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The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Matt Wisler from the Seattle Mariners. The Twins are Wisler's fourth organization in 2019.Matt Wisler is a 27-year-old who began the year with the Cincinnati Reds. Before the season started, he was traded to the Padres. He pitched in 21 games out of the bullpen and posted a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings. On July 4th, he was purchased by the Mariners from the Padres. He finished the season with 23 appearances for the Mariners. In 22 1/3 innings, he posted a 6.04 ERA. In 51 1/3 total innings, he walked just 16 batters while striking out 63 batters. Wisler was the 7th round draft pick of the San Diego Padres out of high school back in 2011. He became a Top 100 prospect nationally before the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He was traded to Atlanta at the start of the 2015 season in a package that sent Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton to the Padres. Wisler made 19 starts in 2015 and 26 starts in 2016. Since then, he's mostly pitched out of the bullpen and struggled. But there are reasons to like this claim. As Parker notes, he has become a slider pitcher. Wisler is out of options, so should he remain on the Twins roster through spring training, he will need to remain on their 26-man roster or be put through waivers. Earlier this week, the Twins announced that they had DFAd outfielders Ryan LaMarre and Ian Miller, and infielder Ronald Torreye. Click here to view the article

In a rain-shortened game, the Twins didn’t have much trouble beating the Royals by 6-2 in Kansas City, opening their final series of the regular season. The AL Central champs won their fifth consecutive game and also made history tonight, as they have reached, only for the second time in club history, the 100-win mark.Box Score Berríos: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 61.6% strikes (61 of 99 pitches) Home Runs: Sanó (34), LaMarre (2) Multi-Hit Games: Sanó (2-for-4, HR), Cruz (3-for-4, RBI), LaMarre (2-for-3, HR) Top 3 WPA: Sanó .193, Cruz .117, Berríos .100 Bottom 3 WPA: Astudillo -.063, Cron -.059, Torreyes -.056 The Twins 100th win is not only remarkable for the club itself, but even more for Rocco Baldelli. The rookie manager has now become only the seventh manager in baseball history to win at least 100 games in their first season as a manager. Baldelli is a top candidate to win the AL Manager of the Year award, two years after Paul Molitor did the same with Minnesota. With two games left, the Twins can still match the club record, held by the 1965 Twins, who won 102 games. They made it all the way to the World Season that year. Bats take care of business early Off to a great start, the Twins were able to put runs on the board very quickly. Before the Royals could record an out in the game, Minnesota’s top four batters reached on three singles and a walk. Nelson Cruz drove in his 107th RBI of the year, followed by and RBI-single by Eddie Rosario, driving in his 109th, giving the Twins a quick 2-0 lead. After the Royals put their first run on the board, it was time for the Twins top of the order to be back in the box and they did more damage. Miguel Sanó got his second hit of the night, jumping on the second pitch of his at-bat, blasting a two-run home run into the fountains. This home run gave Sanó a new career high in RBI (79), breaking his former personal record (77) of 2017. Ryan LaMarre made his contribution too. Royals starter Eric Skoglund had retired two batters, in what would have been his first scoreless inning of the night. But The Sire had other plans and took him deep with a two-run shot, making it 6-1 Twins. LaMarre’s dinger helped put an end to Skoglund’s night after only three innings. Berríos achieves personal milestone There was talk about José Berríos having his pitch count limited in this game. But that possibility vanished once he finished the fifth inning two outs away from reaching the 200-inning mark for the first time in his career. All it took him was five pitches, when he nearly induced a double play. He went on to strike out his last regular season batter and to display a lot of emotion by doing so. Berríos’ final line could have been even better, if it wasn’t for a couple of errors in the outfield, which allowed the Royals to score twice. The rain interrupted the game in the middle of the seventh inning and therefore it was suspended, giving Berríos a complete game. “La Makina” concludes his 2019 season going 14-8, with 200 1/3 innings pitched and a career best 3.68 ERA, while striking out 195 batters. Berríos became only the fourth Twins pitcher this decade to reach 200 innings in a season. Carl Pavano did it twice (2010 and 2011) and Phil Hughes (2014) and Ervin Santana (2017) each did it once. Yankees ahead in the HR count Sanó and LaMarre hit home runs numbers 302 and 303 on the year for the Twins, but the New York Yankees hit five dingers in their game against the Rangers and now have 304. Both teams still have two games to decide who will keep the record. Postgame With Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

