Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins rookie infielder Brooks Lee is back on the bench on Thursday for the contest against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Willi Castro is starting at the 6 and is batting ninth against Guardians rookie left-hander Joey Cantillo. Lee has now been on the bench for the last two games, and with Carlos Correa back from his foot injury, the majority of Lee's playing time will most likely come at second base down the stretch and in the postseason if the Twins lock up a wild-card spot in the American League. The 23-year-old switch-hitter will battle for playing time at the keystone with Edouard Julien and Kyle Farmer as a utility infielder. Lee should definitely be rostered in all dynasty/keeper formats at this point. In his first 152 major-league at-bats in 2024, he's hit .217/.258/.316 with three homers, 25 RBI and three stolen bases.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober was excellent over seven innings on Wednesday, allowing two earned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out a career-high 12 batters in a 5-4 loss to the Guardians, although Ober did not factor into the decision. The two runs the righty allowed both came on solo shots from the Guardians' Josh Naylor. It was a nice bounceback game for the 29-year-old after getting roughed up for five runs his last time out. The outing was the 18th quality start in 30 games started this season, and he'll draw a favorable matchup at home his next time out versus the Marlins next Tuesday.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler's (hip, knee) knee is doing better, but he experienced soreness in his hip area that led to him getting a cortisone injection on Monday, according to president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. The hope is that Kepler can get into minor-league rehab games with Triple-A St. Paul and possibly return to the Twins for their final homestand against the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles that runs from Tuesday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 29. The Twins are trying to ramp the 31-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder for a possible postseason run in October. He has been dealing with tendinitis in his knee since early September, although his hip injury is now the bigger concern. Kepler is having a down year with only eight homers and a .682 OPS in 105 games, but the Twins are still hoping he can be an option for them against right-handed pitchers to close out the year.

Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. The right-handed slugger is having a breakout season with .292 batting average with nine home runs and 49 RBI across 117 games. However, Miranda has struggled to the tune of a .229 average against left-handed pitching. In his absence, Ryan Jeffers will serve as the designated hitter while Royce Lewis covers third base against left-handed Matthew Boyd. Fantasy managers who have Miranda rostered should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Minnesota Twins first baseman/third baseman Jose Miranda will sit out on Sunday as the Twins close out a series against the Cincinnati Reds. This is the third time this week that Miranda has been held out of the starting nine. This is due to the Twins welcoming back Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa from the injured list. As a result, the Minnesota lineup has become quite crowded, and Miranda seems to be the odd man out. Since the start of the month, the 26-year-old has held a mere .244/.244/.311 line with just one double, one RBI, and no home runs. However, from June through August, the infielder posted a strong .343/.386/.544 line. As a result, Trevor Larnach will serve as the designated hitter. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Miranda's status as he may not be a reliable fantasy asset down the stretch due to his drop in playing time.