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Edouard Julien

Rockies Open To Further First Base Additions

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The Rockies swung a pair of deals to add a couple options at first base yesterday, picking up Edouard Julien (and reliever Pierson Ohl) from the Twins in exchange for minor league pitcher Jace Kaminska and sending righty Angel Chivilli to the Yankees in exchange for first base prospect T.J. Rumfield. Both Julien and Rumfield could factor into the Rockies’ big league plans at first base, but new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta indicated following that pair of trades that he’s still open to bringing in a first baseman (link via Manny Randhawa of MLB.com).

“I think really what we’re trying to do is to create really healthy competition on our roster,” said DePodesta. “Most of the players we have acquired do have a good amount of versatility.”

The 26-year-old Julien’s glovework at second base has been generally panned, and he hasn’t handled himself all that well at first base from a defensive standpoint, either. Still, DePodesta listed him as an option at both positions, noting that the Rockies are intrigued by Julien’s minor league track record and terrific rookie season.

Back in 2023, Julien indeed looked like a potential fixture in the Twins’ lineup. A top-100 prospect prior to his big league debut, he burst onto the MLB scene with a .263/.381/.459 slash (134 wRC+) and ripped 16 home runs in 408 plate appearances as a rookie. His 31.4% strikeout rate was clearly too high, but Julien also walked in nearly 16% of his plate appearances. Throughout his minor league tenure, he was hailed as something of an all-bat prospect who’d post huge OBP numbers with above-average power but lacked a clear defensive home.

The lack of a defensive home has proven true, but Julien’s bat has wilted over the past two seasons. He’s taken 509 MLB plate appearances since Opening Day 2024 and managed only a .208/.299/.324 batting line (79 wRC+). His walk rate has dipped to a still-strong 10.8%, while his strikeout rate has nominally climbed to 32%.

Julien, who’ll turn 27 in April, will be on the roster one way or another, given the fact that he’s out of minor league options. That could be at first base, second base or designated hitter. It’ll surely depend on who the opposing starter is, too, given that the lefty-swinging Canadian has hit just .209/.278/.313 in the 126 plate appearances he’s been afforded versus southpaws at the big league level.

Rumfield, too, could factor in at first base but isn’t a lock to do so from the jump — particularly not with Julien now in the fold. Rumfield is a 25-year-old who slashed .285/.378/.447 in Triple-A this past season and .292/.365/.461 there a season prior. He doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors, but the Rockies aren’t going to simply hand him the first base job, either. He’ll likely need to earn a spot with a solid showing this spring.

Even if Rumfield plays his way onto the roster, bringing in a veteran first baseman makes some sense. If the Rockies were truly confident that he’s ready for an immediate MLB look, they coudl’ve selected him in last month’s Rule 5 Draft. Rumfield was eligible for selection but not taken. Acquiring him via trade rather than the Rule 5 creates a path to give Rumfield some further minor league time.

There ought to be plenty of first base and designated hitter at-bats available in Colorado. Someone like Luis Arraez, Nathaniel Lowe or Rhys Hoskins would add some competition and a potential deadline chip, depending on how said veteran performs over the season’s first few months. A veteran signing would probably cut into playing time for players like Troy Johnston and Blaine Crim, but they’re both 28-year-olds with less than a year of big league service and fairly marginal Triple-A track records. There shouldn’t be any financial worries standing in the way of a more veteran addition; the Rockies’ projected $110MM Opening Day payroll (via RosterResource) would be their lowest since 2021 and second-lowest since 2015.

Rockies Acquire Edouard Julien, Pierson Ohl

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The Twins have traded infielder Edouard Julien and right-hander Pierson Ohl to the Rockies, according to announcements from both clubs. Minor league right-hander Jace Kaminska and cash considerations are going to the Twins. The Rockies freed up two 40-man spots earlier today by trading Angel Chivilli to the Yankees and designating Yanquiel Fernández for assignment. Ohl was already off the 40-man because he was designated for assignment last week. Trading Julien drops Minnesota’s count to 39, as Kaminska does not require a spot.

Julien, 27 in April, has shown flashes of potential with a three-true-outcomes approach. His best showing was in his rookie season with the Twins in 2023. He struck out in 31.4% of his 408 plate appearances but also drew walks at a huge 15.7% clip and hit 16 home runs. Even with all the punchouts, his .263/.381/.459 batting line led to a 134 wRC+, indicating he was 34% better than league average.

