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The Red Wings had a tough start, but quickly recovered. The Lookouts scored early, and that’s about it. The Miracle had another big comeback (from injury) and won in the ninth. Find out how. And the Kernels struggled a bit in their return to the playing field. Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system. TRANSACTIONS The Ft. Myers Miracle announced that RHP Andro Cutura was activated by the Cedar Rapids Kernels and then he was promoted to Ft. Myers. Cutura last pitched for the Kernels in May of 2016. He had Tommy John surgery and is now returning to the mound. Rochester announced that RH RP Jake Reed has been placed on the 7-Day Disabled List with a right shoulder impingement. Jeff Johnson from The Gazette in Cedar Rapids posted the following tweet which indicates other transactions could be coming. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 13, Columbus 5 Box Score It was a rough first half-inning for the Red Wings in this game, but it didn’t take long for Rochester to take control. Adalberto Mejia made the start for the Red Wings. The left-hander gave up four runs on three hits and a walk in the top of the first inning (though he struck out three in the inning). Then came the bottom of the first. 13 Red Wings came to the plate and they scored eight runs. The big hit came off of the bat of Brock Stassi. His second home run of the year came with the bases loaded. Taylor Featherstone followed with his first homer. https://twitter.com/RocRedWings/status/987475666605092864 The Red Wings added one run in the third inning and four more innings in the fourth inning. The big knock that inning was the first home run of the season for Willian Astudillo. Mejia certainly settled down after that first frame. He worked three more innings and gave up just two hits and a walk. Tyler Duffey came on for the fifth inning and threw three more scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out four. In his 11 innings this year, he is yet to give up an earned run. He has walked one and struck out 14 batters. John Curtiss threw the final two innings. He gave up a run on two hits. He walked one and struck out four. Red Wings play-by-play man Josh Whetzel passed along this note about the rarity of a Curtiss home run allowed: https://twitter.com/JoshWhetzel/status/987502797489889280 Astudillo went 3-4 with his first double to go with his first homer. Gregorio Petit went 2-4 with his second double and three RBI. The Red Wings improved to .500, at 5-5. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Jacksonville 5 Box Score Lewis Thorpe made the start for the Lookouts on Friday night. He was one out from a Quality Start, but his pitch count crept high enough that he was removed from the game with two outs in the sixth inning and a runner on base. Anthony McIver came on and allowed Thorpe’s runner to score and another run. So, Thorpe’s final line probably doesn’t look quite as good as he threw. The lefty gave up four runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight without issuing a walk. McIver gave up one run on five hits and a walk in one inning. Andrew Vasquez came on to get the final out of the seventh inning without further damage. Vasquez got four outs. He gave up two hits, but no runs. He struck out two without walking a batter. Cody Stashak walked two and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning. There wasn’t much offense. In the first inning, Brent Rooker hit his first triple of the season. Nick Gordon knocked him in with a sacrifice fly. That was it for the Lookouts scoring. Chris Paul added his fifth triple of the season. The loss drops the Lookouts to 9-6. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Bradenton 3 Box Score There have been a couple of big returns for the Miracle the last couple of days. On Thursday, it was second baseman Luis Arraez returning after missing a year following ACL surgery. On Friday, it was Andro Cutura who returned to the mound for the first time in nearly two years. More on that later. Charlie Barnes made the start for the Miracle. The lefty gave up no runs on one hit over the first three innings. He walked three and struck out six. He needed 74 pitches to finish three, so he was replaced by Logan Lombana. Lombana gave up two unearned runs on one hit and a hit batter over two innings. The error was his own. At that point, Andro Cutura entered the game. He ended up giving up one run on four hits, two walks and a hit batter over four innings. He struck out five and was credited with the win. Tied at three going into the ninth, the Miracle got a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Jimmy Kerrigan to score Taylor Grzelakowski from third. And it was deep enough that Aaron Whitefield tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate. Cutura got the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth to grab the win. Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with his fifth double. Taylor Grzelakowski went 2-for-3 with his first double. Jared Foster was 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base. Luis Arraez went 1-for-4 with a walk, his first hit in just over a year. Grzelakowski was signed as a non-drafted free agent last July and played minimally in the GCL last year. He was one of my Spring Standouts and it as to be surprising that he jumped all the way up to Ft. Myers. But he is handling the job behind the plate and at the plate, and he gives a lot of the credit to others. With his 2-3 on Friday night, he’s now hitting .375/.444/.438 (.882) on the young season. “At the plate I’m feeling confident. I’ve been working with Sing regularly on timing and rhythm. Made a simple change yesterday during bp in Dunedin and felt good tonight. Got a few pitches to hit and my timing was there so I hit them. Attribute my success to Steve Singleton. He believes in me and it shows with the time he puts