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An extra-innings game and a whole bunch of transactions. Chattanooga and Cedar Rapids were still on their All-Star Game breaks. On Thursday, all four full-season affiliates will play and the Elizabethton Twins will make their 2016 season debut. On Friday, the GCL Twins will play their first game of the year. Starting Friday, we will have daily reports from each of the six Twins domestic affiliates. Of course, the Dominican Summer League Twins have also been playing for about two weeks as well. A quick update, I learned on Wednesday was that Wander Javier has been doing running and infield drills, so he should return to the lineup in the next few days. They are wisely being overly cautious with their prized, 17-year-old prospect. Speaking of guys recovering from hamstring woes, Miguel Sano will begin his rehab assignment in Rochester on Thursday. Alex Kirilloff, the Twins top pick in the June draft, arrived in Minneapolis on Wednesday and took his physical. He went on the field before the game. He is expected to sign his contract on Thursday.Here is Wednesday night’s minor league update. TRANSACTIONS It is the day after the Florida State League and Southern League All-Star Games. That means one thing… it’s a big day for transactions, to be sure. Here is my attempt at keeping up with them. Following his outing in the Southern League All-Star Game, Doug Mientkiewicz was able to tell RHP DJ Baxendale that he is heading to AAA Rochester.To make room for Baxendale, the Twins released LH RP Dan Runzler.LHP Stephen Gonsalves got the news that he has been promoted to Chattanooga.RHP Fernando Romero, C AJ Murray and OF LaMonte Wade are on their way to the Miracle for the 2nd half.C Brian Olson was sent back to Cedar Rapids. Logan Wade was released by the Twins.In case you missed it yesterday, LH RP Michael Theofanopoulos was promoted to Ft. Myers with Brian Gilbert moving to the disabled list.OF Austin Diemer also returns to the Kernels. He started the season in Ft. Myers but was sent to EST a few weeks ago.According to a scouce, LHP Lachlan Wells, RHP Thomas Hackimer and C Rainis Silva are heading to Cedar Rapids from extended spring training. (Update - the Kernels announced Wells and Hackimer were added to the roster. Silva is listed on the Elizabethton Disabled List, though I have heard he went to Cedar Rapids.) (Update 2 - The Kernels announced that Rainis Silva is now on their roster with Kevin Garcia going on the DL.)Soon, we will be posting Elizabethton and Gulf Coast League Twins roster previews as well.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Columbus 7 Box Score Things started out well in Pat Dean’s return to the Red Wings. He started with four shutout innings, but then the Clippers started showing off some power. He gave up four in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh. In all, he went six innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits (three home runs). He walked and struck out none. David Martinez came on and struck out three of the four batters he faced. Ryan O’Rourke got the final two outs of the eighth inning for the Red Wings. Jorge Polanco got things going for the Red Wings quickly. With two outs in the first inning, Polanco hit his fourth home run of the season. He later added a walk on a 1-3 day. The team had just three more hits the rest of the game. The Red Wings fell to 44-29 which is still the best record in the International League. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER The Lookouts remain on their All-Star Game break. They will begin their second half by hosting Jackson on Thursday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Charlotte 2 (10 innings) Box Score On Tuesday night, we learned that right-hander Fernando Romero was promoted to Ft. Myers. He was to make his Florida State League debut on Wednesday. Of course, rains caused a delay. When Romero took the mound for the first inning, his nerves showed. He gave up two runs on three hits in the inning. But that was about it. He went five innings and gave up just those two runs. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five. He was removed at 74 pitches as the Twins continue to monitor his return after missing nearly two full seasons with injuries (Tommy John surgery in 2014 and knee surgery in 2015). The Miracle bullpen then came through with more zeros. John Curtiss threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out four. Michael Theofanopoulos also made his FSL debut. He needed just seven pitches to work a perfect eighth inning. He struck out one. Todd Van Steensel threw two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out two. In the first inning, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Chris Paul scored TJ White who had walked to lead off the inning. It cut the deficit to 2-1. In the second inning, another player made his FSL debut. A night after homering in the Midwest League All-Star Game, AJ Murray DHd and batted seventh for the Miracle. With Trey Vavra on via a single, Murray tripled in his first at-bat to tie the game at two a piece. But that was it for the Miracle offense. In the bottom of the 10th inning, still tied at two, Brian Navarreto led off with a walk. He advanced to second on a TJ White sacrifice bunt. Edgar Corcino was intentionally walked. Chris Paul lined a single to right field, though it was hit hard enough that Navarreto was only able to get to third base, loading the bases. Joe Maloney stepped in and hit a sacrifice fly to end the game and give the Miracle a three-game sweep. White led off and got on base three times with a single and two walks. The Miracle had just five hits but added eight walks in the game. Nick Gordon missed his third straight game after tweaking a muscle in the FSL ASG on Saturday night. It is not believed to be serious as one person told me that the Twins would not have released Logan Wade if they were concerned about Gordon being out very long. KERNELS NUGGETS The Kernels remain on their All Star break. They will begin their 2nd half by hosting Beloit on Thursday night. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – TJ White, Ft. Myers Miracle THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST) - RHP Jose Berrios (5-3, 3.35 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 CST) - Tyler Jay (5-5, 2.97 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren (2-3, 2.86 ERA) Elizabethton @ Kingsport (6:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