Most of that damage came with the platoon advantage, as he had an awful .196/.229/.217 line against lefties, but it was still enough for him to finish seventh in American League Rookie of the Year voting and inspire a troubadour.

He hasn’t been at that level since then, however. He has taken 509 plate appearances over the past two seasons with just 11 home runs. His 10.8% walk rate is still above average but not otherworldly, while his strikeout rate stayed high at 32%. That led to a combined line of .208/.299/.324 and a 79 wRC+ for that span. Julien has experience at second and first base but isn’t a particularly strong defender at either position, which made the declining offense more problematic.

As he struggled, the Twins often sent him to the minors. He still hit well down there, with a .261/.406/.440 line and 125 wRC+ in Triple-A over the past two years, but he exhausted his option seasons in the process. That was going to put him on the fringes of the roster going forward. The Twins signed Josh Bell to play first base and seem likely to give Luke Keaschall run at second. They have Austin Martin, Eric Wagaman and Tristan Gray also in the mix.

Julien’s path to playing time in Colorado is much better. The Rockies don’t really have a clear option for first base or second base. At first, waiver claim Troy Johnston is one option but he has just 44 games of big league experience and can still be optioned to the minors. The Rockies just got T.J. Rumfield in the Chivilli trade today but he still doesn’t have a roster spot or any major league experience.

Since Julien isn’t a standout defender, he would be a better fit at first. But if the Rockies are willing to play him at the keystone, there’s not much in the way. The Rockies probably want to give some playing time to Adael Amador but he has a .176/.242/.250 line in his career thus far and can still be optioned to the minors. Ryan Ritter is in a somewhat similar situation. Willi Castro can bounce around to other positions.

Julien may play both positions, with his playing time at each determined by which other players on the roster are healthy and producing. He can be controlled for four full seasons, so the Rockies could keep him around if he bounces back to his 2023 form.

It also shouldn’t be a shock if Julien ends up traded again before those four years are up. Colorado has lost at least 101 games three years running, including an awful 43-119 season in 2025. That led to an organizational overhaul, with Paul DePodesta taking over as the new front office leader. Presumably, the club’s decision makers aren’t expecting a return to contention in the short term.

But it does appear that they see value in buying low from the fringes of other rosters. Earlier this winter, the Rockies acquired Jake McCarthy from the Diamondbacks. Like Julien, he has some major league success but is coming off a down year. Since he is out of options, the Snakes were going to have a tough time keeping him on the roster. The Rockies acquired him and his three remaining years of control. Since it will be difficult for Colorado to be good again in that window, the apparent hope is that McCarthy bounces back and can be traded after he has rebuilt some value. Julien is controlled for one more season than McCarthy but the situations are somewhat analogous.

As for Ohl, 26, he’s in a different boat. He only made his major league debut last year and has just 30 big league innings under his belt with a 5.10 earned run average. He can be controlled for six full seasons and also has a full slate of options, so he can be kept in the minors or shuttled up and down fairly regularly.

He doesn’t throw especially hard, averaging around 92 miles per hour with his four-seamer last year, but he has the intriguing combination of possessing strong control of a diverse arsenal. He mostly threw his four-seamer and changeup last year but also mixed in a cutter, sinker, curveball and even dabbled with a knuckleball. He tossed 71 1/3 innings across multiple levels of the farm last year, making six starts and 18 relief appearances, with a 2.40 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 3.9% walk rate.

The Rockies need pitching more than any other team. Their collective 5.99 ERA was easily the worst in the majors last year. Since Ohl has experience starting and relieving, and also has options, he can move around based on the club’s needs. The Rockies presumably want to give starts to young pitchers like Chase Dollander, McCade Brown and Carson Palmquist but Ohl can step up if those guys struggle or need more time in the minors. He could also eat some innings out of the bullpen or be stashed in the minors as depth.

While those are intriguing pickups for the Rockies, the Twins probably feel they are mostly giving up guys who were getting squeezed out anyways. As mentioned, Ohl was already designated for assignment, while Julien is out of options.

