The Twins got a roster move at the big-league level on Monday, recalling right-hander Cody Laweryson from St. Paul. In the system, Fort Myers also activated right-hander Reed Moring from the 7-day injured list.
Laweryson’s return came as the Saints wrapped up a 3-2 week and turned the page to a series with Buffalo, the Triple-A club for the Toronto Blue Jays. That matchup could bring a notable arm to St.
Paul in right-hander Jake Bloss, the #10 prospect on our sister site Jays Centre’s list. Bloss has made only two Triple-A starts this season and carries an 8.59 ERA there.
Across all minor league levels in 2026, he owns a 5.00 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate.
Wichita is next for the Wind Surge after a tough 1-5 week against Midland. The Tulsa Drillers come in with plenty of prospect talent in the outfield, starting with Josue De Paula, who is hitting .312/.412/.533 with a .945 OPS.
Zyhir Hope has cooled off some, though he still has 13 home runs, and his line has slipped to .266/.343/.460 since Wichita last saw him. Mike Sirota is also producing in that outfield mix at .328/.484/.573 for a 1.057 OPS.
On the mound, right-hander Christian Zazueta, a top ten organizational prospect, has a 3.52 ERA on the year with a 35.9% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate, though he has only one Double-A game since moving up.
The Kernels also had a rough stretch, going 1-5 on the road in Wisconsin. Their next stop is a short trip to Quad Cities to face the River Bandits, who have five prospects ranked in Royals Keep’s top 10.
Right-hander Kendry Chourio sits at No. 1 and has a 2.45 ERA across Single-A after his recent promotion. Left-hander David Shields is No. 2 with a 3.80 ERA and a 28.5% strikeout rate.
Among the bats, lefty catcher Blake Mitchell is hitting just .214 but has a huge .413 on-base percentage and an .846 OPS. Ramon Ramirez, ranked No. 6, is batting .286/.363/.478 with an .841 OPS.
CF Asbel Gonzalez rounds out the group at No. 9 and has hit .253/.341/.306 with 37 stolen bases at High-A, two behind Kane Kepley for the Midwest League lead.
Fort Myers is coming off a 4-1 home series against St. Lucie and heads to Clearwater to meet the Threshers. Philadelphia’s system brings one top 10 prospect into that matchup in right-hander Matthew Fisher, who has a 5.32 ERA with a 25.9% strikeout rate and a 10.2% walk rate.
At the complex levels, the Twins beat the Pirates 7-4 on Monday in the FCL after holding off a late push. Minnesota scored five times in the fifth and added two more in the seventh.
Seven of the nine hitters reached with at least one hit, and the club drew nine walks. Yovanny Duran walked three times, while Teilon Serrano and Daiber De Los Santos each had two.
Serrano finished with a double and two RBI, Darwin Almanzar also doubled and drove in two, and De Los Santos added a double and an RBI. Matt Barr started and worked three innings, allowing one hit and one earned run with one walk and two strikeouts.
Halton Hardy was the pitcher of record, giving up five hits and three earned runs over four innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
In the DSL, the Twins fell 12-4 to the NYY Yankees. Fabian Ulloa went 2-for-4 with a double, and Daiyer Barboza supplied the biggest swing of the day with a three-run home run, his second of the season, which put Minnesota ahead 4-0 at the time.
Jendy Martinez didn’t record a hit, but he scored twice and accounted for three of the Twins’ five walks. Agustin Campusano held the Yankees scoreless through two innings before things unraveled in the third.
He finished with three innings, two hits, four runs, three earned runs, four walks, and one strikeout. Miguel Martinez followed with four innings, allowing five hits, six runs, five earned runs, six walks, and four strikeouts.
Twins Daily’s players of the day were Daiyer Barboza, who went 1-for-3 with a run, three RBIs and a walk, and Matt Barr, who posted three innings, one hit, one earned run, one walk and two strikeouts.
Around the organization’s top 20, Walker Jenkins hit .267/.313/.467 with a .779 OPS, plus a double and a triple. Kaelen Culpepper was reinstated Sunday and went 0-for-4.
Eduardo Tait put together a strong week at .300/.333/.550 with two doubles and a home run. Marek Houston hit .250/.333/.292 with one double.
Riley Quick logged 2 2/3 innings with six hits, three earned runs, four walks and six strikeouts. Kendry Rojas threw two innings with one hit, one earned run, three walks and four strikeouts.
Hendry Mendez went 1.000 OPS with a .500/.500/.500 line. Dasan Hill posted two scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.
Gabriel Gonzalez hit .385/.357/.538 with two doubles. Brandon Winokur finished at .217/.280/.391 with a double and a home run.
Khadim Diaw hit .214/.389/.214. Quentin Young went .235/.278/.529 with a triple and a home run.
Ryan Gallagher threw three innings with four hits, one earned run, four walks and three strikeouts. C.J.
Culpepper worked four innings with two hits, one earned run, three walks and four strikeouts. Yasser Mercedes went .083/.083/.083.
Billy Amick was 0-for-0 in every category. Kyle DeBarge hit .240/.240/.400 with a double and a home run.
In Other News...
Twins Lose One Of Their Few Bullpen Answers At Worst Time
Anthony Banda had become one of the more dependable arms the Twins could lean on out of the bullpen, which is what made his exit in Colorado sting even before the club had to sort out the roster move. Minnesota is already piecing together relief innings from a group that has been too inconsistent for comfort, so losing one of the few pitchers who had provided real stability only narrows the margin for error.
Cody Laweryson was summoned from Triple-A St. Paul to take Bandas spot, giving the Twins another look at a depth option as they try to navigate a bullpen that has been under pressure for weeks. With a tough stretch ahead, the bigger question is how Minnesota covers the innings Banda had been handling and whether the current relief mix can hold up long enough for help to emerge. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Arm Chris Paddack Gets Another Shot With A Contender
Chris Paddacks season has already turned into a tour of attrition, and the latest stop is another reminder of how quickly a veteran arm can become a depth solution in July. After time with the Marlins, Tigers and Reds, the former Twins right-hander is now working toward his next opportunity after Cincinnati moved on, leaving him looking for a way back into a rotation and a chance to stabilize a career that has been interrupted by injuries and uneven results.
The appeal for his new club is straightforward: there is a need for innings, and Paddack still has enough track record to be considered for a starting role. Injuries and recovery timelines have thinned the pitching staff, so the door is open for him to step into meaningful starts if the contract gets finalized and the fit holds up. [Read more 🡒]
The Next Five Weeks Could Define This Twins Season
Midway through a season that has felt equal parts promising and precarious, the Twins have put themselves within striking distance of the final American League Wild Card spot while still leaving plenty of doubt about whether they belong in the race for the long haul. Their offense and starting pitching have given them enough of a foundation to stay relevant, but a 39-45 record and a spot 2.5 games back also make the margin for error awfully thin as the calendar turns toward August.
With the trade deadline set for Aug. 3, the next five weeks are shaping up as a test of conviction as much as performance. Minnesota has to decide whether this is a team worth reinforcing for a push or one that needs to consider a different path, especially with the bullpen still unstable, injuries clouding the pitching staff and the club not yet looking fully settled enough to call itself a true contender. [Read more 🡒]