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Just hours after pitching in a win against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Minnesota Twins designated starting pitcher Chi Chi Gonzales for assignment. 48 hours later the Milwaukee Brewers selected the veteran righty's contract. Here's why the Twins made the move and why the 30-year-old could be valuable for the ballclub on the other side of the river. After just two Major League starts in a Minnesota Twins uniform, veteran pitcher Chi Chi González is out the door and headed to The Badger State to pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers. Just minutes after his June 11 start against the Rays, the Twins designated González for assignment. Just two days later, the struggling Brewers signed Gonzalez off of waivers and elevated the right-handed pitcher to the 40-man roster. Gonzalez's tenure in the Twins organization was short, and at times, sweet. Signed to a minor-league contract in March, González pitched eight games for Triple-A St. Paul (five starts) along with two starting pitching appearances for the Twins. There were moments of brilliance for González in St. Paul, finishing his Saints tenure with a 2-2 record and 3.44 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. Starting the season in the bullpen, González notched both his wins as a long-distance reliever in April with solid appearances against Louisville (4 2/3 innings) and Indianapolis (3 innings). From there he started five games for the Saints, highlighted by a six-inning, no-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and four walks against Columbus on May 11. First called up on June 3 due to a myriad of injuries at the parent club, González tossed three innings of three-run, four-hit ball against the Blue Jays en route to a 9-3 Twins win. Called up under similar circumstances last week, González pitched four innings against the Rays on Friday, giving up three runs on eight hits while striking out three. Minnesota won the game 6-5 and Trevor Megill earned the win for the Twins. So that is correct, the Twins were 2-0 in games started by Chi Chi Gonzalez. The Twins did win both games (against talented opponents) in the pair of games that González started. However, it was not solely because of him. González tabbed a -0.18 WPA (Win Probability Added) in his most recent start and -0.15 WPA in his Twins debut against the Blue Jays; not great. The brutal reality is that there is no space for González on a semi-healthy Minnesota Twins roster. Given his experience, González served as an adequate filler for a starting rotation that has struggled with injuries to five of its six starting pitchers. Yet with Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray back on the bump, the filler role has been eliminated and González's minor league numbers aren't consistent enough to create a need for the Twins. Consider the roster crunch that's about to happen. Last week, the Twins DFAd Gonzalez and Juan Minaya. A day after adding Elliot Soto to the 40-man roster, he was DFAd to add Joe Ryan back to the roster. Someone will have to be optioned or DFAd to bring Sonny Gray off of the Injured List on Wednesday. The life of the journeyman is certainly not always easy. Yet when one door closes, another may open. The Brewers are 2-8 in their last ten games and starting pitchers Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta are on the Injured List along with a number of relievers. With experience as a starting pitcher as well as a reliever, González could serve as a valuable patch for a Milwaukee club that is in a tight battle with St. Louis for top dog in the NL Central. Noted as a great person and clubhouse guy, hopefully, this new opportunity presents González the chance to find his groove in a cutthroat industry that is less than forgiving. View full article

No Buxton. No Correa. No Urshela. But Luis Arraez, the best hitter right now in baseball, was still in the lineup and provided the power. Chi Chi Gonzalez was promoted for his second start of the season, it was likely to be a bullpen-heavy game. The Twins faced Shane Baz, making his first start of the season after being on the IL all season. Box Score SP: Chi Chi Gonzalez: 4 IP, 8 H, 3R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (67 pitches, 46 strikes (68.6%)) Home Runs: Luis Arraez (Grand Slam) (3), Top 3 WPA: Luis Arraez (.265), Jorge Polanco (.133), Jhoan Duran (.117) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Rays wasted no time getting ahead of Chi Chi Gonzalez and the Twins with three runs in the first inning. . Gonzalez on Friday triggered a minor-league opt-out with the Twins forcing their hand to decide if they will keep the pitcher on the Major League roster or release him. Gonzalez has only one game in the Majors with