In return, they are getting a bit of cash and some non-roster depth. Kaminska, 24, was a tenth-round pick of the Rockies in 2023. He hasn’t featured on top prospect lists but had good numbers a couple of years ago. In 2024, he tossed 87 1/3 innings at Single-A with a 2.78 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate and 3.4% walk rate. He required Tommy John surgery in March of 2025 and missed the entire season. The Twins will try to get him back on track whenever he’s healthy. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December of 2026 if not added to the 40-man roster.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Nick Wosika, Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images

Twins Select Jose Urena, Erasmo Ramirez

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The Twins announced Friday that they’ve selected the contracts of veteran right-handers Jose Urena and Erasmo Ramirez from Triple-A St. Paul. They’ve also recalled six minor leaguers from St. Paul: infielder/outfielder Austin Martin, infielder Edouard Julien, infielder Ryan Fitzgerald, righty Pierson Ohl, righty Travis Adams and newly acquired outfielder Alan Roden.

The staggering slate of eight newly added minor leaguers is reflective of the roster-gutting fire sale on which Minnesota surprisingly embarked in the 24 hours leading up to this season’s trade deadline. As the Pohlad family looks to sell the franchise, Minnesota traded not only rentals Harrison Bader, Chris Paddack, Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe and Ty France, but also controllable pitchers Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and — most shockingly of all — shortstop Carlos Correa.

Urena, 33, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons. The Twins will be his fourth team of the 2025 season alone and his tenth overall. He’s pitched 18 1/3 MLB frames this year and yielded a 5.40 earned run average. Urena tossed 13 1/3 innings with the Twins’ top affiliate prior to his promotion and allowed six runs (4.05 ERA) on 13 hits and 10 walks with 13 strikeouts.

Early in his career, Urena was a solid mid-rotation arm for the Marlins. From 2017-18, he started 59 games (plus six relief outings) and totaled 343 2/3 frames with a 3.90 ERA. Though Urena throws hard, he’s never been a big strikeout arm, but he typically posts above-average ground-ball rates and has a league-average walk rate in his career.

Since that solid run with Miami, Urena has become a swingman who’s bounced all over the league. He’s posted an ERA north of 5.00 in six of his past seven major league seasons, though the lanky right-hander did turn in a sharp 3.80 ERA in 109 innings with the Rangers last year. He’ll add some length to the bullpen and give the Twins a rotation option, too, depending on how they want to shape a pitching staff that was decimated by this week’s barrage of trades.

Ramirez, 35, will head to the majors for what’ll be a 14th season. He’s previously suited up for six other clubs. Ramirez was a starter for the Rays and Mariners early in his career but has been in a swingman role since the 2019 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins over the winter but spent the first several months of the year on the minor league injured list due to a shoulder injury.

Ramirez was reinstated in late June and has pitched a total of 15 minor league innings. He’s sitting on an ugly 6.50 ERA in that time but has fanned 22.4% of his opponents against a 6% walk rate and 52.2% grounder rate. Ramirez posted a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with the Nationals last year — a mark that’s a near mirror image of his career 4.37 earned run average. However, most of his best work came from 2012-17. He’s pitched 257 innings dating back to 2018 and turned in a 4.76 ERA. He’ll soak up innings as a long relief option for however long he’s with the big league club.

Twins Reinstate Willi Castro and Royce Lewis, Option Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper

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The Twins made some roster moves this morning, reinstating Willi Castro and Royce Lewis from the 10-day injured list and optioning Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper to Triple-A.

After bursting out of the gate as a rookie in 2023, Julien has struggled badly at the plate. He hit .207 with a 97 wRC+ through his first 58 games last season before the Twins sent him down to Triple-A. However, a pair of demotions that summer didn’t seem to help, as he would go on to hit just .186 with a 49 wRC+ over another 36 MLB games. Despite his poor showing in 2024, a solid spring helped Julien earn a spot on Minnesota’s Opening Day roster, and the injuries to Lewis and Castro helped him earn regular playing time. Unfortunately for Julien, he failed to capitalize on that opportunity. His 2025 slash line looks eerily similar to his disappointing 2024 slash line, and he has already compiled -0.5 FanGraphs WAR. The silver lining is that his Statcast expected metrics are much more promising than they were last year (.337 xwOBA, 57th percentile), but even so, it’s not hard to understand why the Twins would rather the second baseman get consistent at-bats at Triple-A to help him work through his struggles and (hopefully) build back his confidence.

Gasper’s demotion is, admittedly, less newsworthy. The Twins acquired the 29-year-old in a minor trade this past offseason, and this is already the second time they have optioned him in 2025. Versatility is his primary asset, as he has spent time at first base, second base, catcher, and left field for the Twins in 17 games this season. He has hit .176 with a 49 wRC+.