How did that happen? Am I being pranked? OK, this is nuts, but I swear that I just saw the starting lineups for tonight, and Ryan LaMarre is starting for the Twins in center field. Now, I’m aware that Byron Buxton is out for the season and the rest of the outfield is hurt, slumping or both (Hurlumping? Slurting?), but this can’t be right, can it?I’ve done some Googling, and there are definitely stories saying that the Twins reacquired him from Atlanta, but I’ve also seen stories on those “deepfake” videos that make you think Bill Hader is Tom Cruise, and the latter honestly seems more likely. Someone would have said something. Not to brag, but I’m friends with John Bonnes. Not to double brag, but I text back and forth with him from time to time. He’s an avid Twins fan. And he didn’t say a damn thing to me about this. What I think happened was, the last time the Twins were in a pennant race, Ron Gardenhire had Jason Tyner bat in the middle of the order. Now, Jason Tyner is known for three things: Having a middle name that’s just a backwards spelling of his last name;Having his bobblehead day called off because he was demoted; andNot being the kind of hitter one would normally see in the middle of any playoff-contending team’s batting order. He had one career home run. One.And yet, here he was, batting fifth in games that mattered. On television, where children could see it! My theory is that the Twins are finally back in a real playoff battle, and are paying tribute to this unprecedented event in Twins history. Since bringing back Tyner, now 42 and retired, would make it too obvious that it was a bit, the Twins are using a more recent “oh yeah, that guy, the one with the 5 o'clock shadow at 10 in the morning” to have some fun with their fans. I applaud their effort and look forward to seeing who is really getting the nod in center tonight! UPDATE, FRIDAY MORNING, 9:07 AM: This was not a bit. They also played Ronald Torreyes. I don't understand anything anymore. Click here to view the article

The Twins announced this morning that they have acquired outfielder Ryan LaMarre from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash.The Twins acquired OF Ryan LaMarre, and based on reports, he is at Target Field. He will take the 40-man roster spot of Michael Pineda and be activated by the Twins. On Saturday, the Twins lost Pineda to a 60-Game Suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. Eddie Rosario is nursing a hamstring injury. Max Kepler likely will need time off for his various minor injuries. Jake Cave has missed two games after his Friday night injury. Byron Buxton's shoulder injury. Marwin Gonzalez is out. Outfield depth will be nice to have. While these guys can and have continued to play in their roles, each could benefit from added rest. If the Twins can find a way to get more rest for them, especially if they are able to clinch early, it would be great heading into the playoffs. Of course, because he was added to the organization after September 1st, LaMarre is not eligible to be on the Twins playoff roster. LaMarre spent the 2019 season with Gwinnett, the AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He hit .311/.380/.477 (.857) with 24 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs. He also stole 19 bases and plays well in the outfield, including centerfield. He was set to be a free agent following the World Series. As you recall, LaMarre's in-laws live in the Twin Cities. Maybe he was around and it worked out well for him and for the Twins. Interesting that the Twins went this direction rather than calling up a prospect like Brent Rooker who needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season. Rooker missed the final month-and-a-half of the Triple-A season with a groin injury. He had just begun a rehab assignment with the GCL Twins when that season was cancelled. (Note - I was wrong... Rooker does not need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason. My apologies. However, you do have to wonder, if he was healthy, if that might have been the move.) Click here to view the article

The Twins sent out one of the strangest lineups we've seen all season and eventually even Ian Miller and Ryan LaMarre worked their way in there for this Twins loss. The opener strategy was deployed again headlined by Randy Dobnak and Devin Smeltzer, but it did not go as well this second time around. The Twins lost this game and series to the Indians.Box Score Dobnak: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 67% strikes (22 of 33 pitches) Bullpen: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Home Runs: None Multi-Hit Games: None Top 3 WPA: LaMonte Wade jr. (0.13), Ryne Harper (0.03), Fernando Romero (0.02) Bottom 3 WPA: Cron (-0.10), Dobnak (-0.10), Polanco (-0.09) Clevinger dominates against strange Twins lineup The Twins have been hit with the injury bug a frustrating amount of times this season, and that was on full display today. By the second inning, only three Twins players in the lineup were in the lineup on Opening Day. The Twins did what was expected with this lineup against the elite Mike Clevinger by getting just four hits over 6 1/3 innings. Max Kepler left the game after a first inning at-bat that had him feeling some upper chest pain, and Ian Miller got his first career at-bat. He struck out and was eventually replaced by Twins legend Ryan LaMarre. Through seven innings no Twin had more than one hit and a bases-loaded opportunity went to waste. The Twins did get a bit of offense off of Clevinger with this Mitch Garver home run. Twins opener not as successful the second time around The Twins broke out their first real opener last week against Boston and saw the Dobnak/Lewis Thorpe combination lead to a win, but today did not go as well. Dobnak started again but gave up two runs, and then his replacement was Smeltzer, who also gave up two runs. With Michael Pineda suspended, Kyle Gibson on the IL, Jose Berrios struggling, and Martin Perez being a huge question mark, the opener strategy will likely be utilized by the Twins down the stretch. It may even be used in the playoffs so hopefully they can get a solid rotation or combination going to see what works. Indians bullpen finishes off the game The Twins were finally able to get Clevinger out of the game, and they were threatening to get back in to it. After loading the bases with one