in with me. Also my family, fiancé Sarah, and her family.” Grzelakowski was also impressed with the pitchers he got to work with. Regarding starter Charlie Barnes, “Gelly” noted, “Everyone knows about Charlie’s changeup, it’s no secret. What they lose sight of is how complete of a pitcher he is. He is smart, aggressive, and he trusts me. Charlie is going to go a long long way in this game and it’s a pleasure to catch him.” He also discussed the opportunity to catch Andro Cutura in his return after missing two seasons with Tommy John surgery. “Cutura was rock solid. That was my first time catching him in a game situation but we were on the same page pretty quickly. He’s been itching to get in and show everyone what he can do. He showed up in a big way and fought for every pitch tonight. It was like he pitched for us last week not two years ago.” Cutura was very happy to be on the mound again, but he used the time away to learn a lot and hopes to implement some of it into his game. Following the game, he said, "It was such a great feeling, I didn’t have jitters or nerves, I was pretty calm and knew what I needed to do. Being out these past two years has really given me an opportunity to learn more about pitching and watching and studying big league pitchers and what needs to be done to be successful. I dug myself in some holes tonight, but to look on the bright side I was happy I was able to minimize the damage. Got more into a groove in my last two innings. I was happy to finish out the game and give it all I got for the team. It was a great team win tonight and I couldn’t be happier for my hermano, Arraez, for getting his first hit! It’s been a long road for him as well and it’s great to see all his hard work paying off." The Miracle moved back above .500, to 8-7. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 5 Box Score The Kernels played their first game in a week. Literally, the team had not played a game since last Friday There final two games last weekend were snowed out, and their three game series in Beloit was postponed due to poor field conditions. The weather was nice in Cedar Rapids on Friday night, great for the fans who came for Royce Lewis bobblehead night. For Lewis, it was special because of a couple of specific fans in attendance. “It was very special for me, and I’m glad to spend the game with my parents here.” Blayne Enlow made the start for the Kernels. The 2017 draft pick gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three. Jovani Moran came on and got the final out of the fifth inning. Then Tyler Watson came on and was able to throw three shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out five. Moises Gomez struck out two in a scoreless ninth. The Kernels offense didn’t get going real quickly either. Akil Baddoo launched a long, two-run homer in the 8th inning, his first of the season, but that was it for the team’s offense. Baddoo went 2-4. Shane Carrier went 2-4. Mark Contreras went 1-3 with a walk. Jose Miranda hit his first double of the season. Cedar Rapids loses for the second straight time and and falls to 6-2 on their season. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Willian Astudillo, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Tyler Duffey, Rochester Red Wings TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4 #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 1-3, RBI, SF #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-4, 3B, R, K #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, HR(1), 2 RBI, K #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) - 1-4 #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ Rochester (12:06 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Chattanooga @ Jackson (6:05 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30) - RHP Brady Anderson Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (5:05 CST) - RHP Nick Brown Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s games, or ask any questions you may have.

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Normally I like to post a "get to know ‘em" type of article on the Twins non-roster invites as soon as it is announced. However, since at that time there were so many free agents still available and the Twins list was not real large, I figured there would be several more players added on minor league deals. To this point, I believe the Twins have added just one non-roster player, Chris Heisey, since the original announcement. The Names You Know Let’s start with the (few) players from inside the Twins organization who received an official invitation to Major League spring training. RH RP Jake Reed is a non-roster invite for the third straight year. A year ago, he was sent down on the final day of camp. Unfortunately, in the final game of spring, he pulled a muscle in his side and missed a couple of months. It took him a while to get back to his old self, but when on, he’s got a good fastball with a lot of movement and a slider that can miss bats. The 25-year-old was a guest on Seth’s Twins On Deck podcast on Monday and discussed many topics. He is expected to pitch on Thursday. Nick Gordon returns for his second big league spring training. One of the Twins top prospects, Gordon continues to work at shortstop. He’ll bat third for the Twins on Thursday. Long and lanky and very talented, Gordon had a great first half to his 2017 season, his age-21 season in AA Chattanooga. He struggled in the second half, and against southpaws, but has great talent and will likely have a long big league career. LaMonte Wade is a Top 20 Twins prospect by nearly all evaluators. The outfielder received his first invitation to big league spring training in January and was one of the Twins representatives at the Rookie Development symposium. Known for his tremendous approach at the plate, he has walked more than he has struck out at every level he’s played at in his young career. He’s a solid