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The month of August has been kind to Boston Red Sox players up and down the roster. The offense seems to be clicking again, even as the starting rotation and bullpen have taken a bit of a step backward. There’s one player that has really turned his stock around this month, and it may surprise you that I’m the one talking about it. That’s right, we’re here to give some flowers to Jarren Duran. I’m not here to tell you he’s rediscovered his 2024 self as we’re approaching the playoffs, but he’s looking mostly passable at the plate over the last three weeks and that needs to be celebrated. Thus far in August, Duran is slashing .250/.304/.484 with a .335 wOBA, 111 wRC+, and 0.4 fWAR. To go along with that, he’s hit four home runs, driven in six runs, scored 12 times, and swiped three bags. What’s arguably most impressive, though, is his hard-hit rate for the month has jumped up to 53.2%, second only to the 54.5% posted by Willson Contreras. Comparing those two is really just comparing apples to oranges, but if Duran is finally rediscovering how to be an effective offensive player... well, the remainder of the season, and hopefully the postseason, will seem like a much less daunting gauntlet for the Red Sox. Multiple members of the Red Sox’s commentating team are fond of telling watchers and listeners of the games that Duran has the ability to ‘spark’ the offense and that it’s been missing for much of the season. There’s likely some truth to that, as Duran is at his best as a leadoff hitter with a knack for getting on base and then being a major threat to steal bags at any point. Of course, us viewers know that his biggest struggle this year has been doing just that. He was an ineffective leadoff hitter and he has only swiped 18 bags on the season so far. The power is sort of there with him (he has 17 home runs), but it’s been pretty inconsistent and is being carried heavily by the nine home runs he hit during his one hot month in May. Many had hoped that would be the catalyst to turning his slow start around but until now, he’s been arguably the easiest out in the lineup on a nightly basis. It’s unclear if this sudden turnaround is here to stay or not. Duran is still in the 19th percentile for chase rate at 35.2%, the sixth percentile for whiff rate at 34%, the 13th percentile in strikeout rate at 28.4%, and the 20th percentile in walk rate at 6.7%. He’s struggling to get on base and striking out far more than he’s walking, but August seems to have pushed him in the right direction so far. He has come through with some clutch hits and driven in runs when the guys in front of him got on base as he’s been moved further down in the lineup. If—and that’s a big if—Jarren Duran can sustain this new level of offensive productivity, then he may yet prove useful to the Red Sox's ultimate ambitions. View the full article

Brandon Compton has been one of the biggest risers on the Fish On First Top 30 prospects list during the 2026 season. Particularly over the last three months, he's been on a heater unlike anything we've seen in our careers covering the Miami Marlins farm system. Compton speaks with Ely Sussman and Alex Carver about how his baseball career changed coming off elbow surgery, developing with help from Marlins coaches and the competitive environment at Driveline Baseball, why he wasn't hitting for power early in the season and the adjustments he's made since then. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Compton already leads Double-A Pensacola with 18 home runs this season, even though he was promoted there less than two months ago! View the full article

Hunter Owen struck out eight over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Northwest Arkansas' 8-1 win, and Kamden Edge threw two hitless innings as Quad Cities beat Dayton 10-3 behind Stone Russell's four RBI and Blake Mitchell's home run. Brett Squires' three-run homer sent Omaha past Rochester 4-3 after Ryan Ramsey's six strikeouts. Gabriel Silva homered twice, including the go-ahead two-run shot, and Andy Basora threw three scoreless innings in Columbia's 5-4 comeback win over Augusta. Kansas City Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed 3B Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list. Left hamstring strain. Kansas City Royals sent RHP Beck Way on a rehab assignment to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Jose Cuas from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Carlos Duran to Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals recalled LF Matthew Lugo from Omaha Storm Chasers. Brett Squires' Three-Run Homer Turns The Eighth In Omaha's 4-3 Win Omaha trailed for seven innings, then scored four times over two innings to beat Rochester 4-3. Ramsey worked five innings and gave up seven hits and two runs, walking two and striking out six. Rochester scored in the first on a run-scoring single that a fielding error in left field extended, and added a solo home run in the third. Ben Sears, Way, and Lucas Erceg each followed with a scoreless inning, and Erceg took the win. Anthony Gose finished for his first save, allowing one hit, a solo home run, with two walks and two strikeouts. The Storm Chasers had nothing going until the seventh, when Jacob Berry hit his seventh home run of the season to right field to make it 2-1. A big eighth inning by the Storm Chasers offense decided this one. Alejo Lopez led off with a line-drive single to left, Carson Roccaforte moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Abraham Toro was hit by a pitch. Squires then drove his 21st home run to right-center, a three-run shot that put Omaha in front 4-2. Peyton Wilson and Berry both struck out to end the inning. Lopez finished 2-for-4, and Squires drove in three of Omaha's four runs. The Storm Chasers collected only five hits and two walks, left five men on base, went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and got both of their extra-base hits on home runs. Omaha is now 57-64 this season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alejo Lopez 4 1 2 0 0 0 Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 0 1 Abraham Toro 2 1 0 0 0 1 Brett Squires 4 1 1 3 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jacob Berry 3 1 1 1 0 1 Brandon Drury 3 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Waters 2 0 0 0 1 0 Elih Marrero 2 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Ramsey 5 7 2 2 2 6 1 Ben Sears 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Beck Way 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Lucas Erceg 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Anthony Gose 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Owen And A Four-Run Fourth Carry Northwest Arkansas Past San Antonio Northwest Arkansas scored in three separate innings, held San Antonio without a run until the last of the ninth, and won 8-1. Owen turned in a quality start, going 6 1/3 innings without allowing a run on three hits, walking two and striking out eight. Anthony Simonelli followed with 1 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and one walk with a strikeout. Augusto Mendieta finished and gave up two hits and a run with two strikeouts. The Naturals were in front before their starter recorded an out in the first inning. Luke Pelzer opened with a line-drive single, Javi Vaz walked, and Sam Kulasingam and Spencer Nivens hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to center for a 2-0 lead. The fourth broke it open. Nivens tripled to left, Connor Scott singled home the run, Canyon Brown doubled in Scott, Angel Acosta singled in Brown, and Pelzer singled in Acosta for a 6-0 margin, with four runs crossing in the inning. Northwest Arkansas added two more in the ninth. Kulasingam tripled, Daniel Vazquez singled him in, and Brown singled in Vazquez. Brown finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, Acosta went 2-for-5, Pelzer went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Kulasingam went 2-for-4 with a triple. The Naturals piled up 13 hits and four walks, went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men on base. Northwest Arkansas is now 48-68 this season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Luke Pelzer 4 1 2 1 1 0 Javi Vaz 3 1 0 0 2 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 1 2 1 0 1 Spencer Nivens 3 1 1 1 1 1 Daniel Vazquez 5 1 1 1 0 2 Connor Scott 5 1 1 1 0 4 Canyon Brown 5 1 3 2 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Angel Acosta 5 1 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Owen 6 1/3 3 0 0 2 8 0 Anthony Simonelli 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Augusto Mendieta 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Russell Drives In Four As Quad Cities Rolls Past Dayton Quad Cities put up 14 hits, hit three home runs, and beat Dayton 10-3. Emmanuel Reyes started and gave up three hits and three runs over four innings, walking three and striking out five, with two of the hits leaving the yard. Edge answered with two hitless innings, one walk, and two strikeouts to earn the win. Ethan McElvain went 1 2/3 innings without a hit, though he walked three and struck out two. Yimi Presinal finished with 1 1/3 hitless innings, one walk, and four strikeouts. The River Bandits struck first in the second. Derlin Figueroa walked, Jose Cerice was hit by a pitch, and Ben North doubled home Figueroa. Russell then singled in two more for a 3-0 lead. Erick Torres pulled his third home run of the season in the fourth, and the seventh put the game away. North singled, Russell hit his first home run to left-center for two runs, Asbel Gonzalez singled, Mitchell walked, Chris Brito singled, and Cerice singled in two more to make it 7-3, a four-run inning. Mitchell added a two-run home run in the ninth, his 21st of the year, after a Zion Rose single. Russell finished 3-for-4 with four RBI, North went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a double, Rose went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Brito went 2-for-5 with a double. Quad Cities left six men on base, went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and played errorless defense. The River Bandits improved to 61-52 after the win on Friday. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 4 1 2 0 0 0 Zion Rose 4 1 2 0 1 0 Blake Mitchell 4 2 1 2 1 2 Chris Brito 5 0 2 0 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Cerice 3 1 1 2 0 1 Erick Torres 5 1 1 1 0 0 Ben North 3 2 2 1 1 0 Stone Russell 4 1 3 4 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 4 3 3 3 3 5 2 Kamden Edge 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Ethan McElvain 1 2/3 0 0 0 3 2 0 Yimi Presinal 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 4 0 Silva's Two Home Runs Push Columbia Past Augusta Silva had two hits and a walk and homered twice, and the second one turned a one-run deficit into a 5-4 Columbia win over Augusta. Coleman Picard started and worked five innings, giving up three hits and one run on a solo home run, with three walks and four strikeouts. Dalton Hill followed and was charged with three runs, two earned, on one hit and two walks with a strikeout, and he came away with the win. Basora closed out three scoreless innings on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts for his sixth save. The Fireflies answered a third-inning home run with two of their own runs in the bottom half. Silva hit his second home run of the season to left-center to tie it, Daniel Lopez singled, and Lopez later stole home on a double steal that ended with Josh Hammond caught stealing third. Columbia added one in the fourth on Roni Cabrera's double and Connor Rasmussen's run-scoring single, which a throwing error extended. Augusta scored three in the sixth on a run-scoring single and a force out on which a throwing error let two more runs score, taking a 4-3 lead. Columbia answered right away. Jhonayker Ugarte singled, and Silva drove his third home run of the year to left field for the lead. Silva finished 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBI, Cabrera went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, and Hammond drew two walks. Columbia had eight hits, five walks, went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and left five men on base. With the win, the Fireflies improved to over .500, their record now 59-58 this season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yandel Ricardo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 2 0 0 0 2 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 0 0 2 Roni Cabrera 3 1 1 0 1 2 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 3 0 1 0 1 0 Jhonayker Ugarte 3 1 1 0 0 2 Gabriel Silva 2 2 2 3 1 0 Daniel Lopez 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Coleman Picard 5 3 1 1 3 4 1 Dalton Hill 1 1 3 2 2 1 0 Andy Basora 3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Josh Hammond: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 2 K Ramon Ramirez: DNP Zion Rose: 2-for-4, BB Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 SB Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-3, K Taylor Rabe: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, K Justin Lamkin: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Jack Slightom: DNP Felix Arronde: DNP Angeibel Gomez: 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K Ben Kudrna: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP View the full article

