Latest news with #RoccoBaldelli
CBS News
20 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Minnesota Twins reinstate Byron Buxton from concussion injured list following 11-game absence
The Minnesota Twins reinstated center fielder Byron Buxton from the seven-day concussion injured list Friday before a three-game series in Seattle, two weeks after he collided with shortstop Carlos Correa in pursuit of a shallow fly ball. "Very good day to be getting Byron Buxton back," said manager Rocco Baldelli. "He finished up all of his protocol testing and all of that. Did well and was cleared the last day in Tampa, so the first game back was going to be today. Everything went pretty smoothly, and I think he's very eager to get back out there." Buxton missed 11 games after the collision, which also sent Correa into the concussion protocol. Correa only needed the minimum seven-day stay on the injured list and missed five games. To make room for Buxton, outfielder Carson McCusker was sent back to Triple-A St. Paul. Buxton is batting .261 with an .834 OPS and 18 extra-base hits, including 10 homers. He also has 33 runs, 27 RBIs and eight steals in 41 games. "Well, it's great for us," Baldelli said of getting Buxton back. "Both sides of the ball he does so many wonderful things for us."
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Twins takeaways: Hard-hit luck, Royce Lewis' slump, Carson McCusker's moment, injury updates
TAMPA, Fla. — For a team that scored 22 runs over its past eight games including Wednesday's shutout loss, the Minnesota Twins sound anything but defeated. No, they're not happy with the results. Yes, they understand they must do more to win games. But as they took stock of a 5-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Twins recognized they deserved better after suffering their first series defeat since a month ago in Cleveland. Advertisement Although they've experienced plenty of good fortune in several recent victories over a 17-5 hot stretch, Lady Luck wasn't on the Twins' side Wednesday, which was only the fourth time they've been shut out this season and the first since April 24. Despite metrics showing the balls they hit carried a .308 expected batting average, the Twins finished with six base hits. The team's 15 hard-hit balls, 11 of which found gloves accounting for 12 outs, tied for its fifth-best output of the season. 'We had a tough time getting it going,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'I will say, the first three or four innings, we hit line drives all over the field. The name of the game is obviously scoring runs, but the way you score runs is by getting base runners and hitting line drives. We hit a ton of line drives, and they amounted to zilch. That's life in this game and it's going to happen sometimes. We had some days we didn't blast the ball all around the park, get a few base runners, make it happen and score a bunch of runs. (Wednesday) was the opposite.' Line drives were plentiful against Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen. So were balls hit right at defenders. The Twins produced two hard-hit balls in each of the game's first four innings, but only one went for a hit: Trevor Larnach's leadoff single in the first. They had another hard-hit ball in the fifth, Royce Lewis' ground-ball double play, and none in the sixth. Rasmussen exited with one hit and one walk allowed and five strikeouts across six scoreless innings. The hard-hit misfortune continued against the Tampa Bay bullpen as the Twins singled twice to start the seventh and eighth innings, but had two more balls hit 95 mph or harder that found gloves, which killed each rally. Of the 25 balls put in play by the Twins, 15 were hard-hit. 'I thought we stayed through the middle of the field very well as a team,' Lewis said. 'The at-bats are competitive. We're always one swing away or we're putting up good at-bats. We've just got to get a little more runners in scoring position and we'll do that eventually.' The Twins might be far more concerned about their current stretch if not for several factors. During the eight-game run, the Twins went 4-4. Their pitchers yielded 30 runs during the span, about 3.8 per game. The poor output has come against Kansas City and Tampa Bay, two teams whose staff ERAs are better than the league average. The other, Cleveland, always plays tightly contested games against the Twins. Advertisement The Twins hope Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton can return to the lineup soon from injury. Adding one or both should provide a boost. 'There will be better days than we just experienced,' Baldelli said. 