Castro, an All-Star for the first time in 2024, had been on the IL with a right oblique strain since April 24, retroactive to April 21, although he has not played since April 16. The utility man was off to a poor start, batting just .227 with an 89 wRC+. As the Twins’ offense continues to underwhelm, the team will look to a healthy Castro to rediscover the above-average offense that made him such a sneakily valuable player in each of the past two years.

Lewis, meanwhile, will be making his 2025 debut after suffering a hamstring strain in spring training. The young third baseman has shown the potential to be a game-changing bat in the middle of the order; he hit .307 with 17 home runs and a 158 wRC+ in 70 games between 2022-23. Yet, he took a step back offensively last season. His power numbers were still impressive (16 home runs in 82 games), but his batting average dropped substantially, and his overall numbers fell with it. He was still an above-average hitter (108 wRC+), but he didn’t develop into the superstar the Twins were hoping he could be. It certainly didn’t help that injuries, a common theme throughout his first two seasons, continued to plague him in 2024. Thus, as Lewis returns to the field in 2025, the Twins will hope he looks more like his 2022-23 self at the plate and that he can finally put his injury issues behind him.

Mickey Gasper, DaShawn Keirsey Make Twins’ Roster; Twins Exploring Bullpen Market

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March 25: Castellano has cleared waivers and been returned to the Phillies, per Nightengale.

March 24: The Twins optioned infielder/outfielder Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul this morning, per a team announcement. They’ve also informed catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper and outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. that they’ll break camp on the Opening Day roster, per Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. That sequence likely locks infielder Edouard Julien into the final spot on the position-player side of the roster.

Gasper, 29, came to the Twins in a December trade sending lefty reliever Jovani Moran back to the Red Sox. He has just 18 MLB plate appearances to his credit, but Gasper is a .317/.422/.498 hitter in 70 Triple-A games and a .276/.401/.455 batter in 176 Double-A games. He’s had a big camp, batting .308/.417/.487 with more walks than strikeouts. Gasper’s status was briefly up in the air after an infield collision yesterday resulted in a laceration on his ankle that required six stitches. He’s patched up and been cleared to start the season on a big league roster for the first time in an eight-year professional career.

Like Gasper, the 27-year-old Keirsey is a 2018 draftee who’s making his first Opening Day roster. He hit .275/.375/.375 this spring and is coming off a .300/.368/.476 performance in Triple-A last year. Keirsey is a plus runner and outfield defender who can handle all three slots. He made a brief big league debut last year, getting into six games and going 2-for-13 with a homer in that debut effort.

The pitching side is largely set, but Minnesota does appear to have one bullpen vacancy, at least in the short term. Righty Brock Stewart was already on the mend from arthroscopic shoulder surgery and also suffered a hamstring strain in camp. He’ll start the 2025 season on the injured list alongside Michael Tonkin, who’s dealing with a shoulder strain.

On top of Stewart’s injury, the Twins have already informed Rule 5 pick Eiberson Castellano that he won’t make the club. He’ll presumably be placed on waivers soon if he hasn’t been already. Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune adds that they’ve also told non-roster relievers Scott Blewett and Anthony Misiewicz that they won’t make the club. Both will head to Triple-A.

Both Nightengale and Dan Hayes of The Athletic suggest Minnesota could look to bring in a reliever who’s not currently a part of the organization. There’s space to place a waiver claim or scoop up a veteran who’d been a non-roster invitee with another club but has since opted out. Jalen Beeks, Adam Ottavino, Drew Pomeranz, Ross Stripling and Jake Woodford are among the names who were recently granted their release after triggering opt-out clauses. Righty Tyler Phillips was DFA by the Phillies over the weekend, too.

Ty France To Serve As Twins’ Starting First Baseman

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The Twins made their recent signing of Ty France to a big league deal official earlier today, and manager Rocco Baldelli made it clear to reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune) today that their new addition is taking over as the club’s regular first baseman.

“He’s going to play a lot,” Baldelli said, as relayed by Nightengale. “That’s really the best way of saying it. The kind of hitter that he is, this isn’t a platoon situation. I think he’s going to play.”

