Lucas Seehafer PT

St. Paul surrendered runs in the final three innings of the game, dooming them to a loss. Cedar Rapids cruised to a win over Dayton, while an ill-fated home run cost Wichita the game. Fort Myers hung on to victory by the skin of their teeth. TRANSACTIONS OF Braden Bishop signed to MiLB deal and assigned to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 4, St. Paul 3 Box Score The bats started off hot for the Saints though they ultimately fizzled out after the third inning. Kyle Garlick (2-for-3, RBI) mashed a solo home run in the first inning and Caleb Hamilton (1-for-4) followed two batters later with an RBI double to give St. Paul a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Spencer Steer (1-for-5, RBI) added another run in the third inning with a solo home run, his ninth in 21 Triple-A games. However, the Saints were unable to garner a single hit outside of the first five batters in the lineup and did not score after Steer’s jack. Cole Sands pitched admirably to open the game, striking out three and allowing only one earned run in four innings. J.C. Ramirez, Yennier Cano, and Juan Minaya all surrendered one run during their seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, respectively, which ultimately sank the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 2, Wichita 1 Box Score Cole Sturgeon's (1-for-4) solo home run was the only run the Wind Surge were able to muster against the Drillers on Saturday, despite connecting for seven hits, drawing four walks, and stealing three bases; they struck out 16 times collectively and left 16 runners on base. Daniel Gossett was tremendous to start the game, striking out five and allowing only three hits in five innings of scoreless ball. Osiris German was ultimately saddled with the loss after serving up a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Bryan Sammons and Jordan Gore each threw a scoreless inning in relief. Austin Martin was given a second-straight night off. He has not been in the lineup in four of the past six games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Dayton 5 Box Score Five of the Kernels 10 hits against the Dragons went for extra bases as they cruised to their 40th win. Christian Encarnacion-Strand led all batters with three hits in five at-bats, including his 18th double of the season. Yunior Severino (1-for-5, 2 RBI) and Will Holland (1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB) also smacked doubles. Wander Javier (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and Alerick Soularie (2-for-4, RBI) each launched solo home runs, their fifth and sixth, respectively. Cade Povich was lights out on the mound as he struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs across five innings of work. He now has 68 strikeouts in 48 innings to go along with a solid 3.38 ERA. Orlando and Miguel Rodriguez combined to strike out six and allow three runs across the game's final four innings. With the win, the Kernels clinched a playoff berth by winning the first-half division title, joining the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels as Twins affiliates that will be in their league's playoffs at the end of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Bradenton 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels hung on to take down the Marauders in Fort Myers on Saturday. Kala'i Rosario's (1-for-3, BB) two-run home run in the fourth inning was ultimately the deciding factor in the Mighty Mussels' win. Jake Rucker (2-for-4) and Luis Baez (2-for-3) each drove in an RBI. Marco Raya tossed the first 2 2/3 innings for Fort Myers, striking out five of the nine batters he faced. Matt Mullenbach, Niklas Rimmel, Regi Grace, and John Wilson combined to strikeout 10 batters, walk two, and give up four runs, three of them earned. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 6, FCL Red Sox 5 Box Score The baby Twins’ bats were scorching on Saturday, outhitting the Red Sox 14-7 with six—including Fredy Michel’s first home run of the season—going for extra bases. Ismael Perez led the Twins offense going 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI, and two runs scored. Jose Olivares started on the bump for the Twins, striking out six and surrendering two runs in four innings of work. Danny Moreno picked up a three-inning save, striking out two and along only one batter to reach base (via walk). DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL D-backs 6, DSL Twins 3 Box Score The Twins were held scoreless until the seventh inning when they plated all three of their runs. Jose Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with an RBI, all three hits being singles. Cesar Lares got the start and gave up five earned runs across 4 ⅓ innings, though he did strike out seven and only walk one. Anthony Narvaez tossed the final 1 ⅔, striking out one and surrendering one run. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – LHP Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, HR, 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: #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, HR, RBI #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-1, 3 BB #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 3 K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (12:05 PM CST) - RHP Jake Faria (1-2, 6.48 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina (1-2, 6.59 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Dayton (2:05 PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney (2-2, 2.23 ERA) Fort Myers vs Bradenton (12:00 PM CST) - TBD View full article

