The Yankees game was the second straight fixture that Maeda departed from early because of discomfort in the top of his right arm. He recorded career-high 11 hits and 10 runs in the fourth inning without any outs.

Maeda began experiencing arm fatigue on April 4, after which the Twins gave him nine days to rehabilitate his arm. While experiencing some improvement during his second and third starts, Maeda was hit on the left ankle by a ball traveling 111 mph, thereby raising further doubts as to his availability.

According to the Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, the MRI scan is a standard procedure to check in on the player’s post-surgery status. The team does not believe that Maeda’s latest setback is related to the Tommy John elbow ligament replacement procedure that he underwent in 2021.

The post Twins’ Kenta Maeda to Undergo MRI on Arm appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Vasquez was considered one of the top free-agent catchers on the market, with several teams chasing his signature after he produced a .714 OPS last season. Twins catchers, by comparison, were only able to hit .197 with a .630 OPS last year, making Vasquez a valuable addition to the team.

Last season was a respectable one for the Twins, who finished third in the AL Central despite suffering a barrage of injuries. In addition, starting catcher Gary Sanchez hit just .205 with a .659 OPS in 128 games, including 80 at catcher. While Ryan Jeffers started 56 games as a catcher, he struggled to fare better, hitting .208 in the batter’s box.

Before the Twins were able to secure Vasquez’s services, the catcher had been a top target of the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs.

The post Christian Vasquez Closes Three-Year Deal With Twins appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Farmer batted .255 with 14 home runs and 78 RBI in 526 at-bats in 2022 in what was his second season for the Reds. He made his major league debut in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In addition to the Farmer trade, the Twins have been active on the market as of late, trading third baseman Gio Urshela to the Los Angeles Angels earlier on Friday for minor league right-hander Alejandro Hidalgo.

The team also tendered contracts to all seven of their players who are eligible for arbitration, namely, corner infielder Luis Arraez, left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar, right-handed starters Tyler Mahle and Chris Paddack, and right-handed relievers Jorge Alcala, Jorge López, and Emilio Pagán.

Farmer will be adding some much-needed depth to the Twins in the shortstop position. While Royce Lewis is recovering from a torn ACL, he most likely will not make a return to the field until midway through the season at least. This leaves Nick Gordon as the only other natural shortstop on the team apart from the newly arrived Farmer.

The post Minnesota Twins Acquire Kyle Farmer From Reds appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Correa inked a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins in March, becoming the highest-paid infielder in the league at the time. The contract had opt-outs after each year, and the 28-year-old used one on the first chance he got.

Correa confirmed the news earlier this week in a chat with the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

“With the year that I have had, my health, and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision,” Correa said.

In 136 games he played in a Twins jersey, Correa batted .291 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs. And he wouldn’t mind staying in Minnesota, which missed the playoffs this season, despite opting out.

“I am very interested in being able to return,” Correa added.

Prior to joining the Twins, Carlos Correa played for seven seasons with the Houston Astros. While in Houston, he earned two All-Star honors and was part of the team that won the World Series in 2017.

The post Carlos Correa to Become a Free Agent After Opting Out of Twins Contract appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Sano had an abysmal start to the 2022 MLB campaign, batting .093 with one homer and three RBIs in the first 17 games of the season. He then injured his knee during a walk-off celebration in late April and had to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

There were some who believed that the injury actually signaled the end of Sano’s time with the Twins. It seemed that the AL Central-leading Minnesota would have no use for a slumping player while the 29-year-old player is also in the final year of his contract. Still, it seems like Sano’s production in the minors in recent weeks convinced the Twins to give him another chance. While on a rehabilitation assignment, he posted a .333 batting average with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

Miguel Sano spent his entire MLB career in Minnesota. He made his debut in 2015 and has hit .238 with 161 homers and 315 RBIs in Twins’ uniform. He had one All-Star appearance in 2017.

The post Twins All-Star Miguel Sano Returning to Action After 3-Month Absence appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Their most recent victory, against the Minnesota Twins, was won in dramatic fashion. By all accounts, they should not have won. But when things are going your way, almost everything goes your way.

The A’s and the Twins had taken things to extra innings, and then Minnesota took a 12-11 lead in the top of the 10th. Fast-forward to the bottom of the 10th, and Ramon Laureano is at the plate with two outs, bases loaded, behind the count at 1-2, and his team down by one.