The Twins spent the majority of the offseason hoping to find a steady presence at first base after Carlos Santana departed for the division-rival Guardians in free agency, and now it appears they’ll turn to France to be just that. Even as France is coming off a down season in 2024, it’s not hard to understand why they decided to make that bet. After a lackluster rookie season with the Padres back in 2019, France broke out in 2020 and was traded to the Mariners midseason. He went on to have a strong three-year run in Seattle where he slashed .285/.355/.443 (129 wRC+). He made occasional cameos at both second and third base but mostly settled in as the club’s regular first baseman, even earning an All-Star nod at the position in 2022.

Unfortunately, France began to struggle after that. Though he played in 158 games for the Mariners in 2023, his production was only pedestrian as he hit just .250/.337/.366 with a 105 wRC+. Five percent better than league average isn’t bad, but also falls below expectations for an everyday player at a bat-first position for a contending club. It seemed as though France’s disappointing 2023 may just have been a flash in the pan early last year, as he entered 2024 hitting a robust .251/.329/.403 (117 wRC+) in his first 61 games of the season. Unfortunately, France suffered a fractured heel in mid-June of last year that sidelined him for two weeks, and he looked like a different player upon his return as he hit just .225/.285/.336 (73 wRC+) the rest of the way last season.

It would hardly be a surprise to hear that France, who entered the season with a career .309 BABIP but managed just a .255 BABIP following his injury, was hampered by the lingering effects of that injury throughout the latter part of the season. France himself acknowledged the role his injured heel may have played in his struggles last year, but didn’t want to entirely blame his injury.

“When you don’t have a foot, it’s hard to do things,” France said, as relayed by Nightengale. “I don’t want to put all the blame on that. There was a lot that went into it. I tried a different style of training that offseason trying to revamp my swing. It didn’t work out the way I thought it would. This offseason, I spent a lot of time just getting back to the basics of things. When I simplify hitting and just get back to being myself, I’m a pretty good hitter.”

With France seemingly being given a shot to prove himself healthy and effective out the gate in 2025, that leaves the Twins’ plans for Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda in question. The pair are headed into their age-26 and -27 seasons, respectively, and each has had significant success in the majors in the past as well as notable struggles. The duo seemed likely to handle first base for the Twins in 2025 without an external addition, but now that France is in the fold as the nominal starter at the spot in the lineup it’s unclear if either Miranda or Julien will have a path to consistent playing time. Both have experience elsewhere on the infield (Miranda primarily at third base, Julien at second) but are questionable defenders at those spots and may be better suited for a first base/DH role.

Of course, even without a clear path to playing time on Opening Day it’s easy to imagine either or both players getting significant reps this year. Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Royce Lewis have all struggled to stay healthy during their time with the Twins and trips to the injured list for either Correa or Buxton could open up playing time on the infield for Miranda or Julien to take advantage of. A trade of an established hitter like Willi Castro could change the playing time picture in Minnesota, as could under-performance by either France himself or someone like top prospect Brooks Lee.

Twins Rumors: Lewis, Santana, Paddack

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The Twins are contemplating a full-time move to second base for young infielder Royce Lewis, writes Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Minnesota briefly experimented with Lewis shifting from third base to second base late in the season, but a more permanent move is under consideration. Making the shift at the beginning of a season, when Lewis has an entire spring training exhibition schedule to acclimate to his new defensive environs, would presumably benefit the 25-year-old slugger as opposed to last year’s on-the-fly look, when Lewis logged only eight innings at the position.

Lewis is just one piece of a crowded infield puzzle in Minnesota. The former No. 1 overall pick and top prospect has been playing third base in deference to Carlos Correa but was drafted as a shortstop. From the time he was drafted in 2017, some scouts have questioned whether he’d stick at shortstop or move to third base, second base or perhaps center field. A pair of ACL tears in the same knee in consecutive seasons has probably impacted that decision for the organization as well.

In addition to Lewis and Correa, the Twins will be looking to juggle playing time between top prospect Brooks Lee (the No. 8 overall pick in 2022), Edouard Julien (who posted terrific rookie numbers in ’23 before struggling in ’24), Jose Miranda (who rebounded nicely from a 2023 season ruined by shoulder surgery) and utilityman Willi Castro (.251/.334/.395 with 21 homers, 47 steals in 282 games with the Twins).