When Derek Falvey and the Twins mutually parted ways at the end of January, it marked the end of a nine-year run for the executive who had helped reshape the organization. Before leaving, Falvey made three free-agent signings for the Twins during the offseason: Taylor Rogers, Victor Caratini, and Josh Bell. Rogers has struggled for much of the season, albeit usually in low-leverage spots, while Caratini has had his moments. Bell, however, has turned into something much more valuable. The designated hitter has been one of the Twins' most important offensive players, and his signing is looking more and more like Falvey's parting gift to the organization. Bell's overall numbers tell a big part of the story. He currently owns a 110 OPS+, putting him on pace for his best offensive season since 2022, when he split the season between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. He leads the Twins with 499 plate appearances, 26 doubles and 77 RBI, providing a level of consistency in the middle of the lineup that the team has desperately needed. But Bell's impact goes beyond his overall numbers. He has been particularly outstanding when the Twins have needed him most, hitting .349 with a 1.039 OPS with runners in scoring position. In a season in which the Twins have struggled to consistently produce offense, Bell has repeatedly come through in the biggest moments. That wasn't necessarily what anyone expected when the season began. Bell got off to a brutal start, something that has become somewhat of a calling card throughout his career. Through May 31st, he was hitting just .219 with a .619 OPS, five home runs and 32 RBI through 57 games. At the time, it was fair to wonder whether the Twins had signed a veteran whose best days were behind him. Instead, Bell has completely turned his season around. Since June 1st, Bell has posted a .869 OPS with 12 home runs and 45 RBI over 66 games (entering play Friday). His best stretch has come at exactly the time the Twins have needed it most. In 16 games during August, Bell is hitting .361 with a 1.041 OPS. That performance has been massive for the Twins because the offense around him has struggled badly this month. Minnesota ranks in the bottom third of Major League Baseball in runs scored in August, making Bell's production even more important. Without him in the middle of the lineup, it is difficult to imagine how an already-struggling offense would have survived this stretch. That is particularly important considering where the Twins are in the standings. With Minnesota fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive, there isn't much room for an extended offensive slump. Games are becoming increasingly important, and when the Twins have needed a big hit with runners on base, Bell has consistently been the guy delivering it, like he did on Tuesday with a first run blast to the third deck with a runner on second base to give the Twins a big first-inning lead. Falvey signed Bell in December to a one-year, $7 million contract. For an executive who typically preferred to wait until late in the offseason, and sometimes even into spring training, before making significant free-agent additions, the timing of the deal was notable. It was clear that Bell was someone Falvey wanted from the beginning of the offseason, and he didn't wait around to see if the market would bring the price down. And for a while, that decision looked questionable. Bell's slow start made it seem as though the Twins had committed $7 million to a veteran whose best offensive years were behind him. But the Twins stuck with him, and Bell has rewarded that patience by becoming one of the most productive and important players on the roster. According to FanGraphs, Bell has already provided roughly $6 million in value to the Twins this season. That alone makes the contract look like a strong investment, but it doesn't fully capture what Bell has meant to this team. The timing of his production matters. His best baseball has come while the Twins have desperately needed offense, and his ability to drive in runs has been particularly valuable. Add in the veteran leadership he has provided in the clubhouse, and the signing has turned into a slam dunk. That makes Bell an interesting final chapter for Falvey, whose best previous most was arguably the signing of another veteran DH with stellar clubhouse vibes in Nelson Cruz. Falvey's tenure with the Twins ended before he could see the full results of the moves he made during his final offseason. Rogers hasn't provided the results the Twins hoped for, and Caratini has been a mixed bag. Bell, however, has become a legitimate success story. The player Falvey targeted from the very beginning of the offseason has turned into one of the reasons the Twins are still hanging around the playoff race in August. It may not have been the most exciting signing when it happened. It certainly didn't look like one when Bell struggled through the first two months of the season. But with the season entering its most important stretch, Josh Bell has made that $7 million investment look awfully smart. In the end, perhaps the best way to remember Falvey's final offseason with the Twins is through the player he went out and got before he left. Josh Bell was one of Derek Falvey's final moves as a member of the Twins. Now, he is one of the biggest reasons Minnesota still has a chance to make something out of this season. What do you think? How would you grade Josh Bell's signing now, and has he become the best free-agent addition of Derek Falvey's final offseason with the Twins? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

TRANSACTIONS William Fleming signed as a minor-league free agent days after the start of the minor-league season in early April. He went straight to Wichita and contributed to the Wind Surge bullpen. On Friday, he was released by the Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Columbus 5 Box Score After the Saints swept the Clippers on Thursday, Columbus was able to claim the Friday game. The biggest story in this game, however, was that lefty Kendry Rojas left the game during the first plate appearance of the second inning. I went back to the game and watched it. I followed up with a three-part tweet. (Important: I am not a doctor, a trainer, a physical therapist, so take my thoughts with a bunch of grains of salt. I'm sure we will learn more tomorrow.) Part 1: “I just watched the Kendry Rojas injury tonight for St. Paul. Looked good the first three pitches of the 2nd inning. Then he got the sign, took a deep breath and grimaced, but he threw the pitch. Then another pitch. Then after another pitch, he dropped his glove, (more)” Part 2: “and eventually came off the field. At no point did it look like anything was wrong with his left arm which would be good. I couldn't see anything with his right arm. To me, it looked like his right-side oblique might be the issue. (more)" Part 3: “Depending on severity, an oblique injury (or hip?) could cost 4-6 weeks which would essentially end his season but still better than anything arm-related, probably. Honestly, I'm hoping it's nothing, something he just hadn't felt/experienced before. Hopefully!” So, Rojas completed a scoreless first inning and left the game during the first plate appearances of the second inning. Aaron Rozek was forced to get ready quickly. But he kept the game scoreless in the second and third innings. Overall, he gave up four runs on four hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters. C.J. Culpepper came on and gave up one run on a solar home run in 1 1/3 innings. Matt Bowman and Alejandro Hidalgo each worked a scoreless inning. After hitting nine home runs on Thursday, the Saints managed just one run on five hits and two walks on Friday night. Tristan Gray was the offense. He went 2-for-4, and his solo home run provided the only run for the team. It was his third straight day with a home run. Matt Wallner went 1-for-2 with two walks. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Frisco 1 Box Score Through seven innings, this ballgame was completely scoreless. Ty Langenberg started and tossed five shutout innings. He gave up one hit, walked three, and he had four strikeouts. Paulshawn Pasqualotto tossed two scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He struck out three batters. Then came the top of the eighth inning. Jake Rucker, Brandon Winokur, and Garrett Spain walked consecutively to lead the bases. Andrew Cossetti followed by taking a strike. On the second pitch, he got a crushable pitch, and guess what? He crushed it over the wall in left center field, beyond the berm, over the walkway and out of the stadium. Grand Slam. Surge lead 4-0! Spencer Bengard pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Kyle Bischoff got the ninth inning and gave up a run on two hits and a walk. The Surge scored their four runs on four hits and seven walks. Cossetti’s home run was his 16th of the season. Kyle DeBarge hit his 21st double and walked. Garrett Spain had a single and a walk. Jay Thomason had a single and was hit by a pitch which put his Double-A OPS at .805. Jake Rucker walked twice. Sure, the team was just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, but the “1” was pretty important. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 5 Box Score The game was delayed by almost two hours, but when things got started, the Kernels jumped out to an early lead. Byron Chourio led off the first inning with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a JP Smith single to make it 1-0. With one out, Jayson Bass came up and drilled his third home run since joining the Kernels to make it 3-0. In the top of the second inning, Irvin Nunez led off with a walk. With one out, Chourio singled. Smith walked to load the bases. Nunez scored on a sacrifice fly by Yasser Mercedes to make it 4-0. Justin Mitriovich started and began the game by putting three zeroes on the board. He had six strikeouts through three perfect innings. However, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on four hits and a walk and only got two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Yehizon Sanchez got the final out of the fourth inning. He worked two more innings and gave up one run on two hits and a walk. Christian Becerra walked one and had one strikeout over two hitless, scoreless innings. Unfortunately, after scoring four runs in the first two innings, the Kernels went scoreless the remainder of the game. The Kernels scored their four runs on five hits and seven walks. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. No one had a multi-hit game. Bass hit his third home run, and Danny De Andrade hit his 16th double and walked. Chourio and Smith each had a walk and a single. MIGHTY MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Palm Beach 7 Box Score This was a good ol’ back-and-forth game. There were four lead changes and the game was tied four times. Unfortunately, it was the Cardinals who took the last lead with a two-run eighth inning. Matthew Dalquist gave up four runs (3 earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters without walking any. Matthew Becker walked two over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Brent Francisco worked 2 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. Adam Falinski got the final two outs, but not before an inherited runner and a run of his own to take the loss. The Mussels got on the scoreboard in the second inning. Isaiah Lane and Jimmy Keenan walked. Quentin Young singled to center to drive in Lane. With one out in the top of the third, Vahn Lackey launched his first professional home run. Two pitches later, second-round pick Carson Tinney hit his fifth professional home to tie the game at 3-3. Aidan Teel reached on an error and scored on a Ramiro Dominguez double to give them the 4-3 lead. In the top of the fifth inning, Tinney walked and went to third on a Teel double. He scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh frame, Tinney led off with a double and later scored on a Dominguez sacrifice fly. That gave the Mussels a 6-5 lead. But again, Palm Beach scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth and shut down the Mussels in the ninth. Tinney led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, his first double and his fifth home run. Lane was 1-for-2 with two walks. Dominguez’s double was his 25th of the year. Teel’s double was his fifth as a pro. And Quentin Young went 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter(s) of the Day Carson Tinney (Fort Myers): 2-for-3, BB, 2B(1), HR(5), 3 R, RBI. Pitcher(s) of the Day Ty Langenberg (Wichita): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects. See how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, K, SB(14) (batted first, played CF). #2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers) - 1-for-5, HR(1), R, RBI, K (batted second, played catcher) #3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, 2 K (batted ninth, played SS) #4 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita) - 0-for-5, K (batted first, played SS) #7 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, K (batted fourth, played DH) #9 - 1B/OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 (batted second, played 1B) #11 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B(1), HR(5), 3 R, RBI (batted third, played 1B) #12 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, R, K (batted third, played CF) #18 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 K (batted eighth, played SS) #19 - OF Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 K (batted third, played CF) UPCOMING PROBABLES Saturday, August 22 St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05 pm CT) - RHP German Marquez (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 pm CT) - RHP Chris Vallimont (2-3, 4.89 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 pm CT) - LHP Cesar Lares (0-6, 13.18 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:00 pm CT) - RHP Callan Fang (3-3, 4.33 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 63-66 St. Paul Saints: 71-52 Wichita Wind Surge: 49-67 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-72 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 63-53 FCL Twins: 33-26 (Season Complete) DSL Twins: 19-35 (Season Complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates went 0-4 Friday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were drubbed by Round Rock 15-7, the Double-A San Antonio Missions were stopped by Northwest Arkansas 8-1, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to Great Lakes 13-8 in 10 innings and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm got crushed by San Jose 21-2. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Evan Fitterer from the 7-day injured list. Chihuahuas Get Roughed Up By Express It was a rough night on the mound for the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who were down 8-0 in the fourth inning en route to a 15-7 loss to the Round Rock Express. Rehabbing Padres left fielder Samad Taylor went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two strikeouts while playing all nine innings in center field. He is 3-for-12 with a homer in three rehab games. Blake Hunt came off the bench and hit his 12th Triple-A homer, while starting catcher Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, went 2-for-3 and has reached base in 16 of the 17 Triple-A games he has played. Leadoff hitter Dustin Harris went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Marcos Castanon had two hits and an RBI and Mason McCoy two hits, a walk and a run scored. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer came off the seven-day injured list and went two innings, allowing two runs on three hits, including a homer, and a walk with two strikeouts. Right-hander Andrew Thurman came on and gave up six runs on eight walks and four hits over 1⅓ innings, then right-hander Ethan Routzahn surrendered four runs over 2⅔ innings. The only Chihuahuas pitcher not to allow a run was right-hander J.P. France, who allowed two hits over two innings, with right-hander Jose Leclerc pitching the ninth and allowing three runs. EP_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 5 2 3 2 0 1 Samad Taylor 5 0 2 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 5 1 1 1 0 1 Nick Solak 4 1 1 1 0 1 Ethan Salas 3 0 2 0 0 0 Blake Hunt 2 1 1 2 0 0 Marcos Castañon 5 0 2 1 0 1 Will Wagner 5 0 1 0 0 2 Rodolfo Durán 3 1 0 0 1 0 Mason McCoy 3 1 2 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 4 6 6 8 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 2 2/3 3 4 4 2 1 1 J.P. France 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 José Leclerc 1 3 3 3 1 0 2 Missions Can't Handle Early Push By Naturals Right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga's return to Triple-A San Antonio was a rude one, giving up five runs, as the host Missions were dropped by the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 8-1. Jack Costello had two of the five hits for the Missions and stole a base, while Ryan Jackson was on base twice via walks and also had a steal. Lizarraga, who went down to the Arizona Complex League following a July 8 start for the Missions, had one start at Low-A Lake Elsinore last week (three runs in three innings) before rejoining San Antonio. He allowed those five runs over 3⅓ innings. The Naturals scored two in the first and four in the fourth. The Missions were kept off the board until the ninth, when Tirso Ornelas had a leadoff double and scored on Costello's two-out single to left. SA_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Braedon Karpathios 4 0 0 0 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 0 0 0 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 2 Ryan Jackson 2 0 0 0 2 1 Jack Costello 4 0 2 1 0 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Anthony Vilar 2 0 0 0 1 1 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 3 1/3 5 5 5 1 2 0 Harry Gustin 1 2/3 2 1 1 2 4 0 Francis Peña 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Edmondson 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Johan Moreno 2/3 2 2 2 0 2 0 Wyatt Hoffman 1/3 2 0 0 0 0 0 TinCaps, Once Down 5-0, Tie It In Ninth, But Surrender 5 In 10th Bradley Frye hit a three-run homer and Rosman Verdugo added a solo shot, but the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps gave up a five-run top of the 10th inning that was too much to overcome in a 13-8 loss to the Great Lakes Loons. Fourth-round draft Robbie Lavey had a big moment, driving in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with his first professional double. Frye had two hits and scored twice, Verdugo two hits (including a double), two RBIs and a run scored, Kasen Wells two hits and an RBI and Dylan Grego went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Lavey also drew two walks to reach base three times, stole a base and scored once. TinCaps right-handed starter Matthew Watson allowed five hits in 3⅔ innings, including four walks. Right-handers Will Varmette (2⅓ innings) and Bernard Jose (two innings) turned in strong relief outings as neither allowed a hit or a run. Right-hander Sean Barnett nearly had the save despite walking a pair, but a two-out throwing error by Frye after a tremendous diving stop to his left allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Right-hander Isaiah Lowe allowed five runs (four earned) in the top of the 10th on three hits and two walks. The TinCaps were down 5-0 after the top of the fourth, but erased that deficit in the bottom half. Lavey had a leadoff walk, Luke Cantwell a one-out free pass then Frye launched his second High-A homer and fifth of the season to make it 5-3. Yimy Tovar, Grego and Wells had consecutive singles to pull the TinCaps within 5-4. Following a pitching change, Ryan Wideman hit a grounder that resulted in Wells being forced out at second, then Verdugo doubled home Wideman, who was thrown out at the plate. Verdugo hit his 14th homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh to put the TinCaps up 7-6. FW_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 5 1 2 1 0 0 Ryan Wideman 5 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 5 1 2 2 0 1 Robbie Lavey 3 1 1 1 2 2 Kerrington Cross 5 0 0 0 0 4 Luke Cantwell 3 1 0 0 2 0 Bradley Frye 5 2 2 3 0 0 Yimy Tovar 5 1 1 0 0 1 Dylan Grego 3 1 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 3 2/3 4 5 5 4 4 0 Javier Chacon 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Will Varmette 2 1/3 0 1 0 0 3 0 Bernard Jose 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Sean Barnett 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 Isaiah Lowe 1 3 5 4 2 0 0 Storm Get Obliterated By Giants Left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft couldn't make it out of the first inning, setting the tone for the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm's 21-2 loss to the San Jose Giants. The Giants put up three four-run innings and an eight-run inning. Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, only got one out while allowing four runs on three hits and three walks with no strikeouts. It was the second time this season Schoolcraft, the Padres' 2025 first-round draft choice, failed to make it out of the first inning. He also only got one out in his second start of the season April 10. The Storm were held without a hit until Jose Verdugo singled with two outs in the fifth and they didn't score until pushing across two runs in the eighth inning to make it a 13-2 game. The Giants then poured it on with an eight-run ninth inning. Jorge Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, had two of the Storm's four hits. LE_0821.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Qrey Lott 4 1 0 0 0 2 Nu'u Contrades 4 1 1 0 0 1 Chris McHugh 2 0 0 1 1 0 Ty Harvey 1 0 0 0 3 1 Jorge Quintana 4 0 2 1 0 0 Joe Tiroly 4 0 0 0 0 2 Truitt Madonna 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jose Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Dawson Willis 2 0 0 0 2 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 1/3 3 4 4 3 0 0 Rordy Mejia 3 2/3 8 5 5 0 2 3 Adler Cecil 3 2 4 1 3 6 0 Brandon Langley 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Jake Bold 2/3 2 7 7 5 0 1 Augie Lopez 1/3 3 1 1 0 0 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-3 Ryan Wideman: 0-for-5, 1 K Coleman Borthwick: In Arizona Kruz Schoolcraft: ⅓ IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K Ty Harvey: 0-for-1, 3 BB, 1 K Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, RBI Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, 2 K Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-4, 2 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Elliot Lascelles: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Jake Cunningham: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-4, 2 K Eric Yost: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 1 K View the full article

