Twins' Emmanuel Rodriguez: Sidelined with thumb strain
Rotowire
Rodriguez did not play in Friday's doubleheader for Triple-A St. Paul due to a left thumb strain, MLB.com reports.
It is not the same thumb that required offseason surgery, according to the report. Rodriguez had surgery to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb last fall. The top prospect is off to a slow start at Triple-A as he's hitting just .231/.359/.277 with three stolen bases in 17 games.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Gets hit in first rehab game
Rotowire
Lewis (hamstring) went 1-for-3 with a double and played third base in his first rehab game Friday for Triple-A St. Paul. He's not expected to play Saturday as the Twins ease him into action, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Lewis won't be activated from the injured list until he is able to play on consecutive days, according to the report, which means he likely won't return before a homestand that begins May 6. Lewis suffered the left hamstring strain March 16 while running to first base.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Fans six in return
Rotowire
Lopez (2-1) earned the win against the Angels on Friday, giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters across five innings.
Friday's start marked Lopez's first time on the mound for the Twins since he strained his right hamstring April 8. He wasn't incredibly efficient, needing 101 pitches to get through five, but he still did enough to qualify for a win in his return from the injured list. RBI singles from Jo Adell in the second inning and Mike Trout in the fifth were all the Halos could manage against Lopez, and the 29-year-old righty departed the game with a comfortable 9-2 lead. He'll look to keep his momentum going during a divisional matchup in Cleveland next week.
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Twins' Kody Clemens: Shipped to Minnesota
Rotowire
The Phillies traded Clemens to the Twins on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Clemens was dropped from Philadelphia's 40-man roster Wednesday after appearing in just seven games, during which he went 0-for-6 with a walk. His move to Minnesota will put him back on a team's 40-man, and he figures to have an easier path to playing time in the Twins' infield with Willi Castro (oblique), Royce Lewis (hamstring) and now Luke Keaschall (forearm) all dealing with injuries.
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Twins' Luke Keaschall: Suffers broken arm
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Keaschall suffered a fractured right forearm after getting hit by a pitch in Friday's game against the Angels, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Keaschall was taken out of the game in the third inning after taking a pitch off his arm in the first, and it now appears he'll miss at least several weeks as a result of the incident. The Twins are also navigating injuries to Willi Castro (oblique) and Royce Lewis (hamstring), so they may turn to their farm system for help filling the latest gap in their infield.
Keaschall was removed from Friday's game against the Angels after getting hit on the hand by a pitch, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Keaschall took a pitch off his hand/wrist in the first inning, and although he ran for himself after getting plunked, he didn't come out of the dugout for his next at-bat. The Twins should provide an update on the 22-year-old once they take a closer look at him, but he can be considered day-to-day for now.
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Twins' Diego Cartaya: Booted from 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Twins outrighted Cartaya to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. Cartaya was acquired via trade from the Dodgers over the offseason and is just 2-for-25 with an 18:4 K:BB in his first 29 plate appearances with St. Paul this season.
Twins' Pablo Lopez: Activated ahead of Friday's start
Rotowire
The Twins activated Lopez (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Lopez will make his return to the Twins' rotation Friday against the Angels after missing the past two weeks with a right hamstring strain. He made one rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul this past Saturday, going 4.2 innings and throwing 63 pitches. Lopez hasn't reached the 80-pitch mark since April 2 versus the White Sox, so his workload could be limited Friday.
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Twins' Christian Vazquez: Heading for reduced role
Rotowire
Manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday that Ryan Jeffers will take on a larger role, which will result in fewer starts for Vazquez, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
The catching duo has split playing time fairly evenly across the past two seasons, and Jeffers has made 14 starts to Vazquez's 11 early in 2025. The Twins are changing their strategy behind the plate, however, with Vazquez's career .581 OPS with the club finally catching up to him. The veteran backstop still brings plenty of defensive value and is a good fit as a backup catcher, but it should be Jeffers that receives the lion's share of the starts from now on.
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Twins' Ryan Jeffers: Set for heavier workload
Rotowire
Manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday that Jeffers will operate as more of an everyday catcher going forward, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Jeffers and Christian Vazquez each made 81 starts behind the plate last season, and they've had a fairly even split of playing time early in 2025 with 14 and 11 starts, respectively. Vazquez's continued offensive struggles (career .581 OPS with Minnesota) will finally prompt a strategy change, with Jeffers now poised to operate as more of a clear No. 1 catcher. The 27-year-old hasn't been particularly productive through 67 plate appearances himself with a .254/.343/.339 slash line, but he had a .732 OPS in 2024 and carries more upside than Vazquez.
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Twins' Christian Vazquez: Breaks out of slump
Rotowire
Vazquez went 2-for-3 with two doubles in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the White Sox.
Vazquez entered the game hitting just .100/.152/.167 and was losing playing time, so this was a much needed performance. Manager Rocco Baldelli told the Minnesota Star Tribune Thursday that Ryan Jeffers will get more playing time with Vazquez's slow start.
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Twins' Chris Paddack: Still winless in 2025
Rotowire
Paddack (0-3) took the loss against the White Sox in Thursday's rain-shortened game. He allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out five across five innings.
Paddack put the Twins behind in the second inning after giving up a solo homer to Lenyn Sosa, and the former gave up an additional run in the fourth frame on a bases-loaded walk. Paddack tossed 99 pitches (57 strikes) and generated 12 whiffs, but he couldn't avoid the loss, as the Twins' offense failed to accumulate any runs. Still, Paddack has rebounded nicely since giving up nine runs in his season debut March 31, logging a 3.32 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 18:9 in 19 innings over his last four starts. He's slated to take on the Guardians on the road next week, when he'll look to earn his first win of 2025.
Twins' Royce Lewis: Cleared to begin rehab assignment
Rotowire
Lewis (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lewis has been ramping up his running this week and didn't encounter any setbacks, so he's been cleared to test out his left hamstring in game action. It's not clear how many rehab contests Lewis will need before being activated from the IL, but he's missed over a month of action, so it will likely be more than a few games.
The Twins recalled Gasper from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday.
Minnesota optioned Gasper to Triple-A less than a week ago, but he'll be eligible to rejoin the big club after super-utility man Willi Castro (oblique) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move. Gasper will serve as an emergency No. 3 catcher and will provide depth at three infield spots as well as left field, but he's unlikely to be in store for regular playing time after going 2-for-18 at the plate over 10 games in his initial stint with the Twins this season.
The Twins placed Castro on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right oblique strain.
Castro hasn't played in more than a week and the Twins have finally relented and placed the super-utility player on the IL. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the switch-hitting Castro has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain. While Castro can hit pain-free from the right side, he isn't able to swing left-handed without feeling tightness. He's eligible for activation May 1, and he sounds like he'll have a shot to return at that time.
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