out, C.J. Cron and Mitch Garver both struck out swinging. As a team, the Twins are hitting just .215/.221/.318 with the bases loaded. Also, the Twins lead all of baseball in wOBA, but they are somehow last in wOBA with the bases loaded. Baseball is weird. The eighth inning was easy for the Indians as Oliver Perez set down the side 1-2-3, and then Brad Hand and his 6.00 second-half ERA came in to finish it off. Luis Arraez hit a ball 98 MPH with a .400 xBA but Greg Allen made a great catch to rob him of a double. Adrianza flew out, Wade was hit by a pitch, Schoop walked, and 2018 Twins legend Ryan LaMarre stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game ... He struck out. Twins fall to 5.5 games over the Indians The Twins basically just had to go 3-3 over these last six against the Red Sox and Indians and they did exactly that. Now moving on to six more tough games against Washington and Cleveland, the Twins should just go 3-3 again to secure the division. What is your panic level? I mean it shouldn’t be high except for the absurd amount of injuries, but let me know in the comments and I’ll discuss with you. Twins lose the series two games to one against the division rival Indians. Postgame with Baldelli Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article

Chris Sale was his usual amazing self, but Jose Berrios kept the Twins in the game and Eduardo Escobar worked his Fogo magic once again. This one was scoreless through five, and Boston actually struck first. Things were tied up at 2-2 before the Twins broke out with a four-run bottom of the eighth inning.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Starting Pitcher: 59 Game Score, 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 K, 3 BB, 58.1% strikes Bullpen: 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB Lineup: 3-for-9 w/RISP, 3 LOB Top three per WPA: Escobar .491, Berrios .193, LaMarre .112 Download attachment: WinEx619.png The Red Sox are one of only three teams averaging more than five runs per game (along with the Yankees and Astros). Most of that feasting has been done against right-handed pitching. Not tonight. This wasn’t the best start of Berrios’ young career, but the way he continued to work out of trouble against a great offense was impressive. He walked the leadoff hitter in two separate innings. He gave up back-to-back singles in the fourth. It didn’t matter. The only run Boston got off Jose was a solo homer by Rafael Devers in the sixth inning. Escobar is simply unbelievable. Right after the Red Sox took that 1-0 lead, Escobar hit a two-run double (of course) to put the Twins on top. That was Eduardo’s 31st double. Boston managed to tie the game again in the eighth, but Esky was there to set things straight once again. Ryan LaMarre drew a leadoff walk and Joe Mauer was hit by a pitch. After Eddie Rosario flew out, Escobar hit a single* to center. An error allowed both LaMarre and Mauer to score and Eduardo hustled all the way around to third base. Robbie Grossman followed with an RBI triple to put this game away. *The official scorer’s ruling has been changed to a double. That seems a little generous to me, but hey it gives Double E 32 two-baggers on the year. That’s a pretty solid season total! While they're at it, maybe the official scorers should also credit Escobar with the victory The biggest two outs of this game may have been the two Trevor Hildenberger was able to record. Berrios was lifted after he hit a batter with one out in the seventh. Hildy came in and walked the first batter he faced, then he got Xander Bogaerts to ground out. The Twins were holding a one-run lead at that point, and with two down and runners at second and third the call was to let Hildenberger pitch to J.D. Martinez. He struck him out. Zach Duke gave up the game-tying run in the eighth, but he’ll end up being credited with the win thanks to the big comeback. Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation. Postgame With Molitor The next time I turned the game on, the Twins were up 6-2. The good news is Andrew is going to be handling the game recap tomorrow, so put all your money on the Twins Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins were in the 9th inning of another lackluster offensive performance today against the Detroit Tigers. Despite a wonderful outing from starter Lance Lynn, Minnesota found themselves trailing 3-1 in the final frame. With 2 outs, a runner on, and Miguel Sano on the bench...Jake Cave hit for himself. It was at that moment the Twins had solidified their decision. Miguel Sano needed to go. Immediately following the game, it was announced that the slugging third basemen would be sent to High-A Fort Myers. He wasn't going to Triple-A Rochester, or Double-A Chattanooga. Instead, he was headed all the way down to Florida. Both the Red Wings and Lookouts have roster space for the Twins third basemen, so this move is no accident. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have sent the message to Sano that it's time to get right or get gone. In Fort Myers, Sano will be surrounded by the Twins complex, and monitored and a pretty small microscope. He's going to need to figure out how to ditch the terrible check swinging habit, learn to pick up pitches again, and decide that this shell of a player is not who he wants to be. While the former two issues are big ones, it's the latter that remains the most frustrating for me. Over the course of his career, Sano has relied on natural talent, casting aside an ability to work hard and elevate himself to heights that a player of his caliber should be reaching. As I've stated in this space before, weight has never been the issue for Sano, but instead the message in regards to what he expects from himself. At some point, and the Twins hope this