Box Score Connor Prielipp: 6 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Connor Prielipp (-.400), Ryan Jeffers (-.090), Byron Buxton/Trevor Larnach (-.070) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The thick of a playoff race—there’s nothing like it. When the marathon nature of the sport—the long-term philosophy that cauterizes losses and tamps wins to mild celebration—suddenly gives way to a more phrenetic, imminent reality. Each pitch matters. Every mistake, a drop in the standings. The slow season plod arches and groans day by day as the wheat is separated from the chaff in the only way baseball knows how: by testing the mettle and endurance of the men who play. A saunter into San Diego continues the Twins’ NL gauntlet and kick starts a curt West Coast trip. And what a poor time to fly into the fine city: the Padres offense that was once glacial and impotent has turned scintillating after the All-Star break. They’ve hit for a 116 wRC+ since play resumed, the second-best mark in the league. That suddenly overwhelming hitting acumen struck early on Friday, as Ty France caught a Connor Prielipp fastball and launched the offering 421 feet out to left field to score two. The Twins offense laid dormant for three frames, putting balls in play with authority against Randy Vásquez with nothing to show except a low pitch count for the Padres starter. Those three perfect innings gave way to a finally fruitful fourth, fantastically forthcoming and fulfilling after the previous futility. Luke Keaschall smacked a single. Josh Bell took a pitch that clipped his pants. Then, with two outs, Kody Clemens cracked a two-run game-tying triple to right. The even game felt like a righting ship. The young Prielipp appeared settled after his initial gaffe, relying on a heavier dose of his slippery breaking offerings as he racked up strikeouts and double plays. Perhaps the Twins could build more. Perhaps they could continue the retaliation. And perhaps they could blow up in fifth. San Diego might still be smacking singles. An infield hit and a walk put the lefty in trouble; a Fernando Tatis Jr. smoking worm burner into right field started to ring bells and set off air raid sirens. What continued was a flurry: Luis Rengifo and Manny Machado turned Minnesota’s infielders into flailing acrobats and a France sacrifice fly capped the melee at four runs. At 6-2, the concept of rallying seemed dead in the water. And it was. The Twins fell in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings in order. The fifth too. In fact, Clemens' triple three paragraphs ago was the final hit of the game for the team. Vásquez, while hittable, settled in; Bradgley Rodriguez cruised; Mason Miller struck out the side to end the game. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Padres lop an hour off the start time wait on Saturday, starting with a more merciful 7:40 PM first pitch. Dean Kremer will take on Casey Mize in the battle of trade deadline acquisitions. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOT Gomez 19 16 13 0 0 48 Hoffman 20 0 20 0 0 40 Adams 18 0 0 0 17 35 Rogers 11 0 0 0 11 22 Funderburk 0 4 17 0 0 21 Minter 0 6 10 0 0 16 Nance 0 0 16 0 0 16 Morris 0 13 0 0 0 13 View the full article

In advance of Saturday’s contest against the Washington Nationals, the Miami Marlins will recall Deyvison De Los Santos from Triple-A Jacksonville, Fish On First has learned. The team has yet to make the roster move official. De Los Santos has had two brief stints with the Marlins this season, from March 28-29 and April 10-18. In three games at the big league level, he went 2-for-7 with three strikeouts. De Los Santos has spent most of the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, where he is slashing .281/.345/.486/.831 with 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 117 wRC+ in 97 games. These are his best numbers since his breakout 2024 campaign, when he hit 40 home runs, including 12 with the Marlins organization. On top of that, De Los Santos is having a dominant month of August, posting an OPS of 1.079 with six home runs and 13 RBI. This marks his best month of the Minor League season. The biggest adjustment for De Los Santos has been his strikeout rate. In 2024, it stood at 24.7%, and it is now at 19.7%, the lowest of his career. On top of just striking out less, the Dominican Republic native is pulling the ball less and using the entire field a bit more, especially the opposite way. In 2025 at AAA, De Los Santos posted a 47.2% pull rate, which he has lowered to 42.0% this season. The major league average for opposite field rate is 24.1%; De Los Santos is currently at 33.1%, a 4.1% increase from 2025. All of these changes are positive ones that have clearly made De Los Santos a better overall hitter, but the power that he once had has taken a step back. In 2024, he hit 40 home runs, and has yet to surpass 20. It will be interesting as to how the Marlins could use De Los Santos once he is called up. In 2026, he has reverse splits, posting an .847 OPS against right-handed pitching, but also a .766 OPS against left-handed pitching. In all likelihood, De Los Santos will see more action against left-handed pitching, but if the reverse splits stand, he could see more opportunity. The Marlins currently are carrying four catchers on their roster. With Joe Mack looking fully healthy following a recent battle with right shoulder soreness, it's likely that one of his backups will get sent down to make room for De Los Santos. View the full article