The Minnesota Twins farm system was witness to great success on Friday, with all teams save for Fort Myers picking up wins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Rochester 4 Box Score The Saints picked up a well-earned win against the Red Wings on Friday. Alex Kirilloff led off for St. Paul and remained hot, going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Jermaine Palacios—who performed quite well during his cup of coffee with the Twins—also went 2-for-5 with his four home run of the season. Jose Godoy rounded out the team’s multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Josh Winder made his first rehab start on his path back to the parent club, and unlike teammate Joe Ryan the previous night, his outing did not go so well. Winder surrendered a home run and gave up two runs in his one inning of work. (Though, it should be mentioned that he did strike out three batters.) After Ariel Jurado was touched for two runs of his own in four innings, Tyler Viza, Jake Petricka, and Austin Schulfer shut down the Rochester bats over the game’s final four frames to help St. Paul pick up the win. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Arkansas 0 Box Score While the six-run eighth inning didn’t technically win the game for the Wind Surge, it sure didn’t hurt. Chris Williams (2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB) led the charge as his grand slam in the penultimate frame pushed Wichita from a likely victory to one that was guaranteed. Anthony Prato (2-for-4, 2B) and Edouard Julien (2-for-4, BB) joined Williams in the multi-hit club, wrangling the remainder of the Wind Surge’s hits. Louie Varland put together perhaps his nicest start of the season, striking out nine across six innings of work. Melvi Acosta and Argenis Angulo tossed the final three innings and allowed only four Travelers to reach base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, South Bend 1 Box Score The Kernels bounced back from their shoutout loss on Thursday by claiming a definitive win against the Cubs. Aaron Sabato’s solo home run—his eighth of the season—gave Cedar Rapids a 2-1 lead in the third inning, one they would not surrender. Wander Javier (2-for-4, 3B, RBI) and Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) picked up the Kernels other extra-base hits. (A quick not-so-positive note on Encarnacion-Strand: While the Twins third base prospect has been solid at the plate, he has a long way to go in the field. He committed his 18th error of the season Friday night and owns a putrid .838 fielding percentage in 43 career games at the hot corner.) Brent Headrick continued his hot start to the season, pitching 5 ⅔ innings, allowing only one earned run and striking out seven. Miguel Rodriguez and Bobby Milacki threw 3 ⅓ innings of scoreless ball out of the pen. MUSSEL MATTERS Daytona 6, Fort Myers 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels bats were silenced by Tortugas on Friday as Carlos Aguiar (1-for-2, 2B, BB) was the only obstacle standing between Daytona and a no-hitter. Travis Adams started on the bump for Fort Myers and pitched well enough to give his team a fighting chance. He struck out eight and surrendered two runs in five innings. Unfortunately, the Tortugas touched Matt Mullenbach for four runs—three earned—over the next 1 2/3 innings, effectively closing the door on any potential Mighty Mussels victory. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 5, FCL Red Sox 1 Box Score There was a doubles party and everyone in the FCL Twins’ lineup was seemingly invited on Friday as the Twins blew past the Red Sox. Alexander Pena (3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI), Fredy Michel (2-for-4, BB), a rehabbing Daniel Robertson (2-for-4), Gregory Duran (1-for-3, 2 BB), and Ricardo Olivar (1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB) all hit for extra bases to fuel the Twins offense. Jose Olivares threw four innings and struck out four to pick up the win. Tomas Cleto also struck out four and earned the save. DOMINICAN DAILIES No Game TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (Wichita): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Chris Williams (Wichita): 2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB 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) - 0-3, 2R, BB, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - Did Not Play #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #13 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did Not Play #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-4, RBI, BB, R #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-4, BB, R #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B, RBI #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-2, 8.82 ERA) Wichita @ Arkansas (5:35PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-2, 3.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (5-2, 4.62 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (2-2, 4.80 ERA) View full article

I agree. More often than not injuries are unlucky occurrences. People run into the wall frequently and end up ok. This time they didn't. Sometimes **** happens. It's not a fun answer, but it's often the correct one.

I don't think the injury occurred from hitting the wall. If I had to guess-and it's just a guess-it occured when he jumped off his right leg to catch the ball. His left side hit the wall.

