Miranda went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Astros. Miranda collected his 10th multi-hit game of the season, homering in the sixth to knot the game at three, then adding a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth that served as the game-winner for the Twins. After struggling to a .211 average in 40 games last season, Miranda has fared much better this season, posting a slash line of .280/.311/.469 with six homers, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 19 runs through 151 plate appearances.
Heavy on Twins
Minnesota Twins news, rumors, and information.
Latest Twins News Alerts
Miranda went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Astros. Miranda collected his 10th multi-hit game of the season, homering in the sixth to knot the game at three, then adding a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth that served as the game-winner for the Twins. After struggling to a .211 average in 40 games last season, Miranda has fared much better this season, posting a slash line of .280/.311/.469 with six homers, nine doubles, 20 RBI and 19 runs through 151 plate appearances.
Julien had a meeting with manager Rocco Baldelli and subsequently met with teammates after Sunday's win over the Astros, which could indicate the second baseman is headed to Triple-A St. Paul as Royce Lewis (quadriceps) is set to return from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athleticreports. Julien hit out of the No. 9 hole Sunday and went 0-for-2 with a walk, which dropped his season slash line to .207/.309/.367 through 58 games. The 25-year-old has a 34 percent strikeout rate this year, and the return of Lewis provides an opportunity for Julien to get back on track in a lower-pressure environment. The Twins have yet to make an official announcement regarding Lewis and who he'll replace on the MLB roster.
Duran tossed a clean ninth, striking out one to pick up his 10th save of the season Sunday against the Astros. After allowing a total of six baserunners and three unearned runs over his last three appearances totaling 2.1 innings, Duran ran into no such trouble Sunday, retiring the Astros in order to collect his 10th save in as many attempts. Though he's yet to blow a save, since making his season-debut April 30, Duran has not been as dominant with a K/9 rate of 8.4 compared with rates of 11.8 and 12.1 over his first two big-league seasons.
Woods Richardson did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Astros. He struck out six. Woods Richardson, a native of suburban Houston, was pulled after one out in the fifth prior to facing the top of the Astros lineup for the third time. It was not a bad outing for Woods Richardson, though he doubled his homers allowed for the season, allowing a solo homer to Victor Caratini in the second followed by a two-run blast by Alex Bregman in the third that accounted for each of his three runs allowed. Following a five-run blowup against Toronto on May 11, Woods Richardson had allowed only three runs over his previous three starts totaling 15 innings coming into the day. He still maintains a 3.05 ERA and 1.11 WHIP on the season. He's next slated to toe the rubber next weekend when the Twins travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates.
The Twins are expected to reinstate Lewis (quadricep) from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener versus the Yankees, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. Lewis has been on the shelf since suffering a right quad strain in the Twins' March 28 season opener, but the standout infielder looks to be on the cusp of rejoining the big club. He began a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on May 25 and has thus far made five starts in the minors, going 3-for-19 with a double, a stolen base and two runs. According to Park, Lewis is scheduled to start at third base for St. Paul in Sunday's game against Rochester, and if all goes well, the 24-year-old should get the green light to return from the IL. Once Lewis is activated, he'll likely take over as the Twins' everyday third baseman, pushing Jose Miranda into a bench role.
Correa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Houston. He'll sit out the series finale against his former club in what looks to be little more than a maintenance day. Willi Castro will fill in at shortstop for Correa, who had started in each of the Twins' last 21 games.
Farmer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros. Farmer started at second base in Saturday's 5-2 loss, but he'll be back on the bench for the series finale. While Minnesota is at full strength in the infield save for Royce Lewis (quadricep), Farmer will likely be relegated to a short-side platoon role at second base with the lefty-hitting Edouard Julien, who is back in the lineup Sunday.
Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros. Vazquez remains the Twins' No. 2 catcher, but he picked up starts in three of the previous five games while Minnesota deployed top backstop Ryan Jeffers at designated hitter on three days he didn't start behind the plate. Jeffers will serve as the Twins' catcher for the series finale in Houston while Alex Kirilloff slots in as the DH, leaving no room in the lineup for Vazquez. The 33-year-old has struggled mightily at the dish in his second season in Minnesota, slashing .161/.179/.196 over 119 plate appearances while striking out a career-worst 25.2 percent rate.
Unlock the latest Minnesota Twins news — direct to your inbox.
More From Heavy on Twins
-
Twins’ Carlos Correa Inadvertently Exposes Umpires With PitchCom Idea
As Major League Baseball fan/player frustration with the home plate umpire calling balls and strikes continues to escalate, the mission to find a solution is taking some unexpected turns.Minnesota Twins’ shortstop Carlos Correa chimed in with an interesting proposal highlighted in a May 24th, 2024 article in The Athletic.The former Rookie of the Year and […]
-
Twins’ Carlos Correa Blames Oblique Injury on Being Sick