MIAMI, FL - Through the first seven innings of Friday's game against the Washington Nationals, the Miami Marlins had one single hit. Fortunately, their opponent has had a habit of blowing leads this season, and the Nationals did that yet again. The Marlins tied and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. After their own closer, Pete Fairbanks, blew a save himself, hot-hitting Javier Sanoja delivered the walk-off blow as the Fish took down the Nats by a final score of 3-2. Sanoja was not even in the starting lineup. In the bottom of the sixth, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough had him pinch-hit for Owen Caissie. Although Sanoja struck out in that first at-bat, with a runner on third in the eighth, he knocked in the game-tying RBI single and scored the go-ahead run on an Otto Lopez RBI double. "It's tough to come off the bench when the pitcher is already hot and already having everything working and going through his plan," Sanoja said postgame through an interpreter. "But at the end of the day, we are here for a reason, so I need to accept my role and give it my best, take good at-bats and that's what I tried to do in that situation." Fairbanks, who had not allowed a run in his last eight appearances, blew his fourth save opportunity of the season. He walked Jacob Young, who then stole second and Daylen Lile drove him in on an RBI double, tying the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Agustín Ramírez worked his second walk of the game and Esteury Ruiz used his speed to his advantage and got on base via a bunt single, advancing to second on a throwing error. Ramírez went from first to third. Jakob Marsee was intentionally walked so that Nationals reliever Clayton Beeter could match up with Sanoja. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Sanoja was able to get a base hit up the middle through the drawn-in infield, allowing Ramírez to score. Sanoja is now having the best month of his career, slashing .362/.393/.603/.996 with three home runs and 15 RBI. Friday marked his sixth multi-hit performance of the season. Sanoja is not showing any respect to Jayden Daniels by riding a five-game hitting streak. "The at-bat quality that he's showing is certainly an improvement," McCullough said. "That's an area where as good as he is, continuing to refine his approach is a big part of him continuing to take steps as a player. He's just so valuable with what he can do, and he gets the ball to all fields. Just seen him time and time again when things are the hottest, he just has a real ability to stay in that moment and come through." Starting the game for the Marlins was Ryan Gusto. In four innings of work, he shut out the Nationals, allowing five hits, one walk and striking out two. He has a 2.41 ERA in the month of August. On the season, he has a 4.37 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 7.96 K/9 and 2.34 BB/9 in 17 appearances (12 starts). One slight improvement has been his average fastball velocity. In his limited sample size last season, Gusto was just averaging 94.1 mph. It is now at 94.4 mph in 2026, and on Friday, he was averaging 95.3 mph and topped out at 98.1 mph. "A lot of work in the weight room with the strength coaches," Gusto said regarding the uptick in velocity. "We've had like literal meetings about the best ways for me and my body to go about training and the things we can do, like locking in those exercises on certain days in between starts and getting that routine down to a science almost. Mechanically speaking on the pitching side, just making sure that I'm moving efficiently, everything feels good and just going with it." With the win, the Marlins are now 65-64 on the season, four games out of the third National League Wild Card Spot. Their head-to-head success against Washington has been critical to keeping them in the race. They've won six of their seven matchups so far. Eury Pérez takes the mound opposite of Jake Irvin on Saturday at 4:10 pm. View the full article

It is no secret that the San Diego Padres are a bit fortunate to be in the position they are. They entered their weekend series against the Minnesota Twins in the No. 3 position in the NL wild-card chase after many had left the Friars for dead following an eight-game losing streak before the All-Star break. A combination of starting rotation woes and poor offense were to blame for much of that malaise, issues that have been fixed one way or the other to have the Padres contending once again. Of course, injuries have also played a noteworthy role in where the Padres are and fans can dream about where the Friars would be if right-handers Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta had not been relegated to a combined four starts so far this season, all by Pivetta. According to a recent article on FanGraphs, the Padres have lost a potential 7.7 fWAR through injuries this year, the 13th-most in MLB ("potential" being a key word there). That is a rather middle-of-the-pack number, which also feels right when you consider which players the Padres have had go on the injured list this season and for how long. Aside from Pivetta (2.3 projected fWAR) and Musgrove (2.0), left fielder Ramon Laureano’s likely season-ending shoulder surgery from early June and second baseman Jake Cronenworth’s seven-week absence due to a concussion are the other most significant ailments. Laureano and Cronenworth had a 2.5 projected fWAR. Another right-handed starter, Lucas Giolito (0.9 fWAR), has missed a significant chunk of time, while right-handed reliever Jason Adam (0.4) has been sidelined since July 2. Three other position players are worth mentioning as well. Catcher Freddy Fermin (1.9) was sidelined twice by injuries, fellow backstop Luis Campusano (0.9) was out for nearly a month, while left fielder Miguel Andujar (0.2) remains out since July 20. (Note that right-handed reliever Bryan Hoeing was not included on the preseason projection as he was ruled out for the season during spring training.) The FanGraphs article noted that the fWAR used to determine the fWAR lost was rerun for this exercise, so the numbers listed here doesn’t necessarily match up, but does give you an idea of their perceived preseason importance. Of the teams that have lost more fWAR than the Friars, yes, the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are there at 10.1, tied with the Houston Astros for fifth-most. The Boston Red Sox have lost the most potential fWAR at 12.8, while the St. Louis Cardinals have lost the least at 1.9. For the remainder of the season, the Padres are projected to lose 1.9 fWAR. A good piece of this would be Pivetta, followed by Laureano, Andujar and Adam. That total is tied for 15th with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers, conversely, are projected to lose 1.6 fWAR. Musgrove is likely to be back next week, while Pivetta could soon start a new rehab assignment. Musgrove took four rehab assignments (across 17 days) to get to a good spot and return. Adam, the primary right-handed setup man, remains about a month away from coming back, which could make his availability for the postseason, at least the first series, a bit murky. Andujar is the other key injured player and he just started swinging a bat again. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs are getting their Opening Day closer back at just the right time. Right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia was activated from the 60-injured list by the Cubs on Friday. Infielder Gabriel Arias, who was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets, also officially joined the 26-man roster. To make room for both, infielder Owen Miller was designated for assignment and right-hander Javier Assad was optioned back to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs entered play Friday five games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in MLB, and lead the NL wild-card standings. Palencia made his last appearance June 15 and has been out with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow. He has been in 19 games, with a 3.45 FIP (2.70 ERA) over 16⅔ innings. His walk rate is 8.5% and his strikeout rate is 26.8%. Palencia has converted all three of his save chances. The Cubs rank 22nd in MLB with 29 saves. Arias is with his third MLB team this season, having been with the Cleveland Guardians in addition to the Mets before joining the Cubs. He has a .235/.273/.371 slash line with five homers and 11 RBIs in 44 games. Miller was just called up a few days ago but only appeared in one game defensively. Assad is being optioned for the fourth time this year. He has been a vital piece when in the majors, appearing in 22 games, including 10 starts. In 83⅓ innings, he has a 4.97 FIP (3.46 ERA) with a 6.3% walk rate and 16.6% strikeout rate. View the full article

Chad Tracy provided quite a few injury reports during media availability before the first game of the Giants series. Per The Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all continuing their rehab assignments through the weekend. There was some belief that Story could return as early as Friday, August 21, but the Red Sox seem to be taking a slower approach with the big league trio’s rehab assignments to guarantee they are ready to go once they get to Boston. Along with that, Cerullo also noted that RHP Garrett Whitlock is set to begin throwing at 120 feet before the Giants series. Whitlock believes he is on track to return to the team as soon as he is eligible to come off of the injured list, barring no setbacks. Also of note: LHP Garrett Crochet is throwing out to 90 feet as he progresses in his recovery from lat and shoulder injuries earlier this season. Crochet has already said that if he returns this season, he will only be able to go two innings, but progress is progress as the Red Sox continue to be in possession of the second AL Wild Card spot. Finally, RHP Tanner Houck is set to throw a live bullpen session on Monday in Fort Myers. Houck has been quietly progressing in his rehab program from Tommy John surgery last summer and the team is hoping for him to join the pitching program at some point before the end of the regular season. View the full article

The return of Maikel Garcia to the Kansas City Royals lasted just three games plus one at-bat. The third baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday by the Royals due to a strained left hamstring. Right-handed reliever Carlos Duran was optioned to Triple-A Omaha, while taking their spots on the 26-man roster are outfielder Matthew Lugo and right-handed reliever Jose Cuas, who were called up from Omaha. Garcia was injured during the first inning Thursday after taking a big turn around third base following a misplay on a grounder to short. Nic Loftin took over at third base as Garcia exited the game. Garcia had just returned to the Royals' lineup Monday following a muscle strain in his left hand from the last week in June. Garcia is slashing .269/.324/.385 in 73 games, hitting three homers and driving in 32. The 25-year-old Lugo will be making his Royals debut. He has only appeared in the majors for 31 games last season with the Los Angeles Angels, posting a .232/.243/.464 with four homers and nine RBIs. The Royals claimed Lugo off waivers from the Angels on June 2. Between the Angels and Royals in the minors this season, he has a .265/.350/.473 slash line with 14 homers and 65 RBIs, along with 14 steals, in 100 games. Cuas has a 1.64 ERA in 10 games and 11 innings, with four walks and 13 strikeouts. Duran has appeared in two games with the Royals this year, allowing two runs in 1⅓ innings. View the full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:44 Swept by the Phillies, then a sweep of the Braves 2:32 Where things stand: 63-65 with 34 games left 3:32 Twins hold the final AL wild card spot — 40% playoff odds 4:20 Fourth-easiest remaining schedule in baseball 5:04 The seven-team wild card logjam 5:56 Tiebreakers: the Twins have them over almost everyone 8:14 AL Central odds and the six games left vs. the White Sox 12:16 Why the AL playoff field is wide open 15:52 What this season still has to accomplish 21:14 Last August's fire sale and the joylessness of a lost season 25:43 The rotation is the problem: worst ERA in the AL since the break 29:46 This rotation could really use Joe Ryan 35:06 Kendry Rojas as rotation depth at Triple-A 36:16 Derek Shelton's quicker hook 40:53 The bullpen is now the strength of the team 43:34 Reading the Opening Day bullpen out loud, one disaster at a time 52:17 Luke Keaschall is back to his rookie form 58:00 Royce Lewis and the shortage of right-handed bats 1:00:29 Why not Walker Jenkins? 1:01:39 The Alex Jackson move: DFA'd, cleared waivers, recalled two hours later 1:06:57 Byron Buxton isn't 100%, and Jenkins is a real center fielder 1:09:47 John pushes back: where do the at-bats come from? 1:16:52 Kaelen Culpepper's first 10 games 1:22:00 Attendance is down 83,000 1:27:23 What Tom Pohlad should take from the Padres sale 1:36:32 The 2023 payroll cut and kneecapped a five-year plan 1:42:07 Coming up: Padres, A's, then 15 straight vs. the AL Central View the full article

