Lucas Seehafer PT

St. Paul was the lone team in action on Friday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE AWARDS Starting Pitcher of the Year Relief Pitcher of the Year Hitter of the Year SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Indianapolis 1 Box Score The Saints were able to come away with a win Friday night in Indiana behind a stellar pitching performance by Dereck Rodriguez. Rodriguez tossed five scoreless innings and allowed only one hit while walking three and striking out four. At the plate, third baseman Andrew Bechtold led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run. Michael Helman (1-for-5, RBI) and John Andreoli (1-for-3, 2 RBI) also hit home runs. PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-1 #12 - Louie Varland (Minnesota) - 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (5:35 PM CST) - RHP Ariel Jurado (2-2, 3.54 ERA) View full article

The Wind Surge won and Ryan Jeffers late inning heroics helped push the Saints over Louisville. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS OF Matt Wallner was assigned to the Minnesota Twins Taxi Squad C Ryan Jeffers assigned to the St. Paul Saints on Major League rehab INF Jorge Polanco assigned to the St. Paul Saints on Major League rehab RHP Randy Dobnak cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to the St. Paul Saints RHP Bailey Ober has completed his Major League rehab and returned to Minnesota Twins OF Mark Contreras recalled by Minnesota Twins Austin Martin, Edouard Julien Alex Isola, Denny Bentley, Francis Peguero, Jon Olsen, and Ryan Shreve to participate in Arizona Fall League SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Louisville 6, F/10 Box Score The Saints took down the Bats in dramatic fashion Friday evening after trailing for the vast majority of the game. Down 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Jeffers three-run home run tied the game up at 5-5. After failing to score with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and surrendering a run in the top of the 10th, St. Paul filled the bags again following a Dalton Shuffield (2-for-3, 2B, BB) double and a Chris Williams (0-for-2, 3 BB, HBP) hit by pitch. Andrew Bechtold (0-for-4, RBI, 2 BB) tied the game with a walk and Nash Knight (3-for-3, RBI, 3 BB) brought home the winning run on a walk-off single. In less fun news, Jorge Polanco exited the game after five innings. He was originally slated to play seven innings. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Midland 1 Box Score Daniel Gossett continued his strong season for the Wind Surge, shutting down the RockHounds to help his team pull off a close victory. He threw five innings and struck out seven while surrendering a single run. His ERA dropped to 2.26 on the year. Denny Bentley, Jordan Gore, Francis Peguero, and Alex Phillips pitched lights out from the pen, striking out two and allowing only a single Midland batter to reach base in four innings of work. Edouard Julien led the Wichita charge offensively, going 1-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and a walk. Austin Martin (2-for-4) was the only Wind Surge batter to register multiple hits. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 9, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score The Kernels’ season came to a close Friday night as they fell to the Cubs, dropping the Division Series contest, 2-1. South Bend touched starter Orlando Rodriguez for four runs in the top of the first, a total that was ultimately enough to secure the win. Rodriguez recorded just one out in the game. He was followed by six more Kernels pitchers. Cedar Rapids managed only four hits on the night, all of them singles. Mikey Perez (1-for-3, 2 RBI) and Willie Joe Garry Jr. (1-for-3, RBI) plated the Kernels’ runs. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 3: Fort Myers vs. Dunedin, PPD Series tied 1-1 Darn rain. They plan to try to get it in on Saturday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Daniel Gossett (Wichita): 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Ryan Jeffers (St. Paul): 2-for-6, HR, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-4, R #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Louisville (7:07 CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez (7-4, 5.02 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (5:00 CST) - RHP Cody Laweryson (5-0, 0.82 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (TBD CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. Dunedin (11:00 am CST) - TBD View full article

The Twins former top pitching prospect is returning to his old form. Plus, Wichita explodes offensively and Marco Raya stays hot. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS - Jake Jewell, who was DFAd when the Twins added Louie Varland to the 40-man roster on Wednesday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Saints. - The Cedar Rapids Kernels also announced the 2B/LF Alerick Soularie has been placed on the Suspended List. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 3, St. Paul 2 (F/10) Box Score Runs were hard to come by as the Saints fell to the Mud Hens in extra innings on Friday night. Jordan Balazovic put together yet another fine start, striking out nine and not allowing an earned run in five innings of work. Although the 2022 campaign has been a lost one for the former top pitching prospect, Balazovic has thrown nine innings in September and surrendered only one earned run while picking up 15 strikeouts. For comparison, the most strikeouts he had accumulated in a single month this season prior to September was way back in May when K’d 17 in 16 1/3 innings. (He posted an 8.82 ERA.) Matt Wallner led the Saints offensively, going 2-for-5 with a double and triple. Elliot Soto also contributed two hits, including his 18th double of the summer. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 13, Northwest Arkansas 7 Box Score The Wind Surge resisted a late Naturals rally to overcome Northwest Arkansas on Friday evening. The Naturals’ five runs in the top of the eighth inning were offset by two innings of three runs and one of five by the Wind Surge. Wichita added two more in the bottom of the eighth for good measure. Brent Headrick started on the hill for the Wind Surge and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings. He surrendered one run on a solo home run. Jordan Brink was awarded the win after tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out three and keeping his Double-A ERA at 0.00 (through two outings and 2 1/3 innings).. Wichita had a great day at the plate, tallying 16 hits, six of which went for extra bases. All Wind Surge players reached base at least one time. Will Holland (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Anthony Prato (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Yunior Severino (2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Edouard Julien (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB), and Leobaldo Cabrera (2-for-4) all contributed multiple hits. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score The Kernels’ bats went silent against the Cubs while the pitching staff underwent a bullpen day as Cedar Rapids dropped their game to South Bend. No Kernel contributed multiple hits. Jeferson Morales (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB) drove in the team’s only run and hit their lone extra-base hit. Righty Ryan Shreve tossed a succinct two innings, striking out three and allowing only two runners to reach base on 25 pitches, 19 of which were strikes. He lowered his ERA to 3.08 on the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, St. Lucie 0 Box Score The Mighty Mussels and Mets were slated for two games Friday evening, but Mother Nature struck once again, pushing the second contest to Saturday. However, the inclement weather didn’t stop Marco Raya from feasting on the mound. The 20-year-old continued his hot summer by striking out seven in four shutout innings of work. He has now struck out 76 batters in 65 innings with the Mussels and owns a 3.05 ERA. Keoni Cavaco (1-for-2, RBI) and Ben Ross (2-for-3, RBI) each clobbered solo home runs while Tanner Schobel (1-for-2, 2 BB) added a double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (Wichita): 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4 #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-5 #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4 #8 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, 2B, 3B #11 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, RBI SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (4:05 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (0-0, 3.38 ERA) Wichita vs. Northwest Arkansas (6:05 CST) - RHP Daniel Gossett (2-1, 2.34 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. South Bend (6:35 CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (1-1, 4.40 ERA) Fort Myers vs. St. Lucie (3:30 CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. St. Lucie (TBD CST) - TBD View full article

St. Paul's failed near comeback was the only loss in the Twins farm system Friday night. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 11, St. Paul 9 Box Score The Saints’ late charge fell just short Friday night. St. Paul scored seven of their nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning after surrendering nine in the seventh and eighth combined. Jermaine Palacios (2-for-5, RBI) and Mark Contreras (3-for-5, RBI) each hit two doubles, which account for all of St. Paul’s extra-base hits. Michael Helman (2-for-6) and Chris Williams (1-for-5) each drove in two runs. Simeon Woods Richardson performed admirably on the mound, striking out three and not surrendering an earned run in five innings. He now has a 3.29 ERA in 13 2/3 Triple-A innings. Devin Smeltzer and Brad Peacock surrendered nine runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Springfield 2 Box Score The Wind Surge brought home all six of their runs in the top half of the sixth inning to earn the win over the Cardinals. Edouard Julien (1-for-3) and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (1-for-3) each picked up two RBI. All five of Wichita’s hits were singles, and as a team, they drew 10 walks. Five Wind Surge pitchers combined to throw nine innings with Alex Phillips earning the win. Aaron Rozek started and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Dayton 4 Box Score The Kernels clinched the win early as their bats drove in all six runs in the top of the first inning. The Dragons scored three in the bottom of the ninth when the game was already out of reach. Eighth hitter Charles Mack went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Wander Javier (1-for-4) also contributed two RBI. Travis Adams threw the first six innings and struck out six while giving up only one run. Bradley Hanner and Tyler Palm combined to throw the final three innings, striking out four and not allowing an earned run. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Bradenton 0 Box Score Keoni Cavaco’s three-run home run in the top of the second inning was all the Mighty Mussels need to pick up the win over the Marauders on Friday. Cavaco (2-for-4, 2B, HR) was the lone Fort Myers batter to contribute multiple hits. Kala’i Rosario (1-for-3) also doubled. Marco Raya tossed the first three innings and struck out five while ushering two walks and a hit. Regi Grace was awarded the win after throwing three hitless innings in relief, striking out five and walking none. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Travis Adams (Cedar Rapids): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers): 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 BB #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, BB #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3K #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB #8 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, BB #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 RBI #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, 2B SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Omaha (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-6, 9.06 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (2-2, 4.75 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Jaylin Nowlin (1-1, 3.27 ERA) Fort Myers (6:30 PM CST) - TBD View full article

