Santana left Saturday's game against the Royals due to an illness, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Santana went 0-for-2 before exiting in the fifth inning of Saturday's contest. Kyle Farmer has taken over for Santana at first base for the rest of the game.
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Twins' Willi Castro: Idle again Saturday
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Castro is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals.
Castro isn't in the starting lineup for a second consecutive game, his first time missing back-to-back starting lineups since April. Though there haven't been any reports of an injury, fantasy managers should keep an eye on Castro's availability.
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Twins' Zebby Matthews: Falls to Royals
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Matthews (1-3) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings as the Twins were downed 5-0 by the Royals. He struck out four.
While his offense gave him no support, Matthews once again left too many hittable pitches over the plate. The rookie right-hander served up his sixth homer in 22 big-league innings, a fourth-inning solo shot by Michael Massey, and while his 22:3 K:BB over that stretch demonstrates that the impeccable control he displayed in the minors remains intact, it comes with a 7.36 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Matthews lines up to make his next start at home next week against the Angels.
Varland is expected to be used in a traditional relief role down the stretch, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
It had previously seemed as though the Twins were considering a quasi six-man rotation with Varland included as a bulk reliever, but he pitched his way out of that conversation in a hurry. Varland gave up eight runs on five hits and a walk over 2.1 innings against the Rays on Wednesday, bringing his ERA to 7.62 through 39 innings with the major-league team this season.
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Twins' Willi Castro: Out of lineup Friday
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Castro is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.
Castro continues to operate in a near-everyday role for Minnesota while bouncing between shortstop and center field. He's been in a bad way at the dish with just two hits in his last seven games, but for the year Castro's been worth close to three wins above replacement by fWAR.
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Twins' Ryan Jeffers: Sitting Friday
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Jeffers is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.
Jeffers will get what looks like a routine breather after three straight starts, including two starts behind the plate in the past three days. Christian Vazquez will catch for starting pitcher Zebby Matthews.
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Twins' Eduardo Beltre: Excellent first pro season
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Beltre slashed .326/.453/.618 with 11 home runs, 10 steals, a 15.5 percent walk rate and a 23.8 percent strikeout rate over 43 games in the Dominican Summer League.
The recipient of a $1.5 million bonus on Jan. 15, Beltre showcased significant power in his pro debut while also keeping his strikeouts somewhat in check. Beltre saw time at all three outfield spots, but the expectation is that the 17-year-old will end up in a corner spot as he slows down and fills out, thanks to his above-average throwing arm.
Wallner went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Rays.
Wallner took Taj Bradley deep in the third inning in what ended up being the winning run. Wallner has been a revelation for the Twins over the second half of the season and has become a mainstay in the middle of their lineup. Since being called up in early July, he's played in 45 of their last 51 games and is hitting .295 with a 1.017 OPS and 10 home runs over that span.
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Twins' Jhoan Duran: Picks up 22nd save
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Duran got the save in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Rays, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.
Duran entered the game to protect a one-run lead, and he struck out the first two batters he faced and then induced a weak grounder to end it. Following a rough stretch in August, Duran has been better as of late with four straight clean outings in which he's only allowed one hit and racked up four saves in the process. The 26-year-old closer is now 22-for-24 in save opportunities this season with a 3.45 ERA.
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Twins' Edouard Julien: Hits first home run since April
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Julien went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Rays.
Julien took Taj Bradley deep in the second inning for his eighth home run of the season and his first since April 25. Julien's blast snapped a 54-game homerless streak, which was the longest of his career entering Thursday. Since his most recent call-up in the middle of August, the 25-year-old is hitting .282 over 19 games, but he hasn't started against a lefty since Aug. 16 and he even sat out against a righty Wednesday.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Streak ends but gets 14th win
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Lopez (14-8) earned the win Thursday against the Rays, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out nine.
Lopez's streak of three straight outings without allowing a run ended Thursday against the Rays, but he still managed to pick up his 14th win, which is tied for the third most in the American League. Lopez's scoreless innings streak ended at 23.1, which is the longest single-season streak by a Twins pitcher since Tyler Duffey in 2019. The 28-year-old has eight quality starts over his last 10 appearances and has a 2.27 ERA in that span.
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Twins' Kody Funderburk: Shifted to 60-day injured list
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The Twins transferred Funderburk (oblique) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of DaShawn Keirsey. Funderburk resumed throwing in late August as he works his way back from a left oblique strain but now isn't eligible for activation until late September.
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Twins' DaShawn Keirsey: Receives first MLB promotion
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The Twins selected Keirsey's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Keirsey, 27, has slashed .292/.363/.477 with 14 homers and 36 stolen bases with St. Paul this season. Speed and center field defense are his best assets, and it's possible Keirsey could see some action in center with Byron Buxton's hip injury lingering. He will be making his major-league debut when/if he gets into a game.
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Twins' Max Kepler: Goes on IL with knee tendinitis
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The Twins placed Kepler on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left patellar tendinitis, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Kepler had missed four straight games and started just three of the last 11 contests because of the nagging knee issue. The Twins have finally opted to put him on the IL, bringing up DaShawn Keirsey as a replacement. Most of the playing time in right field while Kepler is sidelined should go to Matt Wallner.
Buxton will be re-evaluated after feeling renewed soreness in his right hip during Wednesday's rehab game with Triple-A St. Paul, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Buxton had been slated for activation from the 10-day injured list Friday following a pair of rehab games, but now his status is up in the air as his hip soreness lingers. The Twins should have more information on the outfielder after he's re-evaluated. Buxton has been sidelined since mid-August.
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Twins' Brooks Lee: Day off Thursday
Rotowire
Lee is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Tampa Bay.
Lee started the last four games after being activated from the injured list, but he'll get a day off for Thursday's series finale. Willi Castro is handling shortstop for the the Twins, while Austin Martin will be in center field.