The American League playoff picture is getting increasingly difficult to figure out. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially for Twins fans. With the regular season entering its final stretch, several teams remain firmly in the postseason conversation, but very few have separated themselves enough to make the final weeks feel predictable. There is even a realistic possibility that at least one team with a losing record could qualify for the playoffs. Depending on how the final weeks unfold, the AL West champion could potentially finish below .500. It is a strange year. But baseball has never required a team to have a pretty record once October arrives. The standings reset when the postseason begins, and a team that sneaks into the playoffs can suddenly become the team nobody wants to face. That is why the Minnesota Twins still have reason to pay close attention to the American League playoff picture. Minnesota has put itself in the conversation, and the next several weeks could come down to more than simply who finishes with the most wins. Head-to-head records and other tiebreakers could become extremely important. Remember Game 163? There was a time when baseball fans could circle the calendar for a potential Game 163. Before the current playoff format, a tie at the end of the regular season could produce a winner-take-all tiebreaker game. Twins fans have some particularly memorable history with that setup. In 2009, the Twins and Detroit Tigers met at the Metrodome for Game 163 to determine the AL Central champion. Minnesota won 6-5 in an unforgettable 12-inning game that remains one of the most memorable contests in franchise history. A year earlier, the Twins were on the other side of the equation. Minnesota faced the Chicago White Sox in a 2008 tiebreaker for the AL Central, but Jim Thome's home run gave Chicago a 1-0 victory. Those games are gone now. Under the expanded playoff format, baseball has eliminated the traditional Game 163. If two teams finish with identical records, the winner is determined by a series of predetermined tiebreakers. And if the AL playoff race remains this crowded, Twins fans might want to know exactly how those rules work. How MLB Breaks a Playoff Tie The league essentially works its way through five levels of tiebreakers. 1. Head-to-head record: This is the first and most straightforward method when two teams are tied. The team that performed better against the other club gets the advantage. For a tie involving multiple teams, MLB looks at the teams' combined winning percentages against the other clubs involved in the tie. If that doesn't settle everything, the process continues by resolving the remaining teams through the applicable head-to-head records. The important point is that games played against one another can carry significant weight late in the season. 2. Intradivision record: If the head-to-head results don't settle the matter, the league moves to a team's record against opponents within its own division. This can become particularly important in a multi-team tiebreaker or when comparing Wild Card teams from different divisions. 3. Intraleague record: Next comes the team's overall record against the rest of the American League. That means every AL game matters, even if it isn't against a direct Wild Card competitor. 4. Record over the final half of intraleague games: If the previous three methods still haven't separated the teams, MLB goes deeper into the schedule. The league examines winning percentage over the second half of a team's intraleague schedule. 5. Continue working backward through intraleague games: Still tied? The league keeps moving backward, adding one game at a time to the sample until a difference emerges. So, no, there isn't going to be a Game 163. There could, however, be a lot of scoreboard watching. How the Twins Stack Up This is where things get particularly interesting for Minnesota. The Twins have already played a large portion of their schedule against several of the teams competing for postseason positioning. And in many cases, they have done quite well. Here is how Minnesota has fared against some of the key AL contenders: Houston Astros: Twins lead the season series 4-2, with no games remaining. Texas Rangers: Twins lead 3-0, with three games remaining on the final weekend of the regular season at Target Field Toronto Blue Jays: Twins lead 4-3, with no games remaining. Cleveland Guardians: Twins lead 6-4, with three games remaining at Target Field from September 11-13. Detroit Tigers: Twins lead 5-2, with six games remaining — three in Detroit and three at Target Field. Baltimore Orioles: Series is tied 3-3, with no games remaining. Seattle Mariners: Seattle leads 4-2, with no games remaining. That is a pretty favorable collection of results. The Mariners are the obvious exception, while the Orioles series ended evenly. Against several of the other teams Minnesota could potentially be battling for a postseason spot, however, the Twins have already established an advantage. And there are still opportunities to improve those numbers. The three remaining games against Texas could be particularly important. So could the six games against Detroit and the three against Cleveland. Those games aren't simply chances to add wins to the standings. They could also provide Minnesota with another layer of protection if the final records end up being identical. The Twins Have One of the Better Intraleague Records There is another reason for Minnesota to feel relatively comfortable about its position in a crowded AL race. Among the Wild Card contenders listed above, the Twins are the only team with a winning record both within their division and against the American League as a whole. Minnesota is .514 within the AL Central and .547 against the entire American League. That .547 intraleague mark is particularly notable because it is the best among the group. That doesn't guarantee anything. The Twins could win their intraleague tiebreaker and still miss the postseason because another team finishes with more victories. But in a race where several teams could finish within a game or two of one another, having a strong record against the rest of the league could become extremely valuable. And Minnesota has already taken care of business against several potential postseason opponents. Everything Is Still on the Table That is probably the best way to describe the American League playoff picture. Everything is still on the table. A team with a losing record could potentially reach October. A division winner could potentially finish below .500. Several Wild Card contenders are separated by relatively little, and the final standings could come down to tiebreakers rather than a dramatic Game 163. For the Twins, the good news is that they have already built some advantages. Now they simply need to keep winning. That part is considerably easier to understand than the tiebreaker rules. Minnesota doesn't need to worry about who wins the head-to-head tiebreaker if it finishes several games ahead of everybody else. It doesn't need to worry about intraleague records if it simply accumulates more victories than the teams chasing it. But if the AL race stays this chaotic, those details could matter. And unlike the old days, there won't be another game at the end of the season to settle everything on the field. The Twins may have to settle it in the standings. And if they can keep themselves in the race long enough, those early-season wins against the teams around them could end up being every bit as important as the ones they collect in September. What sticks out about the tie breaker scenarios? How do you feel about the Twins' position? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Blake Burke and Luis Pena smacked homers in wins for Nashville and Biloxi. Miqueas Mercedes had a solid start and Wilson held on. Wisconsin was blown out and DSL Brewers Gold lost a close playoff game. Transactions: RHP Cameron Wagoner activated from AAA Nashville’s 7-day injured list Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Nashville 7, Norfolk (Orioles) 0 Box Score Via a Sounds’ press release: Blake Burke Hits First Triple-A Home Run as Sounds Blank Tides 1B Blake Burke’s first extra-base hit at the AAA level was a massive 110.9mph, 437-foot, two-run blast, giving RHP Coleman Crow (6 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 6 Ks) all the runs he needed to take Nashville to victory lane. This was 25-year old Crow’s 3rd consecutive scoreless outing, though he had to battle through a hit-by-pitch (picked off) and triple in the first frame and a single and walk to open the second inning. 2B Eric Brown Jr. (2-for-3, HR, walk, RBI) had a big day from the #9 spot in the lineup, while six other Sounds reached base twice in their dominating win. C Ramon Rodriguez’s first start since a late June injury was a successful one, as he singled, walked and drove in a run. 3B Brock Wilken also doubled, walked and had an RBI. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all positive news, as OF Luis Matos exited with an injury in the 5th inning after a collision with 2B Ethan Murray in right field. Sounds’ Extras: The bullpen of RHP Cameron Wagoner (2 Ks), rehabbing RHP Joel Kuhnel (1 K) and LHP Jared Koenig were stellar over three scoreless, hitless innings of relief. Rehabbing Sal Frelick (2-for-5, double) and Burke (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs) both had two-hit evenings. Friday’s outlook: RHP Brandon Sproat is scheduled for his third Nashville start, as the Sounds seek to claw back to a 2-2 tie in their road series. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Biloxi 4, Rocket City (Angels) 2 Box Score Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Peña Records First Double-A Home Run, Shuckers Snap Skid - Hodges records first Double-A save, Shuckers pitching staff strands 15 Trash Panda runners Cue Survivor 1984: The skid is over; they needed escape artist pitching all the while. A Biloxi three-run first inning held up behind RHP Manuel Rodriguez (5 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks), LHP Anthony Flores (2 IP, 0 R, 0 Ks) and RHP Garrett Hodges (2 IP, 1 R, 3 Ks), as the Trash Pandas went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, standing 15 baserunners. Three of the Shuckers’ four hits came in the first inning, with OF Braylon Payne’s two-out, two-run single serving as the key blow. SS Luis Pena (2-for-4, HR, RBI) smacked his first AA homer two frames later. A 6-4-3 ground ball double play helped Flores work around two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning, then Hodges got two big strikeouts to strand a single which opened the bottom of the 8th inning. A walk, infield single and hit-by-pitch put Hodges in trouble with one out in the 9th inning, but he induced a force out and got a swinging K to end it. Shuckers’ Extras: After Peña’s homer, the remaining 20 of 21 Biloxi batters were retired by Rocket City, but the Shuckers’ staff and defense held on. Despite their second half struggles, Biloxi will stay be in the playoffs by virtue of their first half title. Friday’s outlook: RHP Bishop Letson gets the start, with Biloxi aiming to even this week’s series at two games apiece. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Lake County (Guardians) 10, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Captains Sail Away from Rattlers - Lake County builds big lead and holds Wisconsin to three hits Despite the loss, Wisconsin’s terrific media team has compiled video highlights and lowlights: An inside-the-park home run on the 7th pitch of the game may have been a bad omen, but errors on three consecutive plays in Lake County’s six-run fourth inning is how this game got away from RHP Ethan Dorchies (4 IP, 7 R (3 ER), 9 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks) and the Timber Rattlers. Wisconsin was out-hit 9-3, with SS Brady Ebel doubling for the team’s only extra-base hit. 1B Tayden Hall walked thrice, while OF Sawyer Strosnider (1-for-3, HBP) and DH Luis Castillo (1-for-3, walk) both reached base twice. Timber Rattlers’ Extras: C Yannic Walther is having a solid year (.268 AVG, .801 OPS), but came up empty in two big spots this time out: fly out with two on in second inning, line out with bases loaded in fourth inning while trailing 7-0. RHP Joshua Quezada’s first game at the High-A level was a solid one, as he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings (1 K) to preserve other arms. RHPs Jose Nova (2 Ks) and Michael Fowler tossed a scoreless frame each, while RHP Yerlin Rodriguez (2/3 IP, 3 R, 0 Ks) allowed five of seven batters to reach via walk or hit-by-pitch. Friday’s outlook: LHP Wande Torres starts for Wisconsin as the squad seek to grab a 3-1 home series lead. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 11, Salem (Red Sox) 10 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Warbirds Bounce Back to Beat RidgeYaks - Wilson Survives Late Rally for Victory Starting 20-year-old RHP Miqueas Mercedes (4 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 Ks) continued his solid recent form and the Warbirds ran the RidgeYaks ragged (7-of-8 on stolen base attempts) to take a commanding 10-1 lead by the seventh inning, then held on for dear life to grab their first win of this week’s series. OF Brailyn Antunez (2-for-3, walk, HBP, RBI, SB), OF Kyle Jones (1-for-4, 2 walks, 3 SBs) and 3B Juan Ortuno (1-for-3, 2 walks, 2 RBIs) combined to reach base 10 times, including Ortuno’s early two-run double: Wilson scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning, including via RBI singles by Antunez and 2B Filippo Di Turi (1-for-4, walk, RBI, SB) and ended up needing every one of them. RHP Hayden Robinson (2 2/3 IP, 7 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks) entered in the fifth inning and faced the minimum number of batters through two frames, before allowing seven of nine batters to reach base in the bottom of the seventh inning. 2026 10th round draft pick RHP Andrew Gaines (1 IP, 1 R, 1 K) was thrown into the fire for his professional debut, getting the ball leading 11-9 on the road in the bottom of the 9th inning. He issued a five-pitch walk and allowed an infield single to turn up the tension, before recording a ground out, sacrifice fly and three-pitch swinging strikeout to preserve the victory. Warbirds’ Extras: 2026 first round pick SS Trey Ebel had a productive day, going 2-for-5 and earning his first career RBI and stolen base. RHP Cesar Espinal (1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 K) had a rough entry in relief of Robinson, commencing with a walk, balk and two run-scoring wild pitches, but he did bounce back to retire three of the next four batters. C Rylan Mills helped out the staff by throwing out 2-of-3 attempted basestealers, including one in the 6th inning and another in the 8th inning. Friday’s outlook: RHP Tyler Renz gets the chance to lead Wilson to a series-tying win. Final: DSL Giants Black 8, DSL Brewers Gold 7 Box Score In their first of three playoff games in pool play, the Golden Men blew a 7-3 lead in the 6th inning, losing 8-7 despite out-hitting Giants Black 7-5. Before the collapse, SS Ricki Moneys (3-for-5, 2 RBIs) was the story of the contest, smacking a two-run homer in the third inning for a 2-0 lead, singling and scoring in the team’s four-run fifth inning, then doubling and scoring to extend the advantage to 7-3 in the top of the sixth inning. DH Josue Rodriguez also clubbed a three-run homer, while OF Angeni Fernandez (1-for-3, 2 walks, SB) reached base three times and also doubled a baserunner off of first base to end the 4th inning. OF Frandy Lafond was on base thrice as well (walk, HBP, catcher’s interference), while 1B Jefer Lista (1-for-3, walk), 2B Santiago Garcia (1-for-3, walk, SB) and C Moises Salazar (walk, HBP) each came aboard twice. Veteran right-handed reliever Justin Lugo (1 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 1 K) entered in the fifth inning, working around an error and a stolen base for a scoreless frame. However, he issued a walk and a hit-by-pitch to commence the sixth inning and couldn’t quite get that third out, with five runs scoring via sacrifice fly, wild pitch, homer, double steal and RBI single. A 2-for-11 afternoon with runners in scoring position hurt a bit, but the real difference between the teams was in the running game: the Giants were 7-for-7 (or 7-for-8 – the game log is unclear) on stolen base attempts vs. the Brewers going 3-for-5, including being caught for the final out of the game with the capable Lafond at the plate. A single and walk to open the 8th inning could have been a golden scoring opportunity, but Lista was thrown out trying to extend the single. RHP Wandy Cabrera tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief (2 Ks) but was also credited with a blown save for allowing both runners inherited from Lugo to score. 18-year-old RHP Luis Aguayo (4 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 Ks) turned in a respectable start. Via the We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Friday, the DSL Gold team’s playoff adventure continues at DSL Royals Ventura at 10:00am CST, while the four full season affiliates all have evening contests. The Milwaukee Brewers also have a 3:10pm CST start time, hosting the Braves. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