the Twins, against the Blue Jays where he allowed three runs in three innings before being pulled. The Twins won that game 9-3. Gonzalez got out of the subsequent innings in a quick 1, 2, 3 fashion not allowing more runs during his four complete innings in the game before turning it over to the Bullpen at the top of the fifth. Where the Twins were not getting hits initially in the game, they capitalized on the Rays' mistakes. In the second inning, Kevin Keirmaier slid past second base followed by Randy Arozarena the next inning who got picked off at first base after attempting to take second base during a fly-out from Ji-Man Choi. Gonzalez settled down and settled into a rhythm to continue the game. The lineup for the game was something that felt a little like spring training. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton were resting today giving the Twins game a small-ball feel as they started piecing runs together in the third inning. First, Gilberto Celestino got on first base. He took advantage of a wild pitch advancing to second base, while Gordon and Jeffers were walked as Baz struggled to maintain control of the strike zone, bringing up Arraez to bat and hitting a 403-foot grand slam, his first-ever, into the right-field seats to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Arraez raised his batting average up to .369 after his hit in the sixth inning, going 3-for-5 on the day. As odd as the lineup seemed, it worked. Audra Martin shared on the broadcast that during an interview with Rocco Baldelli before the game about resting both Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton on the same day. The Rays had used six pitchers by the sixth inning and the Twins took advantage of the rotating door of pitchers. Aside from Luis Arraez, Gilbert Celestino, Jorge Polanco and Ryan Jeffers had strong days at the plate. All three players were crucial in the success of today's outcome as they took turns bringing each other home in the third and sixth innings. Jeffers recently broke out of a 0-21 slump in the series against the Yankees and has continued to make contact with every at-bat. The Rays made an attempt to come back, but the Twins bullpen was on fire and managed to keep the Rays from garnering any more runs. Do you think the Twins should keep Chi Chi Gonzalez, or DFA him and put the decision back in the veteran's hands? Well, they quickly made their decision. Minutes after the game, it was announced. What’s Next? The Twins finish out their series with Tampa Bay before another series with the Mariners. Pitching matchups for Sunday: 1:05: Cole Sands (0-2, 8.49 ERA) vs LHP Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 1.62 ERA) Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Minnesota traveled to Toronto on Thursday night. Several players were unable to enter Canada because of their vaccination status. So, what players can’t make the trip, and who is expected to join the team? This season, Minnesota only makes one trip to Toronto unless the Twins and Blue Jays meet in the playoffs. Thankfully, Major League Baseball adjusts its roster rules for situations like those facing the Twins this weekend. Players not on the 40-man roster can be added for the Toronto series to take the place of non-vaccinated players. Minnesota placed Max Kepler, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagán, and Trevor Megill on the restricted list ahead of this series against the Blue Jays. They did not travel to Toronto with the team. Kepler has touted the Twins clubhouse atmosphere this year as being one of the reasons for his offensive reemergence. There was also an easy way for everyone to be together on this trip if he decided to meet Canada's vaccination requirement. Pagán also released a statement in regards to not being with the team. Here is a comment from Caleb Thielbar: Here are the players expected to take their place. Chi Chi Gonzalez, SP Chi Chi Gonzalez is expected to start Friday’s game in Toronto. Minnesota signed him this winter to add organizational depth, and he has pitched at St. Paul this entire season. In eight games (five starts), he has posted a 3.44 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and a 35-to-14 strikeout to walk ratio. Gonzalez came to the Twins from the Rockies organization, where he pitched over 100 big-league innings last season with a 6.46 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Luckily, Toronto’s lineup is full of right-handed hitters as righties have an OPS that is 114 points lower against Gonzalez this season. Ian Hamilton, RP Minnesota claimed Ian Hamilton off of waivers in February of 2021, and he pitched all of last season in St. Paul. During the 2021 season, he posted a 4.12 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP, but his 13.1 K/9 was undoubtedly a bright