Laureano then hit a sharp grounder down the third base line. This wasn’t an easy play for Minnesota third baseman Luis Arraez to make, but he was able to scoop up the ball and throw it… wildly off target.

Arraez’s throw went beyond the first baseman’s hands, and Oakland was able to score two runs to win the game, extending their win streak to 11 games.

If this dramatic ending is any indication of how things have been going for the A’s lately, it’ll be quite interesting to see how long this win-streak will go on. In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy the ride with them.

The post Oakland A’s Win Their 11th Straight After Rocky Start appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

5. Cincinnati Reds

Give the Reds credit for coming out of the gate strong and winning five out of six home games. Currently sitting atop the NL Central Division with a 6-3 record, they’ve earned their spot on this list. But it’ll take work for them to maintain it.

4. Minnesota Twins

Although they’ve been shaky, the fact of the matter is that the Twins have an excellent team this year. One highlight so far for them this season has been the 40-year-old Nelson Cruz, who’s hit four homers and gotten a hit in every game so far.

3. New York Yankees

The Yankees have also had a slow start, but the sheer talent on their roster is more than enough for them to crack the top three of this list. If Aaron Judge and company are the players we think they are, they’ll rise to the top of the American League soon enough.

2. San Diego Padres

We were already excited about the Padres before the season started. Then Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, and we couldn’t help but feel giddy about their potential this season.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Far and away the most talented roster in the league, the Dodgers seem well-equipped to defend their title this season. They’re off to an incredible start as well, leading the league with an 8-2 record.

The post First Look: Top 5 Power Rankings of our MLB Teams appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The former Braves and Angels shortstop is a defensive wizard, known for producing some of the best up-the-middle plays of anyone in the league. Throughout his Major League tenure, he has been an inconsistent hitter but most of those woes have always been canceled out by his premier defense.

Simmons posted a .297 batting average with the Angels last season with no home runs and very little power production. However, his glove remained as reliable as always, saving plenty of hits up the middle for his team.

The Twins will plug Simmons into the shortstop role next season and move long-time infielder Jorge Polanco to second base. The team hopes that Simmons will help improve its defense and give its team’s pitchers a nice boost. Any offensive production from Simmons would be considered a bonus, but that isn’t a priority for a Twins team with one of the best lineups in baseball.

The newest Twin is set to report to Spring Training in Florida over the next few weeks after the deal is officially announced.

The post Twins Add SS Andrelton Simmons for 2021 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Happ has been playing for the New York Yankees over the last three seasons, putting up a solid 21-10 record and a 4.13 ERA.

One thing that the Twins probably like about Happ is his World Series experience. When Happ was a rookie back in 2008, he won a title with the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, at the age of 38, Happ will be looking to add to his hardware by helping Minnesota do the same.

Although Happ won’t be the Twins’ first or second starter, he should be a part of the tail end of their starting rotation. If he puts up a solid season, he’ll be a great help for the Twins’ offense in their quest to win it all.

With a very competitive American League, Minnesota naturally wanted all the defensive help they can get, so it’s no surprise they turned to Happ, a veteran presence who will give their roster experience and depth.

The post Twins Acquire SP J.A. Happ for the Upcoming Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Donaldson didn’t play in the Twins’ last two games of the regular season but seemed ready to go for the playoffs after taking part in practice on Monday. However, hours before they needed to announce their roster, Minnesota decided to leave out the 34-year-old player.

“Didn’t want him to push if he was feeling something that he could potentially do some long-term damage to,” said Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey.

According to Falvey, he expects Donaldson to be part of the roster if the Twins advance to the second round.

“He wasn’t ready to go this series, and we felt the best thing to do was to continue to get him treatment and see where hopefully it is after this series if we’re lucky enough to move on,” he added.

Josh Donaldson joined Minnesota this offseason as a free agent, inking a four-year, $92 million contract with the franchise. Twins, however, didn’t get their money’s worth so far as Donaldson struggled with injuries for the better part of the season, missing 32 games. He batted .222 in 2020, adding six home runs and 11 RBIs.