Two games in the Minnesota Twins organization were in the afternoon. One involved a Twins affiliate able to muster just two hits. The other involved a Twins prospect hitting two home runs. In night games, the Miracle game was postponed thanks to some intense rains. And Kernels had their top pitching prospect on the mound.That was the short story. Continue reading if you would like just a little bit more information from your Minor League Report. In case you missed it, late on Monday night, Miguel Sano went on the DL and Max Kepler was promoted to the Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Indianapolis 2 Box Score With one out in the 9th, James Beresford cracked a solid single to center field to break up Indianapolis’s no-hit bid. Jorge Polanco singled right after, but the Red Wings were unable to score and fell 2-0. Pirates top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow was on the mound for Indy. He worked five no-hit innings, striking out three and walking four. And then the rains came and there was a delay. Cory Luebke came on and struck out five batters in two innings. Trey Haley struck out the side in the eighth. Jorge Rondon pitched the ninth to pick up the save, though he couldn’t hold the no-hitter. Logan Darnell started and worked the five, pre-rain delay innings for the Red Wings. He gave up one run on two hits. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Marcus Walden came on following the delay. He gave up a run on a hit and a walk over two innings. He struck out two. Dan Runzler worked a perfect ninth. After going 19-10 in May, the Red Wings begin June with a loss and fall to 29-24 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 4 Box Score The Lookouts pushed four across in the second inning, added two more in the eighth and held on to a 7-4 win in Birmingham. In the second inning, Daniel Palka launched a two-run homer to give the team a 2-0 lead. Several batters later, Levi Michael’s first double of the year scored two more to put the Lookouts up 4-0. Nick Greenwood was in control from there. The left-hander gave up two runs on four hits over seven innings. He struck out four without issuing a walk. Jake Reed came on for the eighth inning and gave up two runs on three hits. Trevor Hildenberger got the ninth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning to drop his AA ERA to 1.06 and record his sixth save as a member of the Lookouts. The Lookouts scored two in the eighth inning, the big hit being Leonardo Reginnato’s second triple of the year. In the ninth, Palka gave the team another insurance run with his second homer of the day and ninth of the season. Zach Granite went 2-5 in the game. Meanwhile, TJ White and Mitch Garver each had a single and a walk. White stole his sixth base. With the win, the Lookouts improved to 24-28 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers , St. Lucie Box Score This game was postponed due to a massive amount of rain in a hurry. They will play a doubleheader on Thursday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Beloit 2 Box Score Fernando Romero was back on the mound for the Kernels, making his third start. The powerful right-hander gave up two runs on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out five. It was his first quality start since 2013 in the GCL He is now 3-0 after three starts in his return from Tommy John surgery. Michael Cederoth came out of the bullpen and, despite a hit and two walks, threw two shutout innings. Kuo Hua Lo was given the ninth inning and he retired the side in order. AJ Murray led the offense. He went 3-5. Daniel Kihle was 2-4 with a walk. Brad Hartong went 2-5 in the game with his third double. Jermaine Palacios went 1-3 with two walks. Sean Miller had a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. The win gives the Kernels their 30th win of the year. They are now 30-22. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Daniel Palka, Chattanooga Lookouts THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (6:05 p.m. CST) - LHP Tommy Milone Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (DH starting at 3:05 CST) – RHP, Keaton Steele, RHP Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (7:00 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article

As we continue to prepare for the 2016 MLB Draft, today I present a review of the catchers in the Minnesota Twins organization. Yesterday, we reviewed the Outfielders. Next week, we’ll continue with the Infielders and the pitchers while I’ll also post my updated Top 30 Twins Prospect rankings. Why look at the organization’s depth before the draft? As we mentioned yesterday, taking "best player available" is always the right strategy early in the draft, but in the later rounds, it might be important to add some depth at other positions as they look to fill some rosters.Minnesota Twins - Kurt Suzuki, Juan Centeno The Twins signed Suzuki before the 2014 season to a nice, one-year contract. He had an all-star caliber first half, so they extended him and he immediately turned back into the catcher and hitter he had been the previous few seasons. The Twins have played him less this year, ensuring that his $6 million option will not vest. Juan Centeno was brought in as a minor league free agent. He had a solid spring training and when John Ryan Murphy struggled and was sent to Rochester, the 26-year-old was called up and is off to a good start. Rochester Red Wings - John Ryan Murphy, Carlos Paulino Murphy came over from the Yankees where he spent parts of three seasons backing up Brian McCann. Nothing in his MLB or minor league track record indicated he would slump as badly as he did in the season’s first month. However, he is still young and can become a starting-caliber MLB catcher. Carlos Paulino also was invited to MLB spring training after joining the Twins organization a year ago. He is a defense-first catcher. Chattanooga Lookouts - Stuart Turner, Mitch Garver, Jairo Rodriguez In a way, Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver have been linked since they were drafted in the 2013 draft. At the same time, this is the first year they have been on the same team since that summer in Elizabethton. While the senior-sign Garver began his first full season in Cedar Rapids, Turner (who signed after his junior season at Ole Miss) skipped straight to High-A. While Garver was our hitter of the year in 2014, Turner has struggled with the bat. Turner spent all of 2015 in Chattanooga while Garver is there for the first time. Turner has the reputation as a better defensive catcher while Garver is known for a bigger bat. Reports indicate that Garver has narrowed the gap defensively. He stacks up among the best in the minor leagues at pitch framing while throwing out about 73% of would-be base stealers. Garver just returned to the lineup on Wednesday after suffering a concussion. Jairo Rodriguez is one of the longest-tenured players in the Twins organization. He has played throughout the system over the last eight or nine years, serving as a backup (or third catcher) where needed. Ft. Myers