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. While Lewis making a trip to the 10-day IL is less than ideal, in the grand scheme, the news he and the Twins received after the game is relatively good. Or, at least, as good as could be expected. Bone bruises fall on the fracture spectrum and are so named because of the dark spot they create on MRI. The ends of long bones—such as the femur of the thigh and the tibia and fibula of the lower leg—are comprised of cancellous bone, which is relatively porous and filled with blood. When a small portion of the spiderweb-like matrix inside the cancellous bone fractures, a dark image appears on MRI and is diagnosed as a bone bruise. Like most fractures, bone bruises typically heal within a matter of weeks, and rarely do they progress to a more severe injury. As such, the primary factor when determining a return-to-play is the amount of pain the athlete is experiencing, as well as their ability to tolerate said pain. According to Baseball Prospectus’s Recovery Dashboard, three MLB players have suffered a bone bruise in their knee since 2017, with the median number of days missed settling in at 27. The median days missed jumps to 28 when considering bone bruises in general, regardless of body region. The Twins will continue to assess Lewis’s knee in the coming days as the swelling decreases and the holiday weekend comes to a close. But for now, it would appear as if he—and the Twins—dodged a major bullet. Share your thoughts in the COMMENTS. View full article

We here at Twins Daily don't settle for simply good enough?

I have seen Martin play at short and while he has the athleticism, he lacks proper technique. His footwork is lackluster and regularly boots makeable plays. Errors aren't a be-all-end-all but this is a trend that has spanned multiple seasons. His arm is below average. His range is decent but he can't get around balls with regularity to field them cleanly. I just don't see it happening.

St. Paul rallied to pick up a win in extra innings. Wichita cruises past Corpus Christi. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers didn't fare quite as well. TRANSACTIONS OF Cole Sturgeon was placed on the temporary inactive list (parental leave) LHP Danny Coulombe was returned to the Minnesota Twins from Major League rehab SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Indianapolis 8 (F/10) Box Score It did not appear as if a win was in the cards for the Saints for the majority of the night, but they rallied to score five runs across their final three at-bats to upend Indianapolis in extras. Dereck Rodriguez and JC Ramirez struggled to contain Indianpolis’ bats early in the contest as they served up three home runs and eight runs in six innings. But Tyler Viza, Jordan Gore, and Jharel Cotton struck out five and allowed two hits in four innings of relief to keep St. Paul within striking distance. (Cotton struck out super prospect Oniel Cruz with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 10th.) Royce Lewis—who made his first minor-league appearance in centerfield—Alex Kirilloff, and Spencer Steer headlined the top of the Saints’ lineup but combined to go only 2-for-13 at the plate. Lewis looked good in center but admittedly did not encounter any defensive opportunities outside of the routine. Kirilloff continued to take healthy hacks at the plate and laced a single during his second at-bat, adding onto his his recent trend of encouraging play. He’s now hitting .329 with an .875 OPS at Triple-A. Mark Contreras played hero in the bottom of the ninth, crushing his sixth home run of the season to dead center with two outs to tie the game at eight apiece. Caleb Hamilton (1-for-3) put the game within reach with a dinger of his own—a three-run shot—in the eighth. Jermaine Palacios (2-for-4, BB, 2 R) needed to see only one pitch in the bottom of the 10th and laced it into the outfield for a single, which scored Jake Cave (2-for-5, 3B, 2 R) to seal the walk-off win. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Corpus Christi 6 Box Score Despite the relatively close score, the Wind Surge controlled this game from the start and improved their record to 25-16 overall. Wichita score four runs in the first two innings and added four more in the fifth and sixth. Matt Canterino started on the hill and threw only 2 1/3 innings. This was due in part to the Twins’ cautious approach to his innings load this season but mostly because of uncharacteristic control issues. He allowed only one unearned run and struck out six, but walked four and gave up one hit. In 30 ⅔ innings at Double-A, Canterino has issued 18 free passes. He accumulated only 12 across his first 58 Minor League innings in 2019 and 2021. Austin Martin led off and went 3-for-5 with a double—the team’s only extra-base hit—and three runs scored during the win. Matt Wallner (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and Dennis Ortega (2-for-5, 2 RBI) also contributed multi-hit games. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 7, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score The Timber Rattlers’ offense exploded for six runs across the fifth and sixth innings to give them the win over the Kernels. John Stankiewicz continued his struggles from his previous start, allowing five earned runs and only striking out three in 4 ⅔ innings to earn the loss. He also served up his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth. Offensively, Christian Encarnacion-Strand (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Kyler Fedko (2-for-4, 2B) contributed multi-hit games. Aaron Sabato (1-for-3, RBI, BB) crushed a solo home run—his fifth of the season—in the fourth inning to drive in the Kernels only other run. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Bradenton 2 Box Score Marco Raya and the rest of the Mighty Mussels pitching staff performed splendidly on Friday to help lift Fort Myers over the Marauders. Raya started on the bump and threw five innings, striking out seven, walking one, and allowing only a single earned run (it came on a homer). John Wilson, Hunter McMahon, Malik Barrington, and Matthew Swain combined to toss four hitless innings, striking out six. At the plate, Noah Miller (2-for-4, 2B, BB) and Keoni Cavaco (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB) registered the team’s multi-hit games. Noah Cardenas (1-for-4), Daniel Ozoria (1-for-4, 2B), and Luis Baez (1-for-4) all picked up RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – RHP Marco Raya (Fort Myers): 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – INF Austin Martin (Wichita): 3-for-5, 2B, 3 R PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 2B, 3 R #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 1-for-5 #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 2 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4, 2B, BB #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-for-5, 2 RBI #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-5, 2 K #18 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Indianapolis (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) Wichita at Corpus Christi (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina (0-1, 8.59 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (4-1, 1.36 ERA) Fort Myers at Bradenton (5:30 PM CST) - TBD View full article