This offseason, Toronto signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. The addition gave the team a front-end pitcher to pair with Kevin Gausman (who was later traded to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline). The signing drew scrutiny, as Cease wasn't coming off a strong season. He finished 2025 with a 4.55 ERA and a league-average 1.33 WHIP, but he had 215 strikeouts. He had also been known to struggle with control, with a 10 percent walk rate over a seven-year career. However, Cease has been a grand slam signing. He’s currently in the Cy Young talk with a 2.42 ERA over 137 2/3 innings and leads the AL in strikeouts (201). It’s the sixth season in a row that he has exceeded 200 strikeouts, although his walk rate (10.7 percent) is a smidge higher than his career average. The fireballer continues to show his durability as well, with him on pace to extend his five-season streak of exceeding 165 innings. If you look at Cease's Baseball Savant profile, I hope you like the color red because he ranks in the 86th percentile or higher in 11 statistics, with seven of those in at least the 95th. His immense success proves that Cease has been worth every penny this season. The Blue Jays have further confirmation that they spent big on the right player, at least in year one. Before games on August 19, Spotrac stated that of the 19 players who signed a $40 million contract or higher this past winter, Cease has the highest fWAR (4.8). He's not even close to the second-highest mark, Pete Alonso's 3.5. The Orioles' first baseman's fWAR rating has seen a massive increase amid a hot August, in which he is slashing .365/.437/.683. The two names sandwiching Cease on the list by total contract amount, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, both drew interest from the Blue Jays over the offseason. Bregman has a 3.3 fWAR rating, partially due to his strong defensive season; he ranks second among 45 eligible third basemen with six outs above average. Offensively, the third baseman has struggled, posting some of the worst statistics of his 11-year career. Bregman is slashing .255/.345/.404 this season with a substantial decrease in the power department. He's posted a .749 OPS and .149 ISO, which are both the worst of his career. Even though the Cubs' third baseman is struggling offensively, he's not the biggest surprise between him and Tucker. The Dodgers' right fielder is struggling all over the field. He's having his worst season offensively since his 2018 cup of coffee and his worst defensive season ever, with a -9.9 Def rating on FanGraphs. Tucker's outs above average is a career-low -9, ranking last among 37 eligible right fielders. His current 0.3 fWAR is a drastic difference from Cease's 4.8. Calling Tucker's season a disaster may be too kind, as Dodgers fans are booing him at home. He snapped an 0-for-26 streak at the plate on August 18 and has a 60 wRC+ at home, compared to 126 on the road. After Tucker grounded out against a Colorado Rockies position player, the Dodgers' broadcasters shared their feelings about his struggles. They suggested that he needs a reset, even if that means going to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Obviously, no one can predict how Tucker's season would have played out in Toronto, but surely it couldn't have been worse, right? However, knowing the Blue Jays were reportedly close to acquiring him, it feels great knowing they don't have $240 million tied up in a struggling bat and glove. Things could be different next season, but this season, Toronto has enough offensive issues, even though they've had a spark since the trade deadline. Bo Bichette was a candidate to be re-signed after a resurgence last season. The decision not to pursue him has turned out to be the right move, though. He has a 1.8 fWAR due to a slightly below-average offensive season; he has posted the second-lowest ISO (.121) of his eight-year career. The infielder's defense has been an issue throughout his career, but this season, he ranks 12th among third basemen with two outs above average. However, he has a -2 rating in the games he has played at shortstop for the Mets. It's safe to say the Blue Jays have won the battle of major signings for one season. Let's see how the remainder of these contracts play out and who gets added to the list after the 2026 campaign, though tension over the collective bargaining agreement may lead to an unusual offseason. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 63-55 Worcester’s subpar offense and mediocre pitching led to a 5-0 loss to the Syracuse Mets (New York Mets). There were not many positive takeaways in this matchup. The bats did not register a single extra-base hit, tallying just four hits and four walks while going 1-for-4 with RISP. Brett Harris had two of the WooSox’s four knocks, with Franklin Arias and Nate Eaton collecting one apiece. Worcester’s lone positive was Noah Song’s relief outing. The Southern California native punched out seven batters while giving up just one run through three innings. Gage Ziehl got hit around, and the three walks he allowed did not help, giving up four runs (one unearned) through four innings. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 60-56 Just like their fellow Triple-A club, Portland’s bats were quiet, taking an 11-1 blowout defeat to the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies). Will Turner had two of the Sea Dogs' three hits, one of which was a solo blast in the fifth inning that made it a 3-1 game, but it all fell apart from there. The last hit came from Yoeilin Cespedes, who hit a double. Despite Portland’s pitching staff getting hammered, Hayden Mullins was solid through five innings. The southpaw got smacked around in the first inning, giving up a run on three hits and a walk. After that, he locked in, punching out eight batters. Standout Performances: Hayden Mullins: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Will Turner: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 52-62 The Drive took a late lead and came out with a close 8-7 victory over the Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox). Greenville jumped on Winston-Salem immediately: Maximus Martin's two-run double in the first inning was followed by a Ronny Hernandez sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead, then Isaiah Jackson's RBI double in the third made it 4-0. The Dash chipped back and ended up taking a 6-4 lead after an RBI double in the sixth. Luke Heyman and Martin cracked two homers in the seventh, tying the game 6-6. After the Dash nudged ahead 7-6 in the eighth, Greenville answered in the bottom half: Stanley Tucker doubled home Skylar King, then Jackson's sacrifice fly scored Tucker for the 8-7 lead. The Drive’s pitching staff was very shaky, but the offense helped them out in the end. Jason Gilman started and went 3 ⅓ innings with six strikeouts but four walks and three runs. Luis Cohen took the sixth-inning damage, giving up three runs, then Trennor O'Donnell earned the win with three innings of one-run ball to give Greenville’s bats a chance to come back. Standout Performances: Luke Heyman: 3-for-4, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB Maximus Martin: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI Isaiah Jackson: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 51-64 An incredible comeback turned into a heartbreaker for Salem, taking an 11-10 defeat to the Wilson Warbirds (Milwaukee Brewers). The RidgeYaks managed just one run over six frames against Wilson. Salem's lone run through the first six innings came in the second, when Andrews Opata scored on Anderson Fermin's RBI single to left. Trailing 4-1, Salem's relievers collapsed. Caden Vire got one out, then gave up five runs on two hits and three walks; Nicholas Judice allowed one more. A wild pitch, a pickoff error at third, and a run scoring on a strikeout turned a manageable deficit into 10-1. Then came the comeback. Opata and Avinson Pinto opened up the seventh with back-to-back singles, then D'Angelo Ortiz doubled both home (10-3). Martin Shelar walked, Colton Coates doubled in Ortiz (10-4), then Franklin Primera brought in another with a groundout (10-5). Louis Andujar extended his on-base streak to 17 games after hitting a two-run homer (10-7), then Nunez and Opata walked, and both eventually scored on wild pitches during Pinto's groundout (10-9). Wilson pushed a run across in the eighth. In the ninth, Coates walked, Primera singled, then after a force out, Nunez's sacrifice fly brought Coates home to make it 11-10. Opata struck out swinging to end it with Andujar stranded at first. View the full article

Five pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout and Billy Amick hit his first Triple-A home run as Syracuse defeated Worcester 5-0 Thursday night. Kevin Herget worked the first two innings, allowing two hits. Brian Metoyer, Joe Jacques, Dan Hammer and Dylan Ross followed him out of the bullpen and combined to strike out 11 while allowing the other two hits. The Mets built their lead with single runs in each of the first four innings . Amick finished the picket fence with a two-out drive beyond the left-center field wall. Jose Ramos drove in two runs with an RBI single in the third and an RBI double in the seventh that completed the scoring. Elsewhere in the organization: Binghamton lost to Altoona 7-5. The Rumble Ponies were forced to play from behind after the Curve nicked starter Noah Hall for two runs in the first inning. Kevin Parada homered for the final margin. Brooklyn surrendered 10 runs in the fourth inning of its 13-6 loss to Asheville. The Cyclones walked four, two with the bases loaded, and committed a run-scoring passed ball in the frame. Trey Snyder hit a three-run homer in the first inning. St. Lucie allowed five unearned runs in its 6-2 loss to Lakeland. Jake Ogden drove in both Mets runs with a second-inning single. Christian Rodriguez allowed one run on two hits over the final 4 1/3 innings. New York Mets Transactions New York Mets sent 1B Mark Vientos on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Metoyer Masterful In Syracuse Win Metoyer turned in the best outing among the Mets' five pitchers. He struck out five of the seven batters he faced over 2 1/3 perfect innings, including his last four. That performance was more than enough for him to earn the win from the official scorer. Jacques went 1 2/3 innings and Hammer worked two innings before Ross finished the shutout in the ninth. Syracuse's first run scored without a hit. Nick Morabito and Émilien Pitre walked to lead off the bottom of the first. Amick struck out, and MJ Melendez grounded into a force out that moved Morabito to third. Nick Lorusso walked to load the bases, Ramos reached on an error by second baseman Franklin Arias, the Red Sox's top prospect, bringing in Morabito. The Mets' second run came home on a throwing error by shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who is rehabbing with Worcester. Shawn Ross hit a pair of doubles and scored a run for Syracuse. Syracuse Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito, LF 4 1 1 0 1 0 Émilien Pitre, 2B 3 1 1 0 1 0 Billy Amick, 3B 4 1 1 1 0 2 MJ Melendez, DH 4 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Lorusso, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 2 Jose Ramos, RF 4 0 2 2 0 1 D'Andre Smith, CF 4 0 0 0 0 2 Shawn Ross, C 4 1 2 0 0 2 Zack Short, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 Totals 34 5 10 3 3 10 Syracuse Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kevin Herget 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 Brian Metoyer 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 5 0 Joe Jacques 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Dan Hammer 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Dylan Ross 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Totals 9 4 0 0 4 12 0 Parada Homers Late In Binghamton Loss Parada went deep with one out in the ninth inning to make the score 7-5. Corey Collins had walked ahead of him. It was Parada's fourth homer of the season for Binghamton. The Ponies' rally ended there, however, as JT Benson and Jamari Baylor both popped out to the second baseman to end the game. Hall went the first six innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out five. The good news was he pounded the zone, throwing 53 of his 78 pitches for strikes. Binghamton's other runs came on sacrifice flies by Benson and Jacob Reimer and a groundout by Baylor. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Jefferson Rojas, SS 4 1 1 0 0 1 Jacob Reimer, DH 3 0 0 1 0 0 Chris Suero, CF 4 0 1 0 0 2 John Bay, LF 4 1 1 0 0 3 Corey Collins, 1B 2 1 1 0 2 1 Kevin Parada, C 4 2 2 2 0 0 JT Benson, RF 3 0 0 1 0 0 Jamari Baylor, 2B 4 0 0 1 0 2 Branny De Oleo, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 3 Totals 31 5 6 5 2 12 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 6 7 5 5 1 5 1 Brendan Girton 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 Saul Garcia 2 2 1 1 0 3 0 Totals 9 11 7 7 2 8 1 Brooklyn's Early Lead Vanishes At Asheville The Cyclones led 4-1 going into the bottom of the fourth. Thirteen batters later, they were staring at an 11-4 deficit. Aside from the walks and the passed ball, the Cyclones committed an error and surrendered six hits in the inning. Starter Joel Díaz and relievers Joe Scarborough, and Elwis Mijares were each charged with runs. Brooklyn got off to a fast start thanks to Snyder's home run, which followed walks to Sammy Stafura and Ronald Hernandez. The Cyclones' fourth run scored when John Smith III hit into double play in the top of the fourth, bringing home John Spikerman. Smith clubbed his first home run for Brooklyn in the sixth, a solo shot. Brooklyn Cyclones Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Sammy Stafura, SS 4 1 0 0 1 3 Aidan Smith, RF 4 1 0 0 1 3 Ronald Hernandez, 1B 3 1 1 0 2 0 Trey Snyder, CF 4 1 1 3 0 1 John Spikerman, DH 3 1 0 0 1 1 Antonio Jimenez, 2B 3 0 0 0 1 3 John Smith III, LF 3 1 1 1 0 0 Colin Houck, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 Totals 32 6 5 4 6 13 Brooklyn Cyclones Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Díaz 3 7 3 3 1 5 1 Joe Scarborough 0 1/3 0 4 4 4 1 0 Elwis Mijares 1 1/3 7 6 5 0 1 0 Gregori Louis 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 2 0 Juan Arnaud 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 8 14 13 12 8 12 1 Defensive Mistakes Cost St. Lucie Lakeland's first five runs were aided by a Ryan Tayman passed ball in the first, a fielding error by first baseman Julio Zayas in the fourth, and a throwing error by shortstop Boston Baro in the fifth. Baro's error broke a 2-2 tie and led to a three-run inning for the Flying Tigers. Ogden's hit in the second put St. Lucie in front 2-1. Zayas walked and Vladi Gomez doubled to left to put runners at second and third with two outs. Starter Nathan Hall allowed three hits and one unearned run over three innings. He walked one and struck out one. Austin Brown followed and was tagged with four unearned runs over his 1 2/3 innings of work. Rodriguez surrendered the lone earned run, on a solo home run in the eighth. He struck out four and walked one. St. Lucie Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Aiden Robbins, CF 5 0 0 0 0 2 Boston Baro, SS 2 0 1 0 0 0 Dylan Carey, SS 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Tayman, C 3 0 0 0 1 2 Jack Toomey, LF 3 0 1 0 1 1 Yovanny Rodriguez, DH 3 0 0 0 1 2 Julio Zayas, 1B 2 1 0 0 2 1 Vladi Gomez, 3B 4 1 1 0 0 1 Jake Ogden, 2B 3 0 1 2 1 1 Wyatt Vincent, RF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 29 2 4 2 7 11 St. Lucie Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nathan Hall 3 3 1 0 1 1 0 Austin Brown 1 2/3 2 4 0 2 1 0 Christian Rodriguez 4 1/3 2 1 1 1 4 1 Totals 9 7 6 1 4 6 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: DNP Mitch Voit: DNP Ryan Clifford: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-4, BB, R Jonathan Santucci: DNP Carson Wiggins: DNP Jacob Reimer: 0-for-3, RBI Aiden Robbins: 0-for-5, 2 K Randy Guzman: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-4, 2 K Jefferson Rojas: 1-for-4, 2B, R, K Will Watson: DNP Shane Sdao: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K Émilien Pitre: 1-for-3, BB, R Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K View the full article