Wichita's Daniel Gossett tossed a no-no, while the Saints, Wind Surge, and Mighty Mussels all picked up wins. TRANSACTIONS None SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3 Box Score Louie Varland had yet another solid outing for the Saints on Friday, striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings. Although he did surrender seven hits and three runs—only two earned—the RailRiders struggled to make consistent hard contact. Varland has now struck out 15 batters and walked two in 11 Triple-A innings. While two starts hardly provides definitive proof for upcoming sustained success, Varland’s immediate impact at the highest level of Minor League Baseball has to be appealing to the Minnesota Twins. He possesses a fastball that sits in the mid-90s with good ride and a slider with strong bite that would play well out of the Twins’ bullpen right now. His changeup remains a work in progress but when on, it has very similar shape to his fastball. He likely isn’t quite ready to make starts for the big-league club, but he could provide value out of the pen, particularly if Emilio Pagan continues to struggle or Trevor Megill turns into a pumpkin. Jermaine Palacios (3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) and Chris Williams (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI) led the Saints offensively. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Tulsa 0 Box Score The home crowd was witness to history on Friday evening as righty Daniel Gossett tossed the first no-hitter in Wind Surge history. He needed 120 pitches to do so, striking out 10 and walking three (two in the 9th inning). The only other Driller to reach base did so via error. Gossett is a 29-year-old journeyman who was a second-round pick in 2014 out of Clemson and last appeared in the Majors in 2018 as a member of the Oakland Athletics; he started in 23 games across two seasons in the Bay and posted a 5.91 ERA. He entered the game with a 3.48 ERA and had not struck out more than seven batters in a game this season before shutting down Tulsa. Gossett was clearly fatigued in the final inning as he walked two straight batters with two outs before getting Andy Pages to bite on a curveball in the dirt. He was caught on camera shouting, “One more. One more.” into the Wind Surge dugout just prior to the strikeout, seemingly trying to convince manager Ramon Borrego to leave him in. Gossett’s accomplishment won’t make headlines around the internet nor will it likely make SportsCenter, but throwing a no-hitter at any level is a monumental task and his effort should be recognized. Anthony Prato (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Alex Isola (1-for-3, RBI) each hit home runs to lead Wichita’s offense. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 5, Cedar Rapids 0 (Suspended) Box Score The Timber Rattlers jumped out to an early lead on the Kernels before the game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning due to rain. The two will resume play on Saturday. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Fort Myers 8, Palm Beach 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels offense could not be contained and their pitching staff was lights out on Friday evening against the Cardinals as they swept the double-header to improve their record to 61-47. Pierson Ohl glimmered on the mound in Game 1, striking out seven and allowing only two Palm Beach batters to reach base across seven shutout innings. The game had been suspended after two innings on Thursday night, so Ohl started the third frame and finished the game In Game 2, Jonathan Lavallee was awarded the win with four shutout innings out of the pen. Overall, the Fort Myers pitching staff struck out 19 batters, walked one, and surrendered two runs in 18 innings. Misael Urbina led the Mighty Mussels offensively, going 5-for-8 with a double and three RBI. Some of the former top prospect’s shine has faded this season, but the 20-year-old is suddenly hitting .301 with an .886 OPS in 31 games at Low-A. He hasn’t produced much in the way of home runs, but he has hit a whopping 14 doubles, suggesting a power boom is right around the corner. Mix in his defensive tools and it’s easy to see why many around baseball think highly of his long-term prospects. Unfortunately, visa issues meant that he was unable to come to the States until June. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Old friend Randy Dobnak started on the bound for the FCL Twins, striking out three and allowing four hits across two innings of work. Dobnak has missed the entire 2022 season to date as he rehabs from a finger injury suffered last season. Wilfri Castro had a great afternoon at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, home run, and two RBI. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Cubs Blue 3, DSL Twins 2 Box Score Yasser Mercedes continued to rain terror on the DSL on Friday, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI. Mercedes—who is just 17 years old—is hitting .361 with a .990 OPS in 39 games. The Twins will keep their burgeoning prospect at the DSL level for the remainder of the season, but it will be interesting to see what they do with him next summer. He’s proven to be advanced for his age and could likely succeed at the FCL level right now. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Daniel Gossett (Wichita): 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 10 K Hitter of the Day – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers): 5-for-8, 2B, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, R, SB (25) #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, RBI #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, 2 BB, R #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-2 #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-for-7, RBI #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, 2B, RBI SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (DH at 5:07 PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer, RHP Juan Minaya in Game 2 Wichita vs. Tulsa (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (DH at 5:15 PM CST) - Completion of Friday game, followed by regularly-scheduled game. Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:00 PM CST) - TBD View full article

