to propel any momentum, dropping a shut-out loss to Tulsa that resulted in the Drillers taking home the Propeller Series for the first time. Wichita tallied just five hits in the loss, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven men on base. Two of those hits came from highly-touted prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who laced singles in the first and third innings. Encarnacion-Strand has recorded multi-hit games in four of his last eight games and is slashing an impressive .400/.438/.833 in the month of July. Starting pitcher Kody Funderburk (L, 7-3) didn't have his best outing....but it still wasn't all that bad. Through three innings, the Mesa, Arizona native allowed just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five. And while accelerating prospect was tabbed with the loss, his performance was far from poor. The Surge used five relievers through five innings following Funderburk; Daniel Gossett allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five through the fourth and fifth innings. Following Gossett's two runs, the bullpen shut out the Drillers. Bryan Sammons, Andrew Cabezas, and Osiris German allowed just one hit through the final three innings while allowing no runs and just one walk while striking out a combined four batters. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 9, Cedar Rapids 7 Box Score There's a first time for everything...including sweeps. Despite a three-hit game from Yunior Severino, the Kernels dropped the series finale to Peoria on Sunday, resulting in their first time being on the wrong side of a sweep through 2022. Severino laced three singles and two RBI alongside a walk in Sunday's matinee, making it his second consecutive game with three hits. The 22-year-old is on a tear, hitting safely in five of his last six games and slashing .292/.433/.583 through July. Aaron Sabato also made some noise for the Kernels at the plate, crushing a three-run homer in the fifth inning to keep Cedar Rapids in the game. Sabato also homered on Saturday against Peoria and has recorded four extra-base hits through eight games in July. Starting pitcher David Festa (L, 6-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks through four innings. And while Festa did strike out three hitters, his moment of brilliance came in the third and fourth innings. Allowing three consecutive singles (two in the third, one in the fourth), Festa picked off all three baserunners. While the end result wasn't there, that's pretty incredible. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Dunedin 3 (7 innings) Box Score After a weather delay limiting Saturday's play to just 1/2 of an inning, the Mussels came to play on Sunday, taking down the D-Jays thanks to stellar hitting from Keoni Cavaco and a total team effort from the pitching staff. Crushing an opening inning two-run shot of game one last night, Cavaco brought his bat on Sunday. With Nelson Roberto on base in the fifth, Cavaco punched a single to left field to score Roberto and knot the game at three. Cavaco's RBI served as the ignition for a monster three-run inning in the sixth for Fort Myers. The Mussels were rock-solid on the bump through all seven innings in game one. After Steve Hajjar got the ball rolling in the first, Mike Paredes (W, 6-2) carried the weight through 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out three. With a three-run lead in the final frame, Anthony Escobar shut down the D-Jays to nab the Mussels' 50th win of the year. Game Two Fort Myers 3, Dunedin 2 (7 innings) Box Score A flat 50 just wasn't enough for the Mighty Mussels on Sunday afternoon. After swiping their 50th win of the season in game one of Sunday's twin bill, Fort Myers earned win number 51 on the season thanks to a multi-hit game from Cavaco and a solid outing from Travis Adams. Cavaco got the first run of the day on the board with a first-inning single that scored Misael Urbina to put the Mussels up 1-0. The 21-year-old's daily dinger derby continued in the third inning when he crunched a solo shot over the left field wall to give Fort Myers a 2-0 lead. Cavaco now has eight home runs on the season and has hit safely in his last four games (three of which have been multi-hit games). Starting pitcher Travis Adams gave up a flurry of hits but locked down when it mattered, allowing just one run through 4 2/3 innings while striking out five. The Mighty Mussel bullpen was just as (if not more) effective. Niklas Rimmel (W, 3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball followed by a scoreless seventh inning courtesy of Samuel Perez (H, 3) and Johnathan Lavallee (S, 2). TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day: Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - 4-for-7, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 K Pitcher of the Day: Travis Adams (Fort Myers) 4.2 IP, 6 H, R, ER, 5 K PROSPECT SUMMARY See how our Twins Daily Minor League Top 20 Prospects did on Sunday afternoon. #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, 2B, H, R, BB, 2 K (two games) #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-4, K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - (L, 1-5), 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - (L, 6-1) 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 0.2 IP, H, BB, K MONDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00am CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (11:00am CST) - TBD

