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Connor Prielipp Connor Prielipp Earns win in return to rotation
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 8:11 PM
Prielipp (5-7) earned the win against the Guardians on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks with one strikeout over 5.1 innings.
Analysis: Prielipp benefited from a four-run third inning from the Twins' offense, and he filled the strike zone with 57 of 77 pitches despite generating only five whiffs. The 25-year-old has now yielded three earned runs or fewer in four straight outings, with his two prior appearances coming in bulk relief. He owns a 5.24 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 117:40 K:BB across 113.1 innings in his rookie campaign and lines up to face the Angels next weekend, though it's unclear in what role that may be. |
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Emmanuel Rodriguez Emmanuel Rodriguez Homers in first career plate appearance
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 8:00 PM
Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Guardians.
Analysis: Rodriguez wasted no time getting acclimated to the majors, launching a 420-foot blast in his first career plate appearance in the third inning. With Byron Buxton set for season-ending hip surgery and the Twins slipping in the American League Wild Card race, the 23-year-old could have a chance to earn regular playing time down the stretch after slashing .262/.414/.500 with 11 homers, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored and seven steals across 220 Triple-A plate appearances this season. |
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A.J. Minter A.J. Minter Earns first save
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 7:51 PM
Minter earned the save against the Guardians on Saturday, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.
Analysis: With Yoendrys Gomez struggling in a loss Friday, Minter was summoned to preserve a one-run lead in the ninth inning Saturday and did so on 16 pitches. It was likely just a matchup play, as the southpaw's last save came May 13, 2024. On the season, he owns a 2.01 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 36:7 K:BB across 40.1 innings with the Mets and Twins. |
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Kaelen Culpepper Kaelen Culpepper Exits after HBP
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 4:22 PM
Culpepper was removed from Saturday's game against the Guardians after getting hit on the back by a pitch, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Culpepper was taken out of the game immediately after taking a 95-mph fastball off his upper back in the third inning. He was diagnosed with a shoulder contusion after X-rays came back negative following his removal, per Audra Martin of Twins.tv, though Ryan Kreidler could still benefit from an uptick in at-bats if Culpepper sits out a day or two beyond Saturday. |
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Walker Jenkins Walker Jenkins Idle Saturday
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 1:36 PM
Jenkins isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians.
Analysis: The Guardians are expected to use Joey Cantillo in bulk relief Saturday, so the lefty-hitting Jenkins will begin the game on the bench while Austin Martin, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Luke Keaschall start across the outfield. |
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Trevor Larnach Trevor Larnach Day off Saturday
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 1:34 PM
Larnach isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Cleveland.
Analysis: Larnach will move to the bench Saturday with left-hander Joey Cantillo expected to pitch in bulk relief once opener Daniel Espino exits the game. Austin Martin will start in left field and bat eighth. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Resting Saturday
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 1:31 PM
Jeffers isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians.
Analysis: Jeffers will get a break Saturday after slashing .270/.357/.730 with four homers, 12 RBI and seven runs scored across his last 10 games. Victor Caratini will pick up a start behind the plate and bat seventh. |
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Connor Prielipp Connor Prielipp Back in starting role Saturday
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 11:00 AM
Prielipp is slated to start Saturday's game against the Guardians in Minnesota.
Analysis: Prielipp made his last two appearances for Minnesota out of the bullpen, working in bulk relief behind opener Andrew Morris in a Sept. 1 win over the Tigers and then piggybacking starter Joe Ryan in Monday's 5-4 loss to Detroit. The Twins will separate Prielipp and Ryan and give them standalone starts to close out the weekend series versus the Guardians, though Prielipp will likely have his workload monitored to some degree. The Twins skipped Bailey Ober's turn in the rotation this week, but it's possible that he could be called upon to piggyback Prielipp on Saturday. |
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Ben Ross Ben Ross Relegated to Triple-A
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 9:32 AM
The Twins optioned Ross to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday.
Analysis: The Twins promoted Ross from Triple-A when rosters expanded at the beginning of September, but he's since appeared in only three games and struck out three times in his four at-bats. He'll now return to the minors to make room for Emmanuel Rodriguez, who was recalled from St. Paul in a corresponding move. |
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Emmanuel Rodriguez Emmanuel Rodriguez Recalled from Triple-A
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 9:27 AM
The Twins recalled Rodriguez from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday.
Analysis: Rodriguez is one of the top prospects in the Twins organization, and he's now earned his first promotion to the majors after slashing .262/.414/.500 with 11 homers, 32 RBI, 36 runs scored and 11 steals across 49 games at Triple-A. The 23-year-old doesn't have an obvious path to regular playing time in the majors, though he is capable of covering all three outfield positions. Ben Ross was sent down to Triple-A in a corresponding move. |
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Yoendrys Gomez Yoendrys Gomez Tagged with loss Friday
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 8:13 AM
Gomez (2-3) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and two walks over one-third of an inning Friday against the Cleveland. He didn't record a single strikeout.
