Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Minnesota Twins will activate shortstop Carlos Correa (foot) from the injured list on Saturday and will option outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Correa should be back in the starting lineup on Saturday at Target Field against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Nick Martinez, but fantasy managers will want to check back later for further confirmation. The 29-year-old has been away from the Twins since the All-Star break due to plantar fasciitis, so there certainly could be a bit of a rust factor now that he's back. The Puerto Rican infielder was hitting a strong .308/.377/.520 with an .896 OPS, 13 home runs, 47 RBI and 51 runs scored in 279 at-bats before his injury, so fantasy managers are hoping he can somehow pick up where he left off. Don't be surprised if the Twins look to ease Correa back in at shortstop after all the time he has missed.

Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez (thumb) was placed on Triple-A St. Paul's injured list with a right-thumb sprain. Rodriguez, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been limited to 47 games in the minors and 209 plate appearances this year due to injuries. In those 47 games in the Florida Complex League and with Single-A Fort Myers, Double-A Wichita and St. Paul, the 21-year-old has hit .280/.459/.567 with a 1.026 OPS, nine home runs, 27 RBI and nine stolen bases. His thumb injury initially cropped up in April, and he just hasn't been able to get over it all year. There's no denying Rodriguez's production and his intrigue due to a left-handed swing that produces plenty of raw power, but he has missed out on key developmental time this year. Still, if he can stay healthy in 2025, Rodriguez could be on the fast track to making his MLB debut.

The Minnesota Twins reinstated outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned utility man Austin Martin to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Buxton was fully expected to come off the IL and rejoin the Twins on Friday before their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Target Field. Minnesota has made the move to reinstate Buxton a day earlier. The Twins have a scheduled day off on Thursday, but Buxton should be back in the lineup on Friday night. The oft-injured 30-year-old outfielder will return to being an everyday player for the Twins, although he could be eased in at first with designated hitter duties before eventually taking over in center field. Buxton has only six steals in 90 games in 2024 but has hit a nice .275 (84-for-305) with 16 homers and 49 RBI in his 10th year in the league.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner homered for the second straight game in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Angels. It was his only hit of the day, going 1-for-4 at the plate, but it was his 13th home run of the season in just 184 at-bats and he's slashing .289/.396/.623 since his return from the minors in July. He also bashed 19 home runs at Triple-A, giving him 32 home runs on the season overall, but the problem is that the left-handed hitter doesn't play much against left-handed pitching which makes him frustrating for season-long fantasy. Nevertheless, with a 20.0% barrel rate, there are surely more to come before the season is out, so managers in need of pop during the fantasy playoffs could consider him and he's usually going to be in play against right-handed pitching for DFS.

The Minnesota Twins will activate outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list on Friday, with outfielder Austin Martin being optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Buxton has been on the shelf since the middle of August due to hip inflammation and had a setback that prevented him from returning sooner. Expect the Twins to ease him back into the fold in center field so that they can have him fully healthy if they clinch a playoff spot heading into October. When fully healthy, the 30-year-old oft-injured outfielder will return to everyday center field duties for the Twins. Although Buxton rarely runs these days (only six steals), he's played a big part offensively by hitting .275 (84-for-305) with 16 home runs and 49 RBI in 90 games. However, he hasn't been as good in the second half of the season before getting hurt in August.