spot. So far in 2022, Hamilton has been terrific as he has only allowed one earned run in 10 appearances, and he has struck out 17 batters in 12 2/3 innings. Multiple pitchers were part of the unvaccinated group that was ineligible to travel to Toronto, so Hamilton gets an opportunity to prove he belongs back at the big-league level. Mark Contreras, OF Mark Contreras was on the team's taxi squad for this road trip, so he can be an easy addition to the roster. He made his big-league debut with the Twins earlier this season, but he was limited to two games and three plate appearances. Minnesota drafted Contreras in the 9th round of the 2017 MLB Draft from the University of California, Riverside. He spent his first four minor league seasons moving steadily through the Twins system with a .717 OPS and 141 extra-base hits in 411 games. At 27-years old, he has been older than the average age of the competition at each level in the minors. His first taste of the big leagues was very brief, so it is an excellent opportunity for him to step in and get a more extended look. Jharel Cotton, RP The Twins claimed Jharel Cotton off of waivers from the Texas Rangers this winter. He made four big-league appearances in April and allowed one earned run in 6 2/3 innings with a 7-to-6 strikeout to walk ratio. Minnesota designated him for assignment, and he cleared waivers before accepting his outright assignment to Triple-A. For the Saints, he has made ten appearances and allowed four earned runs on ten hits. His walk rate (3.9 BB/9) and strikeout rate (13.9 K/9) have improved in the minors. Cotton hasn't appeared in a game since May 31, so his arm should be fresh enough to make multiple appearances this weekend if he is needed. View full article

The Twins have really had a lot of injuries and many of the prospects who were meant to be in St. Paul are now with the Twins, leaving the Saints a little short. They were swept on the road in Columbus. On the other side of the coin, the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels had a dominant week and swept the six-game series against Palm Beach, including a no-hitter. Cedar Rapids went 5-1 as well. Three of the Twins affiliates are currently in first place. Continue for much more detail. So be sure to use these weekly reports for what they are. A look at the week. We want to highlight deserving prospects. They have earned it. Celebrate the successes throughout the whole season. But this week at Twins Daily, we have had a lot of minor-league coverage. As players are starting to step up and put together strong seasons, we want to dig into them a little further, so you'll find a lot this week. If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor league week. TRANSACTIONS With no Monday Minor League Report, here are the transactions from later on Sunday and on Monday. Following Sunday's Twins game, OF Mark Contreras was optioned to St. Paul. OF Kyle Garlick was activated from the Injured List. RHP Ryan Shreve has been activated from the IL by Cedar Rapids. RHP David Festa was promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. RHP Matt Mullenbach was sent back to the Florida Complex. RESULTS Previous Week in Review (5/3-5/9): Wallner, Miller, Steer, Headrick, Stankiewicz Star Tuesday: Mighty Mussels No-Hitter! Wednesday: Gonzalez Dominates, Kernels Shuck the Opposition Thursday: Kernels Krush, Wichita Rakes Friday: Mighty Mussels Sweep, Fedko Homers in Kernels Debut Saturday: A Denied Rehab Start and a Clean Franchise Sweep Sunday: Mussels Sweep! Kernels Keep Winning! MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Prospect Retrospective: OF Mark Contreras Prospect Retrospective: RHP Yennier Cano “It felt great.” Balazovic Reflects on First Start of 2022 and What’s Ahead Matt Canterino Continues to Dominate Minor League Hitters It’s Time to Start Noticing Brent Headrick From Lee to Limestone: One Prospect Who Needs More Attention (Video) From Lee to Limestone: Three Questions with Brent Headrick (Video) WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week: 0-6, at Columbus Season: 15-19 overall, 9th place out of ten teams in the International League West. They are 8.0 games behind Nashville. A week ago, they were in third place. The Saints were swept in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, and that finished out a six-game sweep at the hands of the Columbus Clippers. It was also the Saints' seventh straight loss. It was also their eighth straight loss on the road. In his series, the Saints lost three times by one run, and once by two, three, and four runs. Three of the games went to extra innings. The Saints scored 30 runs last week, but they gave up 41 runs. Caleb Hamilton played in all six games. The utility man went 9-for-18 and hit .500/.609/.667 (1.276) with a home run. He also