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/18 through Sun, 7/24 *** Record Last Week: 2-0 (Overall: 52-44) Run Differential Last Week: +12 (Overall: +40) Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (3.0 GA) Last Week's Game Results: Game 95 | MIN 8, DET 4: Twins Come Out of Break with Convincing Win Game 96 | MIN 9, DET 1: Bats Break Out Late to Complete Short Sweep NEWS & NOTES Miguel Sanó's rehab stint concluded with a bang in St. Paul on Saturday, when the slugger went 3-for-3 with a walk and home run to round out a 12-game stretch between rookie ball and Triple-A in which he slashed .333/.422/.795 with five home runs. He's ready for another shot. Are the Twins inclined to give it to him? For all their pitching troubles, the Twins have been pretty well set offensively and don't have an obvious opening in the lineup (or even on the roster) for Sanó. If they want to accommodate his return, they can probably use him semi-regularly at first base or DH while dropping Gilberto Celestino from the bench. An IL move for Max Kepler, who came out of Sunday's game, would also create room. I suspect one of those things will happen when the deadline for a decision arrives on Tuesday, because the long-stagnating Twins need a spark that he's uniquely equipped to provide. Still, it's no guarantee we'll see Sanó in a Twins uniform again. There's a very realistic chance they DFA him or trade him for peanuts and move on. Ahead of their game in Detroit on Saturday, the Twins placed Caleb Thielbar on the injured list with a hamstring strain and recalled right-hander Yennier Canó. It sounds like Thielbar got hurt in the last game before the break, and the team hoped he'd have enough time off to be ready for action, but that wasn't the case. He's a sneaky big loss in this bullpen because Thielbar has vastly out-pitched his underwhelming ERA. We also learned on Saturday that Byron Buxton would miss the entire Detroit series after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his right knee on Wednesday to aid healing. The timing is interesting, as it suggests Buxton and the Twins decided to delay this planned procedure until after his All-Star Game appearance. That decision exposed his knee to further risk in an exhibition, while potentially costing him one or more meaningful games for the Twins, who are guarding a pretty narrow lead in the AL Central. But it also meant giving Buck an opportunity to go to Los Angeles and showcase himself as a star – boy did he. HIGHLIGHTS If you had to succinctly explain why Buxton and Luis Arraez were in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, it would be this: Buxton has been the king of game-changing home runs, and Arraez has been the king of finding his way on base. They both brought these qualities out on the national stage. Buxton earned MVP consideration by hitting the go-ahead homer following a game-tying two-run blast from the actual MVP, Giancarlo Stanton. It was a classic showing of Buxton's incredible quick-twitch ability, as he turned on a fastball at his eyes from Tony Gonsolin and launched it for a no-doubter. Arraez's big moment in the All-Star Game was not as flashy as Buxton's, but no less indicative of his strengths as a player. After very uncharacteristically striking out on three pitches in his first plate appearance, Arraez came up against fireballing Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, who had a 0.69 ERA and held opponents to a .109 average in the first half. Helsley had struck out 57 batters in 39 innings. Arraez fell behind 0-2 in the count. He then flicked away two fastballs, clocked at 103 and 101 MPH. On the next pitch, Helsley came with a curveball – a pitch he'd thrown 52 times this year without giving up a hit. Arraez stroked it into right field for a single. You can't make it up. Staying on brand, Arraez opened his second half with a three-hit game in Detroit – his 10th of the season – and he added another hit and walk on Sunday. He's slashing .341/.413/.445. Arraez opened the scoring in Saturday's eight-run outburst from the offense, which served as a nice palette cleanser after the Twins were shut out by Chicago to close out the first half. Carlos Correa joined the festivities by hitting a home run and nearly adding another (Akil Badoo made a nice play at the wall.) The runs kept pouring in on Sunday, with the bats breaking out late in a 9-1 laugher. José Miranda collected three hits to lead the way as Minnesota took advantage of poor pitching and defense from the last-place Tigers. Having started the opener in the first half, it was only fitting for Joe Ryan to start the first game of the second half. He looked as good Saturday as he did on Opening Day, holding the Tigers to one run over 5 ⅔ innings