It hasn't. He had it done in June last year. Could be a barometer for when Maeda and Paddack will return, with the caveat that everyone heals differently.

The Mighty Mussels were the only Twins affiliate to pick up a win on Friday and, for good measure, they decided to grab two. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jharel Cotton cleared waivers and accepted the assignment to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 8, St. Paul 7 Box Score The Saints rallied late, scoring all seven of their runs after the first four innings, but were unable to overcome the Storm Chasers. Alex Kirilloff was one of the top performers for St. Paul, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and walk. He’s now picked up seven hits in his last 14 at-bats at Triple-A. Kevin Merrell produced the Saints’ best game offensively, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Unfortunately for St. Paul, the pitching staff did not have their best stuff tonight as the collection of Mario Sanchez, Juan Minaya, Wladimir Pinto, and Jharel Cotton combined to allow nine hits and walk seven. Royce Lewis appeared at third base for the first time in his career as the Minnesota Twins attempt to prepare him for a utility role in the majors this season. He went 0-for-5 at the plate with four strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 5, Wichita 3 Box Score The Wind Surge rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead but surrendered three runs in the top of the eighth to fall to the Cardinals. Blayne Enlow started on the mound for Wichita and threw four encouraging innings, allowing two runs, a home run, and striking out six. Enlow’s fastball sat in the low- to mid-90s while his slider showed sharp break and hovered between 82-84 mph. While his command—particularly that of his non-fastballs—was spotty, the former 3rd round pick has looked solid for two-straight outings since returning from Tommy John surgery. He has served up a home run in all three of his starts this spring—a rate that will eventually regress—but he’s struck out 12 and not surrendered a walk since being called up to Double-A. Steven Cruz was saddled with the loss after giving up three runs in the eighth. Kody Funderburk, Argenis Angulo, and Alex Scherff pitched four innings of scoreless ball. Michael Helman was the only Wind Surger batter who registered more than one hit, going 3-for-4 with a double. Austin Martin went 1-for-3 with an RBI and stole his 18th bag of the season in the first inning; he’s 32-for-37 during stolen base opportunities in 126 minor league games. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 5, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score The Kernels bats where quieted and Sawyer Gipson-Long threw his first mediocre game of the season as the Captains sailed to an easy win. Gipson-Long surrendered two home runs—and four runs total—in 4 ⅓ innings, which was more than enough offense to earn Lake County the victory. Prior to Friday, Gipson-Long had not allowed a home run since April 23 nor an earned run since April 30. Melvi Acosta, Bobby Milacki, and Andrew Cabezas pitched well out of the pen, striking out four and allowing only one run over the game’s final 4 2/3 innings. Christian Encarnacion-Strand contributed the Kernels lone extra-base hit—a double—and also drew a walk. He now owns a .326 batting average and .937 OPS in 35 High-A games. Alerick Soularie continued on his hot streak since his frozen start to the season, and contributed two hits. He is 9-for-29 (.310) with two home runs, two triples, and seven RBI over his last eight games. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 3, Clearwater 1 Game 2: Fort Myers 3, Clearwater 0 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels took both games against the Threshers on Friday to push their record to a blister 24-12 on the season. While the bats were relatively quite, picking up only nine hits across 14 innings, the Fort Myers pitchers were loud, holding Clearwater to only six hits and a single run. Steven Hajjar earned the win in the first game of the day, pitching five innings of scoreless ball, striking out six. Hunter McMahon struckout five in two innings of relief. During the second game, Malik Barrington, Samuel Perez, and Matthew Swain combined to strike out five and allowed only four Threshers to reach base. Kala’i Rosario led the way for the Mighty Mussels at the plate in Game 1, smacking two doubles and driving in two runs. Noah Cardenas also connected for two doubles. In Game 2, Dylan Neuse crush a home run and added a double while Jake Rucker added two hits, with one being a triple. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Steve Hajjar (Fort Myers) - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Kevin Merrell (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, SB #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, 4 K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 2-for-3, BB #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 3 K #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-5, 3 BB #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 0-for-2, BB #20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul at Omaha ( 6:35 PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-0, 1.72 ERA) Wichita vs. Springfield (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Chris Vallimont (0-2, 9.95 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Lake County (6:35 PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz (2-0, 1.80 ERA) Fort Myers at Clearwater (5:30 PM CST) - TBD View full article

