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Zebby Matthews Zebby Matthews Turns in another gem despite loss
Tue, May 19, 2026, 10:01 PM
Matthews (1-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Astros, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six over six innings.
Analysis: Matthews fell behind immediately, surrendering a two-run homer to Isaac Paredes before recording his first out of the night, but the right-hander settled in beautifully afterward. Over the next five innings, he allowed just three baserunners while consistently attacking the zone, throwing 66 of his 100 pitches for strikes. Despite the loss, Matthews has looked excellent since being recalled, limiting opponents to two runs with an 11:1 K:BB across 13 innings over his first two starts back in the majors. The 25-year-old is currently scheduled for a matchup against the White Sox next, the first in a two-start week. |
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Luke Keaschall Luke Keaschall Out of Tuesday's lineup
Tue, May 19, 2026, 5:41 PM
Keaschall is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros.
Analysis: Keaschall has an .813 OPS with an 11:10 BB:K through 15 games in May but will take a seat for Tuesday's contest. Byron Buxton (hip) is serving as the designated hitter, pushing Josh Bell to first base and Kody Clemens to second. |
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Emmanuel Rodriguez Emmanuel Rodriguez Needs surgery to repair thumb
Tue, May 19, 2026, 2:35 PM
Rodriguez needs surgery to repair UCL damage in his left thumb, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Rodriguez previously had surgery on his right thumb for an injury that cost him much of the 2024 season, and he dealt with a left thumb issue for part of the 2025 season. It's yet another injury concern for Rodriguez, who has yet to play 100 games in a minor-league season due to various injury problems. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Slated to miss 6-to-8 weeks
Tue, May 19, 2026, 2:30 PM
Jeffers needs surgery to remove a fractured left hamate bone and is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
Analysis: The Twins announced Jeffers' placement on the injured list earlier Tuesday, and surgery is typical for this type of injury. The timeline puts Jeffers on the shelf until around July 1 in a best-case scenario, and it's possible he won't make it back until after the All-Star break. In the meantime, Victor Caratini will receive the lion's share of the reps at catcher for Minnesota. |
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Byron Buxton Byron Buxton Rejoining lineup Tuesday
Tue, May 19, 2026, 2:29 PM
Buxton (hip) is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
Analysis: The 32-year-old center fielder hasn't seen the field in nearly a week due to right hip flexor soreness, but he'll return to the starting nine Tuesday versus Houston righty Lance McCullers. Buxton will attempt to pick up where he left off, as he was in the midst of a hot streak prior to the absence with 12 homers and a 1.075 OPS over his previous 20 games. |
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Travis Adams Travis Adams Called up Tuesday
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:51 AM
The Twins recalled Adams from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Analysis: The right-hander spent a few days with the Twins earlier this month before returning to St. Paul, and he's now back in the big leagues ahead of Tuesday's matchup with the Astros. Adams has surrendered three earned runs with a 5:2 K:BB over 3.2 frames in the majors this year. |
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Garrett Acton Garrett Acton Shifted to 60-day injured list
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:50 AM
The Twins transferred Acton (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Analysis: The Twins needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. Acton has been shelved since late April with a right shoulder strain and now won't be eligible to return until late June. |
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Alex Jackson Alex Jackson Up in big leagues
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:25 AM
The Twins selected Jackson's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
Analysis: The 30-year-old failed to make Minnesota's Opening Day roster but elected to stay with the organization at Triple-A St. Paul, and he'll now get a chance in the majors with Ryan Jeffers (hand) landing on the injured list. Jackson had a .763 OPS in 100 plate appearances with the Orioles in 2025 and should serve as the backup catcher to Victor Caratini while Jeffers is sidelined. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Suffers hamate bone fracture
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:18 AM
The Twins placed Jeffers on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a fractured left hamate bone, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
Analysis: The initial diagnosis when Jeffers was forced to depart Monday's game versus the Astros was that he suffered a sprained wrist, but a subsequent MRI revealed the hamate fracture. He's sure to require surgery and will likely need at least six-plus weeks of recovery time. Victor Caratini will take over as the Twins' primary catcher, and Alex Jackson has been summoned from the minors to provide depth. |
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Justin Topa Justin Topa Designated for assignment
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:12 AM
The Twins designated Topa for assignment Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Orlando Arcia. Topa is one of eight Twins relievers to notch a save this season, but he's been highly ineffective overall and particularly of late, yielding 12 runs across 5.1 innings in May. Given his $1.225 million salary, Topa is likely to pass through waivers unclaimed. |
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Orlando Arcia Orlando Arcia Added to roster
Tue, May 19, 2026, 11:00 AM
The Twins selected Arcia's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Arcia will give the Twins depth across the infield following Royce Lewis' demotion to St. Paul. The 31-year-old has slashed .318/.376/.556 with eight home runs over 39 contests with St. Paul this season. |
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Royce Lewis Royce Lewis Demoted Tuesday
Tue, May 19, 2026, 10:42 AM
The Twins optioned Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The third baseman struggled to a .671 OPS in 106 games last season and has been even worse in 2026 with a .163/.261/.279 slash line and 31.1 percent strikeout rate through 119 plate appearances, so the Twins will send him to Triple-A in hopes he can get back on track. Lewis has finally been able to stay fairly healthy the past two seasons but has been unable to replicate the .825 OPS he posted across his first 152 major-league games. Tristan Gray is likely to benefit with more chances at third base with Lewis sent down. |
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Simeon Woods Richardson Simeon Woods Richardson Makes first relief appearance
Tue, May 19, 2026, 9:47 AM
Woods Richardson struck out a batter and allowed one hit and one walk over a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in Monday's 6-3 win over the Astros.
