The Twins reassigned Garlick to minor-league camp Sunday.
Garlick received an invitation to spring training despite being outrighted off the roster in January. The outfielder will head to Triple-A St. Paul to add depth to the outfielder for the 2023 campaign.
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Twins' Danny Coulombe: Won't make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Coulombe to minor-league camp Sunday.
Coulombe will not be a part of Minnesota's pitching staff to open the 2023 season. The 33-year-old southpaw pitched well in the Grapefruit League with a spotless ERA over seven innings in six appearances, and if he opts to stick in the organization and continues to excel at Triple-A St. Paul early on in the campaign, he may not have to wait long for a promotion to the big-league bullpen.
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Twins' Aaron Sanchez: Fails to make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Sanchez to minor-league camp Sunday.
Sanchez failed to win a spot on the Opening Day roster after he re-signed with the organization over the winter on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to MLB spring training. The right-hander struggled mightily in 2022 with a 6.60 ERA across 15 appearances with Minnesota and Washington. The 30-year-old right-hander looks to be little more than an organizational depth arm at this stage of his career.
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Twins' Bailey Ober: Sent to minors
Rotowire
The Twins optioned Ober to Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Ober made three appearances in the Grapefruit League, and he didn't allow a run while forging a 6:2 K:BB and 0.33 WHIP. The right-hander was not going to be a part of Minnesota's rotation, so he'll head to Triple-A to receive regular innings. Ober will likely make starts for the Twins before the end of the season, and he could be worth a look as a streamer on those occasions based on his success in 2022.
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Twins' Max Kepler: Returns from hip injury
Rotowire
Kepler (hip) started in right field and went 1-for 2 in Saturday's spring training loss to Atlanta. He's hitting .357 (10-for-28) with two home runs this spring.
Kepler was removed from Sunday's spring game against Atlanta due to left hip tightness, but it shouldn't be an issue for Opening Day. Kepler was the subject of trade talk over the winter, but he looks set to begin the season as the starting right fielder. He's a candidate to benefit from the ban on shifts since he's a pull hitter who hits too many ground balls. His 2019 season (when he hit 36 home runs) featured a Pull% of 50.8 percent compared to just 41.7 percent last season.
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Twins' Jeff Hoffman: Moves down to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Hoffman to minor-league camp Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Hoffman has an opt-out in his minor-league contract, and this could lead to him deciding to test free agency. The right-hander dealt with elbow troubles in the early part of camp, and he posted a 3.60 ERA over five innings in the Grapefruit League before the demotion.
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Twins' Jose De Leon: Goes to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned De Leon to minor-league camp Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
De Leon's highlight this spring was 5.2 perfect innings for Puerto Rico against Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The former top prospect will likely head to Triple-A St. Paul to be a part of that club's rotation, and there's very little likelihood of fantasy relevance in 2023.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Improves in final spring outing
Rotowire
Maeda gave up two runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in Friday's spring training win over the Yankees. He lowered his spring ERA to 4.91 and has a 14:10 K:BB in 14.2 innings.
Maeda improved from his previous spring outing where he gave up five runs and two home runs in four innings. Walks continue to be an issue for Maeda this spring, however. He is working his way back from August 2021 Tommy John surgery and pitching in his first games this spring. His high walk totals this spring could be a sign his command isn't sharp yet after undergoing surgery. It could also just be a byproduct of a veteran in spring training working on pitches without too much regard to the results. Monitor his performance early in the season, but he's set to begin the year in the Minnesota rotation.
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Twins' Jorge Polanco: Could play in game Tuesday
Rotowire
Polanco (knee) is scheduled to play in a minor league spring training game Tuesday, LaVelle E. Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He will first hit in the batting cage and take grounders Saturday.
Polanco missed the final month of 2022 with a knee injury, and his progress stalled in the Grapefruit League. He's set to begin the regular season on the injured list. This looks like a significant step in his return as he has not played in any games this spring. He still likely has several major hurdles to clear, but this gives hope he could return earlier rather than later in the regular season.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Set to start Opening Day
Rotowire
Lopez will draw the start for the Twins on Opening Day versus the Royals.
Lopez will make his first career Opening Day start after getting traded to the Twins this past offseason. The right-hander has some of the best off-speed stuff in the league and posted a 3.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 174 punchouts over 180 innings in 32 starts for the Marlins in 2022.
