Ted Schwerzler

The Minnesota Twins have played 16 games during the 2022 season, and while they’ve largely avoided the injury bug, the catching depth is being tested early. Jose Godoy drew his first start, and it seemed there was no one behind him. Throughout the season thus far, manager Rocco Baldelli has used both Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez in the same starting lineups often. With both catchers being deployed, there’s the reality of a lost designated hitter should they need to swap out mid-game. Baldelli has noted that the club was working through identifying an emergency option, and while that hasn’t yet been needed, the depth is being tested early. After being in the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, Sanchez walked with catching coach Hank Conger back to the dugout after initially heading to the bullpen for warmups. Jeffers was shifted into the starting lineup, and it was announced that Sanchez had a sore abdomen. He underwent further testing on Saturday, but an MRI revealed only a minor indication of injury. Avoiding the Injured List, for now, he remained on the active roster over the weekend. On Sunday, Minnesota had penciled Jeffers into the starting lineup with Sanchez out, but ultimately he was scratched with a left knee contusion. After placing Jorge Alcala on the 60-day Injured List, the open 40-man roster spot was given to Jose Godoy as a necessary move to have a catcher available. Although Jeffers was said to be potentially available off the bench, that seemed thwarted with multiple late-game situations where his bat or glove could’ve provided an upgrade. While it’s certainly understandable that Minnesota wants to be cautious given the length of the season and needing to keep guys healthy, Sunday’s action brought up questions regarding what happens at a position tied to significant injury risk. Before the season started, the Twins dealt both Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt in separate trades. While that signified Jeffers as the starter and led to an acquisition of Sanchez, it turned the position on its head. Minnesota claimed Godoy off waivers in a depth move, but he brings just 16 games of experience to the table after debuting with Seattle last season. The Twins have a trio of backstops at Triple-A, and each provides a different skill set. David Banuelos is a 25-year-old with just a .574 career MiLB OPS. Caleb Hamilton is a 27-year-old with a better bat owning a career .667 OPS. The most intriguing name may be the recently claimed Chance Sisco. He’s a former top prospect with an .807 OPS in the minors. He’s yet to put it together at the big-league level but may be next in line for Minnesota. There’s no denying that it would be a very negative development if both Sanchez and Jeffers were lost at any point during the season. Happening a few weeks in is even less ideal. As their injuries stand now, both seem to be highly short-term and are being managed to have them back quickly. However, playing catcher will invite nicks and bruises, and the Twins may have seen a quick glimpse of what they wish to avoid in keeping all of their backstops healthy. Over the weekend, Jeffers saw his bat start to heat up, and carrying that momentum forward would be an excellent development for a player the front office so clearly believes in. Sanchez has flashed extreme pop at times, and while his glove still leaves plenty to be desired, he’s settling into a new home with the Twins. The duo looks like part of a strong position group, and Baldelli needing to figure out how to operate without them is not something he will want to do often. I don’t know if Godoy or Sisco can hack it for the Twins over any significant stretch of time. I’d certainly prefer not to find out as well. View full article

We’re 13 games into the 2022 Major League Baseball, and things are the exact opposite of predictions for the Minnesota Twins. Their starting staff has been among the better units in baseball, while the lineup has been among the worst. Can the bats turn it around? Early in the year, there’s often the excuse that weather is a culprit for lackluster offensive performance. That’s certainly a fair suggestion, but it’s far too generalized to sum everything up with that easy of a pass. This offseason, the Twins front office added one of the best free agents in baseball, and while Carlos Correa will likely get going, he hasn’t anchored a lineup looking to produce. Scoring just 41 runs in 13 games, Minnesota is averaging just over three runs per contest. No matter how strong the starting pitching has been (they rank 8th in baseball in terms of ERA) or how bad the bullpen has been (they rank 27th in baseball in terms of ERA), the reality is that type of production leaves little room for error. Minnesota is 4-0 when scoring at least four runs this season, but having scored less than that in eight contests is why they’re being doubled up in the loss column. For Rocco Baldelli’s club, it’s not as though there’s a single culprit either. Looking up and down the lineup, no player save for Luis Arraez is producing. Byron Buxton was off to a torrid start before going down with a knee injury. Returning to the lineup, there’s still a 10/1 K/BB he’ll be looking to even out and push the on-base percentage north. It was expected that Alex Kirilloff would be a regular contributor to the lineup this season. However, his lingering wrist injury still hasn’t figured itself out, and the path of a cortisone shot is one that only provided a temporary fix last season. Minnesota’s .195 average as a team sits 27th in baseball, ahead of only the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. They see a slight boost to 23rd when looking at on-base percentage, and despite being a team capable of doing significant damage, they rank just 24th in terms of slugging. To say things are bad right now would be putting it lightly. However, there has to be hope on the horizon, and if there is, that comes in terms of process driving results. The Twins lineup currently produces the highest hard-hit rate in baseball at 36.7%. They avoid ground balls, hitting them just 38.7% of the time, which ranks 27th in baseball. There’s room for growth in terms of the HR/FB (home run/fly ball) rate and line-drive rate. Minnesota ranks in the bottom third of the sport in both areas. Despite being