Kendry Rojas was the headline at St. Paul on Sunday, and the left-hander made the most of his first game back since a right oblique strain interrupted his August 21 outing.
Activated from the injured list before the game, Rojas worked two scoreless innings against Syracuse, allowing no hits, one walk and one strikeout. He also touched 96.7 MPH, with 18 of his 28 pitches going for strikes.
The Saints needed that clean work, because things got messy right after Rojas handed the ball off. Trent Baker was hit hard over two innings, giving up four earned runs while dealing with a steady stream of traffic and contact.
But St. Paul’s bullpen slammed the door from there.
Paulshawn Pasqualotto, Eric Orze and Marco Raya combined for four perfect innings, with Pasqualotto striking out four across two frames, Orze adding two punchouts in one inning, and Raya getting a strikeout while letting the defense do the rest.
The offense did just enough, then suddenly did a lot. Kala’i Rosario opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth, and the big swing came in the fifth.
Aaron Sabato launched a three-run shot that wrapped around the fair side of the right field foul pole, and Rosario followed by leaving the yard again with a two-run blast over the CHS field wall in right. Rosario finished 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBIs.
That kind of power is what makes Rosario a tricky offseason decision for the Twins. He’s Rule 5 eligible, and even with Minnesota’s usual outfield depth, a 24-year-old in Triple-A with real raw pop is not an easy player to ignore. The looming lockout only adds another layer to whatever the club decides.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Émilien Pitre - ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the Mets’ system - went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Wichita wrapped up its season with a loss, but the night was more about the bats than the result. The Wind Surge piled up 14 singles and scored in seven different innings, stringing together a relentless stream of grounders, line drives and everything in between. Brandon Winokur led the charge with four hits and three RBIs, making him the lone player the Wind Surge Twitter account chose to spotlight.
The Wind Surge also kept pressure on the defense by running all over the bases. Wichita stole seven bags, with Kyle DeBarge swiping four of them.
Quinn McDaniel, Jaime Ferrer and Andrew Cossetti each added one, and Cossetti’s steal was his 13th in 376 minor league games. It was that kind of day for Wichita.
The pitching side, though, matched the story of the season. Preston Johnson gave up six runs in three innings, and Cory Lewis allowed four more over four frames, leaving Wichita with the second-worst ERA in the Texas League.
Sebastian Walcott, ranked ninth overall by MLB.com, started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a single.
The Twins’ other affiliates had already reached the finish line. The Kernels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them.
The Mighty Mussels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them.
For the day, Paulshawn Pasqualotto earned Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day honors, while Kala’i Rosario was named Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day.
There are no games in the Twins’ system scheduled for Monday.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Real Pre-Lockout Decision On Two Key Young Pieces
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That is why the period before the freeze could matter so much for a team trying to balance present and future value. The Twins have two young pieces worth watching closely in Taj Bradley and Kaelen Culpepper, and the decision on whether to pursue long-term deals now is about more than just roster planning. It is also about locking in talent before the market, and the rules around it, potentially shift under their feet. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Are Suddenly Watching Kaelen Culpepper For One Injury Concern
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Still, the next few days matter because the Twins are keeping an eye on whether the soreness settles down as expected. Culpepper is slated to miss the following game while being checked daily, and the bigger question now is whether the discomfort is limited to the bruise or points to something more involving the nerves. [Read more 🡒]
Emmanuel Rodriguez Just Gave The Twins A Different Look
Emmanuel Rodriguez could not have asked for a louder introduction. In his first major-league at-bat, the young outfielder turned on a pitch and homered as part of a four-run third inning, giving the Twins the jolt they needed in a 4-3 win over the Guardians. It was the kind of debut moment that changes the feel of a night, especially with Rodriguezs family in the ballpark to see it unfold.
For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway was how the game kept opening new lanes for a club that has been looking for different ways to win. Rodriguez finished with a hit, a run, an RBI, a home run and an assist, while the bullpen did enough to protect the lead the offense had built. The debut was memorable on its own, but it also hinted at how quickly a new face can alter the look of a lineup when the Twins need one more spark. [Read more 🡒]