defender at all three outfield spots. The one part of his game that will likely still improve is his power production. Brian Navarreto is also in his first big league camp this year. The backstop has not hit much in his career, but he has the ability to be an elite defender behind the plate. He has thrown out more than 50% of would-be base stealers in his career. Obviously there are a lot of pitchers in camp, and they need plenty of catchers to catch those bullpens. Michael Kohn is in big league camp with the Twins for the first time, though he was in the organization a year ago. Kohn is a 31-year-old right-handed pitcher who has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues, between 2010 and 2015 (four with the Angels, one with Atlanta). He was injured that season. Last year after the season began, the Twins were able to sign him to a two-year minor league contract. He spent 2017 rehabbing and working in games at several of the Twins minor league levels. That’s why they signed him for two years (with the encouragement of Torii Hunter). I think there’s a decent chance he’ll pitch for the Twins in 2018. In addition to these four players, the Twins have had several players who arrived early for minor league come over and work out with the club. I know that Nelson Molina, Sean Miller and Chris Paul have spent the last couple of days working out in big league camp. There are likely others as well. The Names You May Not Know These are the guys that the Twins have signed from other organizations to minor league deals. Myles Jaye - RHP - The 26-year-old was drafted by the Blue Jays and spent a few years in the White Sox organization. He was in the Tigers organization in 2016 and 2017. Between AA and AAA, he went 5-12 with a 3.95 ERA in 161.2 innings. In 2017, he went 4-13 with a 3.96 ERA in 131 innings. However, he also pitched in five games for the big league club and made two starts. It didn’t go well. He went 1-2 with a 12.08 ERA. In 12.2 innings, he gave up 18 runs on 18 hits and ten walks, and he struck out just four. That’s why he became available following the season. Bobby Wilson would seem to be the #3 catcher on the depth chart at this point. Jason Castro and Mitch Garver should be the Opening Day catchers. The 34-year-old Wilson has spent a lot of time in the big leagues. In parts of eight seasons between 2008 and 2016, Wilson played in 324 games between the Angels, Diamondbacks, Rays, Rangers and Tigers. In my offseason blueprint, I mentioned that with all of the Twins pitching prospects, the Twins should go get a veteran to work with them and help prepare them for the big leagues. Wilson fits that mold. Willians Astudillo fits a different kind of mold. The 25-year-old stands 5-9 and weighs in at at least 225 pounds. He is more of an offensive catcher. In 36 games last year at AAA Reno, he hit .342/.370/.558 (.928) with 14 doubles and four home runs. The Twins brought in a few infielders with some big league experience as well. Again, with the pitchers in Rochester, defense is a key. In addition, manager Joel Skinner will have the ability to play a lot of these guys at several positions and help them increase their versatility. Gregorio Petit has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues going back to 2008. He played in 25 games for the A’s in 2008 and 2009. He then got back to the big leagues in 2014 with the Astros. Then he spent some time in 2015 with the Yankees. In 2016, he played in 89 games for the Angels, doubling his previous number of games played in the big leagues. He spent 2017 in the minor league system of the Blue Jays. He’s played a lot of both middle infield positions. Taylor Featherston played in 101 games for the Angels in 2015. In 169 plate appearances, he hit just .162. He hit .115 in 28 plate appearances for the Phillies in 2016. In 2017, he played in 17 games for the Rays and hit .179. Even in the minor leagues, he hasn’t been a big hitter, but he’s shown the ability to play all three infield positions. Brock Stassi was one of the best stories of 2017 spring training. After the 33rd round pick spent six years in the minor leagues, Stassi made the Phillies Opening Day roster. He played in 51 games for the Phils, mostly as a bench player. The Twins didn’t have a first base prospect in the upper levels, so Stassi can fill that role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tUsYUCEDd4 The Twins also signed a few outfielders, guys with some success in the upper minor leagues and some big league time. Chris Heisey is the guy with a lot of big league time. From 2010 through 2014, he was a regular in the Cincinnati Reds lineup. In those five seasons, he played in 543 games and hit .247 with 50 home runs. He played in 33 games for the Dodgers in 2015. He’s played in 121 games for the Nationals over the last two years. He played some center field early in his career, but the last few years, he’s played primarily in the corners. Nick Buss won the Pacific Coast League batting title a year ago when he hit .348 for the Padres’ AAA affiliate. He hit .348/.395/.541 (.936) with 19 doubles, eight triples and 11 home runs. He did play in eight games for the Dodgers in 2013. He also got into 36 games for the Angels in 2016. Again, he’s mostly a corner outfielder who has continued to play some center field and a little first base. Ryan LaMarre is a 29-year-old outfielder who has played in 29 big league games over the past three years. He played in 21 games for the Reds in 2015. He then played in five games for the Red Sox in 2016 and three games for the A’s in 2017. He has a total of 37 MLB at bats and has just two hits. He was a big speed guy earlier in his career and still has played primarily in center field. So there you have it. Most of the non-internal invitees will be depth at AAA to start the season and be available for short-term call ups if needed. Gordon and Wade and Reed are the prospects to follow throughout the year.