Miracle - Brian Navarreto, Kevin Garcia Brian Navarreto has a powerful arm. He also has size that one might think could develop some power. To this point, however, he hasn’t hit at all. Kevin Garcia signed with the Twins before spring training after being let go by the Tigers after a couple of pro seasons. He began this season in extended spring but came up when Alex Swim abruptly retired. Cedar Rapids Kernels - AJ Murray, Brian Olson AJ Murray has been one of the better hitters in the organization so far this year. He takes quality atebats, gets on base and has some power. He also has been the primary catcher behind the plate. Olson was a late-round pick a year ago. He hit well in the GCL and in Elizabethton last year. While he started the season in EST, he has hit well over .300 since joining the Kernels. Extended Spring Training - Bryant Hayman, Robert Molina, Rainis Silva, Jhon Alvarez, Jose Ortiz, Kerby Camacho (Suspended) Rainis Silva is the best prospect of this group. He is very good defensively. He spent a little time in Cedar Rapids last year before the Elizabethton season started. Hayman started the season in Cedar Rapids this year but was recently sent back to extended spring. Molina played last year in the GCL. He also gets time at first base. Alvarez and Ortiz are in the States after playing in the Dominican Summer League last year. Top Prospects 1.) Mitch Garver, 2.) Stuart Turner, 3.) AJ Murray Draft Thoughts It is very difficult to get a catcher to the big leagues for several reasons. Injury/Concussion - Yes, there are a lot of catcher concussions due to repeated foul tips to the face mask as well as “regular” injuries. It is a position of attrition in some ways.Most organizations value defense above hitting for catchers for obvious reasons. They have to be smart and call a good game while working with individual pitchers, but they also need to have a strong arm and enough accuracy to help control a running game. Pitch framing and ability to block balls in the dirt are also important.However, a starting catcher also needs to hit enough . “Enough” can be dependent on team.Look at the number of catchers the organization keeps at extended spring training. In some ways, an organization needs to draft a few catchers every year just to help with bullpens in the rookie leagues and in spring training (and EST). In the past, the Twins have typically drafted at least one catcher in the top ten rounds. They then will draft a couple more in the later rounds. Just a few years ago, the Twins drafted Stuart Turner, Jorge Fernandez and Mitch Garver in the first nine rounds. The Twins have quantity of catchers. In my opinion, they should take one in the top three or four rounds if they believe he can develop into a starter at some point. Then maybe add one or two in the late rounds. Click here to view the article

Most of the work that Sam Clay and AJ Murray did together during their shared time at Georgia Tech was confined to the bullpen, but this season the pair of former Yellow Jackets have played critical roles together for the Midwest League Western Division-leading Cedar Rapids Kernels. Clay, a lefty who was the Minnesota Twins’ fourth-round draft pick in 2014, carries a 3-1 record and a 1.10 ERA into his Wednesday night start at Burlington. He has averaged more than a strikeout per inning in his seven starts. Murray, selected by the Twins in the 14th round of last year’s draft, is carrying a .285/.394/.489 (.883 OPS) slash line as the Kernels’ primary catcher. He’s hit 11 doubles, one triple and five home runs while batting in the middle of the Cedar Rapids lineup and has thrown out 35% of runners attempting to steal a base.(This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) That’s not bad for a guy who spent almost no time behind the plate during his college career, despite performing well enough in high school that Houston selected him late in the 2011 draft. “I caught all through high school,” Murray explained. “Then when I got to college, they converted me to a first baseman because we had Zane Evans (who was ultimately drafted by the Royals in the 4th round of the 2013 draft), who was a lot better than I was at the time. So I learned first base, but I also got to play a little bit in the outfield. It kind of made me more versatile as a player in college.” Murray certainly wasn’t disappointed when he was told the Twins had drafted him as a catcher, however. Quite the opposite. “When they drafted me as a catcher, I was very happy because I thought that was my most comfortable position and I could be the biggest asset to the team,” he recalled. “I think it’s the best position on the field, besides pitching, because you’re in every pitch. You pretty much control the game as far as being a leader out there. I love catching every day and it’s definitely a learning process.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Murray16a9x6-600x400.jpgAJ MurrayAfter seeing limited time on the field behind the plate during his college career, Murray has certainly had a lot to learn about playing the position at the professional level. “I think the biggest adjustment has been calling your own game. That’s kind of been a lost art in baseball," he said. “I called my own game in high school, but when you get to college, a lot of the pitching coaches like to call the pitches. So that’s been the biggest adjustment.” The biggest adjustment maybe, but not the only thing that differentiates catching in the pros from what he has done in the past. “Learning to read hitters, learning to look at the stat sheet, look for tendencies, then fill in the game plans, which is fun actually,” he added. “JP (Martinez, the Kernels’ pitching coach) does a great job of giving us stats, getting the pitchers together, talking over game plans, hitters’ approaches and how we’re going to transfer that over to the game, so he’s the main driver in getting us ready.” His work behind the plate hasn’t gone unnoticed by fellow Yellow Jacket Clay. “As soon as he got to Elizabethton, he was far and away a much better catcher than he was at Georgia Tech,” Clay said of his battery mate. “He became unbelievable behind the plate and I love throwing to him.” Murray and his fellow Kernels went through a stretch earlier in the season when they struggled offensively. Runs were rare and that put a lot of pressure on the pitching staff. They’ve pulled out of that rut over the past few weeks and Murray’s bat has been a big reason. He is hitting .333 in May and has a .986 OPS for the month. “I’m definitely feeling more comfortable at the plate and focusing on having consistent at-bats,” Murray said, of his recent success at the plate. He’s quick to point out, however, that he’s not the only hitter in the lineup that’s making a difference. “I think a lot of it has to do with others guys on the team hitting around me. You look at our stats the last couple of weeks, we’ve put up a lot of runs. Everyone’s been hitting well, so I think it’s contagious. When you’re getting on base, it puts pressure on the pitcher, and then hitting in the middle of the lineup, hitting behind LaMonte (Wade), (Luis) Arraez, guys like that getting on base a lot.” Like Murray, Clay has also had to make some adjustments to the professional game. In college, Clay worked out of the bullpen and, in fact, he began the 2015 season as a member of the Kernels’ relief corps. Things didn’t go terribly well for Clay, however, in his first tour with Cedar Rapids, and he was sent down to Elizabethton. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Clay16f9x6-600x400.jpgSam Clay“Last year was a little bit of a struggle,” Clay recalled. “I started off up here in the bullpen and I had a lot of trouble finding the plate, so they kind of pigeon-holed me into throwing basically strictly fastballs and one off-speed (pitch), whichever was working for me that day, so hitters were looking for one of two pitches. “Once I got sent down, I had one or two weeks in the bullpen and then they turned me into a starter when one of our guys went down. It gave me a chance to get up there and throw all of my pitches and really learn how to pitch instead of just going up there and throwing the ball.” Clay has taken to the conversion to a starting pitcher very well. He and righthander Randy LeBlanc have combined to form a powerful left-right combination at the top of the Kernels’ rotation. Combined, the two have made 15 starts and evenly split just 10 combined earned runs surrendered. Neither pitcher has given up a home run this season. Making the switch to starting pitcher did mean some adjustments for Clay in the offseason. “They pretty much had me being a starter, so I knew that going into the offseason, what I needed to work on conditioning-wise and weight training wise,” he said. “So I really kind of got after it this offseason and just worked harder than I probably ever have. “I lived with my parents in the offseason and I would probably lift weights four times a week. I didn’t really pick up a ball, because I threw a lot of innings last year compared to what I usually would as a reliever. So I didn’t really pick up a ball until probably January and January in Georgia is pretty cold. "It probably got me ready for the first month here (in Iowa),” Clay added, with a smile. Once he was ready to start throwing, however, Clay still had challenges to overcome – such as finding someone to throw with. “Probably the first two or three weeks I was throwing I didn’t have anybody to throw with, so I was throwing long toss into a screen. Not very fun,” he remembered. “But I was lucky, I had one of my friends from high school, Jake Burnette, he’s playing for the Pirates organization (7th round pick in 2011), I got together with him and was able to throw with him for the rest of the offseason.” As minor league seasons approach their midpoints toward mid-to-late June, it would be understandable for players performing as well as Murray and Clay to start peeking at the next rung on their organizational ladder and wondering what more they need to prove to earn a promotion. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ClayHS9x6-600x400.jpgSam ClayClay, however, says he knew coming into the season that he had work to do at this level and he’s not going to let his focus get drawn away from his business at hand. “I knew that I was coming back here as soon as I got to spring training because I didn’t perform that well here when I was here. So I knew I had to come out and really show what I could do - show that I could be a starter, that I could throw against these hitters. “All the Fort Myers starters are doing really well right now so it will be really tough for us to move up, but we can’t really think about them. We have to focus on ourselves.” For now, Clay, Murray and their Cedar Rapids teammates are sitting atop the Midwest League’s Western Division standings and they have four more weeks of work to do in the season’s first half. The top two teams in each division during the first half qualify for the MWL playoffs in September and earning that berth early takes a lot of pressure off for the remainder of the season. Click here to view the article

It was a busy week. Since we last reported the organization’s statistical leaders, the teams have played seven or eight more games. It’s still early enough in the season that a run of six to eight games can drastically alter the numbers. There are a few more names in these categories than we’ve previously seen, and yet we’ll now start seeing some names more often.Since a slow start, Chattanooga has been playing a little over .500. The other three affiliates already have 20 wins. The Twins have had one of the best minor league systems in recent years, both in terms of prospect status, and also in terms of winning percentage. The Twins have finished in the top four among all organizations in winning percentage at its full-season affiliates (meaning Rochester, Chattanooga, Ft. Myers, Cedar Rapids). If you’re like me and believe that learning how to win should be (or is) part of a player’s development, the organization has done well in that category. Rochester is 20-17.Chattanooga is 16-20..Ft. Myers is 20-16.Cedar Rapids is 20-15.With that, let’s look at the minor league statistical leaderboard. THE HITTERS (Rate numbers- minimum 90 plate appearances) Plate Appearances - Kennys Vargas (146), Daniel Palka (145), James Beresford (144), Chris Paul/Zander Wiel (143), Leonardo Reginnato (142), Zach Granite/Dalton Hicks (140). Batting Average - LaMonte Wade (.333), James Beresford (.331), Luis Arraez (.326), Nick Gordon (.315), AJ Murray (.304), Byron Buxton (.301). On-Base Percentage - LaMonte Wade (.428), James Beresford (.417), AJ Murray (.398), Daniel Palka (.386), Luis Arraez (.382), Rafael Valera (.377). Slugging Percentage - AJ Murray (.545), Daniel Palka (.504), LaMonte Wade (.495), Byron Buxton (.494), Luis Arraez (.494), Nick Gordon (.444). OPS - AJ Murray (.943), LaMonte Wade (.923), Daniel Palka (.890), Byron Buxton (.850), James Beresford (.836), Luis Arraez (.828). Hits - James Beresford (41), Leonardo Reginnato (38), LaMonte Wade/Daniel Palka (37), AJ Murray/Nick Gordon/Travis Harrison (34). Doubles - AJ Murray (10), Rafael Valera (9), Daniel Palka/Mitch Garver (8), James Beresford/Leonardo Reginnato/Nick Gordon (7), Six with 6. Triples - Rafael Valera/Zander Wiel/Max Kepler (4), LaMonte Wade/Edgar Corcino/Jorge Polanco/Ryan Walker/Levi Michael (3), Five with 2. Home Runs - Daniel Palka (6), AJ Murray (5), Adam Brett Walker (4), Byron Buxton/Trey Vavra/Dalton Hicks/Kennys Vargas (3). Runs Scored - James Beresford (22), LaMonte Wade (19), AJ Murray/Dalton Hicks/Luis Arraez/Zach Granite (18), Nick Gordon/Zander Wiel (17), Five with 16. RBI - AJ Murray/Daniel Palka (23), LaMonte Wade/Chris Paul (18), Mitch Garver/Kennys Vargas (17), James Beresford/Dalton Hicks/Edgar Corcino (15). SB - Zach Granite (16), Wilfredo Tovar (11), Darin Mastroianni (6), Nick Gordon/TJ White/Chad Christensen/Tanner English (5). THE STARTING PITCHERS (Rate number - minimum 27.0 innings) Innings Pitched: DJ Baxendale/Jason Wheeler (50.0), Aaron Slegers (41.1), Logan Darnell (41.0), Felix Jorge/Randy LeBlanc (40.0), Stephen Gonsalves (37.1) ERA: Randy LeBlanc (0.90), Sam Clay (1.06), Stephen Gonsalves (1.21), Felix Jorge (1.80), Cody Stashak (1.95), Jason Wheeler (1.98), Kohl Stewart (2.08). WHIP: Randy LeBlanc (0.825), Stephen Gonsalves (0.830), Felix Jorge (0.85), Cody Stashak (0.87), Jason Wheeler (0.980), Kohl Stewart (0.981), DJ Baxendale (1.06). K/9: Sam Clay (10.3), Andro Cutura (9.0), Kohl Stewart (8.6), Jason Wheeler (8.5), Stephen Gonsalves (8.4), Tyler Jay/Dereck Rodriguez (8.3), DJ Baxendale (7.9). BB/9: David Martinez (1.3), Felix Jorge (1.4), Randy LeBlanc/DJ Baxendale/Jason Wheeler (1.6), Pat Dean (1.8), Cody Stashak (2.0). K: Jason Wheeler (47), DJ Baxendale (44), Sam Clay (39), Stephen Gonsalves (35), Felix Jorge (34), Kohl Stewart (33), Tyler Jay (30). THE RELIEF PITCHERS (Rate numbers - minimum 12 innings, zero starts) Innings Pitched: Marcus Walden (20.0), Jake Reed/Mike Theofanopoulos (18.1), Alex Wimmers (17.2), Luke Bard/Trevor Hildenberger/CK Irby/Corey Williams (17.1). ERA: Luke Westphal (0.73), John Curtiss (1.12), Kuo Hua Lo (1.23), JT Chargois (1.26), Nick Anderson (1.29), Marcus Walden (1.35), CK Irby/Trevor Hildenberger (1.56). WHIP: Nick Anderson (0.64), Andro Cutura (0.69), Marcus Walden (0.95), CK Irby (0.98), Trevor Hildenberger (1.04), JT Chargois (1.05), Buddy Boshers (1.10). K/9: John Curtiss (13.5), JT Chargois (13.2), Luke Westphal (13.1), Mike Theofanopoulos (12.8), Nick Anderson (12.2), CK Irby (9.9), Yorman Landa (9.6). BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (0.5), Brandon Kintzler/Mason Melotakis (1.8), Nick Anderson (1.9), Luke Bard (2.1), Buddy Boshers/John Curtiss (2.2). K: John Curtiss (24), JT Chargois (21), Nick Anderson/CK Irby (19), Luke Westphal/Jake Reed (18), Three with 17. Saves: JT Chargois (7), Trevor Hildenberger (5), Nick Anderson/Marcus Walden/Todd Van Steensel/JR Graham (3), Four with (2). Click here to view the article

While the big league club extended its losing streak to eight games and it’s record fell to just 8-26, there were some strong performances in the minor leagues. It’s clear that the Twins have focused on pitching the last several drafts, and on nights like tonight, they had four very solid starting pitching performances. There were also some good games by hitters and some clutch hits. So, even while we all hope for a major turnaround in the big league club, it is nice to have four other box scores to follow!Check out everything that happened on Friday in the Twins farm system. There were a few transactions and four good games to follow. TRANSACTIONS There were also a couple of minor league transactions: Rochester infielder Heiker Meneses was placed on the disabled list with a fractured wrist.Mitch Garver was placed on the Chattanooga disabled list with a concussion. Jairo Rodriguez replaced him on the roster.Andro Cutura was placed on Cedar Rapids’ DL with inflammation in his right elbow. Anthony McIver was called up from extended spring training.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 4, Syracuse 3 Box Score It’s been a rough year for him so far, but John Ryan Murphy’s eighth inning single scored Wilfredo Tovar to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead. Ryan O’Rourke came in for the 9th and struck out two to record his second straight save since returning to the Red Wings. Jason Wheeler was terrific again. The left-hander struck out nine batters over the first six innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk. The two runs scored on sixth inning home runs from Trea Turner and Scott Sizemore. Buddy Boshers came on to start the seventh inning. He gave up a run on a hit and got just two outs. Marcus Walden got the final out of that inning and worked a scoreless eighth frame. James Beresford led the offense. He went 2-4 with his seventh double and second triple. Max Kepler went 2-4 and drove in the Red Wings first run in the first inning. Kennys Vargas was also 2-4. Stephen Wickens added his second home run. Byron Buxton went 1-4. The win puts the Red Wings at 19-17 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Pensacola 1 Box Score After a shaky start to his season, Ryan Eades has been improved his last couple of outings. In this game, he gave up just one run on one hit over six innings. He walked three and struck out three. Mason Melotakis pitched a perfect seventh inning. Jake Reed recorded his second save with two scoreless innings. He struck out two. Dalton Hicks led the offense. He went 3-4 in the game. Daniel Palka was 2-4 with his eighth double. TJ White and Shannon Wilkerson were also 2-4. With the win, the Lookouts are now 15-20. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, St. Lucie 3 Box Score Another day, another long start for Felix Jorge. On Friday, he went 7.1 innings and was charged with three runs. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out five. Through seven innings, he had given up just two runs. He left the game and Raul Fernandez gave up one run-scoring hit before getting two outs to end the inning. Jorge got 12 ground outs to go with just one fly out. In the top of the first, a Nick Gordon double (his seventh of the year) scored Tanner Witt. That was it for the Miracle scoring. Gordon and Witt were both 2-4. Edgar Corcino added his fourth double, but that was about it for the offense. The Miracle fall to 20-15 on the year. Jorge’s record falls to 2-3 despite a 1.80 ERA. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 13, Wisconsin 2 Box Score Fair to say that catcher AJ Murray has been the story of this game. The Georgia Tech alum is currently 5-5 with two home runs (his fourth and fifth of the year) and five RBI through seven innings. He came to the plate in the ninth inning and added a walk to his stat line. He scored five runs along with driving in five runs. Lefty Sam Clay - also from Georgia Tech - made the start. He went 5.2 innings and gave up one run on five hits. He walked four and struck out seven. Michael Cederoth got the final out of the sixth inning. He worked two more innings as well. Overall, he gave up no runs and no hits. He walked three and struck out four. With a big lead, lefty Anthony McIver came on to pitch the ninth, making his Midwest League debut. He gave up one run. Daniel Kihle was 2-5 with a double. Nelson Molina went 2-4 with two walks and four RBI. Cristian Cavaness went 2-4 with a walk. All nine Kernels starters had at least one hit. The team accumulated their 13 runs on 16 hits and 10 walks. BONUS VIDEO Bob Sacamento posted the following video of young Huascar Ynoa from extended spring training on Friday afternoon. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – AJ Murray, Cedar Rapids Kernels SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Logan Darnell Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP DJ Baxendale Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:05 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