walked five times. Alex Kirilloff returned to the Saints on Sunday and had two hits in both games of the doubleheader. Chi Chi Gonzalez made one start and tossed six scoreless, hitless innings. He did walk four batters, but he struck out seven batters. He was named the International League's pitcher of the week. What’s Next? The Saints travel to Omaha to take on the Storm Chasers. Pitching Probables (RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez, RHP Jake Faria, RHP Jordan Balazovic, RHP Mario Sanchez, RHP Dereck Rodriguez, RHP Ronny Henriquez) Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Week: 3-2, @ NW Arkansas Season: 19-12 overall, 1st place in the Texas League North Division with Tulsa. They are just 1/2 game ahead of Tulsa (19-13). The Wind Surge were outscored 25-27 on the week but managed to take a 3-2 series win. Sunday’s game was rained out and officially canceled. Why canceled instead of postponed? The two teams are not scheduled to play each other again in the season’s first half so there is no opportunity to make it up. Here are some of the top performances for the Wind Surge this past week: Matt Canterino continues to dominate hitters in the Texas League. In his outing this week, he tossed four scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and struck out six batters without issuing a walk. Austin Schulfer pitched twice and recorded a save each time. In four innings, he gave up one earned run on three hits. He struck out six batters. Maybe not a great performance, but Blayne Enlow made his return to the mound (not in a rehab outing) 11 months after Tommy John surgery. That is a highlight! He went 3 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits. He struck out six batters and issued no walks. It took him a while to get his first hit, but in four games this past week, Leobaldo Cabrera went 3-for-9 with two home runs. Andrew Bechtold played four games. He went 6-for-15 (.400) with four doubles and a home run. Alex Isola went 5-for-15 (.333) with three walks and a home run. Spencer Steer went 4-for-20 (.200), but two of the hits were home runs. Edouard Julien went 3-for-14 (.214), but he walked ten times for a .542 on-base percentage. What’s Next? The Wind Surge will be hosting the Springfield Cardinals. Pitching Probables (RHP Matt Canterino, RHP Louie Varland, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP Blayne Enlow, RHP Casey Legumina, RHP Matt Canterino) High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week: 5-1, at Peoria Season: 24-9 overall, 1st place in the Midwest League West Division, 2.0 games ahead of Wisconsin (22-11), who also went 5-1 last week as well. In April, the Kernels hosted Peoria and won five of six games. This past week, they did it again, this time on the road in Peoria. The Kernels outscored the Chiefs 47-12. In four of the six games, Cedar Rapids gave up just one run. Of 17 pitchers who pitched in at least one game last week, 13 of them didn’t allow an earned run. What a week of pitching for the Kernels. Over the first five games of the week, the team allowed just nine total runs, and only five of them were earned. Brent Headrick continues to impress. The lefty struck out seven batters over five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and walked none. Fellow lefty Aaron Rozek also tossed five scoreless innings in his start. He gave up three hits, walked none, and struck out nine batters. Sawyer Gipson-Long went five scoreless innings in his start. He gave up two hits, walked none, and struck out seven batters. Sean Mooney gave up an unearned run over five innings in his start. He gave up five hits and struck out four batters without allowing a walk. John Stankiewicz started on Sunday and gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five batters. Cody Laweryson came out of the bullpen twice. In five innings, he gave up only an unearned run on one hit and no walks. He struck out five batters. As pointed out above, the Kernels bats showed up too. Alerick Soularie led the way. In five games, he went 6-for-19 and hit .316/.409/.842 (1.251) with two triples, two homers, and seven RBI. He also walked three times and stole two bases. Will Holland played in four games. He went 5-for-14 and hit .357/.438/.714 (1.152) with a triple and a home run. Jair Camargo played in three games and went 5-for-14 (.357) with two home runs and five RBI. Wander Javier played in five games and went 4-for-19. He hit .211/.318/.526 (.844) with two home runs and five RBI. What’s Next? The Kernels will be starting a 12-game homestand starting on Tuesday with six games against Lake County. Pitching Probables (RHP Sean Mooney, LHP Aaron Rozek, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long, RHP John Stankiewicz, LHP Brent Headrick) Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Week: 6-0, hosting Palm Beach Season: 20-10 overall, 1st place in the Florida State League West, 2.0 games ahead of Clearwater (18-12). For the first time, the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels swept a six-game series. Why? As usual, it all comes down to pitching. 