'If we have the same offensive game the next time we step on the field, we're going to score a few runs. There is no way we're going to hit line drives and not score runs.' Here are several more Twins takeaways after a hot, outdoor series in Tampa. • Lewis is taking his current 0-for-24 slump hard. He used a more open stance on Wednesday simply to try to have fun. In that sense, Lewis acknowledged an 0-for-4 effort in which he had a 106.3 mph lineout, a 103.4 mph double play, a 97.2 mph flyout and a 99.7 mph flyout made the hitless day a little easier to accept. Lewis was blunt as he explained a frustrating stretch that has him hitting .138/.200/.215 on the season. 'I'm at a point where the hope is gone,' Lewis said. 'I just do my job as best as I can. If I keep hitting the ball hard, they say it's going to find a hole, but I haven't seen it yet. … Feels like a Wiffle Ball game right now truly because you know how the Wiffle Ball stays up? That's what my ball feels like. I'm hitting it. It feels good and it's just staying up a little bit. Hopefully, I can produce for the team soon.' • After he played nine innings in right field Tuesday at Triple-A St. Paul, Wallner is scheduled to play nine innings as the Saints' designated hitter Wednesday and nine more in right field Thursday. If he completes the run without a setback, Wallner, who has been out since April 16 with a left hamstring strain, could join the Twins when they open a three-game series in Seattle on Friday. Through Tuesday, Wallner was 6-for-16 with a double, three homers and seven RBIs during his rehab assignment. Advertisement • Out with a concussion, Buxton took batting practice on the field with his teammates Wednesday. Even though he hasn't played since May 15 in Baltimore, the Twins' center fielder is unlikely to require a rehab assignment, as long as he returns to the lineup soon. The Twins are optimistic Buxton is on the verge of returning from the concussion list. • Known for his raw power and prodigious homers, even Carson McCusker found it funny his first major-league hit was a bloop single. After an 0-for-5 stretch with four strikeouts to start his career, McCusker hit a 66.7 mph blooper to right for a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. Congratulations to Carson McCusker on his first Major League hit!!! 👏 — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 28, 2025 McCusker has made only two starts since his May 18 promotion. He said learning how to prepare for a pinch-hit appearance is a work in progress. 'It's definitely a learning curve for sure, at first not really knowing,' McCusker said. 'I hadn't really done it in my career before. Just trying to figure it out, knowing when to go get ready in the cage, how to do it and kind of keep the body hot. Over the past week or so, I've learned how to do it a little better.' McCusker eventually plans to give his first hit ball, which sat in a Ziploc bag on Baldelli's desk after Wednesday's game, to his father. (Top photo of Carlos Correa: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Brooks Lee is starting to earn key Twins at-bats and manager Rocco Baldelli's trust
Brooks Lee's offensive numbers in his sophomore season are modest, including a mediocre .235 batting average entering Tuesday and a .638 OPS that sat 70 points below the league-wide mark, but it's apparent the Minnesota Twins' switch-hitting infielder has already gained manager Rocco Baldelli's trust. Advertisement Baldelli speaks about Lee as if he were a 10-year MLB veteran rather than a 24-year-old in his first full season with the Twins, praising his baseball IQ, work ethic and calm demeanor. Part of that is due to Lee looking competent defensively at three positions, a sure way to any manager's heart. 'No matter what we ask him to do,' Baldelli said, 'Brooks will be ready.' Lee has bounced seamlessly between second base and third base, and has also filled in capably for Carlos Correa at shortstop when needed, allowing Baldelli to mix and match infield alignments for a banged-up lineup that's often been forced to improvise because of injuries. 'You can throw things at him and he can handle them,' Baldelli said. 'I'm into challenging players. I think they respond and grow and turn into even better versions of themselves. And he's got really good ability. He doesn't have a ton of major-league experience, but you see him getting better.' But it's the relatively subtle strides Lee has recently made at the plate that have earned Baldelli's most effusive praise. After failing to generate much hard contact as a rookie, Lee has raised his average exit velocity from 85.8 mph to 89.6 mph and upped his hard-hit rate from 25 percent to 39 percent. 'I think the way he's approaching his at-bats really stands out right now,' Baldelli said. 'He's seeing the ball deeper and he's fouling tough pitches off. And when he gets a mistake, and something he wants to offer at and take a good pass at, he's in position to do so. He's really developing as a hitter.' Brooks got all of that one! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 11, 2025 Lee has four homers in 39 games this season after totaling three homers in 50 games as a rookie. His expected slugging percentage has risen from .340 to .406 and he's elevating the ball much more, giving himself a larger opportunity for extra bases. Doing that without a sizable jump in strikeouts shows progress toward becoming a more reliably dangerous hitter. But there's still plenty of room for improvement. Lee chases too many pitches outside the strike zone and specifically struggles to lay off low changeups. Advertisement Last year, opponents tested the rookie by throwing 51.8 percent of pitches in the zone, well above the 48.7 percent league-wide rate. But because Lee chased non-strikes so often, they've adjusted their game plan against him this year, throwing just 46.5 percent of pitches in the zone. That's a big change. After seeing 55 percent fastballs as a rookie, Lee has faced just 45.3 percent fastballs this season. That's the lowest rate in the Twins' lineup, by far, and the third-lowest rate among 113 qualified American League hitters, one spot behind the world's scariest slugger, Aaron Judge. Teams identified plate discipline as a weakness for Lee and are making him prove he can lay off borderline pitches. He's responded by cutting his chase rate from an ugly 35.8 percent to a merely run-of-the-mill poor 30.8 percent, but it's still something teams exploit for whiffs or weak contact. 'It's a roller coaster,' Lee said. 'I'm trying to do a good job (bouncing back from slumps). Personally, it feels like I struggle with it. I put a lot of stock in every at-bat. I've always been that way. That's why I thank my teammates all the time, because they care about me. They want to make sure that I'm not going down in the deep end.' But that's also generally to be expected for a 24-year-old, and Lee's contact skills are still a sturdy foundation on which to build. However, he'll need to make adjustments of his own or risk letting smart pitchers turn a strength (strikeout avoidance) into a weakness (popups and other easy outs). Of late, Baldelli has often had Lee in the middle of the lineup, which speaks to the manager's belief in his ability to put together competitive at-bats and come through in big spots. Lee did both in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals, going 3-for-5 with a walk-off single — on an in-zone fastball. 'I was happy I got a guy who threw lots of fastballs, to be honest,' Lee said. 'Just trying to make sure that I got my pitch. Runners on second and third doesn't mean anything. I just tried to get something out over the plate, stick with my approach and hopefully good things happen. And it did.' Brooks Lee and the @Twins walk it off for the SECOND consecutive day! — MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2025 He's batting .288 with runners on base overall, .345 with runners in scoring position and .360 in high-leverage situations, making an impact beyond his middling overall stats. Lee has a positive Win Probability Added despite a below-average OPS, justifying his prime lineup spot with clutch moments. Advertisement 'There is a reason why we're willing to hit (Lee) up towards the top of the order on certain days,' Baldelli said. 'I like the way he responds to different situations. And he's putting himself in a position to succeed by the way he's approaching the game.' That responsibility isn't lost on Lee, who spent most of his injury-filled and unproductive rookie campaign batting at the bottom of the order. Now he's a key contributor for a team that's won 23 of its last 32 games to climb into prime playoff position following a brutal 7-15 start. 'I'm thankful for that, where (Baldelli) puts me in the lineup,' Lee said. 'It just means they have faith in me, and it puts faith in myself. Not be so hard on myself. That's a special thing for me, to go out there and play every day. Get at-bats right-handed and left-handed. Play second, short and third.' Bigger picture, the skills that made Lee a college star playing for his father Larry Lee at Cal Poly, and later the No. 8 pick in the 2022 draft and a top-50 prospect, have been on display. He's a versatile, sure-handed fielder. He has a smooth swing and very good contact skills. And he acts like a coach's kid. The next step for Lee is more consistency, specifically tightening up his plate discipline to force pitchers to attack him in the zone, where he can take better advantage of his natural bat-to-ball ability to fully unlock every ounce of power. He's on the right track, and has his manager's faith. 'He's a player who can help you win in a lot of different ways,' Baldelli said. 'You're talking about a switch-hitting infielder who has adaptability, a good baseball head and IQ, and who's also making adjustments at the plate from both sides. It's something new every day that he's bringing to the table.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins takeaways: Buxton, Wallner almost back, Matthews steps forward, McCusker collects dust