While Alex Meyer was making his first start in the Majors with the Twins on Tuesday night, three of their four full season affiliates were in action in the Minors including another former top prospect taking the hill. That pitching prospect wasn’t the one who stole the headlines on this night however, and a hitter in the Midwest League did all the heavy lifting in a Kernels win. To find out who did what and where in the minors on Tuesday, read on!TRANSACTIONS Trevor Plouffe’s recall to the Twins and Jorge Polanco’s option back to AAA were made official on Tuesday. Plouffe was in action at 3B for the Twins, while Polanco did not play for the Red Wings. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Syracuse 8 Box Score Syracuse starter A.J. Cole’s bid for a no-hit shutout lasted exactly two pitches on Tuesday evening, as Byron Buxton sent his 0-1 pitch into the left-field stands to lead off the game. It was Buxton’s first homerun of the year and his second in a Red Wings uniform. The 1-0 lead didn’t last long however, as a wild pitch from Rochester’s Logan Darnell allowed a run to score in the bottom of the first and tie the game at one. It would only get worse for Darnell, as the Chiefs took the lead 2-1 in the second after a leadoff double, single, and sac fly, then exploded for five more runs in the third with four of them charged to the starter, and a 7-1 lead they would not relinquish. Darnell lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing the six runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out none. Rochester put two more runs on the board in the fifth courtesy of a Juan Centeno home run, his first of the year, and an RBI single from James Beresford that scored Buxton, who drew a walk earlier. Taylor Rogers came on in relief Darnell and worked the next 3.1 innings, allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and two walks while striking out for. Alex Wimmers made his second AAA appearance after him, and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out two. Dan Runzler worked the eighth and gave up one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out one. Buxton and Centeno led the offense with two hits each, including their home runs. Buxton also scored two runs and stole his first base of the year in AAA. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER The Lookouts had a scheduled off day on Tuesday, and open a five game road series with the Mobile BayBears on Wednesday night. D.J. Baxendale is scheduled to open the series on the mound for Chattanooga. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Palm Beach 3 Box Score Kohl Stewart was on the mound for the Miracle looking to continue his newfound level of success in the Florida State League early on in the 2016 season. He wasn’t nearly as electric on this night as he had been to this point, but still managed to pick up his second win of the season. In five innings, he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks, while striking out three. Of his 83 pitches, just 43 of them went for strikes. Fort Myers tied the game at two in the top of the third inning thanks to a two-run home run from Edgar Corcino, his second of the year. They’d take the lead for good in the fourth thanks to a two-out rally. Chad Christensen got the rally started with a walk and stole his fourth base of the season. He was followed by Kevin Garcia who was hit by a pitch, then singles from Ryan Walker and Corcino would result in three runs and a 5-2 lead. Brian Gilbert came on for the sixth inning in relief of Stewart and surrendered an RBI double to make the final score of 5-3. John Curtiss pitched two scoreless innings to earn a hold, and Yorman Landa was summoned for the ninth inning and picked up his first save with the Miracle, allowing one hit and striking out one. Logan Wade (3-4) and Corcino (2-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB) led the offense with multiple hits. If you’re keeping track, that makes consecutive days where Corcino has homered and driven in four. Alex Swim added a double and Ryan Walker scored two runs, walked twice, and collected the fifth RBI. Another story coming out of this game, was the result of Stewart’s final out of the fifth inning, as he wasn’t the only player who’s night ended on that play. Nick Gordon made the play on a shallow pop fly to right field, but he collided with Chad Christensen in the process. Both players had to the leave the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Lansing 0 Box Score Randy LeBlanc took the mound for Cedar Rapids Tuesday afternoon looking to continue his early 2016 success as he started the day with a 2-2 record and sparkling 1.50 ERA. The Lugnuts loaded the bases with three singles in the bottom of the first, but LeBlanc got the final two batters of the inning to line and ground out to Jermaine Palacios at short to end their only real threat of the night. LeBlanc would go on to retire the next eight hitters after that point, and scattered just four more singles over the next six innings to record his third win of the year. In his seven total innings, he allowed seven hits and zero walks while striking out five and lowering his ERA on the year to 1.16. LeBlanc was matched for the first half of the game by Lansing starter Conor Fisk, who held the Kernels lineup at bay with just two hits and one walk allowed in five innings. Cedar Rapids was finally able to break the 0-0 tie on the scoreboard in the seventh inning, as A.J. Murray slugged his third home run of the season to put them out front. They added two insurance runs in the ninth on a LaMonte Wade solo home run, his second of the season, and Murray added an RBI single to score Zander Wiel who had followed Wade’s home run with a single of his own. Reliever Nick Anderson worked the final two innings for the Kernels, retiring every batter he faced including three strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Cedar Rapids Kernels (W, 7IP, 0 R’s, 7H’s, 0 BB’s, 5 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Fort Myers Miracle (2-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (9:35AM CST) – LHP Pat Dean (0-3, 3.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mobile (6:35PM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (1-3, 3.41 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) – TBD, but Tyler Jay (1-2, 5.12 ERA) has followed Stewart so far on the year. Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05PM CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (2-1, 6.30 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