is it, the Dominican native is going to have to push for more. There's a really, really good ballplayer in there, but he'll need to be the one to find it. The move surrounding Sano isn't unexpected, and it's likely the correct one. My estimation would be that recently acquired Taylor Motter will come up to take over as the bench utility player. Motter has done little-to-nothing at Triple-A for the Mariners and Twins this year, but with Robbie Grossman and Bobby Wilson on the pine, Paul Molitor needs an infielder. Motter can play all over the diamond, and should be plenty capable of spelling regulars over the next couple of weeks. If there's a less than ideal wrinkle to the whole situation, it's that Jake Cave was again sent back to Rochester. He's been better than Ryan LaMarre, there's reason to believe his ceiling presents a significantly more appealing skillset, and LaMarre has been relatively awful on his own accord. Minnesota has turned from a contender into a pretender. This team is scuffling at the very least, and keeping LaMarre around for the story he was during spring training is silly. There's no track record to suggest he's anything more than a quad-A type player, and Paul Molitor isn't doing this lackluster lineup any favors by running him out there. When the dust settles, Minnesota will welcome Mauer back with open arms. He isn't going to cure all the warts this team currently has, but it's definitely a positive to have him back in the fold. Negative as it may be right now, Sano deciding to invest in himself long term is the best development Minnesota could get out of this season. Hopefully Cave will get another shot to prove his worth soon. It was a busy day in Twins Territory to say the least. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Ehire Adrianza has no business playing shortstop everyday, and Gregorio Petit has no business on an MLB roster. Ryan LaMarre should be nothing more than a fourth outfielder and pinch runner. And it’s way past time for the Minnesota Twins to call up Nick Gordon. This was originally published at FoulPlaybyPlay.com. The Ehire Adrianza Problem On Wednesday night in Minneapolis, Ehire Adrianza started at shortstop because Logan Morrison’s back was still a bit stiff, moving Miguel Sano to first base and Eduardo Escobar to third. Miguel playing first makes a lot of sense, but Adrianza being in the lineup with Gordon hitting .357 at AAA Rochester just doesn’t compute. Adrianza even had two doubles and drove in a run before booting a ball that led to a four-run sixth inning. Adrianza wasn’t given an error on the play. How I don’t know, but it was the play that forced the Twins to go to its bullpen, specifically, the overused Ryan Pressly. Pressly has appeared in 31 of the Twins’ 58 games, and he’s starting to show signs of fatigue. In his last three appearances, he’s allowed three earned runs over two innings, allowing four hits and a walk. The Pressly problem I’ll save for another rant. This rant is about never seeing Gregorio Petit and Ehire Adrianza in Twins uniforms again. Even if Gordon struggles to hit in the bigs, which hasn’t been a problem for him at any level, he’s better defensively and on the bases than Petit and Adrianza right now. Gordon is an Upgrade Defensively at Shortstop Adrianza is three runs below average over 1,200 innings at shortstop. Petit is 48 runs below average over 1,200 innings. And while I don’t have access to the same stat for Gordon, Baseball Reference does tell me his range factor per game (3.46) is higher than Adrianza’s (3.28) and Petit’s (2.67). Gordon is an Upgrade on the Bases It’s also safe to assume Gordon to be a better base runner than both Adrianza and Petit. I can’t tell you how many runs Gordon is worth on the bases, but I can tell you he’s faster than Adrianza and Petit. Baseball Prospectus’ editor Aaron Gleeman indicates as much with regards to Adrianza on Twitter. Adrianza and Petit have each cost the Twins a run on the bases this season and have combined for three stolen bases on four attempts. Gordon is seven of 11 on stolen base attempts this year. Gordon is an Upgrade at the Plate I know what you’re thinking: “It doesn’t matter how good Gordon is on the bases if he’s not on base.” Well, his batting average at AAA is higher than Adrianza’s on-base percentage and Petit’s batting average. Gordon is hitting .357 with an on-base percentage of .379. Adrianza’s on-base percentage sat at .281 at the time of this writing, and Petit’s average is .308 in 30 plate appearances. The Lineup with Gordon Assuming Morrison and Joe Mauer become available soon, which seems to be the case, you might think Adrianza’s playing time will diminish, and that’s true. But until Byron Buxton is healthy, which could take considerable time, LaMarre will still play center field, where Max Kepler is 35 runs above average over 1,200 innings to LaMarre’s -56. That’s a difference of 91 runs over 135 games. I don’t know about you, but I’d also rather have Nick Gordon’s bat in the lineup instead of LaMarre’s. LaMarre might be hitting a respectable .288 with a .681 OPS, but just three of his 18 hits have gone for extra bases. Consider this: Joe Mauer, 1B Brian Dozier, 2B Eddie Rosario, RF Miguel Sano, 3B Eduardo Escobar, LF Max Kepler, CF Logan Morrison, DH Mitch Garver, C Nick Gordon, SS I think this lineup is better defensively, better on the bases and better at the plate than Paul Molitor’s, but I’m not the reigning American League Manager of the Year. Molitor might not be able to convince president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine to call up Gordon, and I don't know what they're doing claiming Taylor Motter, but Molitor should be in their ear every day, because it’s way past time for the Minnesota Twins to call up Nick Gordon.