seen as a homer-happy club, it’s also important to note that the Twins are doing a decent job in the batter’s box regarding plate discipline. Their chase rate ranks in the middle of the sport, and while the whiff rate is 10th, they aren’t egregiously bad on an island by themselves. In short, there should be a light at the end of this tunnel. If it’s unfair to suggest that the weather is the main culprit here, it’s probably also unfair to suggest that 12 games indicate what’s to come. The reality is this lineup has far too much talent to stay down for a considerable amount of time. They are all going through it simultaneously, but one person breaking out could undoubtedly provide a spark for the rest of the group. When the dust settles on the 2022 season, I’d bet handsomely on the pitching taking a back seat to where the lineup is in terms of production. Winning baseball games by scoring three runs or less is a daunting task. The guys in the clubhouse know that, and getting it going needs to happen soon. After feeling good about the bats up and down the order this spring, the hope is that sentiment returns soon. View full article

Although the St. Paul Saints didn't get a win tonight Devin Smeltzer looked like a star on the mound for the Twins Triple-A club. The Kernels walked it off twice and the Wichita Wind Surge put up runs in droves. It was an exciting night on the farm. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jharel Cotton cleared waivers and was assigned to the St. Paul Saints LHP Lewis Thorpe was released from the organization. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 2, St. Paul 1 Box Score Playing the fastest game in St. Paul Saints franchise history, lasting just two hours and seven minutes, the good guys lost by a 2-1 tally. Devin Smeltzer drew the start and was again good in this one. He went five innings allowing just two runs on five hits while punching out eight and walking one. His ERA on the season sits at 1.29. After getting behind 2-0 in the third inning, St. Paul answered with a run in the 4th inning. Derek Fisher hit into a force out but allowed Jake Cave to score, cutting the lead in half. Unfortunately, that’s where the production ended and a four-hit night for the Saints produced nothing else on the scoreboard. Fisher was the lone Saints batter to record two hits on the evening. Both Royce Lewis and Curtis Terry drew two walks to reach base a handful of times. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 15, Midland 1 Box Score Chris Vallimont drew the start tonight for Wichita and worked four innings of one-run ball. He gave up three hits while walking three and striking out six. With Wichita plating six runs in the first two innings, that one run of opposing production didn’t much factor into the equation. Dennis Ortega began the scoring with a line-drive single plating Austin Martin and Cole Sturgeon. A Michael Helman at-bat complete with a throwing error then allowed Spencer Steer to score in the first inning as well. Doubling up the score in the second inning was accomplished on a Martin double that scored Andrew Bechtold, a wild pitch to score Martin, and an Ortega double that drove in Steer. The fifth inning saw another outburst for the Wind Surge in which they were able to double their early-inning tally. Kevin Merrell launched his second homer of the season before Martin drove in Bechtold on a single. Steer then ripped his 7th double, this one clearing loaded bases, and pushing the score to 11-1. Ortega then drove in Steer with a single and the blowout was fully on. Bechtold had contributed plenty on his own this evening and a sixth-inning solo blast for his second dinger of the season made it 13-1. Still supplying pressure, Sturgeon singled in the eighth inning driving in Bechtold and DaShawn Keirsey to extend the lead further making it 15-1. A whole handful of Wind Surge batters had multi-hit nights including Martin (3), Sturgeon (3), Steer (2), Ortega (3), and Bechtold (2, plus three walks). KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 2 (F/8) Box Score Tonight’s twin bill saw Sean Mooney start game one. He went five strong innings and allowed just one run on four hits while walking and striking out two. Cedar Rapids opened up the scoring in the first inning when Seth Gray singled to drive in Jeferson Morales. After giving back the lead, Cedar Rapids jumped ahead in the eighth inning. Hot-hitting Christian Encarnacion-Strand beat out a fielder’s choice to drive in Willie Joe Garry Jr. Morales then lofted a sacrifice fly to center deep enough to score Anthony Prato and the Kernels walked it off in game one. Morales and Gray were the lone hitters to record double-digit efforts in the front half of the evening. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 3 (F/8) Box Score Casey Legumina started game two tonight for the Kernels and he worked 4 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on five hits. Legumina also punched out three batters while walking one. As a whole, it was a strong bounce-back start. After getting down 2-0 in the fifth inning Cedar Rapids rallied. Morales grounded out but drove in Prato to halve the deficit in the 6th inning. The next at-bats saw Garry Jr. drive in Will Holland allowing the home team to knot things at two. Headed to extras, Cedar Rapids watched Peoria push across a run in the top half of the 8th inning but this one was far from over. Encarnacion-Strand was standing on first base after a single, and a Morales ball back up the middle resulted in a force out at second base. Prato started the inning at second base and went to third on the play, but then scored on an errant throw by the second basemen. Camargo then launched one off the base of the right field wall and Morales scored the winning run coming around from first base. For the second time on the night, Cedar Rapids walked off Peoria. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 5, Fort Myers 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels turned to Pierson Ohl this evening and he gave them four innings of work while allowing just two runs, one earned. Despite five hits, Ohl walked just one and punched out four batters on the night. After getting down 1-0, Fort Myers responded with a two-spot in the fourth inning. Mikey Perez drove in Kyler Fedko with a single before a Ernie Yake sacrifice fly scored Jesus Feliz. The lead wouldn’t last however as Dunedin knotted things in the bottom half of the inning. Unfortunately, that’s where the production ended for Fort Myers and two runs were all they could muster in this contest. Seven of nine starters recorded a base hit while everyone reached base, but no one put up a multi-hit effort. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Devin Smeltzer (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 2-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 3 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: #1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, K #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 0-2, 2 BB, 2K #3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B, BB #5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, 2K #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-5, 4 K #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, K #16 - Ronny Hendriquez (Development List) - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (47 pitches, 28 strikes) #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 2-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 3 BB FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05PM CST) - RHP JC Ramirez Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Brent Headrick Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

The day before the Minnesota Twins were set to kick off their 2022 Major League Baseball season, closer and clubhouse veteran Taylor Rogers was traded. There was internal confidence in this bullpen, and it seemed warranted, but Rocco Baldelli has had the group out of whack at times. One of the easiest things to complain about regarding a manager is their bullpen usage. There was always going to be opportunity for that this season, given the relative uncertainty of the group, and Baldelli was always going to need time to let arms filter into their spots. Only a couple of weeks into the season, there’s no reason for any severe hand-wringing, but a couple of observations opportunities have presented themselves. Jhoan Duran is maybe the most exciting arm in Minnesota Twins pitching history. He’s certainly not going to be the best, but the velocity is unmatched and may forever be. It’s something this organization had never seen before and also a great outcome from the trade that sent Eduardo Escobar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Early returns have suggested he can be an impact thrower at the back end of the Twins bullpen. He may even have taken over the closer role for the departed Rogers by the end of the season. But should he be a multi-inning reliever? That’s questionable, and it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Working two innings against the Red Sox, there was a notable dip in Duran’s velocity when he came back out. It’s not as though he wasn’t still throwing hard, but the consistency in which triple-digits were reached wasn’t maintained. Some arms are more impacted by a total number of pitches, while others could be deterred more by coming off the bench for a second inning. Whatever Duran’s role going forward is, the goal will be to get the best and most effective version of him. Only two lefties are available in Minnesota’s bullpen as it’s currently constructed, and Caleb Thielbar is probably the better of them. Not only is he a great story, but the 3.00 ERA and 10.6 K/9 over the past two seasons have been suggestive of a great arm. Even with that production, he’s still best suited in ideal spots, and that’s why Baldelli’s decision to go with him in the 8th inning of a one-run game against two righties against Boston was odd. Minnesota’s offense was non-existent on Easter Sunday, but trailing by just one looking to get their final at-bats, Thielbar was tasked with protecting a lead. He came in against Kike Hernandez and was also set to face Xander Bogaerts. Both of them are solid hitting right-handers, and they did predictable damage. Giving up four runs generating just a single out, Thielbar was ineffective in a suboptimal situation. That outing leaves us to question what the back-end of the bullpen will look like going forward and how Baldelli will choose spots. Tyler Duffey was given the first save opportunity and blew it, but he’s a good arm even with declined velocity. Jorge Alcala isn’t going to factor in for some time, and Emilio Pagan could step into those high-leverage shoes. Joe Smith is a tested veteran who has previously performed well on good teams, and the aforementioned Duran will always be in the mix. It seems that this front office is intent on avoiding paydays for relievers, but the pen they have constructed is a solid one. Give Baldelli some time to decide how he and Wes Johnson will run these arms out, and I think there’s an opportunity for it to be one of baseball’s better units. View full article

When the Minnesota Twins drafted Trevor Larnach in the first round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, much of the allure was due to the quality of contact. His exit velocities remained strong throughout the farm, and we’re seeing it now at the major-league level. When Alex Kirilloff went down with an injury to his wrist, the club was immediately in good hands, having Larnach step in. While the results last season weren’t exactly promising, plenty of the poor production could be attributed to injury. Now back to full health, and despite a slow start with the Triple-A Saints, Larnach is looking the part for Minnesota. Although it’s an extremely small sample size, Larnach’s batted ball events have been a bloodbath of red on the Statcast exit velocity readings. He hits nothing without serious intent, and seven of the first ten balls he put in play have left the bat at more than 95 mph. Expected outcomes have Larnach’s batting average sitting 50 points higher than it is, at .309, with a 150-point bump in wOBA (weight on-base average) at .408. It’s not new for Larnach to be hitting the ball with authority. As mentioned, that was his calling card when the Twins initially drafted him. Last season Larnach posted a 9.5% barrel rate and a 90 mph average exit velocity. Although not exceptional, his 40.5% hard-hit rate was noteworthy, and the launch angle sat at 13.1 degrees. What has been a constant for Larnach and Kirilloff is that opposing pitchers know they can hit