What a day i twas in the Twins minor leagues! A starter scheduled to pitch on Saturday instead got the call to the big leagues. A couple more pitchers continued consecutive scoreless innings streaks. One team played an extra innings game. Another team played two games, and one of them went 18 innings.Continue on to read about the pitchers and the hitter highlights from Saturday’s games. TRANSACTIONS On Saturday afternoon, not terribly long before the Red Wings and Twins afternoon starts, we learned that due to a sore back, Ervin Santana will not make his scheduled Sunday start. Instead, Tyler Duffey, who was supposed to start Saturday in Rochester, will come up and start on Sunday in our nation’s capital. Following the Twins game, the move became official. The corresponding move was Jorge Polanco returning to the Red Wings. Also on Saturday, the Detroit Tigers announced that they had claimed catcher John Hicks from the Twins. This would certainly explain the Twins decision a couple of days ago to promote Carlos Paulino to the Red Wings. The Twins 40-man roster is now at 39. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 10 Box Score With the Duffey news coming so abruptly this morning, the Red Wings had to scramble. They decided to have RHP Loek Van Mil make the start. The right-hander from The Netherlands went the first two innings and gave up five runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out two. Taylor Rogers then gave up four runs on five hits over the next two innings. He walked one and struck out two. Buddy Boshers calmed things down a bit. The left-hander worked three scoreless innings, striking out four. Dan Runzler gave up two hits and hit another batter, but he gave up just one unearned run (on his own error) over two innings. Offensively, there wasn’t much positive either. The team had just five hits. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 1-3 with a walk and a double. Carlos Paulino made his first Red Wings start of the year and went 1-3 with a double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Birmingham 6 Box Score Through six innings, this was quite the pitcher's duel between DJ Baxendale and White Sox first-round pick from 2015, Carson Fulmer. The two right-handers had matching lines. They both worked six shutout innings and gave up four hits. Neither walked a batter and they each struck out six. With a scoreless game going into the seventh, Alex Wimmers came into the game. He gave up two runs on four hits in the 7th inning which proved to be enough to take the loss. Nick Burdi made his 2016 debut with a perfect inning. He needed just 12 pitches, nine of them strikes, to get three ground balls. Jake Reed came on for the ninth inning and got the first two batters out. He then issued a walk and it was followed by a double. After that, there were a couple of Engelb Vielma errors and a triple, so Reed was charged with four runs but just one was earned. Offensively the Lookouts had seven hits but were unable to bunch many together. No one had more than one hit, and Dalton Hicks had the only extra base hit, his second double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 0 (11 innings) Box Score Through 10 innings, the Miracle had just one hit, a 5th inning single by Nick Gordon. With one out in the 11th, Brian Navarreto singled. He advanced to second on a balk, and Austin Diemer came in to replace him. One batter later, Edgar Corcino singled him in with the winning run. Just three hits in the game, but a win is a win. The credit goes to the pitchers. Felix Jorge was terrific again. He came in to the game with a consecutive scoreless inning streak of 8.2 innings. With seven shutout innings tonight, his streak will continue in his next start at 15.2 innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out four. Unfortunately, he left without any run support. Trevor Hildenberger came in. He gave up two hits but no runs over the next two innings. Yorman Landa pitched the 10th and 11th innings and was perfect to get the win. Danny Santana played right field in this game. He led off and got three at-bats. He was 0-3 which means through two rehab games with the Miracle, he is 0-6. He is expected to play third base on Sunday. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 - Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 2 (18 innings) Box Score As a manager or pitching coach preparing for a doubleheader, even knowing the games are seven innings, the worst possible thing is extra innings. It’s not good at all for the pitching staff. In game one, there was little offense and there were double-digit innings. In fact, the two teams were scheduled to play 14 innings combined in the two games, so when Game 1 went into the 14th inning, I would imagine neither manager was real happy about it. Lefty Sam Clay got the starting nod in Game 1. He had thrown six innings and five innings of shutout ball in his first two starts. However, in this game, he gave up a sacrifice fly to the third batter of the game to end that scoreless streak. However, he put in another terrific start. Clay went six innings and gave up just the one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out six. The Kernels managed to tie the game at one in the top of the seventh when Jermaine Palacios singled to score Manuel Guzman. That was it for scoring for a while. The bullpens took over. Kernels closer Nick Anderson struck out four over the next two innings. Logan Lombana came in for the next four innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out six. Kuo Hua Lo got the next four innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out two. Zack Tillery pitched a scoreless 17th inning. He got the first two outs of the 18th as well, but a double was followed by a single and the game was over. The Kernels had ten hits and seven walks in the 18 innings but just couldn’t get a second run to cross home plate. Jermaine Palacios had three hits and a walk. AJ Murray hit his first three doubles and a walk. Rafael Valera went 2-8 with his fifth double. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 2 - Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 1 Box Score After a five-hour Game 1, the second game started at about 10:45. Dereck Rodriguez started for the Kernels. He went the first five innings and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out seven. John Curtiss came in for the sixth. He struck out the side and now has 16 strikeouts in seven innings this year. Offensively, the Kernels had just four hits. JJ Fernandez went 3-3 with his first home run of the year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – AJ Murray, Cedar Rapids Kernels SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Pat Dean Birmingham @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (2:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