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Twins' Jose Miranda: Will start at third base Saturday
Rotowire
Miranda (shoulder) will start at third base for the Twins during Saturday's Grapefruit League game versus Atlanta, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Miranda has been limited to designated hitter and, more recently, first base duties while coming back from a sore right shoulder, but he's finally ready to test things out from the hot corner. He's slated to see most of his playing time at third base during the regular season, although Miranda could be eased into the position in the early going.
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Twins' Jhoan Duran: Returns from sore leg
Rotowire
Duran threw a scoreless inning in Thursday's spring training loss to Toronto. Duran was hit by a line drive in his leg Sunday during a minor league game.
Duran only suffered a bruise and his leg shouldn't be an issue for Opening Day. He'll be a primary weapon in the Minnesota bullpen again in 2023, but manager Rocco Baldelli hasn't tipped his hand about his plan for the closer role this spring. While Duran may be Minnesota's best reliever, Baldelli usually runs his bullpen with disregard to the save statistic. Duran had eight saves and 18 holds with a 1.86 ERA over 67.2 innings as a rookie last year.
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Twins' Jorge Alcala: Looks back to full strength
Rotowire
Alcala threw a scoreless inning during Thursday's spring training loss to Toronto to lower his spring ERA to 2.35. He's averaging 95.4 mph on tracked fastballs this spring, MLB.com reports.
After giving up two runs in his first appearance, he's thrown six scoreless innings. He has 11 strikeouts, three walks and just three hits allowed in 7.2 innings. Alcala underwent season-ending arthroscopic debridement surgery on his elbow in August but looks back to full strength this spring. He's expected to be a key setup man and could figure in the mix for saves with the Twins possibly using a committee approach.
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Twins' Tyler Mahle: Spring struggles continue
Rotowire
Mahle gave up three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings during Thursday's spring training loss to Tampa Bay. His spring ERA increased to 5.93. His fastball velocity did increase to a 92.1 to 94.6 mph range, however, from his last spring start when he was in the 89-93 mph range.
Mahle's fastball velocity was noticeably down during his last spring start which was a little concerning, but it doesn't appear to be an issue. Mahle is having a rough spring with 23 hits and three home runs allowed in 13.2 innings, though he also has a 12:5 K:BB ratio. Mahle is a veteran who has a set spot in the rotation, so his stats may not matter as he builds up strength for the season. Most importantly, he looks healthy after an injury-plagued 2022 campaign. Mahle struggled with a sore shoulder last year, ending his season in early September.
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Twins' Max Kepler: Plays in minor-league game
Rotowire
Kepler (hip) played in a minor-league game Thursday, MLB.com reports.
Kepler was removed from Sunday's spring game against Atlanta due to left hip tightness. However, it doesn't sound like the injury is serious, and he's expected to play in another minor-league contest Friday.
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Twins' David Banuelos: Sent to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Banuelos to minor-league camp Thursday.
Banuelos didn't receive much of an opportunity in spring training this year, collecting one hit in just eight at-bats. It would likely take multiple big-league injuries at catcher for Banuelos, who has never hit well in the minors and has yet to make his major-league debut, to see action for Minnesota.
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Twins' Oliver Ortega: Shifts to MiLB camp
Rotowire
Ortega was reassigned to the Twins' minor-league camp Thursday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Ortega split time last season between the Angels and their Triple-A affiliate, racking up 33 strikeouts in 34 major-league innings alongside a 3.71 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. His spring numbers were solid too, so he will return to Triple-A and likely be one of the top candidates to be called up should the Twins need more depth in their bullpen.
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Twins' Ryan LaMarre: Sent to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned LaMarre to minor-league camp Thursday.
LaMarre's time in big-league camp comes to a close after he managed just two hits in 22 Grapefruit League at-bats. Having not appeared in a big-league game since 2021, when he slashed .190/.292/.476 in 24 plate appearances with the Yankees, LaMarre would likely need an impressive showing with Triple-A to see time with the Twins this season.
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Twins' Elliot Soto: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Twins reassigned Soto to minor-league camp Thursday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Soto spent all of last season with Triple-A St. Paul, finishing with a .223/.320/.342 slash line and 32 RBI. The 33-year-old infielder has just three games in the big leagues under his belt, which came during 2020 with the Angels.
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Twins' Tyler White: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
White was reassigned Thursday to the minor-league side of Twins camp, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
White landed a non-roster invite to Twins camp over the winter, but he never stood much of a chance of cracking the Opening Day squad. The 32-year-old hasn't appeared in a major-league game since 2019, when he had a .612 OPS in 83 contests.
