After getting swept by the Padres in San Diego, the Twins are heading into a new series with their season picture suddenly a little less comfortable. Minnesota opens a three-game set against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif., on Monday at 8:40 p.m.
CDT, facing an A’s club that sits last in the American League at 51-80 (.389). The Athletics, though, just took two of three from the Astros in Houston, so the Twins are not walking into an easy reset.
The bigger concern for Minnesota right now is the standings. Before the Padres series, the Twins held the third American League Wild Card spot at 63-65.
That is no longer the case. As of Aug.
24, Minnesota sits at 63-68 and has slid out of playoff position, though the gap is still manageable.
Here’s where the AL Wild Card race stands:
New York Yankees, 74-56 (.569), +9.5
Boston Red Sox, 71-59 (.546), +6.5
Cleveland Guardians, 65-66 (.496)
Texas Rangers, 65-66 (.496)
Toronto Blue Jays, 64-68 (.485), 1.5
Minnesota Twins, 63-68 (.481), 2.0
Baltimore Orioles, 63-68 (.481), 2.0
Seattle Mariners, 62-69 (.473), 3.0
Detroit Tigers, 61-69 (.469), 3.5
The Twins are also 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central.
Minnesota also took another hit to its pitching depth. The club placed left-hander Kendry Rojas on the 7-day injured list after he suffered a right oblique strain, according to his transaction log on MLB.com.
Aaron Gleeman reported that Rojas was placed on the Triple-A St. Paul injured list with the same injury.
Rojas left his start for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday in the second inning because of the oblique issue. He has mostly worked as a bulk reliever and spot starter for the Twins this year, though he had recently been stretched out as a starter with the Saints.
In 29 2/3 innings with Minnesota, the 23-year-old has a 3.34 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 22 walks. At Triple-A this season, he has posted a 3.18 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks over 34 innings.
What happens next for Rojas remains to be seen. With Minnesota’s rotation depth already thin, the injury complicates his role for the rest of the year. If he does return, the Twins could still look at him as a bullpen option for a postseason run if they get that far.
On the minor league side, Minnesota also made a move with one of its newest high-profile prospects. The Twins promoted catcher Vahn Lackey to High-A Cedar Rapids after quietly announcing the move. Lackey, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, hit .204/.389/.370 with one home run, nine RBI and five stolen bases in 15 games for Low-A Fort Myers.
The numbers at Fort Myers were uneven, but the walk rate stood out. Lackey drew walks at a 19.4% clip over his first 15 professional games, a strong showing for a 21-year-old just getting started.
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The broader concern is bigger than one cold stretch. Buxton has not tried a stolen base since the break, his recent offensive line has been light, and his overall on-field value has turned negative at a time when the Twins need him most. Minnesota now has to decide whether keeping him in the lineup is helping preserve a core piece, or simply asking an injured player to keep grinding through a problem that is clearly affecting everything he does. [Read more 🡒]