16 pitchers threw for Ft. Myers during the week. 12 of them didn’t allow a run (earned or unearned). In six games, the pitchers allowed a total of six runs. The team threw shutouts in the first three games of the series and again on Sunday. Of course, the highlight of the week was the combined no-hitter. The Mussels offense was solid too. They scored 28 runs. David Festa struck out 11 batters over six innings in his start this week. He walked two batters, but he gave up no hits. Jaylen Nowlin and Hunter McMahon completed the final three innings of the no-hitter. Travis Adams had another very good start. In five shutout innings, he gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out six batters. Marco Raya made the start on Sunday. He tossed four no-hit innings. He walked one and struck out two batters. Matthew Swain pitched two and recorded two saves. In two innings, he gave up one hit, no walks, and struck out five batters. Malik Barrington struck out ten batters over four innings over his two relief appearances. He recorded his first save on Sunday. He gave up just three hits and one walk on the week. Hunter McMahon threw four scoreless innings over two games. He recorded one save. He gave up three hits, walked one, and recorded two strikeouts. Jaylen Nowlin worked five total innings during the week. He did not allow a run. He gave up one hit, walked one, hit one, and struck out seven batters. Mike Paredes made a spot start and tossed three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one and struck out three batters. The offense was good too, and this week they were led by infielder Mikey Perez. In five games, he went 8-for-18 and hit .444/.524/.944 (1.468) with three doubles and two home runs. He also went 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Emmanuel Rodriguez had a strong week. He played all six games and went 8-for-19. He hit .421/.542/.579 (1.121) with a double, and a triple. He also walked four times. Catcher Dillon Tatum played in four games and went 3-for-3. He had a home run and walked four times. Oh, and he caught a no-hitter. Jake Rucker played in six games. He went 8-for-23 and hit .348/.400/.478 (.878) with three doubles. Noah Miller hit .308 (4-for-13) with seven walks for a .550 on-base percentage. What’s Next? The Mighty Mussels will head to Clearwater for a big, eight-game series against the Threshers. They will play two games on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The beauty of rainouts in Florida, eh? Pitching Probables Tuesday: Bullpen to complete suspended game. RHP Travis Adams in the regular game. Wednesday: RHP Pierson Ohl, RHP Mike Paredes Thursday: No Game Friday: LHP Steve Hajjar, Bullpen Game Saturday: Marco Raya Sunday: TBD PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. You may have noticed, the Prospect Tracker has been updated, and will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 3 G, 3-for-12 (.250), 2-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K (Season: 24 G, .310/.430/.563 (.993), 11-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 21 R, 11 RBI, 17 BB, 20 K) #1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 6 G, 6-for-22 (.273), 1-2B, 1-HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K (Season: 9 G, .281/.281/.438 (.719), 2-2B, 0-3B, 1-HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 5 G, 6-for-23 (.261), 0-2B, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K (Season: 30 G, .246/.366/.339 (.705), 6-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 23 R, 10 RBI, 17 BB, 20 K, 17 SB, 0 CS) #3 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 2 GS, 10.0 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 5 BB, 8 K (Season: 7 GS, 37.2 IP, 10 R, 24 H, 12 BB, 36 K, 4-2, 2.39 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 8.6 K/9) #4 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 5 G, 6-for-18 (.333), 2-2B, 1-HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1K (Season: 21 G, .256/.295/.442 (.737), 10-2B, 2-HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 14 K) #4 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - Week: 4 G, 1-for-18 (.056), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 11 G, .114/.152/.227 (.379), 2-2B, 1-HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K) #5 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 2.0 IP, 7 R, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 1 K (Season: 2 GS, 5.2 IP, 7 R, 3 ER, 13 H, 4 BB, 5 K. #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K (Season: 6 GS, 32.2 IP, 9 R, 8 ER, 17 H, 9 BB, 32 K, 2-1, 2.20 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, 8.8 K/9) #7 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 1 GS, 3.