Carlos Santana’s potential departure in free agency and the surprising retirement of injury-plagued former top prospect Alex Kirilloff opens some at-bats at first base, which could be handled by Julien and/or Miranda. Lee, considered a better defender at third base than Lewis, would presumably be in line for the bulk of the playing time at the hot corner if he makes the roster. Lee missed considerable time with injury and struggled in his first taste of the big leagues last year, however, so if he opens the season in Triple-A, that’d leave Miranda and Julien to share the corners early in the season, with Castro (who has extensive outfield experience as well) mixing in all over the field. The Twins also have fast-rising prospect Luke Keaschall to consider; the 2023 second-rounder has played second, third, first and center field in the minors and currently ranks 39th on Baseball America’s ranking of the game’s top 100 prospects.

One option the Twins could explore, of course, is a reunion with Santana. The 39-year-old switch-hitter is aiming to play at least three or four more seasons and by all accounts quite enjoyed his time in Minnesota. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey recently told the Twins beat that he’s not ruling out the possibility, even if it would “create some other changes that we have to consider on the roster” (link via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Santana hit .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs and won a Gold Glove at first base in 2024 after signing a one-year, $5.25MM deal in Minnesota.

It’s possible that the glut of infield talent could lead a trade of some variety this offseason, though given the team’s payroll situation, trades of veterans on somewhat notable salaries are considered likelier. That could include Castro, who’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $6.2MM in his final season of club control, but there are other areas where the Twins have notable salaries they could shed. Catcher Christian Vazquez and his $10MM salary are one option, and Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote recently that there’s an expectation that righty Chris Paddack will also garner some calls this winter. (We ranked Paddack 16th on our list of MLB’s top trade candidates heading into the offseason.)

Paddack, 29 in January, is signed through the 2025 season and will earn a $7.5MM salary next year. He returned for his first full season following a second career Tommy John surgery in 2024 and pitched 88 1/3 innings with a 4.99 ERA. That’s not a flattering number, but a substantial portion of the damage against Paddack came in one nightmare outing where he yielded nine runs in 5 1/3 innings to the Orioles in April. From that point forth, he posted a 4.38 ERA with a solid 22.3% strikeout rate and excellent 5.1% walk rate. He spent the final two months of the season on the injured list due to a forearm strain.

A former top prospect who looked on the cusp of stardom after a dominant rookie season when he gave the Padres 140 2/3 of 3.33 ERA ball with plus strikeout and walk rates, Paddack is still something of a project even as he approaches his 29th birthday. That said, he’s younger than most free agent pitchers and paid roughly in line with what might be expected of an older reclamation project. For instance, Alex Wood ($8.5MM), Wade Miley ($8.5MM) and James Paxton ($7MM) all signed one-year deals in this range coming off injury-shortened seasons of their own last winter.

Paddack’s deal may not be teeming with surplus value, but the Twins also might not need to eat any money in a trade. Dealing him would thin out the team’s rotation supply, but the Twins could still pursue some more cost-effective depth arms to complement Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and top prospects David Festa and Zebby Matthews, both of whom made their MLB debuts in 2024 (each struggling to varying extents). Prospects Marco Raya and Andrew Morris are also on the near-term horizon.

Twins Place Byron Buxton On Injured List

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5:55pm: The Twins have now made it official, placing Buxton on the IL with right hip inflammation, retroactive to August 13. Julien was recalled as the corresponding move. They also optioned right-hander Louie Varland and recalled righty Ronny Henriquez.

4:20pm: Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has been dealing with a hip injury in recent days. Per Dan Hayes of The Athletic on X, there’s no structural damage but the club is going to place him on the 10-day injured list anyway. Hayes adds that infielder Edouard Julien is on his way to join the team, presumably as the corresponding move.

Buxton hasn’t played for Minnesota since Monday. He departed that game with right hip discomfort. He was sent for an MRI but it came back clean, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic on X. However, he has been kept out of the lineup due to ongoing discomfort and the club has been considering an IL stint just to avoid playing a man short, which will seemingly come to pass today.

It’s a fairly logical decision to make. The club is in a tight playoff race, currently holding the second Wild Card spot in the American League but with the Royals, Red Sox and Mariners all fairly close behind. Since Buxton has already missed a few days, his IL placement can be backdated, meaning he could theoretically be back by next weekend if he heals up between now and then. Rather than play shorthanded for a few days, the club can get reinforcements while giving Buxton a breather.

Buxton’s health has been an ongoing issue throughout his career, so it makes sense to play things on the cautious side. Although this is his tenth major league season, he has only once played more than 92 games in any individual campaign due to various maladies. Last year, the club limited him to designated hitter duties exclusively, but he still only got into 85 contests.