A graduate of North St. Paul High School, and Concordia University in St. Paul, Louie Varland made his first Triple-A start for his hometown S.t Paul Saints. Plus wins by Wichita and Cedar Rapids and a big night for the Twins 10th round pick. TRANSACTIONS 2B Jorel Ortega placed on the 7-Day IL (wrist). SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Columbus 1 Box Score St. Paul native Louie Varland dominated during his Triple-A debut in front of the home crowd. Varland—Twins Daily’s number 12 Twins prospect—struck out eight and allowed only three Clipper batters to reach base across 5 ⅓ innings, marking arguably his best start of the season. While the Twins are developing Varland as a starter and have ever since he signed out of Concordia University, some talent evaluators believe he is best suited for the bullpen long-term. An athlete is only ever a couple of good outings away from the Majors once they reach Triple-A and should the Twins continue to need pitching help as the season winds down Varland’s name may begin to seriously come up in conversations. At the plate, Mark Contreras went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Roy Morales drove in the Saints other three runs, going 1-for-4 with a double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Corpus Christi 3 Box Score The Wind Surge got tremendous production from the bottom of their lineup on Friday as they took down the Hooks with relative ease. Will Holland, Anthony Prato, and Leobaldo Cabrera—Wichita’s 7-8-9 hitters—combined to go 5-for-8 with four RBI, three runs scored, and four walks; Prato led the charge by contributing a double and triple to raise his average to .307. Alex Isola also brought the boom, driving in two with his seventh home run of the season. Brent Headrick put together five solid innings, striking out six and allowing one earned run. Alex Phillips and Denny Bentley each struck out the side during the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 0 Box Score Kyler Fedko (1-for-4, RBI, R) contributed Cedar Rapids’ lone extra-base hit on the night, but although offense was at a bit of a premium in Iowa, the Kernels ultimately came out on top with ease. Mikey Perez added the team’s lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Brooks Lee went 0-for-3 but drew two walks. David Festa started on the bump for the Kernels but was removed after three shutout innings. Hunter McMahon was awarded the win after throwing 3 1/3 innings of hitless ball in relief. He struck out three and his ERA dropped to 0.65. MUSSEL MATTERS Jupiter 3, Fort Myers 1 Box Score It was a quiet night in Jupiter with no offensive hurricanes to be found. Noah Cardenas led the Mighty Mussels at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double. Dillon Tatum (1-for-4) also contributed a double. The Fort Myers pitching staff also had a quiet night as they managed to strike out a meager two batters while walking four and surrendering three earned runs. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 1, FCL Twins 0 Box Score The FCL Twins managed to pick up eight hits against the FCL Red Sox on Friday, but unfortunately, none were able to drive in any runs. Dalton Shuffield—the Twins 10th round pick out of Texas State—went 3-for-4 and picked up his first professional hits. Five pitchers—led by Pierce Banks—saw action for the Twins and struck out 12 while surrendering only a single run. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 3, DSL Mariners 0 Box Score Bryan Acuna’s RBI double in the sixth inning gave the DSL Twins a 1-0 lead, an advantage they would never surrender. Jesus Peraza singled home two more in the seventh to extend the Twins lead. DSL Twins pitchers struck out eight while only walking two to earn the shutout. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (St. Paul): 5 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Anthony Prato (Wichita): 2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 BB #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 3 BB, 3 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-4 #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4 #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4 SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Columbus (7:07 PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (2-2, 4.98 ERA) Wichita vs. Corpus Christi (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Daniel Gossett (1-1, 2.59 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (0-1, 11,81 ERA) Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:00 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (4-6, 4.13 ERA) View full article

The Minnesota Twins announced Sunday morning that promising first baseman Alex Kirilloff will be undergoing his second wrist surgery in as many seasons later next week in California and will miss the remainder of the season. The Pioneer Press’s Betsy Helfand—among others—relayed that Alex Kirilloff will have his ulna bone shortened during the procedure. The ulna is one of the two bones of the forearm and sits on the inner side when your palms are facing forward and hands are at your side. Kirilloff recently received a cortisone injection into his right wrist in an effort to reduce the pain he experienced while swinging and underwent surgery last summer to “separate a bone” from his ulna due to the forearm bone being atypically long as well as the presence of cartilage damage. The Twins and Kirilloff had been adamant since Spring Training that there has been no evidence of damage in his wrist since he underwent his first procedure despite lingering pain. As such, he was likely dealing with ideopathic ulnar impaction syndrome, a condition in which an individual experiences ulnar-sided wrist pain and reduced wrist range of motion despite a lack of anatomical damage. As a left-handed batter, Kirilloff’s right wrist undergoes ulnar deviation during each swing. This action pushes the bones of the wrist—specifically the lunate and triquetrum—against the ulna. Additionally, a structure known as the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC)—a mix of dense cartilage and ligaments—sits between the lunate, triquetrum, and ulna. In essence, the TFCC gets sandwiched between the three bones and is subjected to shearing and torsional forces during each swing, which increases the odds of tearing. An abnormally long ulna would only serve to increase the force placed on the TFCC, at least in theory. The most likely procedure that Kirilloff will have is known as ulnar shortening osteotomy, during which the ulna is fractured, manually shortened, and re-connected with plates and screws. (He will likely also have the TFCC either repaired or shaved.) This procedure reduces pressure on the TFCC and should, again theoretically, reduce the pain Kirilloff experiences with each swing. Ulnar shortening osteotomies have shown good promise in the general population, but there exists a dearth of evidence among athletes. As such, it’s unclear how long Kirilloff will remain sidelined, though the Twins are reportedly hopefully he will be ready by Spring Training 2023. Kirilloff joins Royce Lewis as top Twins prospects who have had back-to-back seasons compromised by season-ending surgery. Kirilloff also missed the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery and the 2020 campaign due to the Covid-19 pandemic. View full article