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 K (Season: 6 G, 3 GS, 25.2 IP, 9 R, 7 ER, 18 H, 7 BB, 22 K, 2-1, 2.45 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, 7.7 K/9) #8 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 2 G, 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K (Season: 12 G, 16.2 IP, 6 R, 10 H, 3 BB, 25 K, 0-1, 2 Saves, 3.24 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9, 13.5 K/9) #9 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 7 GS, 20.2 IP, 3 R, 9 H, 11 BB, 28 K, 0-1, 1.31 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9, 12.2 K/9) #10 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 6 G, 8-for-19 (.421) , 1-2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K (Season: 28 G, .270/.468/.506 (.974), 4-2B, 1-3B, 5-HR, 22 R, 14 RBI, 31 BB, 34 K) #11 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 5 G, 4-for-13 (.308), 0-2B, 0-HR, 7 BB, 4 K (Season: 27 G, .278/.431/.361 (.792), 3-2B, 1-3B, 1 HR, 19 R, 6 RBI, 24 BB, 32 K) #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 7 K (Season: 6 G, 5 GS, 31.2 IP, 16 R, 13 ER, 25 H, 11 BB, 35 K, 4-1, 3.69 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 9.9 K/9) #13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 K (Season: 5 G, 4 GS, 15.2 IP, 15 R, 22 H, 5 BB, 18 K, 0-4, 8.62 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 10.3 K/9) #13 - Cole Sands (Minnesota) - 1 G, 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K (Season: 2 G, 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9) #14 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 4.2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K (Season: 4 G, 3 GS, 13.2 IP, 7 R, 12 H, 7 BB, 13 K, 0-1, 4.61 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 8.6 K/9) #15 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, (Season: 5 G, 4 GS, 19.0 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 11 H, 5 BB, 21 K, 2-1, 1.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 9.9 K/9) #16 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 5 G, 4-for-20 (.200), 0-2B, 2-HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K (Season: 30 G, .300/.384/.558 (.942), 11-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 22 R, 25 RBI, 13 BB, 22 K) #17 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 1 GS, 3.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K (Season: 5 GS, 22.1 IP, 14 R, 10 ER, 22 H, 6 BB, 32 K, 2-2, 4.03 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 12.9 K/9) #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 6 G, 6-for-26 (.231), 1-2B, 1-3B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K (Season: 31 G, .336/.396/.536 (.932), 6-2B, 2-3B, 5-HR, 19 R, 29 RBI, 12 BB, 34 K) #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 5 G, 3-for-14 (.214), 0-2B, 0-HR, 10 BB, 5 K (Season: 22 G, .268/.432/.394 (.826), 4-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 22 BB, 20 K) #20 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - Week/Season: 1 GS, 3.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 0.00 BB/9, 14.7 K/9) PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Infielder Mikey Perez, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Finally finding his name in the lineup nearly every day sure did wonders for Mikey Perez. Last week, he played in five games. He went 8-for-18 and hit .444/.524/.944 (1.468) with three doubles, two homers, and six RBI. He walked twice, and he went 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. On the season, he has played in 23 games. He is 18-for-73 and hitting .247/.382/.452 (.834) with six doubles, three homers, and 13 RBI. He is also 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts. Perez was the Twins 15th round pick in 2021 out of UCLA where his mom is one of the top college softball coaches in the country. Perez can play all over the field, but he has played mostly at second base in college and so far as a pro. He’s played some third base as well. He also is a solid shortstop, though with Noah Miller getting most of the playing time there. Pitcher of the Week: RHP David Festa, Ft. Myers Might Mussels David Festa worked the first six innings of the Mighty Mussels combined no-hitter this week. In those six innings, he walked two batters and struck out 11 batters. Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 out of Seton Hall University. As a junior, he went 6-4 with a 2.00 ERA. After signing, he pitched in two FCL games and two games with the Mighty Mussels. He impressed at Instructs by posting some impressive velocities on his fastball and slider. Through his first five starts of 2022, he is now 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA. In 24 innings, he has struck out 33 batters and walked just six batters. In his most recent start, he hit 99.1 mph. He not only should rocket up prospect rankings, but it’s very possible he moves up to Cedar Rapids in the near future. On Monday, Festa was promoted to Cedar Rapids. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments on the teams and players. View full article

