After the Minnesota Twins dropped the finale of their three-game set with the Detroit Tigers in extra innings on Wednesday at Target Field, the American League Wild Card picture shifted only a little - but it still matters.
The Twins had taken the first two games of the series in convincing fashion, then came up short in the rubber game. At the same time, the Cleveland Guardians, who currently hold the final AL Wild Card spot, were thumped 11-0 by the Toronto Blue Jays. That left the standings with the Twins sitting 3.5 games out in the chase.
Here’s where the AL Wild Card race stood after Wednesday’s games:
New York Yankees: 80-60, +9.5
Boston Red Sox: 75-65, +4.5
Cleveland Guardians: 70-69
Texas Rangers: 69-71, 1.5
Toronto Blue Jays: 69-71, 1.5
Baltimore Orioles: 69-71, 1.5
Minnesota Twins: 67-73, 3.5
Seattle Mariners: 66-74, 4.5
The Twins are also 6 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.
Minnesota gets Thursday off before opening a three-game series against the White Sox at Rate Field on Friday night.
The rest of the schedule is lined up like this:
3 Games @ Chicago White Sox (Sept. 4-6)
3 Games @ Detroit Tigers (Sept. 7-9)
3 Games vs. Cleveland Guardians (Sept.
11-13)
3 Games vs.
New York Yankees (Sept. 14-16)
4 Games @ Los Angeles Angels (Sept. 17-20)
3 Games @ San Francisco Giants (Sept. 21-23)
3 Games vs. Texas Rangers (Sept.
25-27)
There was also some pitching news worth watching. Joe Ryan is another step closer to coming off the injured list after making a rehab start with Triple-A St.
Paul on Tuesday night. Ryan has been sidelined since early August with a left glute strain.
In his rehab outing, Ryan gave up one run on one hit, with the hit coming on a home run, across three innings. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out four. His fastball averaged 91.4 mph, and he needed 42 pitches to get through the outing.
Ryan’s season has had two very different stretches. After the All-Star break, he gave up 16 runs in 15 1/3 innings over three starts. Before the break, he was rolling with a 2.85 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings.
Matt Canterino also took a major step forward Tuesday, beginning a rehab assignment with High-A Cedar Rapids. The former Twins pitching prospect, now 28, had not thrown a professional inning since late July 2022 because of a long list of injuries.
Canterino worked a scoreless inning for Cedar Rapids, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out one.
He has never reached the majors, but his minor-league track record still stands out. In 85 innings after the Twins selected him in the second round in 2019, Canterino owns a 1.48 ERA with 130 strikeouts and a 0.86 WHIP. He works primarily with a mid-90s fastball and a slider.
In Other News...
Twins First Round Catcher Is Forcing A Bigger 2026 Question
Vahn Lackeys first taste of pro ball has done exactly what the Twins could have hoped: it has turned a premium draft pick into a real conversation piece. In his first 103 plate appearances, the first-round catcher has shown he can get on base, drive the ball and hold his own with a disciplined approach at the plate, while his athleticism and defensive tools have only added to the intrigue. For a club that has been searching for more certainty behind the plate, it is a useful development to have a young catcher already looking comfortable in both batters box and the field.
The bigger question now is how quickly Lackey can climb, because his start has made the timeline feel less theoretical and more immediate. If he keeps this up, the Twins may have to think seriously about whether he can move fast enough through the minors to factor into the 2026 picture as more than just a long-term project, especially with Ryan Jeffers future in flux. For now, Lackey is still only beginning his professional career, but he has already done enough to make Minnesotas catcher plans look a lot more interesting than they did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Ownership Debate Just Got More Frustrating For Fans
Last summers brief sale process already left Twins fans with whiplash, and the latest look around Major League Baseball only sharpens the frustration. The Pohlad family had put the club on the market before reversing course when the offers did not match expectations, and the gap between what the family wanted and what buyers were willing to pay helped explain why the talks stalled.
The market around the sport has only gotten louder since then, with the Angels recent $4 billion sale to Stan Kroenke underscoring how high franchise valuations can climb. Minnesota reportedly was looking for something in the $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion range, while offers were closer to $1.5 billion, a shortfall shaped in part by the teams debt and other factors. For now, the Pohlads are still waiting for a better number, and the bigger question for fans is how long that wait lasts. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Can Now Judge Another Tough Kyler Fedko Decision
Kyler Fedkos exit from the Twins added another layer to a transaction that was already about roster math as much as player movement. Minnesota designated the outfielder for assignment and released him to clear space, ending a stint that had become notable more for possibility than production as he worked back from an ACL injury.
Fedko has now landed with the Pirates on a multi-year minor league contract, a move that sends him to his hometown organization with a clearer runway to keep building toward a return. He will keep rehabbing before reporting into Pittsburghs minor league system, where hell have a chance to compete for playing time in the outfield and try to turn a difficult stretch into a fresh start. [Read more 🡒]