The Saints, Kernels, and Rookie Ball teams combined to score 32 runs Friday night. The Wind Surge only scored one, but that was all they needed. TRANSACTIONS RHP Cole Sands promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to Minnesota Twins RHP Aaron Sanchez cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to St. Paul RHP Jharel Cotton cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 15, Omaha 6 Box Score The Saints bat’s exploded for 15 runs and 17 runs Friday night to win their 50th game of the season. Six St. Paul batters contributed multiple hits, led by Jermaine Palacios’ four in five at-bats; he hit two doubles and scored five runs. Matt Wallner hit his first Triple-A home run, crushing it to deep center field. He also added a double and three RBI. Roy Morales also hit a home run and drove in five runs. Dereck Rodriguez pitched six innings, struck out four and did not allow a run. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, San Antonio 0 Box Score A prototypical Simeon Woods Richardson start and a lockdown performance by the bullpen allowed the Wind Surge to squeak past the Missions. Woods Richardson was wild but effective during his four innings, striking out three and walking two while allowing only two hits. His ERA dropped to 2.92 on the season and he now has 62 strikeouts and 24 walks in 61 2/3 innings. The Twins pitching prospect has had an interesting season. While his surface-level numbers are impressive, some advanced metrics suggest that he’s been skirting by with smoke and mirrors. Entering Friday night, Woods Richardson owned a 4.90 xFIP and 15.9% K-BB%. However, one plus is that he continues to keep the ball in the ballpark. He’s only surrendered four home runs all season and 16 in 239 minor league innings. At the plate, Edouard Julien led the way, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Chris Williams went 1-for-4 with a double and scored the game’s only run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Beloit 2 Box Score The Kernels got a heck of a performance from their 6-7-8-9 hitters to help drive them to a win over the Sky Carp. Pat Winkel, Jeferson Morales, Mikey Perez, and Will Holland combined to go 7-for-14 with a double, home run, and five RBI; the rest of the lineup combined to hit 3-for-18 with six strikeouts. It was also a group effort for the Kernels on the mound, as four pitchers—Travis Adams, Matt Mullenbach, Bradley Hanner, and Miguel Rodriguez—combined to strikeout nine and walk none across their nine innings of work. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 4, Fort Myers 3, F/10 Box Score It was a sloppy game in Fort Myers as the Marauders and Might Mussels combined to commit five errors and draw 11 walks. Unfortunately, Fort Myers was unable to come out on top, dropping this one in 10 innings. Rubel Cespedes led Fort Myers at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Kala’i Rosario and Misael Urbina each went 1-for-4 with a double. Jonathan Lavallee pitched a hitless four innings to begin the game for the Might Mussels, but John Wilson was touched for two runs and five hits over the next two innings. Malik Barrington was saddled with the loss after allowing two unearned runs in 10th inning. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 6, FCL Twins 4 Box Score Despite picking up nine hits and five of them going for extra bases, the FCL Twins fell to the FCL Red Sox yet again on Friday. 2022 Competitive Balance selection Tanner Schobel picked up his first professional hit—a double—and also drove in an RBI. Brooks Lee led off and also hit a double. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Tigers 19, DSL Twins 6 Box Score Yasser Mercedes continued his hot summer on Friday, going 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored, upping his batting average to .342 and OPS to .962. Jose Rodriguez went 1-for-5 and contributed his 13th double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, RBI, R #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-3, BB SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Ariel Jurado (0-2, 6.00 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (0-2, 3.89 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (6-1, 2.58 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Bradenton (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Mike Paredes (7-2, 2.19 ERA) View full article

Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued his mammoth season while Kody Funderburk pitched a gem to propel the Wind Surge to victory. TRANSACTIONS INF Spencer Steer reported to Future's Game OF Matt Wallner reported to Future's Game C Caleb Hamilton promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to Minnesota Twins RHP Hunter Wood on 7-Day IL for the Saints. RHP Tyler Palm promoted from High-A Cedar Rapids to Double-A Wichita RHP Alex Scherff placed on IL SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 7, St. Paul 3 Box Score Jake Cave (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R) and Jermaine Palacios (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R) contributed the bulk of the Saints offense and all of their extra-base hits, an effort that was ultimately not enough to best the Mud Hens. Miguel Sanó finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Aaron Sanchez started for St. Paul and allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings. Ian Hamilton and Juan Minaya pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and combined to surrender three runs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 9, Arkansas 2 Box Score It’s Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s world and we’re all just living in it. The Twins’ best power bat in the minors continued his incredible season with a two, home run performance in only his second Double-A game. He now has 26 to go along with 26 doubles and a .996 OPS in 98 career Minor League games. But his bat wasn’t the only one lighting up the night sky in Wichita Friday evening. Chris Williams (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) also launched two home runs—his 14th and 15th of the season—while DeShawn