with seven strikeouts. The righty improved to 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA – the Twins have gone 10-5 in his starts. Equally encouraging, if not more so, was Sonny Gray's effort the following day. The veteran's slump heading into the break was a major concern, but Gray was in frontline form on Sunday – albeit against a very bad team. He struck out seven and allowed two hits over six frames. I am of the opinion that the Twins need to add one more starter at or above the level of Ryan and Gray in order to be a viable threat in the postseason. But at the very least, they'll need those two pitching like they're capable of. This series in Detroit was a very good sign on that front. We'll see if they can keep it going with tougher competition ahead. LOWLIGHTS The Twins might have come out of the break with a couple of convincing wins, but that wasn't gonna stop the bullpen from rearing its ugly head. Minnesota's massive lead on Saturday was mildly threatened in the eighth as Detroit mounted a three-run rally against Jovani Moran and Trevor Megill, who were both extremely wild. For as good as Moran – and to a lesser extent Megill – has looked at times, their frequent lapses into the no-control zone make them impossible to trust as high-leverage relievers down the stretch, or especially into the playoffs. Even on Sunday, when the bullpen seemingly had a very good showing with one hit allowed over three scoreless innings, the process was hardly impressive. Griffin Jax, Jharel Cotton and Joe Smith combined to strike out zero of 10 batters faced while inducing just two swings and misses (both from Jax) on 39 pitches. That's not a good formula for getting results, especially against better teams. The glaring inadequacy of this bullpen is too stark to ignore, even on good days like the past couple. TRENDING STORYLINE The big focus from now until August 2nd will be the trade market. I wrote last week about the deceivingly complicated decision facing the Twins as the deadline approaches – a first-place team that needs to make additions, but may not be in the best position for an aggressive push given the extent of those needs. We'll likely begin to see some trade activity fire up in the coming week, although the majority of big moves will shake out in the 48 hours or so leading up the deadline next Tuesday. Will the Twins front office strike early? LOOKING AHEAD Minnesota's midsummer respite extends into a light first week following the All-Star break, with two off days bookending a two-game series in Milwaukee. Good news for Buxton as he works back from the PRP injection. From there it's off to San Diego for three games against Taylor Rogers and the Padres. This next week will be a good test for the well-rested Twins, with five games against very strong NL opponents. I'll be in San Diego to catch a couple of the weekend games at Petco Park, and am very excited to cross that stadium off my list! TUESDAY, 7/26: TWINS @ BREWERS – RHP Dylan Bundy v. TBD WEDNESDAY, 7/27: TWINS @ BREWERS – RHP Chris Archer v. RHP Corbin Burnes FRIDAY, 7/29: TWINS @ PADRES – RHP Joe Ryan v. LHP Blake Snell SATURDAY, 7/30: TWINS @ PADRES – RHP Sonny Gray v. RHP Joe Musgrove SUNDAY, 7/31: TWINS @ PADRES – RHP Dylan Bundy v. LHP Sean Manaea

Minnesota’s front office knew what it was doing when they signed Carlos Correa. He is one of baseball’s best players, and he brings playoff experience to an organization that has lost 18 straight postseason games. Both sides know that Correa will likely opt out of his contract at the season’s end so he can return to the free agent market. Even knowing all of this, three options are still on the table. Option 1: Keep Correa for the Stretch Run Minnesota has surprised many by being at the top of the AL Central throughout the first half. Even with a recent slump, the Twins sit ahead of Cleveland and Chicago. Keeping Correa is the best way to win games during the 2022 season because the baseball playoffs can be a crapshoot, and it’s essential just to qualify for the postseason. Last season, the Braves won 88 games, but they added pieces at the deadline and got hot in October. Not every franchise can follow this mold, but it helps to get to the postseason with a healthy roster and the best players performing well. Option 2: Sign Correa to a Long-Term Deal According to the Star Tribune, the Twins have not engaged with Correa and his team on a long-term extension. It’s easy to see why the Twins would want to keep Correa as he helped shape a positive clubhouse culture this season. Earlier this season, Correa told Ken Rosenthal that he is open to an extension with the Twins. It will likely take a more significant contract than the 10-year, $325 million deal signed by Corey Seager last winter. As a franchise, Minnesota hasn’t handed out those types of contracts in the past, so it seems unlikely for a long-term deal to be reached unless the Twins do something out of character. Option 3: Trade Correa Before the Deadline Trading Correa before the deadline might shake up the clubhouse, but it avoids the team seeing him walk for