On a night of severe weather in the Twin Cities, there was electricity throughout the Twins' farm system on Wednesday. From stellar pitching outings courtesy of the Saints and Mussels to offensive thunderstorms from Cedar Rapids, there were flurries of action across the farm. TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins selected the contract of RHP Yennier Cano from St. Paul Saints. SAINTS SENTINAL Box Score Columbus 6, St. Paul 5 (F/12) Despite a solid starting pitching outing and late-inning push, the Saints fell just short in extras to the Clippers on Wednesday night in Columbus. The Saints tallied three runs in the ninth inning to tout a 4-1 lead but ultimately fell short after giving up three runs in the bottom of the ninth and a walk-off in the 12th. The Saints struck first in the first thanks to a double from the red-hot Elliot Soto (6) who was later scored by a Curtis Terry RBI single. Terry continued his strong evening at the plate with a leadoff double (9) in the ninth and later scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jermaine Palacios. The Saints then rallied off of a pair of singles from Caleb Hamilton and David Banuelos to plate two more runs in the inning. The highlight story of the evening came from the arm of starting pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez. In his third start of the year, the Delray Beach native threw six no-hit innings on 88 pitches, striking out seven batters and walking four. Gonzales is 2-1 on the year and touts an impressive 2.45 ERA through two starts in May and a 1.16 WHIP on the year. WIND SURGE WISDOM Box Score Wichita 4, NW Arkansas 3 A dominant outing from Matt Canterino and a timely spread of extra-base hits propelled the Wind Surge to a 3-1 win against NW Arkansas on Wednesday night in Wichita. Perhaps the most highly touted pitching prospect in the organization, Canterino lived up to the hype on Wednesday, tossing four innings of scoreless ball with six strikeouts while only allowing two hits. After an injury-ridden 2021, Canterino has an incredible 1.31 ERA through seven starts in 2022. Wichita struck the scoreboard early thanks to a pair of doubles in the second inning. Forest Lake product Matt Wallner led off the inning with a two-bagger to center and was later scored thanks to a double by Michael Helman. The two-hit combo proved successful for Wichita again in the sixth. After a Dennis Ortega single, Leobaldo Cabrera launched a 3-1 pitch over the center-field wall to give the Surge a 3-0 lead and secure his first home run of the season. Wichita added to their lead in the ninth thanks to an Austin Martin triple that scored DaShawn Keirsey from first. The insurance run proved critical, with the Naturals mounting a three-run comeback in their last frame that would fall just short. Despite the comeback, Austin Schulfer cut off NW Arkansas' rally and earned his fifth save of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Box Score Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 1 A night after getting blown out, the Kernels returned the favor with a dominant win over Peoria on Wednesday afternoon. Cedar Rapids used a massive eighth inning with a trio of runs between the first and fifth innings to notch their league-leading 21st win of the young season. Cedar Rapids got the party started thanks to a two-out triple from Twins Daily Top 20 prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Three pitches later, Seth Gray laced a double to center field to put the Kernels on the board. Encarnacion-Strand had a stellar day at the office, going 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. The 22-year-old is now slashing an impressive .370/.430/1.032 on the year and already has 74 hits. The talented prospect would score his first run of the game in the fifth. Thanks to a pair of walks and a single from Encarnacion-Strand, the Kernels plated two runs thanks to RBI walks from Charles Mack and Alerick Soularie. With a two-run lead going into the eighth, the Kernels put the nail in the coffin. With the bases loaded thanks to a walk, throwing error, and hit-by-pitch, Morales delivered arguably his biggest hit of the year. On the first pitch of his at-bat, the La Victoria, Venezuela native crushed a grand slam over the left-center field wall (2) to break open the flood