It will soon, I'd imagine. There are a couple of low-level prospects who play the same spot and are probably going to move first (i.e. Merrell was called up to St. Paul). But, I think Spencer Steer and perhaps Edouard Julien could be the next notable name on the move up.

I've made the comp to left-handed Brent Rooker before. He had a similarly high K-rate (though it was closer to the upper-20s, low-30s) and power profile. Could see him developing into left-handed 4th outfielder type.

The Twins have been bring Canterino along very slowly to start the season and can't say I disagree. He's been great when healthy for his career, but staying healthy for a full season has been tough. As far as the other options, no one else really performed all that great! Varland was the other option but even he didn't have a a dominant night, just simply good.

A bevy of promotions this week have left the St. Paul Saints offense without many of their key bats. Wichita and Fort Myers crush, Cedar Rapids gets popped. TRANSACTIONS SS Royce Lewis promoted to Minnesota Twins 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff activated from IL, promoted to Minnesota Twins RHP Cole Sands promoted to Minnesota Twins LHP Jovani Moran optioned to Triple-A St. Paul INF Kevin Merrell promoted to Triple-A St. Paul from Double-A Wichita SS Daniel Robertson placed on IL (concussion) SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 6, St. Paul 2 Box Score The Saints suddenly found themselves without multiple key members of their offense on Friday as Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff were sent across town to join José Miranda, Trevor Larnach and Gilberto Celestino with the parent squad. As such, St. Paul struggled to drive home runs despite registering eight hits against the Cubs. Caleb Hamilton hit his first home run of the spring—on the same night Miranda hit his first MLB dinger; I guess you could say that neither athlete was going to miss their shot—and drove in the team’s only runs. Cole Sturgeon and Curtis Terry each contributed two hits, with all four being singles. Jake Faria tossed the first four innings for the Saints but struggled to keep the ball in the park. He surrendered two home runs and four earned runs in the loss. Juan Minaya, Jordan Gore, Trevor Megill, and Jharel Cotton struckout six and allowed only one earned run in five innings of relief. WIND SURGE WISDOM Game 1: Wichita 7, Tulsa 2 Game 2: Wichita 10, Tulsa 0 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score It finally stopped raining long enough in Kansas on Friday for the Wind Surge and Drillers to fit in two contests, with the Twins’ Double-A affiliate coming out on top in both. Game one featured brothers and Minnesota natives Louie and Gus Varland facing off against one another on the mound. Louie pitched five innings and struck out six, though he did give up two runs. Gus didn’t fare quite as well, allowing six earned runs in only three innings. Still, it was a night that neither brother nor the entire family will forget. Matt Wallner (1-for-2, 3 RBI) and Spencer Steer (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each went deep in the first contest while Edouard Julien (2-for-3, BB) drove in the Wind Surge’s other two runs. Alex Scherff and Evan Sisk each threw a scoreless inning in relief. Wallner topped his performance in the first game with an even more dominant showing in the second. He finished the game 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, and four RBI, raising his batting average to a respectable .243 and OPS to .896. He has now hit 14-for-29 with three doubles and five home runs since beginning the season 3-for-41. Andrew Bechtold clobbered his third home run of the season while Julien contributed another 2-for-3 game with two RBI and a walk. Matt Canterino pitched four scoreless innings with four strikeouts for Wichita. Ben Gross was credited with the win following 1 ⅔ scoreless innings in relief. Austin Schulfer pitched the final 1 ⅓ and picked up three strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 6, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels mustered only three hits against the River Bandits, though two of them went for extra bases. Anthony Prato hit a solo home run—his third of the spring—and Jeferson Morales’ double drove in the team’s only other score. Aaron Rozek’s string of rough outings continued on Friday as the lefty served up two more home runs and surrendered five earned runs in four innings. Bradley Hanner and Melvi Acosta each pitched two innings in relief, striking out four and allowing one more run. Tyler Palm pitched a scoreless ninth. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Lakeland 1 Box Score The Might Mussel’s bats exploded for nine runs on 15 hits on Friday to pick up the win. Noah Miller had himself a particularly good game, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, home run, and three RBI. Kyler Fedko (2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R), Keoni Cavaco (2-for-5, RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI), and Daniel Ozoria (3-for-5) also put forth multi-hit efforts. The Fort Myers pitching staff—led by starter Pierson Ohl, who earned the win—pitched a gem, striking out five and allowing only six Flying Tigers to reach base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – RHP Matt Canterino (Wichita): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – RF Matt Wallner (Wichita): 5-for-6, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-6, SB #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesotal) - 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 5-for-6, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI #14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) -1-for-4, BB, R #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 3-for-8, HR, 2 RBI #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 4-for-6, 4 RBI, 2 BB SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Iowa( 2:07 PM CST) - RHP Mario Sanchez (1-0, 2.92 ERA) Wichita vs. Tulsa (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-0, 0.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Cade Povich (1-1, 4.50 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Clearwater (5:00 PM CST) - TBD View full article