velocity. Larnach saw fastballs just 28% of the time last season, and that’s been an even less 24% this year. The idea is to feed him offspeed and slop offerings to keep him off balance while forcing him to generate the power through his swing. Larnach is chasing roughly half the time he did a year ago, just a handful of games into the season, and he’s dropped the whiff rate by six percent. Those numbers are likely too drastic to hold up throughout an entire season, but steps forward there only increase his ability to drive the ball. It should never be seen as a positive when a player goes down with an injury, but if there’s a place that Minnesota has options, it’s in corner outfielders. Larnach was squeezed off the Opening Day roster as there wasn’t a direct path to playing time every day. With plenty of run in front of him, it should be time for him to shine. Like Kirilloff, Larnach gets off a powerful swing while not being loud with his hands and staying within his process. It’s a beautiful sight at contact, and whether the ball leaves the yard or finds a glove, there shouldn’t be many situations where the result isn’t a loud one. A candidate for 30-plus homers in an entire season, Larnach finding regular at-bats for the Twins should be fun for all involved. Take a look at Larnach’s Statcast profile a few months from now, and don’t be surprised if you see many high percentile rankings. If Kirilloff's injury isn't something long-term, then it will be interesting to see how Rocco Baldelli juggles his lineup and talent. The early returns suggest there will need to be playing time found for all. What do you think about how Larnach has looked in the early going this season? Does he stay with the Twins once Kirilloff returns and how would you get him into the lineup on an everyday basis? View full article

While the St. Paul Saints we’re snowed out or postponed because of wind, you can take your pick, the rest of Minnesota’s system was in action this evening. Louie Varland shoved for the Wind Surge, and the Mighty Mussels walked it off. TRANSACTIONS St. Paul added both RHP Tyler Bashlor and RHP Jake Petricka to their active roster. Fort Myers added RHP Cody Stashak on an MLB rehab assignment SAINTS SENTINEL The Saints were scheduled to play Indianapolis after being no-hit last night, and it would’ve been a perfect opportunity to get the bad taste out of their mouths. Unfortunately the Minnesota weather in April continues to be a disappointment, and a snowy day with temperatures in the low 30s also brought significant wind. The game will now be made up as a doubleheader on May 25. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, NW Arkansas 1 Box Score Wichita gave the ball to Louie Varland tonight and he certainly made it difficult to take back. Working 5 and 2/3 innings, Varland gave up just two hits while punching out ten and walking one. After a tough 2022 debut, he was back to dominance. It wasn’t just Varland that did the dominating tonight for the Wind Surge either. The offense came through in a big way and it started from the jump. In the 1st inning Spencer Steer ripped a triple to score Austin Martin, who made his first start in the Twins organization at second base tonight. In the 3rd inning it was Steer again, this time launching a homer to drive in Cole Sturgeon. Wichita piled on in the 6th inning after forcing NW Arkansas into a bad spot. Chris Williams drew a bases loaded walk before a Martin fielder’s choice plated another. Then Sturgeon came through with a two-run double and the 7-0 rout was on. Despite giving up a run in the 7th inning, this one was never in doubt for Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 5 (F/7) Box Score Playing a doubleheader after a postponement yesterday, Cedar Rapids turned to Sean Mooney in game one. He went three innings while allowing two runs on three hits and striking out seven. Although it was a shorter appearance, the damage was done only after the Kernels had six runs of their own. Charles Mack started the scoring by driving in Seth Gray on a 2nd inning single. Will Holland then followed his lead and plated both Alerick Soularie and Mack. Up 3-0, Mack continued built on his strong night with a three-run blast to left center. Quad Cities clawed back in the bottom half adding two, and then tacked on another in the 5th. Cedar Rapids looked for distance again quickly however, and they found in the form of an Anthony Prato sac fly, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand single. Now up 8-3 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning, a five-run lead provided enough buffer as the River Bandits did add two before this one was over. Both Gray and Mack put up three-hit efforts in game one. Mack pushed his season OPS to a ridiculous 1.768, which surpasses even the hot start from Encarnacion-Strand. Game 2: Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (F/7) Box Score Wanting to keep the perfect record going, the Kernels gave Casey Legumina the ball in game two. He worked 3 and 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs on four hits. He did strike out five while walking two. Prato started the scoring in the nightcap with a two-run blast that brought Wille Joe Garry Jr. home as well, but the lead was erased in the 4th inning. Quad Cities scored four runs to double up Cedar Rapids. Not giving up, Gray continued his hot night with a solo shot in the 6th inning that halved the lead. Cedar Rapids made things interesting after Garry Jr. moved to second base in the 7th inning following a walk, but that was as far as the rally came. It took six games, but Cedar Rapids took their first loss of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Jupiter 7 Box Score Pierson Ohl took the ball tonight for the Mighty Mussels and was lifted after 57 pitches. In his three innings of work he allowed six runs (five earned), on seven hits while punching out two. The longball was the story as he gave up two that left the yard. After trading runs in the first inning, Fort Myers seeing Noah Miller scamper home on a wild pitch, the game was broken open in the 3rd inning. Ohl surrendered a pair of homers allowing Jupiter a five-run lead. Fort Myers continued to battle though, and their next run would come on another error. Avoiding a pickoff and seeing the ball squirt away, Emmanuel Rodriguez raced across the plate in the 6th inning. After giving that tally back in the 7th inning, Dillon Tatum crushed his first professional homer, a three-run shot scoring Noah Cardenas and Kyler Fedko. Down by two headed to their final at bats, the Mighty Mussels muscled up. Noah Miller led off the inning with a walk, and then was followed by Rodriguez. Cardenas was plunked and the bases were loaded. After a Fedko strikeout, Kala’i Rosario grounded into what should’ve been a game-ending double play. Instead Jupiter threw it away allowing two runs to cross the plate. After shutting down the Hammerheads in the top half of the 10th inning Fort Myers loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half. Jupiter attempted a 1-2-3 double-play on a ball back to the pitcher but the catcher threw it away and allowed Dylan Neuse to score the winning run anyways. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Hitter of the Day – Charles Mack (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR(1) 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 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, K #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - No Game #3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - No Game #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - IL #5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - No Game #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - No Game #8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - No Game #10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - No Game #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-5, 3 K #13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - No Game #14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K #15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 2-2, 2 R, 3 BB #16 - Ronny Hendriquez (Development List) - N/A #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL #18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 3B #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - IL #20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

I'm not sure this is fair 6 games in. On the Kirilloff front, I can't imagine Rocco is putting him in the lineup if he knew the severity of the issue. It seems as though Alex was trying to play through this. On the record front, they dropped two games to a World Series favorite. Not a huge deal.

You aren't wrong on any front. No doom and gloom on the season. The Dodgers are always going to be tough. Even if Kershaw threw a perfecto, it's one game, who cares. I too thought Rodriguez did his job dancing through three; pushing for the next inning was odd.

This is my problem, and obviously I'm not connected enough to ask the right people, but he was IN THE LINEUP yesterday. To me that suggests no one knew the extent to which he was laboring. If that's the case, why is Alex trying to play through that? Why was no one informed? He shut it down during the lockout based on the timeline, and the unfortunate thing there is the club medical staff couldn't interact with him.

The Minnesota Twins closed out a short two-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon. Despite poor weather conditions the night before and a game delayed into the wee hours of the morning, the afternoon tilt brought a pair of massive misses for Minnesota. Kirilloff and Kershaw were the narratives of the day. Krillioff Knocks Self from Lineup When Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli published his first lineup of the day, Alex Kirilloff was in it, starting in left field. That’s notable as he is a left-handed batter and was set to face off against first-ballot Hall of Famer lefty Clayton Kershaw. However, the bad news dropped not more than an hour after making that decision. The Twins up-and-coming star was headed back to the Injured List. No, this wasn’t for the knee injury that held him out of a Spring Training game, but instead, for the same wrist injury, he dealt with a season ago. That is the wrist he underwent surgery for in July, missed the rest of the season, and didn’t resume baseball activities until October. Immediately I thought of a quote that The Athletic’s Dan Hayes shared back in March. Kirilloff said, “I ramped up to where I was ready to hit a velocity machine, and it just didn’t feel right, so we shut it down for a month in November and then started ramping up in December again. That second time around, it felt better.” The comment caused some pause at the time as it wasn’t great that issues were still present. I tried to tuck it into the back of my mind, but it clearly reared its head again today. Then there’s the frustration of what Kirilloff is really dealing with. Today, MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park tweeted that Kirilloff shared he’s never swung pain-free since the injury. That is a substantial problem, both for the player and the Twins. A season ago, Kirilloff was a prospect looking to establish himself as a big-league ballplayer. Up until his May 3 wrist sprain, he owned a .799 OPS, and it was backed by a seven-game stretch in which he slashed .321/.333/.857. After a cortisone shot and some rehab, Kirilloff returned to play another 47 games but posted just a .703 OPS with virtually non-existent power. At that point, combined with the Twins postseason prognosis, surgery was deemed favorable. Coming into this season, Kirilloff didn’t have anything guaranteed, but the left-field role was his for the taking. This is a Minnesota team looking at a postseason berth, and they were going to count on the former first-round pick to bolster the lineup in a big way. That was until it was discovered, a week into the season, that his wrist hadn’t been pain-free. It’s hard to fault an athlete for wanting to compete, but the 1-for-17 start indicated more than just tough luck. Being put in the lineup even on the day he was sent to the Injured List suggests this was news to everyone but the outfielder. Who knows what could have been done differently, how the roster could’ve been shaped, or how his health could’ve been prioritized before this point, but now the Twins are stuck in a waiting game that is the result of an ineffective surgery and a blindside. Kershaw Flirts With Perfection Watching the game from different spaces within Target Field, it was clear Minnesota had no answer for the Dodgers star southpaw today. Kershaw