With the San Diego Padres currently in postseason position, Randy Holt and Steve Drumwright take the opportunity to talk about the Friars' chances in the postseason. Do they have what it takes to win the franchise's first World Series? Or are they more apt to be eliminated in the Wild Card Series? Randy and Steve also take a look back at the week that was, beginning with Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones taking over as owners and then the six games against the Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets, including a superstar performance by Fernando Tatis Jr. They wrap things up by checking in on the newest draft pick to debut and look ahead to the weekend series against the Minnesota Twins. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padres-mission-podcast/id1896922834 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033xclmydmbLmEp0exYuYz Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-padres-mission-podcast-336930560 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@padresmission View the full article

Chicago Cubs Transactions No Roster Moves Iowa Doubles Its Way Past Toledo In Extra Innings The Iowa Cubs beat the Toledo Mud Hens 5-4 in ten innings, scoring in five different innings. Iowa finished with nine hits, five of them doubles, five walks, and eight runners left on base. Chas McCormick had three hits, two of them doubles, scored a run, and drove in a run. BJ Murray added two hits, including a double, with a run scored and a run batted in. Ben Cowles had a double and two walks with a run batted in, and James Triantos had a double, a walk, and a run batted in. Connor Noland worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and one run, walking two and striking out four. Shelby Miller struck out two over 2/3 of an inning, and Tyler Ferguson followed with a scoreless inning. Jayden Murray was charged with 1/3 of an inning, two hits, four walks, and three runs. Gabe Klobosits allowed one hit and three walks over 1 2/3 innings without a run, Eduarniel Núñez struck out three over two scoreless innings for the win, and Luis Peralta struck out one in a scoreless inning for the save. The sixth inning turned the game. Toledo opened with a single, a walk, and a single, drew a bases-loaded walk to score one, walked again to score another, and added a third run on an infield groundout. That put Iowa behind 4-3. Iowa answered in the ninth when Hayden Cantrelle walked and Triantos doubled him home to tie it. In the tenth, Owen Ayers began the inning as the zombie runner, moved to third on a BJ Murray single, and scored on a McCormick double play grounder for the go-ahead run. Iowa Cubs Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 4 0 1 0 1 1 James Triantos 4 1 1 1 1 1 Owen Ayers 5 1 1 0 0 1 BJ Murray 4 1 2 1 0 0 Chas McCormick 5 1 3 1 0 0 Greg Jones 5 0 0 0 0 3 Ben Cowles 2 0 1 1 2 0 Ethan Hearn 4 0 0 0 0 1 Hayden Cantrelle 3 1 0 0 1 0 Totals 36 5 9 4 5 7 Iowa Cubs Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Connor Noland 3 1/3 4 1 1 2 4 0 Shelby Miller 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Tyler Ferguson 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jayden Murray 1/3 2 3 3 4 0 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 2/3 1 0 0 3 1 0 Eduarniel Núñez 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Luis Peralta 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 10 8 4 4 10 12 0 Smokies Score Nine In The First To Bury Pensacola (Game 1 of 2) The Knoxville Smokies took the doubleheader opener in Pensacola 16-5, batting around twice in the first inning and finishing with 14 hits, nine walks, two home runs, and four runners left on base. Andy Garriola had two hits, including a three-run home run, and four runs batted in. Edgar Alvarez had three hits, two runs batted in, and a walk. Alex Ramírez had two hits, three runs batted in, and a walk, while Ariel Armas had two hits, a home run, and a run batted in. Alex Madera had two hits, including a double, and Miguel Useche doubled in two runs and drew two walks. Leadoff man Kane Kepley had a hit, two walks, a hit by pitch, and three runs scored. Dawson Netz opened with one inning, one hit, and two strikeouts. Connor Schultz then worked four innings and allowed six hits, five runs, two walks, and one home run while striking out four, and he earned the win. Kenyi Perez allowed two hits and three walks over 1 1/3 innings without a run, Frankie Scalzo Jr. struck out two over 1 2/3 innings, and Marino Santy retired all three batters he faced. The first inning did the damage. Kepley was hit by a pitch, Garriola singled, and Useche walked to load the bases. Ramírez singled home two runs, Armas singled, and Alvarez singled home two more. After a strikeout, Madera brought in a run on a groundout and Drew Bowser singled in another. Kepley then walked, and Garriola followed with a three-run home run for a 9-0 lead. Knoxville added five in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly, a two-run double by Useche, and a run-scoring single by Ramírez. Knoxville Smokies Hitting, Game One Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 3 3 1 1 2 0 Andy Garriola 5 2 2 4 0 0 Miguel Useche 3 2 1 2 2 0 Alex Ramírez 4 1 2 3 1 0 Ariel Armas 5 2 2 1 0 1 Edgar Alvarez 4 2 3 2 1 0 Karson Simas 3 1 0 0 2 1 Alex Madera 4 1 2 1 1 0 Drew Bowser 4 2 1 1 0 2 Totals 35 16 14 15 9 4 Knoxville Smokies Pitching, Game One Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dawson Netz 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Connor Schultz 4 6 5 5 2 4 1 Kenyi Perez 1 1/3 2 0 0 3 1 0 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Marino Santy 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9 10 5 5 5 9 1 Knoxville Held To Two Hits In The Nightcap (Game 2 of 2) The Knoxville Smokies lost the second game of the doubleheader in Pensacola 6-1, managing two hits and two walks in the seven-inning game while striking out nine times. Karson Simas accounted for the entire offense. He homered for his fifth of the season, drew a walk, and finished with the only run batted in. Kane Kepley had the other hit and drew a walk. No other Smokies hitter reached safely. Brody McCullough went 3 2/3 innings and gave up seven hits, five runs, three of them earned, and three walks while striking out one, and he took the loss. Tyler Schlaffer followed with 2 1/3 innings, two hits, one run, one home run, and three strikeouts without issuing a walk. The third inning put Knoxville behind. Simas homered to open the top half for a 1-0 lead, then Pensacola answered with a walk and a single to put runners at first and second. A single tied the game, and a double put the home team ahead 2-1. The fourth inning decided it. A two-out single, a walk, and another walk loaded the bases, and a single up the middle scored all three runners after a throwing error by McCullough allowed the play to continue. That made it 5-1, and a solo home run in the fifth against Schlaffer closed the scoring. Knoxville left two runners on base for the game, and the two hits and two walks were the only baserunners the Smokies produced. Knoxville Smokies Hitting, Game Two Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 2 0 1 0 1 0 Andy Garriola 3 0 0 0 0 0 Miguel Useche 3 0 0 0 0 1 Alex Ramírez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Dom Krupinski 3 0 0 0 0 2 Carter Trice 3 0 0 0 0 2 Edgar Alvarez 2 0 0 0 0 2 Karson Simas 1 1 1 1 1 0 Colin Hynek 2 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 22 1 2 1 2 9 Knoxville Smokies Pitching, Game Two Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brody McCullough 3 2/3 7 5 3 3 1 0 Tyler Schlaffer 2 1/3 2 1 1 0 3 1 Totals 6 9 6 4 3 4 1 South Bend Loses The Lead In A Four-Run Ninth The South Bend Cubs led into the ninth inning and lost 5-2 to the West Michigan Whitecaps, finishing with seven hits, three walks, eleven strikeouts, and eight runners left on base. Josiah Hartshorn had two hits, one of them a double, and a walk. Justin Stransky had a hit, a walk, and a run batted in. Leonel Espinoza had a hit and a run batted in, and Alexey Lumpuy, Michael Hallquist, and Kade Snell each had a hit. Nazier Mulé was the story on the mound. He worked 5 1/3 innings, allowed four hits and one run, walked two, and struck out six. Luis Rujano followed with 2 2/3 hitless innings and three strikeouts. Jose Romero recorded one out and allowed two hits, two walks, and four runs, taking the loss and blowing the save. Nate Williams finished with 2/3 of an inning and a strikeout. In the fourth, Escobar and Stransky brought a twist to the strike out, throw out play that's well worth checking out. South Bend took the lead in the seventh. Lumpuy singled, Hallquist singled behind him, and Stransky lined a single to center to score Lumpuy. Espinoza then grounded out to third and Hallquist scored for a 2-1 lead. The ninth undid it. A leadoff single, a walk, and a hit batter loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored the tying run during a popout, a second wild pitch scored the go-ahead run during a walk, a balk brought home a third, and a single to right added the fourth run of the inning. South Bend went down in order in the bottom half. South Bend Cubs Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Leonel Espinoza 5 0 1 1 0 2 Jose Escobar 3 0 0 0 0 1 Josiah Hartshorn 3 0 2 0 1 0 Kade Snell 4 0 1 0 0 1 Matt Halbach 3 0 0 0 1 1 Brennan Hudson 4 0 0 0 0 2 Alexey Lumpuy 4 1 1 0 0 1 Michael Hallquist 4 1 1 0 0 2 Justin Stransky 3 0 1 1 1 1 Totals 33 2 7 2 3 11 South Bend Cubs Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nazier Mulé 5 1/3 4 1 1 2 6 0 Luis Rujano 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Jose Romero 1/3 2 4 4 2 0 0 Nate Williams 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 9 6 5 5 4 10 0 Pelicans Waste Nine Strong Innings In A One-Run Loss The Myrtle Beach Pelicans lost 1-0 to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, held to two hits while striking out twelve times. Myrtle Beach drew four walks and left five runners on base. Darlyn De Leon had a hit and a walk out of the leadoff spot, and Derik Alcantara had the other hit, a double. Corey Nunez, Eli Lovich, and Jose Silva each drew a walk. Derniche Valdez struck out three times, and Fernando Cruz struck out twice. Chase Meyer opened with four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four. Hayden Frank followed with four innings, three hits, one run, one walk, and four strikeouts, and he took the loss. John Alkire II struck out two in a scoreless inning to finish the game. The eighth inning produced the only run. Fayetteville opened with a double to center, then made an out on a fly ball to left. A ground ball single to center brought the runner home for a 1-0 lead. Frank retired the next two hitters on a lineout and a groundout. Myrtle Beach put a runner on in the bottom of the eighth when De Leon lined a single to right with two outs, and Alcantara grounded out to end the threat. The Pelicans went down in order in the ninth. Myrtle Beach left five runners on base for the game, and the pitching staff kept the deficit at one run the entire way. Myrtle Beach Pelicans Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Darlyn De Leon 3 0 1 0 1 1 Derik Alcantara 4 0 1 0 0 0 Corey Nunez 3 0 0 0 1 0 Eli Lovich 3 0 0 0 1 2 Derniche Valdez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jose Silva 2 0 0 0 1 1 Fernando Cruz 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jan Luis Reyes 3 0 0 0 0 2 Ivan Cespedes 3 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 28 0 2 0 4 12 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Chase Meyer 4 4 0 0 2 4 0 Hayden Frank 4 3 1 1 1 4 0 John Alkire II 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 9 7 1 1 3 10 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-3, 2B, BB Cade Townsend: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Owen Ayers: 1-for-5, K Kane Kepley: 2-for-5, RBI, 3 BB, HBP Ethan Conrad: DNP Caden Sorrell: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Myles Bailey: DNP Brooks Caple: DNP James Triantos: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, K Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Derniche Valdez: 0-for-4, 3 K Grant Kipp: DNP Jose Escobar: 0-for-3, K, HBP Ariel Armas: 2-for-5, HR, RBI, K Fernando Cruz: 0-for-3, 2 K Brandon Birdsell: DNP View the full article