MINNEAPOLIS — One clutch hit away from a third straight walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals, the Minnesota Twins came up empty with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday and had to settle for taking two out of three games versus their division rivals. Despite the 2-1 defeat ruining a potential sweep, the Twins have won 16 of their last 19 games and are 6-0-1 in seven May series, improving from 13-20 to 29-23 to move into a tie for second place in the American League Central and the AL's top wild-card spot. Advertisement Pitching has carried the Twins all season, especially this month, with the lineup scoring two runs or fewer in each of Minnesota's four May losses. But hitting help is coming soon, with Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner nearing returns from the injured list. Buxton awaits MLB clearance for activation from the concussion injured list after his May 15 collision with Carlos Correa, but he was in good spirits in the clubhouse Sunday morning, ran on the field before the game and is traveling with the team for the upcoming 10-game road trip. 'I think we're going assessment by assessment right now,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'I think he's ready to get back and play. But we need all of the doctors to put all of the check marks down, and to make sure he's ready. We have to make sure that he's good to go.' Throw a fastball to @Matt_Wallner at your own peril. #MNTwins fans knows what he does with those. Clubs a solo shot to right-center in his second Major League rehab at bat. 37th homer as a Saint, 11 shy of tying the franchise record. He could do it by the end of the weekend — St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 22, 2025 Wallner had five hits, including two homers, in his first two rehab games for Triple-A St. Paul, but the slugging corner outfielder isn't accompanying the Twins on the first stop of a three-city road trip that begins Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Out since April 15 with a moderate left hamstring strain, Wallner will stay with the Saints to continue his rehab through early next week. He'll likely be asked to test his hamstring further by completing back-to-back games in the outfield before being cleared to return. But barring setbacks, it's reasonable to expect Buxton and Wallner to rejoin the Twins at some point during the road trip, which would provide a much-needed jolt to a lineup that has continued to search for consistent run production even during this season-saving, pitching-dominated 16-3 stretch. Advertisement Uncharacteristic control problems sabotaged Zebby Matthews' first Twins start of the season — a May 18 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that snapped the 13-game winning streak — but the 25-year-old right-hander bounced back with a solid second outing Saturday against the Royals. Royals batters fouled off 23 of his 81 pitches, which led to Matthews being removed after four innings of two-run ball. But he struck out a career-high nine of the 18 batters he faced in two trips through the lineup, racked up a career-high 14 swing-and-misses and allowed no extra-base hits. He also got back to pounding the zone, which has always been Matthews' specialty, issuing just one walk and throwing 70 percent strikes, including first-pitch strikes to all 18 batters. That type of control is uncommon for a pitcher whose fastball averaged 96.8 mph and topped out at 98.4 mph. 'I liked the way he finished the outing,' Baldelli said. 'He didn't have an issue getting to two strikes. He ran into some trouble finishing at-bats, so that will be an area he can think about and focus on between starts. He has the stuff to do it. I saw a lot of positives. I would call it a step forward.' Zebby Matthews, 2Ks in the 1st. — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 24, 2025 Matthews is far from a finished product, and he'll likely need to develop ways to get quicker outs and put hitters away with two strikes. But the combination of his high-octane raw stuff and elite strike-throwing ability makes it easy to see the long-term upside. 'It can be as simple as executing a little better with two strikes,' Matthews said. 