The Minnesota Twins had to place Byron Buxton back on the disabled list as of May 30. Playing through a broken toe, the pain was simply too much to bear and the decision needed to be made. With center field now up for grabs at the big league level, there appears to be a set of players that could make a lot of sense.First and foremost, the Buxton injury is unfortunate. Back when he first returned from the DL, I was on record as being fine with the decision to skip a rehab stint. Knowing full well that would negatively impact his hitting, the reality was that the outfield was a mess the more often they played without his defense. With the Twins having had the accurate information on the fracture far longer than the public , it’s irresponsible that Buxton was allowed to play despite not being able to swing comfortably. It’s one thing to play through pain, but Minnesota allowing Buxton to jeopardize himself further i\\was silly. What’s done is done at this point however, and Paul Molitor needs to move on with his lineup. The pitching has been there for this club most of the season, and it’s been the lineup that has simply fallen flat. What’s worse is that there aren’t going to be any promotions that immediately spark some sort of a turnaround. Sure, Nick Gordon could’ve (and should’ve) been promoted while Miguel Sano was on the DL. Outside of that though, the Minnesota doesn’t have any offensive impact prospects that present a groundbreaking opportunity. In the wake of Buxton’s injury, there is an opportunity to capitalize on a spark and provide potential future benefits however. Both Zack Granite and LaMonte Wade exist for Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. Following a similar thought process as to why Buxton was activated without a rehab stint, defense is obviously of integral importance for the Twins. Understandably, neither Wade nor Granite will be on par with the best defensive outfielder in the world, but they are also (specifically Granite) capable of playing at a high level on their own. The reality is that the Twins current roster construction forces journeyman Ryan LaMarre to either start in center on a regular basis, or pushes one of the corner guys over to accommodate Robbie Grossman playing in LF. The former option isn’t an awful one defensively, but there’s no upside. After a hot start, LaMarre has hit .111/.126/.111 in his last 31 plate appearances. On top of that, he’s 29 and not part of future plans. Looking at the latter option, there’s not much convincing that needs to take place to argue that Grossman doesn’t belong anywhere with a glove on. Both Granite and Wade have recently returned from time on the disabled list this season, and Zack is hardly producing at the level he displayed during 2017 at Triple A. With just a .206/.292/.224 slash line for Rochester, there’s a lot left to be desired from what Granite is currently doing. That said, it’s his approach that gives him a chance (9/13 K/BB), and he displayed an ability to at least handle big league pitching a season ago (40 G .237/.321/.290). Wade’s numbers are much more respectable (.295/.393/.439) but come at the Double-A level. The jump for a mid-tier prospect is a big one, and won’t come without hurdles. Regardless of what stock is put in either of Granite or Wade’s current numbers, future considerations make a move for one of them look so sensible. Either could slot in as a regular contributor on the 25-man roster in the next few years, and allowing them to get regular playing time while Byron is shelved seems like a no- brainer. Molitor’s current options leave a gaping hole in playing time, so neither prospect would be coming up simply to sit. It’d be somewhat foolish to expect Wade with his good numbers or Granite with his poor ones, to provide some sort of fix-it type spark to the Twins. Going forward though, there’s a significant benefit to getting them the reps currently doled out to LaMarre (or Grossman when he’s in RF) and watching them settle in against the best competition. Both players are on-base threats, and if they can push the envelope while Buxton is out, then you’ve got a decision to make on LaMarre or Grossman when Byron returns. At the end of the day, the Twins are doing themselves no favor by hoping Ryan LaMarre changes course on his career, while instead turning away from opportunities to challenge players with a potential future. Click here to view the article

After making the hard, but correct, decision to move on from Phil Hughes, the Twins put some roster shuffling into motion. Trevor May, Ervin Santana, and Miguel Sano are all due back to the big league roster in short order. Paul Molitor's club is putting some heat on the scuffling Indians and the time to strike for Minnesota is right now. How they construct the 25 man going forward remains somewhat up in the air, but here's a few guess on what things may look like. Phil Hughes replaced by Ryan LaMarre The outfielder is on his way back to the big leagues. After being a spring training surprise, LaMarre posted a .718 OPS across 38 plate appearances in 20 games for Minnesota. Since heading down to Rochester, he's continued to stay hot. At Triple-A, he has a .371/.436/.543 slash line across nine games and 39 plate appearances. The Twins don't really need six outfielders on the 25 man roster, and especially not with the talent embedded among their starting trio. That said, there's really no infield options that make sense here. It's too late for Nick Gordon as Sano isn't far off, and there aren't any more veteran placeholder types to call upon. This move could be short lived for LaMarre, but he appears to be destined for the 25th spot as of now. Jake Cave replaced by Trevor May While noting that LaMarre's time with the Twins could be short lived, it's also true that Cave could be the guy optioned in about a week. Trevor May is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 28, and every inclination is that he'll be activated that day. Having made starts with both Fort Myers and Rochester, May has been great in his seven innings pitched since returning from Tommy John surgery. The velocity has been there, and he's posted 10 strikes (with 5 walks), giving up just one run on four hits. Yes, he's working as a starter, but I just don't see room right now. Should the Twins tab May for the spot Hughes was occupying in the pen, he can continue to stay stretched out in working as the long man. With the ability to give Garvin Alston two or three innings of work at a time, May provides some nice bullets in relief and also doubles as a fallback option in a spot start scenario. Gregorio Petit replaced by Miguel Sano Just a bit further out than May, Sano's return looms for the Twins. He's yet to play a full nine innings in the field during his three game rehab stint, but that's the next hurdle he'll overcome. There's no doubt he's a big boy, and adding that wrinkle to a hamstring injury