cruised through each inning with ease, never facing a deep count and with no real contact that threatened the production of a base runner. As the innings drew on and the strikeouts increased, the only thing hot at the ballpark was the future Hall of Famer. After completing his 7th inning of work, on just 80 pitches, Kershaw had thirteen strikeouts and had allowed zero baserunners. When he entered the dugout, manager Dave Roberts greeted him. They high-fived, and it seemed to signify that his day was done. Blake Treinen had been warming in the bullpen, and the Los Angeles manager seemed ready to lift his star six outs from a perfect game. Following the conclusion, Kershaw shared that “it was the right move…it was time.” That’s the response of a veteran not looking to undo his manager's decision, but it’s also the correct one. While it would’ve been amazing to see the legendary arm turn in baseball’s 24th perfect game, there are no guarantees it would happen. More than playing the “what if” game, though, there’s the levity of the situation. Last year Kershaw dealt with an injury down the stretch, and in the Postseason, for a Dodgers team looking at success solely through the lens of a World Series ring. He then didn’t ramp up his throwing program until January, later than usual, providing his body time to heal. Throw in a lockout-shortened Spring Training, and you have an arm that has yet to be stretched beyond 60-70 pitches. For fans, this was a 36-degree game in April. For the Dodgers (and hopefully the Twins), this was a game during the first week of a marathon to the World Series. Perfection certainly would’ve been amazing, and it would’ve kept me at the park for another six outs despite the 6-0 score. Still, there’s also the likely possibility the ramifications would’ve been felt far longer than a magical day in April. Wednesday was dominated by two K’s and maybe three if you attribute a third to Kershaw’s strikeout tally. Both were detrimental for the Twins, and only one of the two situations played out well. Better days ahead. View full article

The day before the 2022 Major League Baseball season began, the Minnesota Twins traded their closer, Taylor Rogers. Long before that move, it appeared that Jhoan Duran would make the Opening Day roster, and closer or not, it seems he may be everything the organization has been looking for. I won’t fault you if you don’t remember Juan Morillo. He pitched for Minnesota in 2009 and threw just two innings. He gave up a home run and five runs before never seeing the big leagues again. What he did do in that brief six-out appearance was throw a pitch clocked at 101.1 mph. After his departure, Minnesota has seen just two other pitchers register a triple-digit fastball. Brusdar Graterol, now with the Dodgers, checked in at 101.9 mph, and current reliever Jorge Alcala, who went on the IL on Tuesday with elbow inflamation, once touched 100.9 mph. Until now. Duran has been groomed as a starter for the Twins throughout his development. Across 82 minor league games, 80 of those appearances have come in a start. It’s gone well to the tune of a 3.99 ERA and consistent double-digit strikeout per nine numbers since 2018. If there’s been a problem, it’s been in the form of health and durability. Duran has never pitched more than 115 innings during a season, and last year for St. Paul, he was limited to just 16 innings while battling shoulder issues. Fast forward to this spring, and it seemed both beneficial and planned that Duran would throw out of the bullpen. The fireballer was used in relief, whether by design and adding to their internal group or through necessity to protect his workload. After a strong showing down in Fort Myers, Duran is now three innings into his Major League career. The Dominican has a 4/1 K/BB ratio while allowing just two hits. Aside from the eye-popping velocity, which has averaged 100.9 mph this season, his Statcast numbers compare beautifully across the league. His current 19% whiff rate would’ve ranked 4th among qualified relievers last season, just behind Liam Hendriks and ahead of Devin Williams. He’s avoided hard contact and missed barrels. Although Duran hasn’t yet forced batters to chase outside the zone, he’s kept them off-balance by simply being unhittable. The problem for the opposition is that Duran isn’t just firing straight fastballs either. His splinker is a unique offering, and that pitch has averaged 96.1 mph. The amount of movement and run he gets on both pitches creates an unfair situation for opposing batters when trying to both meet the pitch and connect optimally. It’s in the repertoire that we find his most significant reason to remain in relief. Again, the sample size is tiny, but Minnesota has turned its weapon into a two-pitch pitcher. He’s throwing the slider, a pitch the organization definitely believes in, just two percent of the time. His curveball offering has shown up 19% of the time but remains an off-speed secondary to combat the velocity. Each time Duran has stepped onto the mount this season, it’s been guaranteed that the radar gun will light up. He turns a Statcast readout red and gives the Twins something they haven’t had. What his current or future role becomes in the bullpen pecking order seems to be determined, but closer or not, knowing he’s a weapon is a significant value add for both Rocco Baldelli and Wes Johnson. In the age of mixing and matching arms situationally, someone like this could be matchup proof, and at just 24-years-old, that’s massive. These Twins aren’t the ones you’ve been used to in the past. It’s a different front office and now an organization that employs both the highest-paid infielder and one of the hardest throwers in the league—what a time to be alive. View full article