gates for Cedar Rapids. Starting pitcher Sean Mooney (W, 1-0) was excellent through five innings, striking out four while only allowing one run on four hits. Mooney pounded the zone all night, throwing 54 of his 68 pitches for strikes while allowing zero Peoria walks. Cody Lawyerson (H,3) was even more effective in the bullpen, tossing three innings of scoreless, no-hit ball while striking out two. Melvi Acosta sealed the deal with a scoreless ninth inning on the bump. MUSSEL MATTERS Box Score Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 0 It's tough to follow up a no-hitter. Yet the Fort Myers pitching staff provided a pretty darn good silver lining on Wednesday night. A night after a combined no-no, a combo of five Mighty Mussels pitchers propelled the ballclub to a masterpiece shutout win, allowing only three hits on the night. Starting pitcher Travis Adams (W, 2-0) was dominant through five, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out six. Adams has been stellar so far this year, posting a 1.80 ERA through five starts, all of which have been five innings. Malik Barrington, Regi Grace, and Matthew Swain (S,5) held the fort down for the Mussels' bullpen, tossing four innings of one-hit ball while striking out a combined eight Palm Beach batters. Fort Myers mustered together three runs thanks to five singles, a double, and a walk. And while the scoreboard may not have shown it, the Mussels totaled a whopping ten hits on the night. Eight of nine batters in the Fort Myers lineup tallied hits and Jake Rucker and Kyler Fedko each tallied multi-hit games. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids)- 3-for-4, 3B, R, BB Pitcher of the Day: Chi Chi Gonzales (St. Paul)- 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-5, 3B, RBI, #9 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K #10 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, RBI, K #16 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 3B, 2 R, BB #19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-for-3, 2 BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (11:05 CST) - RHP Jake Faria (0-2, 8.31 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland (3-1, 3.16 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (3-1, 5.82 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-1, 5.82 ERA) View full article

The Minnesota Twins have signed Chi Chi Gonzalez to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. This article will give you a look at Gonzalez’s background and what impact he might have on the team in 2022. Chi Chi Gonzalez is a 30-year-old, right-handed starting pitcher who has pitched over 260 innings as a starter (47 starts) and reliever (14 appearances) in the big leagues. He actually has ties to Twins General Manager, Thad Levine, who drafted him 23rd overall with the Texas Rangers in 2013, and made his major-league debut in 2015 with the club. He basically missed all of 2017 and 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery but has 44 appearances (34 starts) over the last three years with the Colorado Rockies. Over 184 1/3 innings since 2019, Gonzalez had an uninspiring 6.10/5.48 ERA/FIP and a 1.66 K/BB ratio, but this signing isn’t of the same ilk as some others that Twins fans may be used to from the last couple of offseasons. Gonzalez’s arsenal (if you want to call it that) consists of primarily three pitches: a 92 mile per hour fastball, an 86 mile per hour slider with below-average movement, and an effective 84 mile-per-hour changeup that drops off better than most. Completely speculating here, but I wonder if the Twins think they can tinker that slider to be more effective which is a huge project to take on based on his Baseball Savant profile shown below. Over the last two offseasons, fans have grown frustrated by the one-year “show me something” type deals that have been handed out to the likes of Homer Bailey, JA Happ, Matt Shoemaker, etc. This deal quite literally has no risk or obligation to the Twins being that it’s a minor league deal. While the Twins are rumored to be involved in talks with higher impact teams and players, the fact is that right now the Twins rotation and bullpen are MAJOR works in progress. While Gonzalez might not make the big league club, he provides added competition to various young guys we have in camp. And ultimately, he becomes a depth piece should our prospects show that they need some additional seasoning in the minor leagues. It’s not an exciting move in the least, but you shouldn’t be viewing this deal as some of the others. Realistically, this acquisition will have little to no impact on the season and the offseason should be defined by whether the Twins are able to close on any of those rumored deals. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email View full article