The Twins are still hanging around the postseason picture in early September, but the margin for error is tiny. Minnesota had a 10.1% chance to make the playoffs as of Wednesday morning, according to FanGraphs, and sits 3 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Toronto Blue Jays are 2 1/2 games back, while the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles are 1 1/2 games out.
That leaves the Twins in a spot where September has to bring more than just decent baseball. If Minnesota is going to keep its playoff hopes alive, it needs a few key players to shake off the uneven stretches that have slowed the club down.
Royce Lewis is one of the biggest names on that list. The 27-year-old second baseman/first baseman gave the Twins exactly the kind of jolt they need on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double and a walk in Minnesota’s 15-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Target Field.
That blast traveled 427 feet. But before that outburst, Lewis had been stuck in a deep slump, hitting just .155/.194/.172 with no home runs over his previous 62 plate appearances.
Lewis has been a streaky hitter all season, and the Twins need the hot version of him to show up now, not later.
Ryan Jeffers is another bat Minnesota badly needs to get right. He went cold in August, posting a .171/.256/.257 line over 39 plate appearances with no home runs from Aug.
16-29. The Twins could use the version of Jeffers that had him looking like an All-Star candidate before a fractured hamate bone interrupted his year.
There are signs he may be turning that corner again. Over his last three games, Jeffers has gone 5-for-10 with three home runs, one double, two walks and seven RBI.
The other name is Joe Ryan, and his importance goes beyond the box score. Ryan was one of baseball’s best pitchers in the first half, putting up a 2.85 ERA with 128 strikeouts over 110 1/3 innings before the All-Star break. Then came a rough stretch after the break, when he gave up 16 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings across three starts before landing on the injured list in early August with a left glute strain.
He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, and the outing was a solid first step.
Ryan allowed one run on one hit, a homer, while striking out four and walking none over three innings. He threw 42 pitches, and his fastball averaged 91.4 mph.
If the Twins are going to make any kind of push, they probably need a few more starts that look like the Joe Ryan from the first half.
In Other News...
Twins Move On From Kyler Fedko In Painful Roster Twist
September roster churn brought an especially tough turn for Kyler Fedko, whose brief run in the Twins organization ended with a designation for assignment after a severe knee injury. Minnesota made the move while also promoting infielder Ben Ross to the 40-man roster and recalling right-hander Garrett Acton from Triple-A as part of the clubs September call-ups, a reminder that this time of year can be as much about paperwork as it is about opportunity.
Fedkos situation carries a painful layer beyond the roster math, since injury waiver rules mean he will be released because of the injury and then becomes available again afterward. The door is not necessarily closed from there, whether that leads to a return with the Twins or a chance elsewhere, but for now the transaction underscores how quickly a promising path can change when health intervenes. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Triple-A Lineup Is Suddenly Chasing An Even Bigger Record
The power surge in St. Paul has turned the Twins Triple-A affiliate into one of the most dangerous lineups in the minors, and the Saints just added another layer to an already historic season. Their latest long ball pushed them past the International League mark, passing the Omaha Storm Chasers and giving the club a new single-season home run record to chase the rest of the way.
Kalai Rosario supplied the tying blast before Cody Morissette delivered the record-breaker, and the balance of the lineup has been almost as striking as the raw total. The Saints now have 12 players with at least 10 homers, a depth of thump that has them within reach of the all-time minor league single-season home run record held by the El Paso Chihuahuas, giving Minnesota plenty to monitor as the year winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Wallner May Be Running Out Of Time With The Twins
The Twins used their September call-ups to bring up Ben Ross and Garrett Acton from Triple-A St. Paul, and the move said plenty about where Matt Wallner stands right now. Once viewed as a promising outfield bat, Wallner was sent to the minors while Minnesota looked elsewhere for help, a sign that the clubs patience with his uneven production may be wearing thin.
Wallners profile has not helped him stay in the picture. The strikeouts and whiffs have piled up, his sprint speed has trended down, and his defense has not given the Twins much reason to keep waiting for a breakthrough. With the team continuing to promote other players instead of him, the question is no longer just how long Wallner can hold onto a roster spot, but whether the organization has already started to move on. [Read more 🡒]