The knee issues that plagued him last year seem to be less of an issue this season. He did miss a couple of weeks in May with right knee inflammation but has otherwise been in the lineup. He has appeared in 90 games so far this year, taking his customary center field position in 82 of those. He’s also been incredibly impactful, as he’s hit 16 home runs and is slashing .275/.334/.528 for a 140 wRC+. He’s also swiped six bags and has received strong grades for his glovework, leading FanGraphs to credit him with 3.2 wins above replacement on the year.

Losing that production for a while will obviously be less than ideal for the Twins in the short term, but it will be worth it in the long term if Buxton can heal up and be back in form for the playoff race and the postseason itself.

Until then, the club will likely be using Manuel Margot and Austin Martin to cover center, with Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner also in the outfield/designated hitter mix. Martin has also been playing some second base this year, so Julien will give them an extra option there while Martin spends more time on the grass. Kyle Farmer is also on hand as a glove-first option at the keystone, compared to Julien’s more bat-first profile. With Carlos Correa and Brooks Lee also on the IL, Willi Castro is covering shortstop every day as Royce Lewis and José Miranda share third base and DH duties.

Twins Place Carlos Correa, Chris Paddack On Injured List

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The Twins announced this afternoon that they’ve placed shortstop Carlos Correa and right-hander Chris Paddack on the injured list. Correa heads to the 10-day IL due to right plantar fasciitis, retroactive to July 16. Paddack, meanwhile is heading to the 15-day IL (retroactive to July 17) with a right forearm strain. In corresponding moves, second baseman Edouard Julien has been recalled from Triple-A, while utility bat Austin Martin has been activated from the IL.

That Correa is dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis in his right foot isn’t news, as it was announced prior to the All-Star Break that the shortstop would not participate in the All-Star game due to the issue. It seems he’ll need additional time to rest his ailing foot, however, as he’s now shelved until at least July 26. Plantar fasciitis is generally considered to be a matter of pain tolerance, so it’s unlikely that Correa will remain shelved until it’s fully healed. Even so, it’s not necessarily a surprise that he and the Twins are taking the issue seriously given his struggles while playing through the issue in his left foot last year. While Correa played in 135 games last year, he posted a below-average 96 wRC+ while defensive metrics suggested that his typically excellent defense at shortstop slipped.

That decline in performance while playing through the injury clearly suggested to the Twins and Correa that it would be best for everyone if he took additional time to rest his ailing foot before returning to the lineup, though it’s worth noting that manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman) that Correa’s absence isn’t expected to require “several weeks to a month,” with the club anticipating his return sooner than that. For now, however, Correa has received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his foot and will look to recover while Gleeman relays that Willi Castro will get the majority of reps at shortstop in his absence.

With Castro handling shortstop on a regular basis and Brooks Lee covering for the injured Royce Lewis at third base, the Twins are calling on Julien to take back over at the keystone. The 25-year-old posted a pedestrian 97 wRC+ in his sophomore season across 58 games before being optioned down to the minors, where he has subsequently impressed with a 114 wRC+ and an eye-popping 21.2% walk rate. Julien will be joined by Martin, who can provide a right-handed complement to him at second base while also backing up the club’s outfield mix.

As for Paddack, the right-hander’s first full season back from his second Tommy John surgery has been a difficult one. He’s battled injury issues to make 17 starts this season, although even when healthy enough to take the mound he’s struggled to a 4.99 ERA despite solid peripherals such as a 4.19 FIP and a 4.09 SIERA. In spite of those peripherals, however, Paddack’s performance has seen him strike out a career-low 20.6% of batters faced while generating less grounders than ever before, a clip of just 37.3%. While forearm issues are somewhat alarming for a pitcher who has already gone under the knife for Tommy John surgery twice, Baldelli suggested to reporters (including Gleeman) that the club isn’t particularly concerned, believing that the problem is a muscle strain that will heal up with rest.

Even if Paddack is back in action in relatively short order, however, the news only exacerbates Minnesota’s obvious need for help in the starting rotation. While Joe Ryan has impressed as a front-of-the-rotation option and Bailey Ober’s typical mid-rotation production is as steady as ever, Pablo Lopez has surprisingly struggled after entering the season as the club’s ace following the departure of Sonny Gray over the winter while Louie Varland struggled enough in the fifth starter role to be demoted to Triple-A. Simeon Woods-Richardson has done well in Varland’s place, but with the likes of Varland and rookie Dave Festa as the best options to step into Paddack’s rotation spot, it’s easy to see why the Twins are reportedly looking into rental starters ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

Twins Option Edouard Julien; Royce Lewis Expected To Return Tuesday

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The Twins have optioned second baseman Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported last night that the move was likely on the horizon, as the Twins need to clear roster space for the return of infielder Royce Lewis, who’s expected to join the team tomorrow for their series opener against the Yankees.

