Minnesota Twins Roster
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Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran took the loss in Sunday's 5-2 defeat against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing a walk-off three-run homer to Will Brennan in the ninth inning. Duran was tasked with keeping the game tied and giving Minnesota a chance to win it in extras, but after two walks (one intentional) the 26-year-old served up a curveball that Brennan sent deep. Interestingly, Duran said after the game that he wanted to throw a fastball but was told not to. Regardless of the poor outing and postgame comments, Duran remains a solid fantasy option for saves and should continue to be the Twins' highest-leverage option out of the bullpen.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack had a strong start on Sunday, tossing eight innings of two-run ball in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Paddack allowed just three hits while showing excellent command, walking none and striking out six. The only damage done to Paddack was a two-run blast off the bat of Andres Gimenez in the first inning. It was a very good sign to see the 28-year-old bounce back from a tough outing against the Yankees last time out, and fantasy managers who held onto Paddack should feel better about his outlook. That said, the righty is still a fringey option in standard leagues and should be left for streaming for now until he can show more consistency. He is a good deep league option, though.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will not play on Sunday against the Guardians in Cleveland. Buxton made his return from the injured list on Saturday due to right-knee inflammation and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, but the Twins will hold him out a day later. Don't be surprised if the oft-injured 30-year-old gets frequent off days heading into next week as the Twins try to keep him on the field. With Buxton on the pine on Sunday, Willi Castro will start in center field and bat sixth against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee. Castro has been a nice fill-in for the Twins in the early going this year and is currently batting .260/.320/.422 with three home runs, 14 RBI, six stolen bases and 20 runs scored on the year. He's gone 16-for-59 (.271) with three doubles, two triples and a homer in 16 games in May.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober will look to notch back-to-back quality starts when he faces off with the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. This will be Ober's first start against the Guardians in 2024. In 2023 Ober faced Cleveland twice and notched two quality starts, holding them scoreless through 13 IP. Ober has held current Guardians to just a .244 wOBA with a .283 xwOBA in 37 PA. Fantasy managers should aim to have Ober in their lineups on Saturday and DFS managers may want to consider sneaking the 28-year-old into their lineup.
The Minnesota Twins reinstated outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) from the 15-day injured list on Saturday and optioned utility man Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. It remains to be seen if Buxton will immediately return to the team's starting lineup on Saturday in Cleveland against the Guardians, but the Twins will be happy to have him back regardless. The 30-year-old oft-injured outfielder went on the shelf with right-knee inflammation in the same knee he's already had surgery on twice, and he went hitless in six at-bats on his two-game minor-league rehab assignment. Expect the Twins to ease Buxton back in at center field and potentially as the designated hitter. He was slashing .250/.300/.391 with a homer and 11 RBI in 92 at-bats before his injury. Manuel Margot and Willi Castro are likely to be the biggest losers in terms of playing time with Buxton back in the fold.