Analysis: Gomez entered the game in the top of the ninth inning but was largely ineffective, throwing just 12 of his 21 pitches for strikes and quickly running into trouble. He walked Bazzana before Angel Martinez doubled, and then Gomez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Bazzana to score the go-ahead run. Brayan Rocchio followed with a two-run double that stretched Cleveland's advantage to three, and Gomez was removed after retiring just one of the five batters he faced. Gomez saw his run of four consecutive scoreless outings come to an end, and while he's posted seven scoreless appearances over his last nine, he's given up seven runs in that span. One subpar outing won't remove Gomez from his closing duties, however, especially since he's gone 22-for-22 in save chances in 2026 while posting a 3.92 ERA through 59 appearances in 2026. |
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Taj Bradley Taj Bradley Six scoreless frames in no-decision
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 8:07 AM
Bradley didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Guardians after allowing one hit and four walks while striking out six over six scoreless innings.
Analysis: Bradley worked around some early control issues, as he walked the leadoff hitter in each of the first three innings without allowing Cleveland to capitalize. Travis Bazzana supplied the Guardians' only hit against him with a leadoff single in the fourth, and no runner advanced beyond second base during Bradley's six frames. Bradley has allowed one or fewer earned runs in three of his last five starts, but he gave up four earned runs in both of the other two outings in that span. The strikeouts have been piling up -- he's on a run of five straight outings with at least six punchouts. Bradley is lined up to make his next start at home against the Yankees. |
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Byron Buxton Byron Buxton Set for season-ending hip surgery
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 3:59 PM
Buxton will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Sept. 18, Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reports.
Analysis: Buxton has been on the 10-day injured list since late August with a hip injury that's bothered him off-and-on throughout the 2026 campaign. It's positive news that the surgery is arthroscopic, as that should give Buxton plenty of time to recover before spring training. Buxton will finish this season with a .254/.319/.511 batting line with 25 home runs and seven stolen bases over 93 games. With Buxton officially done for the season, Walker Jenkins will continue to man center field for Minnesota. |
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Trevor Larnach Trevor Larnach Idle Friday
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 3:48 PM
Larnach is absent from Friday's starting lineup against the Guardians.
Analysis: The left-handed-hitting Larnach will sit as the Guardians send out southpaw Parker Messick to the mound Friday. Austin Martin will move over to left field and bat eighth for Minnesota. |
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Gabriel Gonzalez Gabriel Gonzalez Relegated to Triple-A
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 5:10 PM
The Twins optioned Gonzalez to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday.
Analysis: With Austin Martin (hamstring) returning from the injured list Thursday, Gonzalez will end up as the odd man out of a spot on the Twins' 28-man roster. The 22-year-old went 2-for-8 with two walks while appearing in seven games for the Twins, and he'll likely play out the rest of the season at St. Paul, barring an injury to another one of Minnesota's outfielders. |
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Austin Martin Austin Martin Back from injured list
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 5:06 PM
The Twins reinstated Martin (hamstring) from the injured list Thursday.
Analysis: Martin landed on the injured list Aug. 17 with a strained left hamstring but has been playing in rehab games at Triple-A St. Paul since Tuesday. After going 3-for-8 with a triple, three RBI and a run scored, the 27-year-old will now return to the active roster and provide depth to Minnesota's outfield corps. Gabriel Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. |
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Zebby Matthews Zebby Matthews Chased early in Wednesday's loss
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 5:34 PM
Matthews (9-10) took the loss Wednesday as the Twins fell 7-2 to the Tigers, coughing up five runs on two hits and four walks over 2.1 innings. He struck out two.
Analysis: Two runs in the first inning and three more in the third chased Matthews from the mound after just 58 pitches (27 strikes) in his shortest outing of the season, one that was delayed by an hour and 40 minutes prior to the first pitch. It was a tough pill to swallow for the right-hander after he'd lasted at least five innings in eight straight starts, posting a 3.64 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 39:12 K:BB over that stretch as he built a case for a rotation spot in 2027. The loss drops Minnesota to five games back of a wild-card spot with 16 to play, and four other teams they'd need to move past to make the postseason. Matthews lines up to make his next start at home next week against the Yankees. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Getting breather during day game
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:55 AM
Jeffers is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Detroit.
Analysis: Jeffers had started nine consecutive contests at catcher, so he's earned a day to rest during Wednesday's matinee. Victor Caratini will be behind the plate and will bat eighth in the rubber match. |
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Kody Clemens Kody Clemens Slugs homer No. 25
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:36 AM
Clemens went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.
Analysis: The 30-year-old slugger played hero Tuesday, taking Drew Anderson deep in the sixth inning to flip the script on a 2-1 deficit. Clemens has reached 25 homers on the season for the first time in his career, and four of them have come in the last 11 games -- a stretch in which he sports a .243/.370/.568 slash line with seven RBI and eight runs. |
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Yoendrys Gomez Yoendrys Gomez Notches 22nd save
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:34 AM
Gomez struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 22nd save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Tigers.
Analysis: The 26-year-old remains perfect in converting save chances this season as an unlikely savior for a shaky Twins bullpen. Since the All-Star break, Gomez has pocketed 11 saves and a win in 18 innings with a 3.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 19:13 K:BB. |
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