'And whether it's (pitch) sequencing or trying to get a first-pitch out, those could be big pitch-count savers. There's a lot that goes into it, so we'll continue to work on it.' Advertisement Matthews pitched well enough to get a third start, likely against the first-place Mariners in Seattle this weekend. And with David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson, who lost his rotation spot to Matthews, pitching well for St. Paul, more progress will be required to hang onto the job. Triple-A slugger Carson McCusker earned last week's call-up by hitting .350 with 10 homers in 38 games for St. Paul. But it took the Wallner and Buxton injuries depleting the outfield depth for the Twins to give the 27-year-old his first chance, and it's looking like his window of opportunity will be minimal. McCusker has received just four plate appearances over seven games with the Twins. He got only two starts and was subbed out of each in the middle innings. He wasn't in Friday's lineup against Royals left-hander Noah Cameron, a favorable matchup for the right-handed hitter. With the caveat that circumstances could change suddenly because of an injury — or perhaps, in McCusker's case, a 450-foot homer — he seems likely to be sent down once Wallner or Buxton return. As expected, the Twins view McCusker's breakout skeptically despite their run-scoring issues. (Photo of Byron Buxton: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Twins takeaways: Splitting in the rain, progress for Correa, Buxton and Wallner and streak MVPs
MINNEAPOLIS — After three cold, dreary and rain-soaked days at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians managed to complete 15 innings Wednesday to salvage two games from a scheduled three-game series between American League Central rivals. Monday's series opener was suspended after three innings with the Twins leading 2-1, and rain washed away any chance of playing Tuesday, so action resumed Wednesday afternoon with starter Joe Ryan on the mound in what was technically the first relief appearance of his career. Advertisement Ryan held the Guardians to one run over his first five innings, but couldn't finish the game with a 5-2 lead, giving up a double and a walk to begin the ninth inning. Jhoan Duran came in for the final three outs, but instead left with the game tied 5-5 following two hits and a wild pitch. Kody Clemens, perhaps mercifully recognizing no one in the sparse crowd needed to witness extra innings in a suspended game that started two days earlier, especially with another, nine-inning game on deck, delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 6-5 victory. Kody Clemens walks it off for the @Twins! — MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2025 'We had to grind it out basically the whole day,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'Obviously, it's cool out, everyone is soaked. Nothing is going to come real easy. Every play on the field was going to be some sort of a challenge, with some wet ball or the rain coming in.' It was the 10th straight home win for the Twins, their most since winning 15 straight at the Metrodome in 2006. But that streak lasted about three hours, ending with a 5-1 loss to the Guardians in a far less eventful but no less wet second game in which the Twins' banged-up lineup totaled just three hits. 'I think in something like seven or eight of my 10 starts it's been raining,' Game 2 starter Chris Paddack said. 'We're looking for some sunshine here. I feel like it's even been traveling with us on the road trips, the rain delays. We need some sunshine and 75 degrees, and we're going to be just fine.' Indeed, the Twins have won 14 of their last 16 games and have Thursday off ahead of a three-game series at Target Field versus another divisional rival, the Kansas City Royals, with whom they're tied for second place. And if the weather forecast is to be believed, they might even play all three games. Advertisement Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are eligible to return from the seven-day concussion injured list Friday, but they will first need to pass a concussion assessment test. Correa and Buxton were each diagnosed with a concussion after colliding last Thursday in Baltimore. Correa immediately left the game, and Buxton exited one inning later, with both entering MLB's concussion protocol. Byron Buxton and Carlo Correa collide on a shallow fly to center, Buxton somehow hangs on to the ball — CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) May 15, 2025 Wednesday morning, Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta described Buxton as 'a little bit behind' Correa's progress due to the center fielder's previous concussions, as well as his history of migraine headaches that can present with similar symptoms, including blurred vision and fatigue. 'Any time you've had a previous concussion, you're more susceptible to another concussion or worse symptoms from that concussion,' Paparesta said. 