Analysis: After Woods Richardson submitted an ugly 7.71 ERA and 1.86 WHIP through nine starts to begin the season, the Twins moved him to the bullpen for the start of their six-game week. In Woods Richardson's place, the Twins tabbed rookie Kendry Rojas as their starter for Monday's game. Though Rojas wasn't built up enough to handle a typical starter's workload and was lifted after tossing four scoreless frames, the Twins opted to use six bullpen arms to cover the final five innings rather than calling upon Woods Richardson to serve as a bulk reliever. Woods Richardson thus appears set to operate in a more flexible bullpen role moving forward, with most of his appearances likely to come in lower-leverage spots. |
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Josh Bell Josh Bell Pops two homers Monday
Tue, May 19, 2026, 8:56 AM
Bell went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four total RBI in Monday's 6-3 win over the Astros.
Analysis: Bell took Tatsuya Imai deep in each of his first two plate appearances, swatting a solo homer in the second inning before tagging the right-hander for a two-run shot in the fourth. Bell then singled home a run in the sixth, thereby driving in each of the Twins' first four runs of the game. Bell's two long balls snapped a 31-game home-run drought for the 33-year-old. On the season, he's slashing .223/.286/.361 with five homers, 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, one stolen base and a 14:43 BB:K across 182 plate appearances. Bell's .647 OPS is the lowest of his career. |
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Taylor Rogers Taylor Rogers Picks up save over Houston
Tue, May 19, 2026, 8:46 AM
Rogers earned the save in Monday's 6-3 win over the Astros, striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.
Analysis: Manager Derek Shelton tapped Yoendrys Gomez to begin the ninth inning, but Gomez walked two of his first three batters to bring the tying run to the plate. Rogers was called on to put out the fire, and he stuck out Yordan Alvarez before getting Christian Walker to ground out. It was Rogers' first save of the season, and he now owns a 3.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB across 18.2 innings. |
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Kendry Rojas Kendry Rojas Looks good across four innings
Tue, May 19, 2026, 8:40 AM
Rojas didn't factor into the decision Monday against the Astros, allowing two hits and one walk with three strikeouts across four scoreless innings.
Analysis: Minnesota slotted Rojas into the rotation in place of a struggling Simeon Woods Richardson, and the 23-year-old left-hander displayed plus stuff, generating 10 whiffs on 46 total pitches and averaging 96.0 mph with his fastball. The rookie should get another turn through the rotation after his strong showing Monday. Through his first 11.1 innings this season, Rojas owns a 1.59 ERA and 11:9 K:BB. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Suffers injury vs. Astros
Mon, May 18, 2026, 11:04 PM
Jeffers left Monday's game against Houston with an unspecified injury, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Jeffers was pulled from the game during his at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, though the nature of the injury is unclear at this time. He broke his bat on his first swing of the at-bat and didn't look comfortable afterward, and he eventually walked off the field to be evaluated further. Jeffers can be considered day-to-day until more information comes to light. |
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James Outman James Outman Filling in for banged-up Buxton
Mon, May 18, 2026, 6:25 PM
Outman will start in center field and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Astros.
Analysis: Outman will make his fifth consecutive start Monday, but he'll likely be headed to a bench role if Byron Buxton (hip) avoids a stint on the injured list and returns to the lineup within the next couple days. Though he's been on the roster all season, Outman has logged just 48 plate appearances, slashing .178/.229/.289 with zero home runs and four stolen bases. |
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Royce Lewis Royce Lewis Hitting bench amid rough spell
Mon, May 18, 2026, 6:22 PM
Lewis is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros.
Analysis: After recently making the tough choice to demote Matt Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul following a rough start to the season, the Twins could be facing a similar decision with Lewis. The 26-year-old has generally stayed healthy this season, but after going 2-for-11 with six punchouts during the Twins' weekend series versus the Brewers, he's now slashing an abysmal .163/.261/.279 with a career-worst 31.1 percent strikeout rate over 119 plate appearances. Tristan Gray will step in at third base Monday in place of the struggling Lewis. |
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Byron Buxton Byron Buxton Not starting in series opener
Mon, May 18, 2026, 3:22 PM
Buxton (hip) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros.
Analysis: Buxton will be relegated to the bench for a fifth straight game while he continues to recover from a sore right hip flexor. On a positive note, the Twins remain optimistic that Buxton will avoid a trip to the injured list, with manager Derek Shelton telling Dan Hayes of The Athletic that the veteran outfielder is "very close" to returning to the lineup. James Outman will cover center field in Buxton's stead Monday. |
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