nothing. It would allow the Twins to fill other needs on their roster or to rebuild a farm system that ranks in baseball’s bottom half. Finding a team willing to trade for Correa is also challenging, as many of baseball’s best teams already have a strong shortstop. Some possible teams looking for an upgrade include the Philadelphia Phillies or the St. Louis Cardinals. Also, Minnesota would be left with no clear shortstop replacement if Correa is dealt. Overall, the front office already made one unpopular trade by sending away the team’s closer before Opening Day. Can it withstand another unpopular move? Realistically, the Twins should stick with option one because anything can happen in October. However, trading Correa makes sense if the front office doesn’t make additions before the trade deadline. Minnesota needs multiple relievers and a front-line starting pitcher to be taken seriously in the postseason. With an already depleted farm system, the front office might not be willing to trade away the prospect capital required to obtain those types of players. Which option do you feel the Twins should choose? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Baseball's Hall of Fame voting process includes multiple flaws. Some issues include deserving candidates falling off the ballot after one vote, writers being limited to 10 votes per ballot, and the steroid era clouding voting for the last decade. Because of these issues, some deserving players take much longer to complete their Cooperstown journey. Here's a look back at what these two players went through on their way to induction. Tony Oliva's final game was a pinch-hit appearance on September 29, 1976. His knees had failed him and cut short his 15-year career. Oliva's first chance on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot came in 1982 on a ballot that included 16 future inductees, so it's easy to see why the 10-vote limit made for some tough decisions. Writers named Oliva on 63 ballots, accounting for 15.2% of the votes. This was just the start of his voting journey. Over the next 15 years, Oliva's numbers from his playing days didn't change, but he slowly gained support among the BBWAA voters. His peak ballot position was in the 1988 voting cycle when he finished third on the ballot but received 47.3% of the vote. This year was likely his best opportunity to get voted in by the writers as upcoming ballots were filled with some nearly unanimous first-time selections. Oliva dropped to 30% of the vote in 1989, and he never recovered as he received 36.2% of the vote in his final ballot. Jim Kaat's final pitch came on July 1, 1983, as a 44-year-old in his 25th big-league season. Kaat's first chance at the BBWAA ballot came in 1989 as he was part of a remarkable first-year class that included five future inductees. Writers named Kaat on 87 ballots, which garnered him 19.5% of the vote. In his 15 years on the ballot, Kaat struggled to build the support needed to gain enshrinement. The 1993 ballot cycle was his best, but he finished eighth on the ballot with 29.6% of the vote. In their 80s, frustration likely followed each as they dealt with the election process for nearly four decades. Another level of frustration was added back in the summer of 2020 as the National Baseball Hall of Fame decided to postpone the Era Committee elections due to the COVID pandemic. Thankfully, this past winter allowed the committee votes to occur, and both players were elected. The Golden Days Era ballot consists of 10 candidates that the BBWAA's Historical Overview Committee nominates. A 16-person committee of Hall of Famers, veteran baseball executives, and historians/media members is charged with voting on the candidates. Twelve votes are needed for a player to reach the 75% threshold required for induction. Both Oliva and Kaat were named on 12 of the 16 ballots. At any age, being honored as one of the best in your chosen profession must be a fantastic feeling. However, it has to be even more satisfying to know they are among baseball's inner circle. The journey to Cooperstown had to be full of disappointments, but that won't matter anymore on Sunday. Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat are in the Hall of Fame, and that's a journey no one is taking away from them. Do you think the Hall of Fame needs to change their voting process? How would you change it? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Box Score SP: Sonny Gray 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (84 pitches, 55 strikes (65.4 strike %)) Home Runs: None Top 3 or Bottom 3 WPA: Sonny Gray .237, Jorge Polanco .088, Jose Miranda .076 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins wasted no time getting runs on the board to start Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco got back-to-back one out hits on a single and double and Correa scored first on a Max Kepler RBI fielder's choice where he reached base safely. In the next at-bat, Alex Kirilloff drove in Polanco on an E3 advancing himself to second and Kepler to third. Following Kirilloff’s at-bat, Tigers starter Rony Garica lost complete control of the strike zone as he hit back-to-back hitters with pitches. First Nick Gordon, then Jose Miranda who drove in Kepler with abases-loadedd RBI. The Twins fell short of sending all hitters up to the plate in the top of the first as the inning of errors ended with Gio Urshela grounding into a double play. Sonny Gray kept the Tigers scoreless in the first two innings retiring the minimum in that frame. During the top of the third, another Twins batter was hit by a pitch, this time Kepler, who was hit hard in the wrong spot that he needed to come out of the game and was replaced by Gilberto Celestino in right. The substitution of Celestino shifted the outfield up a bit for the bottom of the third. Celestino moved into center field shifting Gordon to left and Kirilloff to right for the remainder of the game. The outfield did not have to move at all after shifting positions as Gray retired all three Tigers in order without a ball hit outside the infield. Gray’s perfect streak would end in the bottom of the fourth when he hit Javier Baez with a pitch. Baez would score the Tigers first run of the game on an RBI single from catcher Eric Haase. Even with the hiccup of three base runners in the fourth, Gray would avoid any more damage and keep the Twins lead at 3-1. Gray would keep the Tigers bats quiet once again in the fifth and sixth innings. The Twins bats would have another go around with the Tigers bullpen in the top of the seventh as they scored three more runs against them. The three runs were produced by an Urshela double that scored Miranda, Arraez RBI single, and another Polanco double, making it his second multi-double game of the season. Polanco’s only other multi-double game of 2022 was on May 1 against Tampa Bay in a 9-3 Twins win. Gray was done for the afternoon following the sixth inning, allowing only four base runners through those six innings of work. This was Gray’s first start allowing four base runners or less since June 15 in Seattle where he allowed only three base runners on 3 hits in five innings against the Mariners. Griffin Jax came into the game in the seventh, making his first relief appearance since July 16. Although he gave up a lead-off double, Jax retired the next three in order giving the Twins a scoreless inning in his first outing for the second half. Going into the top of the eighth, the Twins held a healthy 6-1 lead over the Tigers. The Twins batters thought a couple more runs wouldn’t hurt to add on. Miranda and Urshela reached base once again to give Gary Sanchez an opportunity to tack more runs on. And add to the lead he did as Sanchez smacked an RBI double scoring both teammates to make it a 8-1, Twins lead. Jharel Cotton had the bottom of the eighth for the Twins. Cotton made his first career appearance against the Tigers this afternoon and looked as if he had a home run surrendered to rookie Riley Greene. Greene would never see that ball land over the fence as Gordon robbed him of his third career home run. The Twins would lead off the top of the ninth with back-to-back singles from Celestino and Kirilloff. Gordon would ground out into a double play in the next at-bat, but Miranda would follow up with another hit, his third of the day, and an RBI, scoring Celestino and making it a 9-1 lead. The ninth would go to Joe Smith to close out the win for the Twins. With great struggles in July posting a 34.62 FIP in two relief appearances for the month. An appearance with an 8 run lead against the worst offense in baseball seemed a safe time to put Smith in. Smith would retire the minimum on 16 pitches to give the Twins their 9-1 win. What’s Next? The Twins are off on Monday and will resume play Tuesday in Milwaukee for another two-game series against the Brewers. Dylan Bundy will make the start for the Twins while the Brewers have yet to announce a starter for Tuesday. Postgame Interview (Bally Sports Tweets) Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (86 pitches, 57 strikes (66%)) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (12) Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (.190), Carlos Correa (.140), Luis Arraez (.116) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins came back with a good line-up to start the second half of the baseball season. Notably missing, however, was Byron Buxton who is coming off of his game-winning home run at the All-Star game on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. The outfielder did an interview with The Athletic's Dan Hayes and spoke about not being comfortable with the Home-Run Derby and being willing to continue the rest and day-to-day work to stay healthy and in the lineup most nights. Buxton will miss this series against the Detroit Tigers but will be ready to return to action when they travel to Milwaukee early in the week. The Twins started out the series against former teammate Michael Pineda who allowed first-inning singles to Luis Arraez and Carlos Correa. With no outs, Jorge Polanco slapped a ball into center field to load the bases for Max Kepler. Kepler hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Arraez, giving