Julien, 25, graduated from top prospect status to the Twins’ apparent everyday second baseman last year when he hit .263/.381/.459 with 16 homers in 408 plate appearances as a rookie. Minnesota felt comfortable enough with the Canadian-born slugger at second base that they traded stalwart infielder Jorge Polanco to the Mariners this offseason when looking for ways to pare back the payroll.

Julien hit .223/.330/.500 with seven homers through the end of April, but he’s since fallen into a slump that’s seen him post a bleak .169/.274/.181 slash over a span of 95 trips to the plate. He’s still walking at a hefty 12.6% clip but has also fanned at a 38% rate during that slump (and in 34% of his plate appearances on the season overall). Julien’s extremely patient approach has helped him walk in nearly 15% of his MLB plate appearances, but that patience can border on passivity as well. Jonathan India is the only qualified hitter in baseball who’s swung at fewer pitches than Julien’s 37%.

The monthlong slump will make Julien the roster casualty for the return of Lewis, who’s been Minnesota’s best hitter when healthy dating back to his 2022 debut. Injuries have marred Lewis’ career to date — he’s twice torn his right ACL and has been out since Opening Day due to a quad strain — but the 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick is a .313/.369/.564 hitter (159 wRC+) in 282 MLB plate appearances. He also swatted four homers in 26 postseason playoff appearances last year (in addition to homering in his first at-bat of the 2024 regular season).

With Lewis reclaiming the regular third base job and Julien headed to St. Paul, the Twins’ infield will take on a different look. Jose Miranda has been the team’s primary third baseman and, after a lost 2023 season, has reemerged as a key contributor. The 25-year-old Miranda (26 later this month) is another former Twins top prospect who impressed as a rookie in 2022, popping 15 homers and batting .268/.325/.426 in 483 plate appearances. He tried to play through a shoulder impingement that eventually required surgery last season, hitting just .211/.263/.303 in 40 big league games.

Now that his shoulder is back at full strength, Miranda looks like his old self. He’s taken 151 turns at the plate and delivered a quite-productive .280/.311/.469 slash with six homers and nine doubles. Miranda doesn’t walk much (3.3% this season, 5.3% career) but puts the ball in play at a very high rate (14.6% strikeout rate this year, 17.4% career) and has plenty of extra-base pop. Though he played some second base in the minors, it doesn’t seem likely he’ll do so at this point. He’ll rotate between the infield corners and designated hitter, but utilityman Willi Castro figures to pick up the bulk of playing time at second base. The switch-hitting Castro is out to a .260/.335/.420 start and has experience playing all over the diamond.

The Twins could’ve made a more aggressive roster decision, cutting ties with a struggling veteran instead. But Carlos Santana has rebounded from an awful start to bat .253/.340/.434 over the past 30 days. Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot both have ugly numbers on the whole, but as Hayes notes, Margot is hitting left-handers fairly well and Farmer is valued both for his defensive versatility and his leadership in the clubhouse. Optioning Julien also preserves depth in a way that parting with someone like Farmer or Margot would not; both players could reject outright assignments to the minors in favor of free agency.

The Twins’ infield crunch falls into the “good problem to have” bucket of cliches. Julien’s demotion certainly doesn’t change the organization’s view that he can be a valuable long-term contributor, but he’ll head to Triple-A for what’s likely to be a relatively short-term reset. Presumably, in the event of an injury in the infield or at just about any non-catcher spot among the team’s position-player corps, Julien would be the first man back up. (Castro could slide right back into a super-utility role or into an everyday outfield role.)

From a service time vantage point, Julien’s slump could potentially cost him, however. He entered the season with 135 days of MLB service. Had he stayed in the majors for good, he’d have been a slam-dunk Super Two player following the 2025 season. It’s still possible he reaches that designation but is now far from a sure thing. Julien has already reached one full year of MLB service, so this assignment won’t impact his timeline to free agency, but it could potentially cost him a fourth trip through the arbitration process.

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