The Twins fell for third straight time in Baltimore to start their season, but it was Opening Day in Minor League Baseball on Thursday. The Rochester Red Wings, Chattanooga Lookouts, Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids all played their first game of the season on Thursday. It didn’t go well for two of the teams, but it was a great night in Iowa. Here is the first Minor League Report of the season, and you’ll have another one every day on this site for the next five months.Any feedback would be welcomed. What are the key things you'd like to see from these reports? What's included that's good, and what more would you like to read? TRANSACTIONS There were several pre-Opening Night transactions to get rosters where they needed to be. Rochester placed Infielder Stephen Wickens on the DL.Chattanooga placed pitchers Nick Burdi, DJ Baxendale and Jason Adam on the DL. Also hitters Niko Goodrum, Shannon Wilkerson and Jairo Rodriguez were placed on the DL. (UPDATE - Despite the milb.com site showing DJ Baxendale placed on the DL, he was not.)For the Miracle, Aderlin Mejia and Alex Muren were placed on the DL.Cedar Rapids placed Michael Cederoth, Cam Booser, Lewis Thorpe and Fernando Romero on the DL.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 0 (SUSPENDED) Box Score This game was delayed a the start for over an hour, but they were able to get it started. They completed four innings before the rains came down again. Following a delay, the decision was made to suspend the game. It will start on Friday at 4:05 (Central Time) and they will complete this game. It will then be followed by a 7-inning game. Tyler Duffey started and gave up no runs over four innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out three. 40 of his 56 pitchers were strikes. Jorge Polanco was 2-2 including a first-inning triple. Kepler drove him in with a ground out to second base. In Kepler’s second at-bat, he singled to left field, his first AAA hit. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Biloxi 4 Box Score The last time the Lookouts played Biloxi, they were celebrating their Southern League championship. Jason Wheeler was named the series MVP. Wheeler was on the mound in this game as well. The tall left-hander gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out five. Three of the runs scored in the first inning. He was replaced by Marcus Walden who struck out two over two scoreless innings. Alex Wimmers pitched a scoreless ninth frame. The Lookouts offense emulated the Twins offense in their opening series against the Orioles. They managed just three hits in being shut out and struck out 11 times. Stuart Turner gave the Lookouts their first hit, a double, in the second inning. Travis Harrison walked twice. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Bradenton 3 Box Score It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters. In this game, Miracle Opening Night starter Stephen Gonsalves finished very strong, but it was the first inning that proved to matter most in the end result of this game. The southpaw from San Diego struggled early. In the first inning, he gave up two singles before allowing a three-run homer to Jordan Luplow. He was terrific after that. He gave up nothing over the final five innings and ended with a quality start. He went six innings and gave up just the three runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out six in the loss. The Miracle brought on some power arms after Gonsalves to finish out the game. Brian Gilbert gave up a hit and walked one in a scoreless seventh. He was hitting 94-95. Then Luke Bard pitched the 8th. It was his first appearance in a Miracle uniform since one inning in 2013. He was perfect and struck one out. He sat 94-95 and hit 97 once. Raul Fernandez came on for the ninth. He was a member of the 40 man rosters of the Rockies and White Sox the last two seasons. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning, much thanks to Tanner English who made an incredible running catch deep in the left-center field gap. Fernandez consistently hit 96 and threw a mid-80s slider. The Miracle were unable to get much offense going all game. Four of their five hits were from the bats of players in their first Florida State League game. Nick Gordon, Trey Vavra, Edgar Corcino and Tanner English each had one hit. English added two walks and stole his first base of the year. (English led the Twins minor leagues in 2015 with 37 stolen bases and was named the top defensive outfielder in the system.) Trey Vavra went 1-3 with a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Quad Cities 4 Box Score The Kernels hosted Quad Cities for Opening Night in Cedar Rapids. The River Bandits second and third hitters were 2015 first-round picks Kyle Tucker and Daz Cameron. On this night however, the Kernels dominated the game. Randy LeBlanc started. The righty from Tulane went the first five innings. He gave up one run on three hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out two. Michael Theofanopoulos walked two and struck out one in the sixth inning. Zack Tillery gave up one run on one hit and two walks over the next two innings. He struck out two. Kuo Hua Lo threw the ninth inning, and it didn’t go well for him. The 2015 Appy League reliever of the year struggled with his control. On the inning, he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. The Kernels scored runs often, but a six-run eighth inning put this game well out of reach. Chris Paul led the offense. He went 3-4 with a walk and a bases-clearing triple in the eighth frame. AJ Murray had two hits including his first home run. Jermaine Palacios had two hits. Zander Wiel and LaMonte Wade each had two hits and a walk. Eight of the nine starters for the Kernels had at least one hit. Rafael Valera was the only one without a hit, and he walked twice. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chris Paul, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (4:05 CST) – LHP Pat Dean will start the full game. TBD on the resumption of the suspended game. Chattanooga @ Mobile (7:05 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Andro Cutura Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games. Click here to view the article