The post Twins to Face Astros Without 2015’s AL MVP Josh Donaldson appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Yankees game was the second straight fixture that Maeda departed from early because of discomfort in the top of his right arm. He recorded career-high 11 hits and 10 runs in the fourth inning without any outs.

Maeda began experiencing arm fatigue on April 4, after which the Twins gave him nine days to rehabilitate his arm. While experiencing some improvement during his second and third starts, Maeda was hit on the left ankle by a ball traveling 111 mph, thereby raising further doubts as to his availability.

According to the Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, the MRI scan is a standard procedure to check in on the player’s post-surgery status. The team does not believe that Maeda’s latest setback is related to the Tommy John elbow ligament replacement procedure that he underwent in 2021.

The post Twins’ Kenta Maeda to Undergo MRI on Arm appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Vasquez was considered one of the top free-agent catchers on the market, with several teams chasing his signature after he produced a .714 OPS last season. Twins catchers, by comparison, were only able to hit .197 with a .630 OPS last year, making Vasquez a valuable addition to the team.

Last season was a respectable one for the Twins, who finished third in the AL Central despite suffering a barrage of injuries. In addition, starting catcher Gary Sanchez hit just .205 with a .659 OPS in 128 games, including 80 at catcher. While Ryan Jeffers started 56 games as a catcher, he struggled to fare better, hitting .208 in the batter’s box.

Before the Twins were able to secure Vasquez’s services, the catcher had been a top target of the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs.

The post Christian Vasquez Closes Three-Year Deal With Twins appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Farmer batted .255 with 14 home runs and 78 RBI in 526 at-bats in 2022 in what was his second season for the Reds. He made his major league debut in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In addition to the Farmer trade, the Twins have been active on the market as of late, trading third baseman Gio Urshela to the Los Angeles Angels earlier on Friday for minor league right-hander Alejandro Hidalgo.

The team also tendered contracts to all seven of their players who are eligible for arbitration, namely, corner infielder Luis Arraez, left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar, right-handed starters Tyler Mahle and Chris Paddack, and right-handed relievers Jorge Alcala, Jorge López, and Emilio Pagán.

Farmer will be adding some much-needed depth to the Twins in the shortstop position. While Royce Lewis is recovering from a torn ACL, he most likely will not make a return to the field until midway through the season at least. This leaves Nick Gordon as the only other natural shortstop on the team apart from the newly arrived Farmer.

The post Minnesota Twins Acquire Kyle Farmer From Reds appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Correa inked a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins in March, becoming the highest-paid infielder in the league at the time. The contract had opt-outs after each year, and the 28-year-old used one on the first chance he got.

Correa confirmed the news earlier this week in a chat with the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

“With the year that I have had, my health, and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision,” Correa said.

In 136 games he played in a Twins jersey, Correa batted .291 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs. And he wouldn’t mind staying in Minnesota, which missed the playoffs this season, despite opting out.

“I am very interested in being able to return,” Correa added.

Prior to joining the Twins, Carlos Correa played for seven seasons with the Houston Astros. While in Houston, he earned two All-Star honors and was part of the team that won the World Series in 2017.

The post Carlos Correa to Become a Free Agent After Opting Out of Twins Contract appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Sano had an abysmal start to the 2022 MLB campaign, batting .093 with one homer and three RBIs in the first 17 games of the season. He then injured his knee during a walk-off celebration in late April and had to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

There were some who believed that the injury actually signaled the end of Sano’s time with the Twins. It seemed that the AL Central-leading Minnesota would have no use for a slumping player while the 29-year-old player is also in the final year of his contract. Still, it seems like Sano’s production in the minors in recent weeks convinced the Twins to give him another chance. While on a rehabilitation assignment, he posted a .333 batting average with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

Miguel Sano spent his entire MLB career in Minnesota. He made his debut in 2015 and has hit .238 with 161 homers and 315 RBIs in Twins’ uniform. He had one All-Star appearance in 2017.

The post Twins All-Star Miguel Sano Returning to Action After 3-Month Absence appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Their most recent victory, against the Minnesota Twins, was won in dramatic fashion. By all accounts, they should not have won. But when things are going your way, almost everything goes your way.

The A’s and the Twins had taken things to extra innings, and then Minnesota took a 12-11 lead in the top of the 10th. Fast-forward to the bottom of the 10th, and Ramon Laureano is at the plate with two outs, bases loaded, behind the count at 1-2, and his team down by one.