Over the weekend, Gio Urshela played his first game for the Minnesota Twins. After being acquired alongside Gary Sanchez in a deal with the New York Yankees, Minnesota pivoted towards a fresh face at the hot corner. Under team control through 2023, he could present a stabilizing force for the Twins. It was never going to make sense for Minnesota’s front office to push Josh Donaldson out solely to reduce payroll. Despite his flaws, he was still relatively healthy last season and posted good numbers. Heeding the advice of avoiding a salary dump, the Twins netted Urshela in exchange. Coming off a down 2021, it’s fair to temper expectations, but there’s plenty of reason to be excited. There was never any real belief that Urshela had somehow lost it last season. He dealt with Covid and injury despite still playing over 100 games. However, his .720 OPS was well off the .881 mark that saw him find a home in New York. Brought into a clubhouse where enjoyment seems high, Urshela creating a home with the Twins wouldn’t be surprising. Before Opening Day, Byron Buxton called the atmosphere in the clubhouse “night and day” different as opposed to last season. That may not be directly tied to Donaldson, but there’s no shortage of instances where he’s been seen as someone who could rub people the wrong way. Urshela taking over at the same position gives a reason to compare numbers, and his production may have been lost in the shuffle during the opening weekend. Ceding paying time to Luis Arraez against righties, Urshela drew two starts and had seven plate appearances. He walked twice while also picking up his first blast at Target Field. Even with a friendlier home field last season, Urshela didn’t go yard until his sixth game of the season in 2021. Obviously, there isn’t much to draw from such a small sample size, but it stands to reason that Urshela may see the same bounceback as the guy he was dealt with. Sanchez lifted the Twins in a big way providing a grand slam during their first win, and Urshela settling into a different market may be a significant narrative to come out of this season as well. Minnesota certainly has prospects that could push for Urshela’s job if he struggles, but seeing the former Cleveland third basemen contribute so quickly was exciting, to say the least. While Urshela is already 30-years-old, he was a late bloomer and really didn’t come on until his age-27 season. He’s not going to be a franchise cornerstone by any means, but you have to be excited about the opportunity to create consistency with him. Miguel Sano could never hold the hot corner down, and Minnesota fans never knew when Donaldson would wind up on the Injured List. Consistency is something Urshela has shown previously, and if the maladies can stay behind him, seeing him re-establish himself would be great news for Rocco Baldelli’s lineup. It’s too early to draw conclusions, but the opening impression has been a good one. Urshela will continue to mix spots with Arraez, but finding regular opportunity shouldn't be hard if the Twins unlock the hitter that destroyed every arm he faced just a couple of seasons ago. View full article

Gearing up for the Minnesota Twins Opening Day, I had an empty afternoon and popped on notorious ballhawk Zack Hample’s new film. Zack Hample vs. the World may lead you to believe it’s about the story of a ballhawk, but I left it thinking anything but. If you aren’t familiar with Hample, the gist is that he attends baseball games with the sole intention of catching, collecting, and retrieving baseballs. Whether it’s game home runs, foul balls, milestones, or simple toss-ups, he’s the best when it comes to acquiring the baseball. Despite having nabbed over 11,000 baseballs during Major League games in his lifetime, or that he has nearly 600,000 followers on YouTube, or how he has nearly 50,000 followers on Twitter, Zack Hample’s pursuit isn’t really a baseball, and the “world” being against him seems wrong. I went into Hample’s film with a feeling of indifference towards him. Nothing he does at a game is bothersome to any. He’s gone to great lengths in hopes of getting into more limited events such as the Fort Bragg or Field of Dreams games, but his actions within the stadium aren’t negatively notable. Throughout the film, which was wonderfully put together over the course of eight years by director Jeff Siegel, I found myself thinking the “world” simply needs more Hample’s. At his core, described by both Hample and former San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell, Hample’s desire and focus was to play Major League Baseball. Hample calls himself a failure in that regard, but it’s a burning passion that characterizes so many aspects of his life. An obsessive personality, something so many deal with in the world today, Hample has channeled his pursuits and intertwined them with passion. Reporter Maria Marino offers several notable quotes throughout the film as she’s gotten to know Hample over a period of time. One of the most profound was how succinctly she put it, “Hample created a career out of something that didn’t exist.” While points are made about him potentially having too much time on his hands or not being tied to a real job, he’s instead blazed the path of never calling a job “work.” While Hample’s pursuit of baseballs started many years ago, and he somewhat attributes the passion to his dad, the understanding may be more linked to an excellent level of self-awareness. Ostracized and overlooked for being different, Hample not only dealt with the tumultuous times during his youth but seemingly embraced the opportunity to own himself. Rather than allowing the feelings of others to define them, he understood a need for the world to be better and his place in that coming from within. Although a substantial amount of ridicule was tossed his way, suggesting he gets physical with other fans or robs kids of their opportunities, nothing about his videos or any corroborated story suggests anything but the opposite. It’s unfortunate to see a man making a career exploiting memorabilia in Darren Rovell downplay Hample’s pursuits, but that may be trumped by Laurence Levy (known as Marlins Man) hurling awful insults despite being solely known for spending money to purchase fame at baseball games. These are just the tip of the iceberg for Hample, though, and it’s clear he turned from the impact long ago. There’s no denying Hample hears it, and as a human being, he certainly is moved by what is said about him. As has always been the case, though, it’s abundantly clear that Hample chooses instead to surround himself with the positivity of those in his inner circle and, in turn, use his platform as a place of positivity. Now over 40 years old, Hample continues a passion that may be single-handedly more beneficial to the growth of baseball than anything the league is currently doing on its own. Again, ball-hawking is simply the vehicle, but Hample is (maybe even unknowingly) changing