doesn't help things. If the malady is behind him though, Minnesota could use that extra thump in their lineup sooner rather than later. Once he's fully cleared, Sano should slide back in at third base moving Eduardo Escobar back to shortstop. It's unfortunate Escobar can't hack it defensively at short like he can at third, but the bat upgrade over Adrianza should be a noticeable one. Matt Magill replaced by Joe Mauer Here's where the dart throws begin in this whole process. First and foremost, we aren't sure when Mauer will be ready to return to the Twins lineup. Going on the DL effective May 19, the Twins first basemen is eligible to return on May 29th. Given his history of concussion related issues, it's far from certain that he'll be cleared in the given 10-day timespan. Ideally, Mauer returns in short order and provides Minnesota the Gold Glove caliber defense they've come to trust at first. It's hard to imagine he'd replace a position player, as the Twins bench would be significantly dwindled in that scenario. With eight relievers, Magill would seem to be the odd man out. He's posted a 1.54 ERA and 7.7 K/9 while owning a great 0.8 BB/9 across his 11.2 IP. A move like this would be just a tough luck situation for the reclamation relief project. TBD replaced by Ervin Santana Call it a cop out, but I'm not ready to put a name on this move. Simply put, the Minnesota Twins have way too many moving parts in the starting rotation to determine who Santana will replace just under a month from now. I'd be shocked to see him before the middle of June, and making his first rehab start this week, he'll need at least three or four good turns to be big league ready. Sure, it's an easy call if things stay like they are now. Lance Lynn being ineffective would bump him to the DL for a time and Santana could slot right in. Fernando Romero having his innings limited and being sent back to Triple-A could be an option. The real answer may have not yet presented itself and there may be an injury that allows Minnesota to have the decision made for them. The only thing worth banking on is that Santana will have a spot when he's ready. Where he slots in remains of little importance. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

It was a night of close games throughout the Twins minor league system. Rochester won a 2-0 decision behind a K-filled start by one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. The three other affiliates all played close, one-run games. Along with Stephen Gonsalves, the other starters on Friday included a current, former and potentially a future Top 10 Twins prospect. Find out how they all did.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS It’s been few and far between, but there were no transactions in the Twins farm system on Friday.However, following the Twins loss to the Brewers, they said that Miguel Sano will be joining the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday to start a rehab assignment.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Pawtucket 0 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves made two very strong starts in AAA before throwing a bit of a clunker in his third start. He responded well in his fourth start with 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out 11 batters. Alan Busenitz came on and got the next five outs. He walked one and struck out one. John Curtiss recorded his third save with two scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out three. There wasn’t a lot of offense, but just enough. Ryan LaMarre went 3-for-4 with his fourth double. He’s hitting .478 at AAA. Willians Astudillo hit his third home run. For the PawSox, Dustin Pedroia played his first rehab game. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Biloxi 2 Box Score Things went well for the Lookouts both early and then late. Nick Gordon hit a home run in the first inning, his fourth of the year, to give the Lookouts a 1-0 lead. Kohl Stewart made the start. He threw five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked four and struck out one. Ryan Eades pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but he gave up solo home runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. But in the top of the eighth, the Lookouts scored two runs, on back-to-back RBIs off the bats of Chris Paul and Ryan Walker. Williams Ramirez recorded his sixth save with a perfect ninth frame. Paul went 2-for-4 with his 12th double. Alex Perez went 2-for-4. Tanner English went 2-for-4. LaMonte Wade was out of the lineup after leaving the game in the sixth inning of Thursday night’s game after a collision with a wall. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, St. Lucie 2 Box Score On this day, the Miracle bats just were not able to get much going. They managed just three hits and one walk. Tyler Wells made the start for the Miracle. He was charged with two runs on five hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Andrew Vasquez came on and struck out four over 2 1/3 innings. He gave up four hits but no runs. Ryan Mason struck out two in a scoreless innings, and Hector Lujan worked a perfect ninth frame. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Clinton 7 Box Score Blayne Enlow put together arguably the best start of his season for the Kernels. The young right-hander gave up six hits, but no runs, in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. It was a rough outing for righty Nick Brown, however, In just one inning, he gave up seven runs on eight hits and a walk. Jose Martinez worked the final 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. The Kernels tried to make a comeback. In the eighth inning, they scored six runs (and just one was earned). The big blow came on a bases-clearing double off the bat of Ben Rortvedt. Trey Cabbage went 2-for-4 with his first triple. Alex Kirilloff was also 2-for-4. Jordan Gore went 2-for-3 and drove in a run. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Ryan LaMarre (3-4, 2B(4)) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Stephen Gonsalves (5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 2K #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 1-4, HR(4), 2 R, RBI #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K, 94 pitches, 63 strikes #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-5, R, K #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(6), 3 RBI SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Myles Jay (2-5, 5.22 ERA) Chattanooga @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) - RHP Omar Bencomo (3-0, 2.41 ERA) St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - Brady Anderson (0-4, 5.92 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:35 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (0-3, 2.76 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s full schedule of games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