The Brewers got back on track with series wins against the Dodgers and Mariners. Jack and Spencer recap the week that was, concern level over Kyle Harrison's velocity, potential September call-ups, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Minnesota Twins still have plenty of baseball left to play. The final weeks of the season will provide an important opportunity to evaluate several players already on the roster. While the organization will eventually have to make decisions about its offseason plans, those decisions should be influenced by what happens on the field down the stretch. For some players, the remaining games are about establishing consistency. For others, it's an opportunity to show the Twins they can handle a different role or position. Every at-bat and inning provides another piece of information for the organization to consider. There's no shortage of questions surrounding the roster, but three players in particular have plenty to prove during the final weeks of the season. Zebby Matthews: Starter or Reliever? The Twins need to figure out where Matthews fits into their pitching plans. Matthews has already shown flashes that he can be a useful major-league pitcher, but Minnesota may not have enough starting pitching depth to simply pencil him into the rotation and assume everything will work itself out. Pablo López, Mick Abel, and David Festa are all working their way back from injuries. Even if all three are healthy when spring training begins, the Twins will have plenty of uncertainty behind them. That could make Matthews an interesting candidate to follow the Andrew Morris path. Morris began his professional career as a starter before eventually transitioning into a bullpen role. That move has allowed him to become a valuable part of Minnesota's pitching staff, and Matthews could follow a similar trajectory. The Twins shouldn't rush to make that decision, though. Matthews has enough starting experience that he should get every opportunity to compete for a rotation spot. At the same time, Minnesota needs to determine whether his stuff could play up in shorter outings. If the Twins believe Matthews can become a legitimate weapon out of the bullpen, that could be a valuable role for a team that has needed more depth in the pitching staff. The question: Is Matthews a future member of the starting rotation, or could he become a more valuable weapon coming out of the bullpen? Royce Lewis: Back in the Long-Term Plans? It wasn't long ago that Lewis's future with the Twins seemed considerably less certain. Minnesota sent Lewis to Triple-A earlier this season, creating plenty of questions about whether he would eventually regain his place as a cornerstone of the organization. Since then, however, something has changed. Lewis has transitioned into playing first base regularly, and his offensive production has taken a significant step forward. In 61 games since returning, he has an .822 OPS with 10 homers and 17 doubles. The change in position may have helped simplify things for him, while his bat has started looking much more like the one the Twins envisioned when they made him the No. 1 overall pick. That matters, because Lewis is still under team control for two more seasons. The Twins don't have to make a decision on his long-term future this winter. But they do need to determine whether Lewis is part of the next good version of this team. His recent performance could make that decision considerably easier. If Lewis can continue producing offensively and establish himself at first base, the Twins may have found a path that keeps him in the middle of their plans. His injury history and inconsistency remain legitimate concerns, but the organization has already invested heavily in his development. There is still time for Lewis to change the narrative. The question: Has Lewis done enough over the second half of the season to earn another opportunity to be part of Minnesota's long-term plans? Luke Keaschall: Are the Improvements for Real? Keaschall's season started about as poorly as anyone could have imagined. The offensive numbers were ugly, and it looked like the young infielder was having trouble adjusting to major-league pitching. At the end of April, he had a .542 OPS with 21 strikeouts in 31 games. Since then, however, Keaschall has worked to pull those numbers back toward respectable territory. In 87 games since May 1, he is slashing .294/.401/.422 (.823) with 22 extra-base hits. Minnesota has even started using him back at the top of the lineup because of his strong on-base skills. That doesn't mean every concern has disappeared. His defense in the outfield has been questionable at times, which is understandable considering the circumstances. Keaschall isn't a player who spent his minor-league career exclusively roaming the outfield. In fact, the Twins have essentially been moving him around on the fly. Keaschall played only 20 minor-league games in the outfield before reaching the majors. Asking him to learn a new position while simultaneously trying to adjust to big-league pitching was never going to be an easy assignment. That makes it difficult to determine exactly what Minnesota has in Keaschall right now. The offensive improvement is encouraging. But the Twins need to know whether it represents a genuine adjustment or simply a player going through a better stretch. There is still plenty of time for Keaschall to answer that question. If the bat continues trending upward, the Twins can afford to be more patient with the defensive development. But if the offensive struggles return, the organization will have to determine whether moving him back toward the infield is the better solution. The question: Are Keaschall's recent offensive improvements the beginning of a sustainable adjustment, or just a temporary hot streak? Three Players, Three Very Different Decisions The Twins don't necessarily need definitive answers on all three players before the season ends. They do, however, need more information. Matthews could help determine how Minnesota builds its pitching staff. Lewis could show the organization that he still belongs in the middle of its long-term plans. Keaschall could provide evidence that his difficult start was simply part of the learning curve. All three players have something to prove. And all three could have very different roles when the Twins return to Target Field next season. How would you answer the questions listed above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The Cubs have dramatically improved their starting rotation since Opening Day, adding Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes at the deadline to complement Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Edward Cabrera. But when you compare them to the Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, and Braves, there’s still plenty of reason to question their October ceiling. View the full article

There was a part of the season early on where it looked like Randy Vásquez wasn't just going to be a factor in the San Diego Padres rotation, but an absolutely crucial element of it. Grabbing one of the team's many rotation spots early in spring camp, Vásquez turned in a 2.94 ERA through March & April before regressing slightly to a still-respectable 3.71 mark in May. He demonstrated proper command between the two months that illustrated growth from the issues that had plagued him earlier in his career, with an 8.0 percent walk rate in the first month that improved to 5.4 percent by the following one. Despite the improved results that came via better control, however, there were some warning signs early on. His inability to generate much on the strikeout side gave way to quality contact, with a hard-hit rate that grew from an already-high 44.4 percent in April to over 46 percent in May. As opposing hitters began to elevate their contact, the triumphant vibe with which Vásquez was working early on began to wane. In June, Vásquez was hit hard. That early steadiness gave way to a skyrocketing 7.84 ERA in June. Opposing hitters hit nearly .370 off of Vásquez while reaching base at a .423 clip. His hard-hit rate against checked in at an even 50.0 percent. Even through the recent improvement to which we will eventually reach in his 2026 chronology, his percentile distribution is a tough watch. Vásquez's last appearance of the month was of the bulk variety, wherein he surrendered seven runs across 3.1 innings of work. He, nevertheless, got a start his next time out in July and was unable to complete four innings after being struck by a comebacker and experiencing a fainting spell on his way to get x-rayed. It was 17 days before we'd see him on the mound again. Such is the nature of the Padres' collection of starting pitchers in 2026 that Vásquez remained an integral part of the staff through those struggles. Upon his return from the injured list, though, three of his final four appearances in July were in relief, with his lone starting stint coming across 2.2 innings as Craig Stammen introduced his "pitching chaos" to avoid any of his starters working too many times through the order. In the subsequent weeks, however, Germán Márquez has been designated for assignment while Griffin Canning has largely lost his grip on any role outside of mop-up duty. That's left Vásquez starting twice in three chances in August, where the results have at least started to trend back toward where he was early in the season. Starting his first two times out and working bulk in the third, Vásquez has worked to a 3.38 ERA this month. That's his best mark since the opening month of the campaign. His walk rate, at 3.3 percent, is his best of the season, while his 3.39 FIP indicates that he's not getting away with a whole lot, either. What's especially crucial is that his hard-hit rate reads just 33.3 percent. That's easily his best avoidance of quality contact this year. A key development has been his change in usage: The three-fastballs concept is nothing new for Vásquez. Nor should we expect any change in usage to have an impact on his characteristically-low strikeout rate. Leaning on the cutter, though, alongside the sinker (and both over the four-seamer) has yielded some really positive results. Most notable is the fact that it's helped him to reestablish some command. He's in the zone nearly 57 percent of the time, features a first-strike rate over 70 percent, and an 18.5 percent called-strike rate. Those are all season highs for an individual month. Factor in the decline in hard contact, and you've got a pitcher capable of contributing in serious fashion down the stretch. Of course, it remains to be seen just how much of a factor Vásquez will actually be as a member of the rotation. With Joe Musgrove's return becoming more imminent by the day, one of Vásquez or Walker Buehler will be pushed out as a result. Given Vásquez's more recent work in relief, he's likely to be the one. But having this version of him on standby as a spot starter or for bulk purposes remains a much more enticing option that it might otherwise have been considering where things stood less than two months ago. View the full article