lives and pushing the sport to a new generation. Many of his fans are children, and they are those consuming his videos on YouTube in droves. When asked for pictures or autographs at games, it’s often from youth. Handing out baseballs to kids and those around him, he’s often connecting the sport with people in a way they may have never previously experienced. I reached out to both Siegel and Hample with one simple question. I wanted to know, “If there’s something you want a viewer to take away from this film, what is it?” In a fashion that flows with his actions in the film, Zack said, “Embrace your inner obsessive weirdo and don’t be so quick to judge people for the zany **** they get into. It doesn’t matter if it’s a part-time hobby or a full-time career — the oddities should be celebrated! And also, while it’s awesome to be recognized as the best in the world at something, it’s also great to be known as a quality human being that creates some joy and happiness for others.” Having spent nearly a decade making this film, Siegel has come to know Zack well, both at the stadium and outside of it. He shared insight by saying, “I hope you don’t have to be a baseball fan (or even a sports fan) to take something away from Zack’s story. And while Zack’s fanbase will certainly be interested in watching the film, I’m most eager for it to be passed around to those who have never even heard of him before. Over the years I’ve been making this film, I’ve gotten to know the real Zack – the person beyond his superficial public persona. Beneath the surface of obsessive fandom, Zack’s personality transcends the sports world: the “weirdo” who dealt with insufferable bullying as a child, the son of two eccentric, notable parents who embraced individuality and an alternative way to live, the failed professional baseball player who has done everything in his power to keep his baseball dream alive, and the guy who lives life with a level of passion that most of us can only hope for. Even though Zack’s dream of being a professional baseball player didn’t work out – just like it didn’t for 99.9% of people – he figured out a way to make a beautiful new sculpture out of his shattered dream (sports psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader talks about this in the film). And that’s something every single person on the planet could benefit from trying to do.” At the end of the day, Zack Hample is someone who’s always embraced differences, had a never-ceasing pursuit of passion, and has long been versus a world that thinks this is about baseballs. Some string and cowhide is definitely what connects Hample to a sport he’s infinitely passionate about, but the tone of who he is comes across so differently in the film, and we’d probably all be better off applying some of the same principles in the way we interact with one another. You can check out Zack Hample vs. the World on multiple streaming services found here. View full article

Making his Triple-A debut, Twins pitching prospect Cole Sands looked the part of a star in what was a dazzling first outing. Unfortunately things got away from the Saints late as they dropped their first game of the season. TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins signed Chance Sisco and assigned to St. Paul OF Gilberto Celestino promoted to Minnesota RHP Griffin Jax was optioned to St. Paul OF Kyle Garlick was reassigned to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 5, St. Paul 4 Box Score Exciting pitching prospect Cole Sands made his Triple-A debut in this one for the St. Paul Saints. Working five scoreless innings, he allowed just a single baserunner on one base hit. Sands punched out seven and was efficient throwing 45 of 63 pitches for strikes. The Saints looked to continue their quest towards an undefeated season and scored first. Former Astros outfielder Derek Fisher went deep for a solo shot in the 2nd inning. After giving up the lead in the bottom of the 6th, St. Paul immediately went back to work. Jake Cave scampered across the plate on a wild pitch by Kyle Zimmer in the 7th inning, and then the Saints added again in the 8th inning. Cave singled to drive in Mark Contreras and move Curtis Terry up to second base. Following a Fisher free pass, Terry scored with the bases chucked. Converted infielder Jordan Gore made his Triple-A debut after a 2.39 ERA split between Double-A Wichita and Single-A Cedar Rapids last season. He worked a strong first inning but got blown up for four runs on three hits in his second inning of work. Unfortunately the four run inning for the Bats did the Saints in. Jake Cave had a nice night at the dish going 3-for-4 with a double and driving in a run. WIND SURGE WISDOM The Wind Surge will begin their season on Friday at home against the Tulsa Drillers. The Surge will send top prospect Matt Canterino to the mound for the season opener. Canterino was 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA in 2021 before being sidelined with an elbow injury. The return of one of the most exciting pitchers in the Twins organization should be electric. In the meantime, be sure to check out the Wind Surge roster preview. KERNELS NUGGETS The Kernels announced on Wednesday that LHP and Burnsville, MN native Aaron Rozek will take the bump for Cedar Rapids' opener on Friday against Beloit. Signed to a minor-league contract last season, Rozek went 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA between Fort Myers, Cedar Rapids, and Wichita in 2021. Be sure to take a look at the Cedar Rapids roster in advance of their opener on Friday. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers will give the ball to right-handed pitcher John Stankiewicz on Opening Day. He was 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his professional debut season split between the Complex League and Fort Myers last year. You can check out the Fort Myers roster prior to the opening on Friday. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day - Jake Cave (St. Paul) 3-4, 2B, R, RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - Did Not Play #3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-5 #13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Wichita vs Tulsa (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Matt Canterino Cedar Rapids vs Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz View full article