Keirsey Jr. (4-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) *only* hit one. In total, the Wind Surge erupted for 12 hits with seven going for extra bases. On the mound, lefty Kody Funderburk did more than enough. He pitched six innings and struck out eight while surrendering only one run and allowing five Travelers to reach base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2 Box Score Aaron Sabato’s 10th home run of the season could not have come at a better time. The solo shot gave the Kernels a 3-2 lead in the top of the 8th inning, a lead they would ultimately not surrender. He finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Seth Gray drove in two runs and finished 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Sean Mooney was lights out on the mound after the first inning when he allowed two runs after Cedar Rapids scored two of their own in the top of the frame. Mooney finished with nine strikeouts and zero walks. Miguel Rodriguez and Bobby Milacki allowed only one Sky Carp batter to reach base in four innings of relief. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score Fort Myers 7, Clearwater 4 Box Score The Might Mussels came away with two victories over the Threshers in Fort Myers Friday. They took Game 1 behind the bats of Carlos Aguiar (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), Noah Cardenas (2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R), and Rubel Cespedes (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, R). Marco Raya and Malik Barrington combined to strike out seven and walk five, but the duo allowed only a single run and no extra-base hits. During the second game, it was the bats of Misael Urbina (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R), Noah Miller (3-for-3, BB, R), Mikey Perez (2-for-3, 2 2B, RBI, R), and Keoni Cavaco (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R) that pushed Fort Myers over Clearwater. The Mighty Mussels pitching staff once again struggled with walks—they allowed six compared to seven strikeouts—but they were able to limit the damage thanks to only one of the Threshers’ six hits going for extra bases (a double). COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 9, FCL Twins 3 Box Score It was a difficult day at the plate and on the mound for the FCL Twins. Only one batter—Alexander Peña (2-for-3, BB)—registered multiple hits, both being singles. Danny De Andrade (1-for-4) and Breilin Ramirez (1-for-4, RBI, R) each contributed doubles. Juan Nuñez started on the bump and struck out eight batters across four innings of work. However, he was saddled with the loss after surrendering three runs, two of them earned. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 5, DSL Twins 3 Box Score Bryan Acuña (2-for-3, BB, R), José Rodriguez (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI), and Yasser Mercedes (1-for-4, 3B, R) provided the thump for the DSL Twins lineup Friday afternoon, but it wasn’t enough to cover the DSL Angels and their 12 hits. Christian Jimenez, Eduardo Soriano, and Juan Mercedes struck out seven combined and did not allow a walk, but ultimately weren’t able to overcome the Angles’ lineup. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Kody Funderburk (Wichita): 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita): 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 3-for-6, BB, R #9 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Toledo (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Mario Sanchez (4-3, 3.24 ERA) Wichita vs. Arkansas (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Daniel Gossett (1-1, 2.22 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (7-2, 2.39 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Clearwater (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (4-4, 4.42 ERA) View full article

Also, Blayne Enlow looked good, David Festa shoved, and Miguel Sanó helped bring victory to the Twins Complex. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jon Olsen activated from 60-day IL, assigned to High-A Cedar Rapids RHP Pierce Banks transferred from High-A Cedar Rapids to Rookie Ball FCL Twins SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 4, St. Paul 1 Box Score The Saints fell short on Friday night due in large part to an offense that sputtered all evening. Spencer Steer (2-for-3, 2B, BB) was the lone St. Paul batter to register multiple hits. His .876 OPS is currently third on the team behind Tim Beckham (1.090) and Jake Cave (.878). (Jake Cave's 49-game on-base streak ended during the loss.) Elliot Soto—the Saints’ No. 9 hitter—drove in the team’s lone run with a solo home run, his third of the season. Mario Sanchez started on the bump for St. Paul and surrendered four runs and two home runs across 3 1/3 innings. Ariel Jurado pitched the bulk of the remaining innings, striking out three and allowing only a single base runner during the game’s final four innings. Austin Schulfer lowered his ERA to 2.70 and picked up two strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Amarillo 4, F/11 Box Score An Andrew Bechtold walk-off three-run home run sent the Wind Surge home victorious over the Sod Poodles on Friday. It was Bechtold's ninth dinger of the year. Leobaldo Cabrera (2-for-3, RBI, BB) joined the Wichita third basemen in the homer column with his sixth. Anthony Prato (2-for-5, RBI) and Edouard Julien (1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R) each contributed a double. Blayne Enlow put together perhaps his best performance of the campaign, striking out five and allowing a single unearned run in four innings. His fastball touched 94 mph and sat 92-93 mph while his breaking ball sat in the low-80s and featured sharp, downward break. Osiris German, Bryan Sammons, Steven Cruz, Jordan Gore, and Andrew Cabezas pitched spectacularly out of the bullpen, combining to strike out five and not allow an earned run in seven innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels coasted to a victory over their intrastate rivals thanks to a standout performance by David Festa as well as their bats. Festa improved his High-A record to 5-0 on the season after striking out eight batters and not allowing a single run in six innings of work. He now owns a 1.91 ERA to go along with 45 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings with Cedar Rapids. At the plate, the Kernels popped with aplomb, smoking five extra-base hits, four of which were home runs. Seth Gray (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Jake Rucker (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Dylan Neuse (1-for-4, RBI), and Alerick Soularie (1-for-5, 3 RBI) all hit long balls. Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 5, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Tampa 3, Fort Myers 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels dropped both of their contests to the Tarpons on Friday, despite an offense that collected 13 hits combined. Mike Paredes started and pitched admirably in the first game, striking out three and allowing a single run on a solo shot across four innings. But Tampa touched John Wilson for four runs in the sixth inning, which ultimately gave them the win. Rubel Cespedes (2-for-3, 2 RBI) was the lone Fort Myers batter to pick up multiple hits. Cespedes also picked up two hits in three at-bats in the second game, contributing his seventh double of the season. He was joined by Kala’i Rosario (2-for-2) whose ninth home run plated the Mighty Mussels only run. Malik Barrington punched out six batters but surrendered three runs in three innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 0 Box Score Old friend Miguel Sanó hit a double, walked twice, and drove in a run as the FCL Twins took down the Red Sox on Friday. Andres Centeno (2-for-3, BB) drove in the game's only other run. Luis Rijo tossed the first three innings for the Twins and struck out five batters. Alex Phillips, Cleiber Maldonado, and Danny Moreno combined to strike out five batters in six innings of hitless work out of the bullpen. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Giants Orange 5 Box Score Independence Day may have been earlier this week, but that didn’t stop the DSL Twins from lighting off some fireworks on Friday. Jose Rodriguez (3-for-5, RBI, BB) led the Twins' offensive charge with all three of his going for two bases. Yasser Mercedes (1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R) was particularly pesky on the base paths, stealing three bags bringing his total to eight on the season. Rafael Cruz (2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB, R) hit his third home run. On the mound, Christian Jimenez pitched five innings, striking out six and allowing only one earned run. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Bechtold (Wichita) - 2-for-5, HR (9), 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - IL (ACL surgery) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - Did Not Play #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - IL (Knee surgery) #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - (Covid IL) #5 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - (IL-elbow/forearm) #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B, BB #13 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-0, 4.21 ERA) Wichita vs. Amarillo (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk (6-2, 3.06 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (6-2, 3.35 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (TBD) - TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.77 ERA) View full article

The Twins weren't the only team to lose Friday night. Literally the entire farm system did as well! TRANSACTIONS RHP Josh Winder was optioned to the St. Paul Saints after being activated from IL RHP Jake Faria was released by the Minnesota Twins organization RHP Cody Laweryson was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Hunter McMahon was promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. RHP Jonathan Lavallee joined the Mighty Mussels from the Complex. SAINTS SENTINEL Buffalo 5, St. Paul 4, F/10 Box Score Home runs by John Andreoli (two-run) and Spencer Steer—a solo and his 11th of the Triple-A season—gave the Saints a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning, but St. Paul was unable to drive in any more runs as they ultimately fell in extra innings. Despite coming out on the losing end, the Saints pitching staff by and large pitched phenomenally as a group. Cole Sands took the rubber to start and pitched five innings, striking out six and surrendering only three hits. Unfortunately, an error by Jermaine Palacios resulted in the Bisons scoring three runs, though none of them were earned. Hunter Wood and Evan Sisk eached tossed a scoreless inning in relief, but Yennier Cano and Ian Hamilton gave up one run apiece in the eighth and 10th innings, respectively, to give Buffalo the win. In total, the St. Paul pitching staff struck out 11 batters and allowed only a single earned run. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 11, Wichita 2 Box Score The Wind Surge were handed a good old-fashioned beat down at the hands of the Missions on Friday in Wichita. San Antonio touched Casey Legumina and Melvi Acosta for five runs each across the second, sixth, and seventh innings. Matt Wallner was the only Wind Surge batter who put up a fight, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and two runs scored. Wallner’s batting average and OPS have risen to .286 and 1.007, respectively, since beginning the season 3-for-41. He is another Twins prospect who is due for a promotion to the Twin Cities. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 10, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Despite a strong offensive night and with lefty Cade Povich on the mound, the Kernels were unable to overcome the Whitecaps on Friday. Alerick Soularie led off the bottom of the first innings with his seventh home run of the season; he finished the night 2-for-5 and now owns a .704 OPS after getting off to an extremely slow start to begin the season. Wander Javier also went 2-for-5—he contributed a double and a triple—and drove in two runs. But it was Christian Encarnacion-Strand who led Cedar Rapids at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and three RBI. Thirty-eight of his 76 hits have gone for extra bases and the former Oklahoma State slugger possess a .923 OPS in 64 games at High-A. Don’t be surprised if he earns a promotion to Double-A in the not so distant future. Cade Povich struggled to miss bats across his 4 ⅔ innings of work. His fastball sat in the low-90s according to the broadcast and the Whitecap batters did a good job of not chasing his breaking stuff outside of the zone. He finished with five strikeouts and two walks and surrendered seven runs with five of them earned. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers @ Lakeland, PPD COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 1, FCL Twins 0 Box Score FCL Red Sox 4, FCL Twins 1 Box Score Fredy Michel’s solo home run—his second of the season—drove in the FCL Twins' lone run in 14 innings of play. Righty Tomas Cleto tossed four innings of scoreless ball to begin the second game of the double-header, striking out five and walking none. Prospect Luis Rijo—who is on rehab assignment—threw two innings in the first game, in which he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out three. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 8, DSL Twins 7 Box Score Starting pitcher Cristian Jimenez was dominant for the Twins across four innings of work, striking out seven and surrendering only one walk, hit, and run. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up seven runs—only three earned—over the course of the final three innings. Shortstop Isaac Pena (2-for-4, 2 R) was the lone Twin to pick up an extra-base hit, his third double of the young season. Second baseman Rafael Cruz also picked up a multi-hit game, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, walk, and two runs scored. Catcher Daniel Pena (1-for-3) led the team with three RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cole Sands (St. Paul): 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2B (20), HR (15), 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-4 #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-3 #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, HR, RBI #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2B (13), HR (16), RBI, 2 R #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B (20), HR (15), 3 RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (3:05 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 4.62 ERA) Wichita vs. San Antonio (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland (6-1, 3.27 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. West Michigan (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney (2-2, 2.40 ERA) Fort Myers @ Lakeland (3:00 PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Lakeland (TBD) - TBD View full article

Twins top prospect Royce Lewis underwent his second ACL reconstruction surgery in as many years on Tuesday in Dallas. This time around his surgeons took a different approach to help make sure he doesn’t have to undergo a third. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the most important structures in the knee as it pertains to athletics. It’s a robust structure comprised primarily of collagen—the compound that gives ligaments and tendons their strength and elasticity—that stabilizes the knee. When the ACL is compromised—either by a partial tear or a complete rupture—the knee becomes much more unstable, particularly with rotation and highly-athletic movements such as cutting and jumping. During a typical ACL reconstruction procedure, a portion of the athlete’s patellar or hamstring tendon is removed and inserted into the femur (i.e. thigh bone) and tibia (i.e. shin bone) in the location where the ligament was originally located. Over the span of 9-12 months, the tendon transforms structurally until it resembles a ligament—a process known as ligamentization—and the athlete gradually rehabs until they are strong enough to return to play. The majority of athletes will go on to rebound to their prior levels of success and will continue on with their careers without a hitch. But depending on the sport and type of tendon graft utilized, upwards of 6-31% will go on to either re-tear their ACL or rupture the one in their other knee. Such was the case, unfortunately, for Lewis. The reasons why ACL re-tear rates are so high are myriad, complex, and up for debate. However, one theory that has rise to prominence over the last handful of years involves the compromise of the anterolateral ligament (ALL). In terms of anatomical discoveries, the ALL is much like that of Big Foot, except if Big Foot was actually real. The ligament was first described in the 1870s by a French surgeon, but was not officially recognized as actually existing as an isolated structure until the early 2010s. While the ACL is the primary stabilizer against rotation in the knee, the ALL is believed to hold a role in rotational stabilization as well. It has been theorized that the ALL likely ruptures along with the ACL and that individuals who do not have their ALL repaired will continue to suffer from some rotational instability in the knee and, thus, be at a greater risk for re-injury. Now, I don’t know for sure that this is exactly what happened with regard to Lewis. And, frankly, it doesn’t really matter. Subsequent ACL injuries aren’t uncommon. An athlete, surgeon, rehab team, front office, and coaching staff can “do everything right” and ACL re-injuries can still happen. Such is the unfortunate nature of sport. But what we do know is that the surgery team in Dallas “basically, [did] something with the IT band,” according to Lewis to help “brace” his knee and improve its stability. The “something” he is likely referring to is known as a lateral tenodesis. The IT band is a long, thick tendinous structure that runs from the hip to just below the knee. It’s most commonly known as a structure that gives long distance runners one heck of a time if they don’t remain flexible, but it also serves as a key attachment point for various lower extremity muscles and assists in moving the leg. Due to its inherent strength, it serves as a good candidate for a graft during ACL reconstruction. Additionally, the lower portion of the IT band can be surgically relocated (i.e. tenodesis) to provide rotational stability. In short, the IT band takes over for the compromised ALL to provide extra rotational stability for the knee. The long-term outcomes for this procedure in the athletic population, and specifically the MLB population, is unknown, but theoretically it should allow Lewis to return to play with greater stability in the knee. The recovery will still take 9-12 months, but the procedure should not reduce Lewis’s speed or power much beyond the natural regression that is expected with aging. Baseball is a fairly linear sport, which reduces the potential impact of multiple ACL surgeries on performance compared to a sport like basketball that relies on quick pivots, explosive jumping, and constant running to be successful. View full article