It’s been 21 games but Byron Buxton will be back in the Twins lineup tonight. He was initially placed on the disabled list with migraines but then he suffered a hairline fracture in his big toe. The second injury occurred during a rehab game with the Fort Myers Miracle. To make room for Buxton on the roster, Ryan LaMarre was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. In his 20 games with the club, LaMarre hit .324. With Buxton back, what can fans expect from the speedy outfielder? Was skipping a rehab assignment a mistake?Buxton struggled out of the gate this season. In his first 11 games, he went 8-for-41 (.195 BA) at the plate with two extra-base hits, both doubles. He posted an 11 to 2 strikeout to walk ratio and his .233 on-base percentage is almost 60 points lower than his career mark. Minnesota’s wintery weather in the early season might have been to blame for some of his cold start. Now the Twins are getting back quite possibly the best defensive player in the game. Manager Paul Molitor was forced to use a smattering of other players as fill-in options in center field. There have been some misplayed balls and bad routes that hurt the team along the way so the pitching staff must be excited to have Buxton back. “I think everyone feels a little void when he’s not around,” Molitor told reporters. One has to question Minnesota’s decision not to send Buxton down for another rehab assignment. Over the last week, he has tested his ability to run and do other baseball activities. Even though he has been given the green light from the team’s doctors, his swing might not be ready for big league pitching. Buxton wasn’t exactly on fire prior to the injury. Fans have also seen how much his swing is based on timing. He’s dropped and added his swing’s leg-kick throughout the course of his career. Playing a handful of games against minor league pitchers could help Buxton to get some of his timing back. The Twins are scheduled to face the Angels top three pitchers, with Garret Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Shoehi Ohtani set to start three games out of the four game set. Saturday’s starter is still to be determined for LA. Skaggs is left-handed but Richards and Ohtani are both righties. For his career, Buxton has hit .235/.285/.404 against right-handed pitching. Do you think the Twins should have sent Buxton on another rehab assignment? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily This Dozier Recipe May be a New One Get to Know Miracle Catcher Taylor Grzelakowski How Good is Cleveland, Really Click here to view the article

Minnesota Twins affiliates went undefeated on Tuesday thanks in large part to big performances from a couple of top prospects and another who has spent time in the majors already. One of those top prospects extended his hitting streak and almost got to the plate once more for a chance at the cycle. After a rainout yesterday, a doubleheader was scheduled in Florida but only one of those games was played as the rain couldn’t stay away.Keep reading to find out how all of the Twins minor league players did on Tuesday and be sure to add to the discussion in the comments! RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 1, Rochester 9 Box Score The Red Wings got to the scoring early in this one after a Zack Granite single to lead off the game was followed by a Ryan LaMarre triple and a double from Jack Cave to put them out front 2-0. Cave scored on a Brock Stassi single to make it a three-run lead after the first inning. Syracuse got on the board in the top of the fourth, when starter Aaron Slegers gave up a solo home run to the first hitter of the inning, but retired the next seven men he faced before a single was erased on a double-play ball to end the top of the sixth and his day despite throwing just 73 pitches (47 for strikes). He allowed three hits and a walk in his six innings and struck out one. Nine of his fifteen outs came on ground balls. The game was 4-1 in favor of Rochester at that point as they tacked on a run in the fifth when LaMarre led off with a double and was driven in on a single from Kennys Vargas. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Wings strung together a barrage of hits to take control of the game 8-1. Five singles and another double from LaMarre accounted for the four runs in the frame. They’d make it 9-1 in the seventh after three singles to load the bases were followed by an RBI groundout from LaMarre. Tyler Duffey came on for the seventh and worked around a couple of two-out singles for a scoreless inning. Back out for the eighth he got a double-play ball as part of another scoreless frame. He allowed three hits and struck out one in his two innings. Gabriel Moya came on for the ninth and finished the game for Rochester. He gave up a double and walked one, but also picked up two strikeouts. The home team got hits from every batter in their lineup, and multiple hit efforts from seven of the nine. LaMarre led the way by going 3-5 with three runs scored, two doubles, a triple, and four runs batted in. Vargas and Stassi each drove in two while Granite singled three times in six trips and scored two runs. Taylor Featherstone also finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and a walk. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Tennessee 3, Chattanooga 11 Box Score It was a pitcher’s duel in this one for the game's first four innings, as Lookouts starter Randy LeBlanc’s zeroes on the scoreboard were matched by the Smokies’ Oscar De La Cruz. But the offense finally got to De La Cruz in the bottom of the fifth, knocking him out of the game as they took the lead and never looked back. Brian Navarreto and LaMonte Wade drew walks to put the first ducks on the pond in the inning, while Brent Rooker (RBI single), Zander Wiel (two-RBI single), and Edgar Corcino (RBI double) knocked them in to go ahead 4-0. LeBlanc surrendered a solo home run in the sixth that made it 4-1, but finished his outing with his fourth strikeout. He scattered seven hits and one walk over his six innings to pick up his sixth win and lowered his ERA to 2.14 on the season. Chattanooga added a run in the sixth on a sac fly from Rooker, then blew open the game in the seventh with five more. Those five runs came on Chris Paul’s first home run of the season, a two-run shot, an RBI single from Wade, and another base knock from Rooker to score two more for a 10-1 lead. Cody Stashak came on for the seventh and had a one-two-three inning, striking out two. He then got the first two outs of the eighth on strikeouts, but a couple of walks ended his appearance at 1 2/3 innings. Casey Crosby relieved him, and a passed ball scored one before he got a groundout to end the frame. A wild-pitch scored another for the Smokies in the ninth, but Crosby would finish the game with a strikeout. In 1 1/3 innings, Crosby walked three and struck out two. Rooker finished this one 