This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Twins' Byron Buxton: Removed from WBC game after HBP
Rotowire
Buxton was removed from Friday's World Baseball Classic game against Brazil after getting hit on the elbow by a pitch, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Buxton ran the bases for himself after taking a 92-mph fastball off his right elbow in the fifth inning, but he was replaced on defense to begin the next half-inning. The severity of his injury remains unclear, but more information on his status should come in the near future.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Luke Keaschall: First outfield action since 2024
Rotowire
Keaschall is starting Thursday's Grapefruit League contest in left field, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
It's notable because it marks the first time Keaschall will play the outfield since undergoing elbow surgery in 2024. The 23-year-old made his major-league debut last season and only played second base if he wasn't slotted in as the designated hitter. While Keaschall is expected to man the keystone for Minnesota, position versatility will allow Minnesota to keep Keaschall's bat in the lineup after he slashed .302/.382/.445 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 25 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and a 19:29 BB:K across 207 plate appearances last season.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Walker Jenkins: Dropped from Twins camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Jenkins (hamstring) to minor-league camp Wednesday.
Jenkins entered camp as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, and a Grade 1 left hamstring strain suffered this past weekend sealed his fate. The top prospect should debut at some point during the 2026 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Liam Hendriks: Makes spring debut
Rotowire
Hendriks (elbow) struck out one batter and gave up one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning Tuesday in the Twins' 5-3 loss to the Rays in Grapefruit League play.
Hendriks took the hill for his spring debut Tuesday, signaling that he's back to full health after undergoing right elbow ulnar nerve transposition with posterior interosseous nerve release surgery back in September. The 37-year-old righty has been limited to just 19 big-league appearances over his last three seasons and hasn't been particularly effective when available, so the Twins likely aren't envisioning him filling a high-leverage role in 2026. Hendriks' main objective is to pitch well enough in spring training to earn a spot in the Twins' Opening Day bullpen, as he's attending camp as a non-roster invitee.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Matt Barr: Out with broken arm
Rotowire
Barr has been sidelined this spring due to a stress fracture of the ulna bone in his right arm, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Barr, the 149th overall pick of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, will see a delayed start to the first full season of his minor-league career as a result.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Enrique Jimenez: Out with broken finger
Rotowire
Jimenez will miss three to four weeks because of a fractured right ring finger, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Jimenez was acquired from Detroit last July for Chris Paddack. He hit just .250 with a .773 OPS in 48 games in the rookie-level Florida Complex League but batted .269 with a .982 OPS for Single-A Fort Myers in 23 games after the trade. He'll likely have a delayed start to the minor-league season, but he is worth tracking due to his strong play after joining the Twins organization.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Royce Lewis: Back in action Tuesday
Rotowire
Lewis (side) is starting at third base and batting leadoff in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
The third baseman has been sidelined the past few days after some side tightness cropped up last week, but he's ready to rejoin the lineup after having an MRI come back clean and going through live batting practice Sunday. Given Lewis' extensive injury history, fantasy managers should still keep on eye on his health status throughout spring training.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Royce Lewis: Should return this week
Rotowire
Lewis (side) participated in a session of live batting practice Sunday and could rejoin Minnesota's Grapefruit League lineup as early as Tuesday, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.
The 26-year-old was scratched from the lineup last Thursday due to right side tightness, but he had an MRI come back negative and resumed baseball activities over the weekend. Lewis had injury troubles once again in 2025 with hamstring and quadriceps issues, but he still played in a career-high 106 games. The side injury appears to be a minor concern, but any spring health problems are worth keeping an eye on given Lewis' injury history.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Bailey Ober: Strong velocity early in camp
Rotowire
Ober's fastball velocity sat around 90-91 mph during his live batting practice session Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander saw his average velocity tick down to a career-low 90.3 mph while managing hip problems last season, so it's encouraging that he's already at or above that level early in spring training. Ober struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 27 starts last year, but his 3.66 ERA across the three prior campaigns makes him a decent candidate to bounce back in 2026, assuming he can stay healthy.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Walker Jenkins: Picks up hamstring injury
Rotowire
Jenkins was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
The Twins' top prospect suffered the injury Saturday when attempting to beat out a double play. Jenkins is without an official timeline for his return, but the injury could affect his availability for the start of the Triple-A season. The 21-year-old received a taste of the Triple-A level late last year and has a decent chance of making his MLB debut at some point in 2026.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Joe Ryan: Ready to face hitters
Rotowire
Ryan (back) checked out well after his bullpen session Saturday and is slated to face hitters in live batting practice in the coming days, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Ryan has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, after he was scratched ahead of his scheduled outing last weekend when he experienced inflammation on the right side of his back. The right-hander was cleared to resume working out a few days after suffering the injury and seems to be moving through his throwing program as anticipated. While the back issue will prevent Ryan from pitching for Team USA during pool play in the World Baseball Classic, he's still part of the designated player pool and could be available for the second round of the WBC if his schedule aligns with it. Before that, Ryan is expected to pitch in a Grapefruit League game about five or six days after he throws his live BP session, per Matthew Leach of MLB.com.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Royce Lewis: MRI on side comes back negative
Rotowire
An MRI on Lewis' right side came back negative, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Lewis had to be scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Pirates due to tightness in his side, but he has managed to sidestep a serious injury. The Twins are likely to keep Lewis out of game action for at least a few days to be safe, but he should be considered day-to-day.