Catastrophe appeared to strike Thursday evening in Baltimore when Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa was plunked by two pitches. He dodged a bullet in the fifth inning when a heater delivered by Spenser Watkins glanced off his wrist before his right shoulder took the brunt of the impact. However, he wasn’t as lucky during his next at-bat. On Friday, we learned it wasn't as bad as feared. Carlos Correa exited in the seventh inning after taking another pitch to his right hand during a partial swing. He underwent x-rays and was diagnosed with a potential non-displaced fracture in his middle finger. He underwent a CT scan on Friday to confirm the initial diagnosis, but the results of the exam had not yet been announced when this article was published. In the past hour, we have learned that Correa did NOT break a finger, and at least for now, he will avoid the Injured List. (Quick note: Why is it that x-ray imaging detected a potential fracture, but the CT scan did not? Both imaging techniques are good at identifying boney injuries, but CT scan provided a much clearer and more in-depth picture than x-rays. As such, they are considered the gold standard for skeletal pathology. If x-rays are inconclusive, CT scans are often utilized to make a firm diagnosis.) The reaction from Correa and a teammate... Now, Correa is still sore and won't be able to play for a few games. So, Royce Lewis is still being promoted and will take Luis Arraez's spot on the roster. Arraez is out after a positive Covid test. With that, we had asked Lucas to tell us what he knows about a non-displaced fracture of the finger, why it doesn't need surgery, and how long would it take for Correa to potentially get back in the lineup. We are still going to leave this article here as information on what could have happened, and thankfully has been avoided now. -------------------------------- Luckily for Correa and Twins, bone is one of the only tissues in the body to heal completely and typically does so within 4-6 weeks of the fracture. The term “non-displaced” means that the two portions of the fractured bone did not separate from each other and, therefore, can typically mend on their own without surgery. The prognosis for this type of injury is excellent as the finger bones have good blood supply, making a complicated recovery unlikely. In the grand scheme, Correa’s injury is relatively minor, and he should be back on the diamond by mid-to-late-June. The Twins’ schedule is relatively fluffy during the weeks in which Correa is expected to miss and he should be back in the lineup by the time the schedule heats up after the All-Star Break. In the meantime, the Twins will rely on top prospect Royce Lewis in his stead. Lewis missed the previous two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an ACL injury, but he has torn up Triple-A pitching through the first 24 games of the season, slashing .310/.430/.563 with three home runs and 11 doubles. View full article