Laureano then hit a sharp grounder down the third base line. This wasn’t an easy play for Minnesota third baseman Luis Arraez to make, but he was able to scoop up the ball and throw it… wildly off target.

Arraez’s throw went beyond the first baseman’s hands, and Oakland was able to score two runs to win the game, extending their win streak to 11 games.

If this dramatic ending is any indication of how things have been going for the A’s lately, it’ll be quite interesting to see how long this win-streak will go on. In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy the ride with them.

The post Oakland A’s Win Their 11th Straight After Rocky Start appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

5. Cincinnati Reds

Give the Reds credit for coming out of the gate strong and winning five out of six home games. Currently sitting atop the NL Central Division with a 6-3 record, they’ve earned their spot on this list. But it’ll take work for them to maintain it.

4. Minnesota Twins

Although they’ve been shaky, the fact of the matter is that the Twins have an excellent team this year. One highlight so far for them this season has been the 40-year-old Nelson Cruz, who’s hit four homers and gotten a hit in every game so far.

3. New York Yankees

The Yankees have also had a slow start, but the sheer talent on their roster is more than enough for them to crack the top three of this list. If Aaron Judge and company are the players we think they are, they’ll rise to the top of the American League soon enough.

2. San Diego Padres

We were already excited about the Padres before the season started. Then Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, and we couldn’t help but feel giddy about their potential this season.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Far and away the most talented roster in the league, the Dodgers seem well-equipped to defend their title this season. They’re off to an incredible start as well, leading the league with an 8-2 record.

The post First Look: Top 5 Power Rankings of our MLB Teams appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The former Braves and Angels shortstop is a defensive wizard, known for producing some of the best up-the-middle plays of anyone in the league. Throughout his Major League tenure, he has been an inconsistent hitter but most of those woes have always been canceled out by his premier defense.

Simmons posted a .297 batting average with the Angels last season with no home runs and very little power production. However, his glove remained as reliable as always, saving plenty of hits up the middle for his team.

The Twins will plug Simmons into the shortstop role next season and move long-time infielder Jorge Polanco to second base. The team hopes that Simmons will help improve its defense and give its team’s pitchers a nice boost. Any offensive production from Simmons would be considered a bonus, but that isn’t a priority for a Twins team with one of the best lineups in baseball.

The newest Twin is set to report to Spring Training in Florida over the next few weeks after the deal is officially announced.

The post Twins Add SS Andrelton Simmons for 2021 Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Happ has been playing for the New York Yankees over the last three seasons, putting up a solid 21-10 record and a 4.13 ERA.

One thing that the Twins probably like about Happ is his World Series experience. When Happ was a rookie back in 2008, he won a title with the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, at the age of 38, Happ will be looking to add to his hardware by helping Minnesota do the same.

Although Happ won’t be the Twins’ first or second starter, he should be a part of the tail end of their starting rotation. If he puts up a solid season, he’ll be a great help for the Twins’ offense in their quest to win it all.

With a very competitive American League, Minnesota naturally wanted all the defensive help they can get, so it’s no surprise they turned to Happ, a veteran presence who will give their roster experience and depth.

The post Twins Acquire SP J.A. Happ for the Upcoming Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Donaldson didn’t play in the Twins’ last two games of the regular season but seemed ready to go for the playoffs after taking part in practice on Monday. However, hours before they needed to announce their roster, Minnesota decided to leave out the 34-year-old player.

“Didn’t want him to push if he was feeling something that he could potentially do some long-term damage to,” said Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey.

According to Falvey, he expects Donaldson to be part of the roster if the Twins advance to the second round.

“He wasn’t ready to go this series, and we felt the best thing to do was to continue to get him treatment and see where hopefully it is after this series if we’re lucky enough to move on,” he added.

Josh Donaldson joined Minnesota this offseason as a free agent, inking a four-year, $92 million contract with the franchise. Twins, however, didn’t get their money’s worth so far as Donaldson struggled with injuries for the better part of the season, missing 32 games. He batted .222 in 2020, adding six home runs and 11 RBIs.

The post Twins to Face Astros Without 2015’s AL MVP Josh Donaldson appeared first on yoursportspot.com.