the Twins an early lead. Pineda avoided any further disaster but needed 29 pitches to finish the first inning. Pineda was a lot more composed in the second and third innings before getting pulled after Carlos Correa hit a solo home run to give the Twins a two-run lead. The Twins started the seventh as they had in the first inning, with singles, this time from Alex Kirilloff and Jose Miranda. With a left-hander now pitching, Kyle Garlick pinch hit for Nick Gordon. Garlick is fantastic against the lefties and was again tonight. He drove a ball into the hole between third base and shortstop. The ball went under the glove of Jeimer Candelario for an error to load the bases with no outs. Gio Urshela came up to bat and hit a sac-fly that scored Kirilloff. Arraez thought the inning was over when he hit a high foul ball to the third base side and Candelario slid to make the play but missed the ball, giving Arraez another chance to finish his at-bat. Arraez took advantage of the new life and hit a two-run single, scoring Miranda and Garlick, making it a three-hit game for the All-Star and a 5-1 lead for the Twins. The Twins stayed focused in the eighth inning and loaded the bases again. The lineup took turns hitting singles and scored three insurance runs. Gary Sanchez, who was hitless at to this point, hit a ball into the gap in right field which scored Kirilloff and opened up the Twins' lead to 8-1. Joe Ryan made his 15th start for the Twins. He had struggled in his two previous outings. He came out with the confidence we had seen so many times before he got sick with Covid. In the first two innings, he had quick 1-2-3 inning to keep the Twins ahead and his pitch count down. In the third inning, he faced six batters. He had a prolonged at-bat with Javier Baez which really drove up his pitch count. With two on and two out, Ryan faced another former Twins player, Robbie Grossman. With the Detroit fans cheering for what they hoped would be a chance to get on the board, the defense neutralized the threat when Grossman ground out to end the inning, the shutout still intact. It's Challenging! The sixth inning started out with Ryan giving up a triple to rookie sensation Riley Greene with the first at-bat. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli challenged, arguing that Greene did not touch second base. The call stood on the field after review, much to the Twins' chagrin. Baldelli has been generous with his challenges this season. As of today, he has challenged 29 calls this season and only 14 of them have been overturned. After allowing his first and only run in the sixth inning, Ryan got a fly out and then struck out Miguel Cabrera swinging before he was relieved from the mound with only one out left. An interesting move...two-game writer’s opinion. Do you think the Twins can get a sweep on their first albeit small series tomorrow? What’s Next? The Twins finish up game two of the two game series Sunday with the Tigers before heading to Milwaukee for the early part of the week. Pitching matchup for Sunday: ● Sunday 1:10 pm CST: Sonny Gray (4-3, 3.71ERA) vs RHP Rony Garcia (3-2, 4.28ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Moran 0 0 0 0 28 28 Duran 0 0 0 0 11 11 Duffey 0 0 0 0 11 11 Megill 0 0 0 0 7 7 Pagan 0 0 0 0 2 2 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 0 0 Smith 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jax 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cotton 0 0 0 0 0 0

Both Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez were named first-time All-Stars for the Minnesota Twins this season. At 2.9 and 2.3 fWAR respectively, they currently pace the club and are certainly deserving. As Buxton angles himself towards MVP votes and looks to reign in his production as a whole, while Arraez tries to capture a batting title, both players should remain important cogs in the second half. For a team that took on water during the final week against Chicago, and clearly needs some help, that pairing has to have players within the clubhouse step up. Right now Max Kepler is the only other teammate to hit the 2.0 fWAR mark, while Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and Dylan Bundy have each accumulated at least 1.0 fWAR on the mound. That puts the foursome into a territory of usefulness to this point, but Rocco Baldelli will need second-half surges from somewhere. Here are three names that could become incredibly impactful down the stretch. 