Twins

Minnesota’s shortstop depth chart took a hit this week, with Carlos Correa placed on the COVID restricted list and Royce Lewis placed on the injured list. Jermaine Palacios became the next man up and will make his big-league debut in Detroit. 

I was the conductor of Byron Buxton’s “Pay the Man” campaign, and while doing so was always the right move, it came with the caveat that Minnesota needed insurance. In January, I wrote about potential options being internal and external, while thinking Gilberto Celestino may make all points moot.

We are soon about to reach the fifth anniversary of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine joining the Twins. It was to be an intellectual super-team of sorts; Falvey had drawn praise for building the dominant Cleveland starting rotation, with Terry Francona describing him as a do-it-all “rising star.” Thad Levine, a crucial cog in keeping Texas’ front office together, helped orchestrate two popular World Series teams in Texas. Key to their vision was sustainability, long-term planning, and the “method—” whatever system could best improve a depleted Twins franchise. Are we seeing this process at this moment?

In terms of impact on winning ballgames, the Minnesota Twins' bullpen has been one of the best in the league this year, playing a key role in propelling the team to first place by a healthy margin through 48 games. 

But a deeper look reveals alarming signs.

The Minnesota Twins looked to be on their way to win on Memorial Day after hitting three home runs. In the end, defensive miscues brought the Twins to a loss against the Tigers to open the road trip. 

Last week Nash Walker wrote about Matt Canterino as an arm the Minnesota Twins should look to accelerate for a bullpen role in 2022. I couldn’t agree with him more and opined he should be on the active roster by August 1. A lesser known name was recently promoted to St. Paul, and Austin Schulfer could find his way into the mix by the end of 2022 as well.

The Twins are in the middle of a lengthy run of games with no breaks. They've been taking some hits. They remain in first place by a healthy margin.

Now, the going's about to get rough.

The Minnesota Twins announced on Sunday evening that top prospect Royce Lewis suffered a bone bruise in his right knee after slamming into the wall while making an incredible catch during the team’s 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

The Twins got a great start, some strong defense, and plenty of offense on Sunday afternoon, and they were able to even the four-game series with the Kansas City Royals with a 7-3 win. 

The Minnesota Twins selected Nick Gordon with the 5th overall pick in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. It took him seven years to make his Major League debut, not uncommon for a high school kid, but the longevity with the organization may be coming to an end.

Max Kepler left Saturday's game with right quad tightness, and it sounds like there's a fair chance he'll land on the injured list.

Should that happen, the player called up to replace him will almost certainly be either Alex Kirilloff or Royce Lewis. So let's try to answer two questions: who will it be, and who should it be?

Top Gun Day at Target field brought a need for speed, and a win, but the Royals got on the board early, while the Twins struggled to find a rhythm.