Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Minnesota Twins officially optioned struggling second baseman Edouard Julien to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday. Julien, an 18th-round pick in 2019 out of Auburn, hit .263 as a rookie with 16 home runs and 37 RBI in 109 games for the Twins last year but hasn't been able to replicate that so far in 2024, slashing .207/.309/.367 with seven homers, 17 RBI and six stolen bases in 58 games played. The 25-year-old infielder really struggled in the month of May and will now go down to the farm to work on some things. In the meantime, utility man Willi Castro should see most of the starts at the keystone in Minnesota, with Kyle Farmer also seeing an uptick in opportunities. Eventually, the plan is likely for Julien to come back up this summer to try and regain the starting job at second base for the Twins.

Minnesota Twins infielder Edouard Julien is expected to be sent down to Triple-A St. Paul prior to Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. The 25-year-old had a closed door meeting with manager Rocco Baldelli following Sunday's game. Afterwards, Julien was seen giving handshakes and hugs to teammates. The assumption is that Julien is going to be sent down with Royce Lewis set to return on Tuesday. Julien is slashing .207/.309/.367 with seven home runs and 17 RBI this season. Fantasy managers who are rostering Julien will likely need to look for another option.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach was 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Sunday's 4-3 win over the Houston Astros. It was Larnach's third homer in his past four games and his sixth on the season. The 27-year-old started off the season with a hot stretch but hit a paltry .203 across May. Nevertheless, he is starting to round into form again and slashing a respectable .270/.333/.470 on the year. Larnach is a worthwhile depth outfielder in deeper leagues, especially if he continues to see the leadoff spot against right-handers.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) is expected to be activated off the 10-day injured list and return to the starting lineup on Tuesday. Lewis has been sidelined since Opening Day with a quadriceps strain. The 24-year-old has been battling injuries all through the early part of his major-league career, as he has logged just 71 games over the past three seasons. However, despite all the setbacks the former No. 1 overall pick has endured, he has performed exceptionally well in the majors when healthy with an overall .313/.369/.564 slash line with 18 home runs, 58 RBI, and six stolen bases. When Lewis returns on Tuesday, he should split his time playing third base but also serving as the designated hitter, especially early on. Jose Miranda has done very well filling in for Lewis, but he could see a significant drop in starting opportunities.

Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is getting a rare day off on Sunday as the team faces the Astros in Houston. With Correa out, Willi Castro will make the start at the 6 for the Twins and will bat sixth against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Correa will get a breather after starting in each of the team's last 21 games. He wrapped up the month of May on Friday by hitting .255 (25-for-98) with three home runs, nine doubles, two triples, 14 RBI, 10 walks and 22 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances over 27 games. The two-time All-Star is currently healthy and is a must-start when he's in the starting lineup in most fantasy leagues. Castro has been much better against lefties in 2024 but his hitting a respectable .260 (51-for-196) overall with four homers and seven stolen bases in a utility role for the Twins. He's never faced Brown in his career.