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI, while Tanner English (2-4, R, 2B, SB) and Alex Perez (2-5, R, RBI) also added multiple hits to lead the offense. Corcino and Navarreto each drove in two and as a team the Lookouts went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Chattanooga improves to 25-14 on the season and are in first place in the Southern League North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Jupiter 0 (Game 1, 7 innings) Box Score In the first game of their scheduled doubleheader after their postponement on Monday, the Miracle got one big blast and excellent pitching to take down the Hammerheads. They went ahead 1-0 in the second inning, when Jimmy Kerrigan delivered his fourth home run of the season in the Florida State League, and fifth overall. The lineup as a whole delivered only five hits, with Taylor Grzelakowski finishing the game 2-for-3. Mark Contreras added a double, and Joe Cronin and Brandon Lopez each drew two walks. Fort Myers got a good start from right-hander Sean Poppen, who went the first five-plus innings to pick up his first win of the year. He scattered four hits and two walks, while striking out five. After surrendering a single to the leadoff man in the sixth, Andrew Vasquez was summoned to finish the game and picked up his third save in the process. In two scoreless innings, he struck out two and allowed only a single and a walk. After the completion of game one, rain again moved into the area and game two was postponed. It will now be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 4:00PM CST. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score The River Bandits and Kernels traded blows in the early going, getting through three innings with the score 4-3 in favor of the Kernels. Starter Edwar Colina made it through just three-plus innings as his pitch count was up to 78 after walking the first two batters of the fourth. He allowed three runs on four hits and four walks, but did strike out four. The Kernels scored three runs in the bottom of the first after a two-run home run from Alex Kirilloff, his sixth of the year, and an RBI single from Andrew Bechtold later in the inning. They took the lead back in the third on a Jean Carlos Arias grounder to score Kirilloff, who had singled leading off the frame. Nick Brown came on in relief of Colina and got out of the fourth inning without allowing either of his inherited runners to score, and pitchedinto the sixth. In his 2 1/3 innings, he gave up only a walk, but also a run as that batter scored after he was replaced by Jovani Moran. Moran also went multiple innings, allowing two hits and two walks while racking up four K’s in two innings. Tied 4-4 in the seventh, Kirilloff again was first up in the inning, and this time delivered a triple and scored on a sac fly to put Cedar Rapids in front again 5-4. Kirilloff would finish this one a double shy of the cycle in four trips to the plate, with three runs scored and two RBIs. His hitting streak is now up to 14 games and he has collected multiple hits in five of his last seven. Carlos Suniaga entered the game with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth but got out of the jam with the Kernels lead still intact by striking out one and inducing an infield popup. Jose Miranda added an insurance run for Cedar Rapids in the eighth, with his second home run of the season. Suniaga remained in for the ninth and got two ground ball outs before a solo home run made it a little more interesting, but he got the next batter to ground out as well to end the game and pick up his second save of the season. Although Moran was charged with a blown save, he also earned his first win of the year as the Kernels improved to 17-15. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red Wings (W, 6 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Alex Kirilloff, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-4, 3 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY 3. Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) – 0-4, R, BB, 2 K 5. Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 3 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI 7. Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 3-4, R, 4 RBI, K 10. Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, R, 2 BB 13. Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 1-3 14. LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K 17. Travis Blankenhorn (Fort Myers) – 0-3, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) – LHP Dietrich Enns (1-4, 5.96 ERA) Tennessee @ Chattanooga (10:15AM CST) – LHP Anthony Marzi (0-1, 2.03 ERA) Fort Myers @ Jupiter (DH @ 4:00 PM CST) – RHP Tyler Wells (3-1, 2.96 ERA), TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (Game 1 – 12:05PM CST) – LHP Tyler Watson (2-1, 3.22 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (Game 2 – 6:35PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (3-1, 4.91 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

The Twins played the Yankees. Should I even go on? Yes? Alright, Ryan LaMarre pitched for the Twins. Stop there? OK then.Snapshot (chart via FanGraphs) Download attachment: Snapshot423.png Download attachment: WinEx423.png The Twins got crushed, fell below .500 and have three more games to play at Yankee Stadium. At least Brian Dozier extended his season-opening hitting streak, I guess. The Yankees hit four homers and scored eight runs off the long ball. The Twins had six hits and eight total bases. The Yankees' No. 3 hitter, Didi Gregorius, drove in four runs on one swing. The Twins' No. 3 hitter, Miguel Sano, was 0-for-4. Jake Odorizzi gave up five runs on five hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings. But, the game wasn't completely out of hand when he exited, as the score was "only" 5-1 at that point. Alan Busenitz and Tyler Kinley had rough nights. Busenitz allowed a runner he inherited from Trevor Hildenberger to score and even gave up a pair of his own runs while recording just two outs. Kinley was clobbered for five runs and he only got one out. His ERA is up to 24.30. That set the scene for LaMarre to pitch. He topped out at 75.4 mph and gave up a home run over his 2/3 of an inning. Not quite Chris Gimenez yet, but the way the bullpen has performed of late, LaMarre may have some additional opportunities on the mound in his future. Bullpen Usage Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days: Download attachment: Bullpen423.png Next Three Games Tue at NYY, 5:35 pm CT Wed at NYY, 5:35 pm CT Thu at NYY, 12:05 pm CT Last Three Games TB 8, MIN 6: Twins Swept on Gomez Walk-off Homer TB 10, MIN 1: Snell Stifles Twins Bats TB 8, MIN 7: Playing The Wrong Notes More From Twins Daily Twins Minor League Report (4/23): Hunters Star In Cedar Rapids On Busy Night Twins at Yankees Series Preview The Art of Streaking: Analyzing Brian Dozier’s Hitting Streak Click here to view the article