'So he's taking a little longer to move progressively, but (Wednesday) we're going to start some baseball stuff with him, which is a great sign.' Paparesta noted Correa's symptoms 'are basically all completely gone' and the shortstop has been participating in baseball activities, but there are still several boxes to check — and neurological tests to pass — before receiving MLB approval to be activated from the IL. 'But from a baseball standpoint,' Paparesta said, 'we're in a good spot.' Out since April 15 with a left hamstring strain, Matt Wallner was slated to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A St. Paul. He was in the Saints' lineup, hitting leadoff and starting at designated hitter, but the game was rained out at CHS Field. Advertisement Wallner is expected to spend the remainder of this week rehabbing with the Saints, at which point the Twins will either extend his rehab stint into next week or activate him from the injured list for the three-series, 10-game trip that starts Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to the injury, Wallner was one of the few Twins hitters who got off to a strong start this season, batting .263/.373/.474 in 18 games. Now that the winning streak is over, two games shy of the World Series-winning 1991 club's all-time team record of 15, which players contributed the most to help the Twins get 13 victories in a row? Wins Above Replacement measures all hitting, pitching, baserunning and fielding value relative to a 'replacement-level' player at the same position, quantifying how many wins each player added to the team. Here are the Twins' top 13 individual WAR totals during the 13-game streak, according to FanGraphs' calculations: Buxton was on fire for the first 11 games of the streak, hitting .282/.383/.667 with four homers, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored, leading the team in all three categories before the collision with Correa sidelined both players for the final two games (and beyond). Clemens repeatedly came through with clutch hits, including three homers, batting .360/.467/.760 with eight RBIs over 10 games to go from scrap-heap pickup to key regular. Harrison Bader hit .345/.424/.552 with three steals in 10 games and also made several highlight-reel plays defensively. Starting pitchers Ryan (0.75 ERA), Paddack (1.86), Pablo López (2.65) and Bailey Ober (2.87) combined for a 2.11 ERA in 64 innings, and Duran went 6-for-6 converting save chances with a 0.00 ERA in eight innings. Win Probability Added takes a different approach than WAR by measuring how each play in a game changed the team's expected winning percentage within the situational context it occurred, with the caveat that WPA covers hitting, pitching and baserunning but not fielding. Here are the Twins' top 13 individual WPA totals over the 13-game streak: In all, 17 players contributed 0.25 WPA or better during the streak, whereas only two players (Simeon Woods Richardson and Ty France) had negative 0.25 WPA or worse. That's a pretty good recipe for sustained success over a two-week period. Almost everyone delivered in a clutch spot at some point. Woods Richardson was the lone Twins pitcher with a negative WPA, which speaks to how consistently great the starters and relievers were for a 13-game period in which the staff posted a 2.06 ERA in 118 innings. Pitching carried the Twins during the streak, just as it's carried them all season. Advertisement Duran fares well in WAR because a 0.00 ERA looks good in any context, but WPA views him as especially valuable because his work came in late-game, high-leverage situations. Slamming the door on tight victories carries a ton of weight in WPA, so the closer sits atop the leaderboard. And the quartet setting him up also thrived. Louis Varland (0.00 ERA), Cole Sands (0.00), Griffin Jax (2.35) and Danny Coulombe (0.00) combined for a 0.75 ERA in 24 innings, each totaling at least 0.40 WPA while working a ton of close games. DaShawn Keirsey Jr.'s walk-off single on May 11 against the San Francisco Giants — the eighth win — was the play with the biggest WPA boost during the streak, accounting for the entirety of his 0.37 WPA. And two of the five biggest WPA hits were Clemens' homers in Boston and Baltimore. Merging the WAR and WPA figures for a total 'value' estimate, the MVPs of the 13-game winning streak were: 1. Clemens (1.26) 2. Bader (1.18) 3. Buxton (1.16) 4. Paddack (1.14) t5. Duran (1.04) t5. Ryan (1.04) And the beauty of baseball is that a 13-20 team can go on a 13-game winning streak in which the MVP was a 29-year-old journeyman acquired one week earlier for cash considerations after being cut by his previous team. Known largely for being Roger Clemens' son to this point, Kody Clemens is becoming a helluva story on his own. (Photo of Kody Clemens: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