The Twins placed Lopez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Lopez underwent an internal brace procedure Wednesday -- rather than a full Tommy John surgery -- in an effort to shorten his recovery process, but he will still be forced to miss the entire 2026 season. His move to the 60-day IL will create a spot on the 40-man roster for Zak Kent, who was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals on Thursday.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Zak Kent: Claimed by Twins
Rotowire
The Twins claimed Kent off waivers from the Cardinals on Thursday.
After being DFA'd on Saturday to make room for Ramon Urias, Kent will now enter the competition to make a Twins bullpen that has several open spots to fill. The 28-year-old righty posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 17.2 innings with the Guardians last season in what was his first taste of major-league action.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Royce Lewis: Scratched with right side tightness
Rotowire
Lewis was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Pirates with tightness in his right side, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Lewis suffered the injury while running the bases during pregame warmups. He was scratched "out of abundance of caution," according to the team. Consider Lewis day-to-day for now, but it's yet another injury for the third baseman. Lewis appeared in a career-high 106 regular-season games last season, slashing a disappointing .237/.283/.388 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 36 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a 25:80 BB:K across 403 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Cory Lewis: Weeks away from pitching
Rotowire
Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Lewis (shoulder) is still a couple weeks away from throwing off a mound, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lewis strained his right shoulder prior to reporting to spring training and only recently began playing catch, so he'll need more time to increase his throwing distance off flat ground before graduating to mound work. The 25-year-old was cut from big-league camp Thursday and will likely serve as a swingman at Triple-A St. Paul once he's fully healthy.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Julian Merryweather: Shut down with Grade 1 strain
Rotowire
Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Merryweather has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will likely need about 3-to-4 weeks to recover before being available in games, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
While Merryweather could resume full baseball activities in about two weeks, he doesn't look like he'll be on track to pitch again before the Twins' Grapefruit League slate comes to an end. With that in mind, the injury effectively ends Merryweather's bid for a berth in the Opening Day bullpen, as he had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and likely needed a strong spring to clinch a spot. Expect Minnesota to reassign Merryweather to minor-league camp in the coming weeks.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Pablo Lopez: Opts for internal brace surgery
Rotowire
Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said that Lopez (elbow) underwent a successful UCL repair surgery with an internal brace Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lopez previously underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2013, but he was able to avoid a full reconstructive procedure this time around. Though Lopez will miss the entire 2026 season, the Twins are hopeful that the UCL repair with an internal brace will expedite his recovery process and allow him to be ready to go for the start of the 2027 campaign. Paparesta noted that Lopez is scheduled to meet with his surgeon in five or six months, and if a follow-up MRI shows that the right-hander has healed as expected, he could be cleared to begin a throwing program.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Joe Ryan: Set to throw bullpen session
Rotowire
Ryan (back) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday before advancing to facing live hitters next week, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Ryan had been scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut this past Saturday before being scratched from the start due to a back issue. With an MRI revealing inflammation and no other damage to his back, Ryan wasn't shut down from throwing for more than a couple of days. He still should have plenty of time to get fully ramped up ahead of Opening Day, but his availability for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic is in question.
10:07
9:29
10:06
10:43
1:27
8:58
1:46
1:29
8:20
1:36
9:08
9:42
9:02
0:46
1:15
0:31
1:17
1:32
1:00
0:57