3. Bailey Ober Having spent separate stints on the injured list this season due to a groin issue, Ober has made just seven starts and hasn’t appeared for Minnesota since June 1. He will need to take multiple turns prior to getting back on the bump, but the hope would be that he can provide a stabilizing rotation presence by August. While Josh Winder and Devin Smeltzer have taken turns, and Cole Sands has been sprinkled in, Ober’s presence is clearly missed. His 4.01 ERA this season is backed by a 2.79 FIP. The strikeout numbers are slightly down, but he has been stingy with home runs to this point. Ober looked the part of a solid mid-rotation piece last season, and there’s no denying that Minnesota could use that right now. It’s not about Ober coming back and throwing like an ace, but if he can spell the bullpen usage and give consistent turns, that’d be a massive boost to a unit that needs a lift. 2. Alex Kirilloff The former top prospect was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul when the wrist issues clearly weren’t working out. 10 games into the season Kirilloff owned a .398 OPS and his process at the plate was broken. Fast forward to where we are now and Kirilloff owns an .808 OPS across his last 28 games. He has 10 extra-base hits and while just three of them are homers, it’s clear he can once again drive the ball. Kirilloff isn’t likely a massive power hitter in the vein of 40 home run potential, but he should run into plenty of extra-base hits utilizing the gaps at Target Field. He’s also a solid defender at first base and isn’t out of his element in the outfield. This is a pure hitter, and when the swing is going right, it’s as pretty as it gets. A stretch of an OPS around .900 isn’t inconceivable, and that’d be a massive boost to a lineup that has gone dormant far too often this season. 1. Carlos Correa The guy you spent the money to bring a splash should show up biggest when the stage is the brightest. Correa hasn’t been bad by any means this season. His 1.7 fWAR is 5th among Twins hitters. To date, Correa owns an .803 OPS which equates to the same 131 OPS+ when he posted an .850 OPS one season ago. This is a guy with game-changing offensive potential, however, and more can be expected from that type of leader. Through the first month, Correa posted just a .633 OPS. In 51 games since he owns an .867 OPS with 20 extra-base hits, 10 of which have left the yard. Correa has looked the part of a superstar in the field, and he’s flashed that at the plate, but it’s time for another level to be reached. It seems all but certain he’ll opt out of his deal with the Twins, and whether he re-signs with Minnesota or not, there’s an opportunity to make himself a few extra bucks the rest of the way. Who are you hoping breaks through with a big performance down the stretch? Any sleeper candidates?

A native of California, C.J. Culpepper stayed home when going to college. After appearing exclusively out of the bullpen in 2021, he compiled 69 innings as a starter this past year. Culpepper posted a solid 3.26 ERA and allowed opposing hitters to bat just .216 off of him. A righty that averaged more than a strikeout per inning, he’s certainly hoping to take another step with the Twins. Before his professional career gets going, he was kind enough to answer a few questions. Twins Daily: Working as a starter for the first time in your collegiate career this season, how did that change your process in attacking lineups and going through games? C.J. Culpepper: I knew that changing from a closer to a starter I needed to get through lineups multiple times. So not falling into a pattern was huge for me. Trusting every pitch that coach calls I put all of my trust into that pitch. Execute every pitch to the best of my ability. TD: Give us an idea of your repertoire. What do you feature? What's your best pitch? Is there an offering you're looking to improve? CC: I feature a four-seam fastball with natural cut, a slider, curveball, and a change-up My best pitch is my slider, I have become very comfortable throwing it where and when I want! I can always look to improve all my pitches but one above all is my change up, has really good bite and depth to it, just need it more consistent. TD: The .216 opponent batting average against last season is impressive. What do you think best sets you up for success on the mound? CC: Attacking hitters, stay on the attack whether I am way ahead in the count, or way behind in the count, attack the hitter! Finish the hitter as fast as I can and let the defense work behind you. Soft contact and finishing hitters early is where I think I find most of my success. TD: Obviously you took steps forward in development throughout school. What has been the biggest leap and how do you think you got there? CC: The biggest thing I did to grow each semester of school was to watch and learn from the older guys, ask questions, and watch how they held themselves up and composed themselves. Listening to coach, and not doing my own thing. Coach has been so good to me and what he says is the best way for me to succeed! TD: What do you know about the Minnesota Twins? Have you ever been to Target Field? CC: The Twins have a good farm system and are very good at developing their players! When they bring someone up, they are good, and better than when they started. I have never been to Target Field, but it is definitely on my bucket list to go visit though! TD: What is something you want Twins Territory to know about you, either as a person or player? CC: I am kind, caring, and wouldn’t be where I am without the grace of God! I am a hard worker I know what I am capable of and I won’t stop until what I want is done! I am excited to get to work and start this thing up! Go Twins!