Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quad) made his fifth appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, striking out three times in four at-bats. Lewis is not in Houston for the club's weekend series with the Astros at Minute Maid Park, but it would make sense for him to return to the Twins in time for Tuesday's series opener against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Although he's gone just 3-for-19 with one extra-base hit over five games in the minor leagues, fantasy managers should be glad to hear that Lewis does have one stolen base during his assignment. The talented 24-year-old infielder should play every day in Minnesota when he comes back from a severe right quad strain, with utility man Willi Castro likely being the biggest loser in terms of playing time from a fantasy perspective.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers was 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk during Thursday's 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. Jeffers is now up to 12 homers on the season which ties him with Shea Langeliers for the most among catchers. The 26-year-old has been a fantastic power option for fantasy managers and is slashing .254/.342/.544 with 36 RBI and two stolen bases. Jeffers looks like a legit top-10 catching option at this point and should be rostered in all formats.

Minnesota Twins outfielder/infielder Willi Castro collected three hits in Wednesday's loss to the division-rival Kansas City Royals, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the defeat. The three-hit attack should help get Castro back on track after he went hitless in five of his past six outings. With Royce Lewis (quad) sidelined, the 27-year-old switch-hitter has taken on a more pronounced role across the diamond for the Twins, slashing a respectable .258/.332/.419 with four home runs, 16 RBI, 27 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 208 plate appearances (55 games) in 2024. Castro is worth holding in the majority of fantasy leagues for his speed and positional eligibility until Lewis returns from his minor-league rehab assignment.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (5-3) picked up the loss Wednesday night, giving up six runs in five innings with four strikeouts, no walks, and nine hits in a 6-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals. The big blow of his day was a four-run third inning in which he gave up a three-run homer to Nelson Velazquez, moving his ERA up on the season to 4.89. After having a 1.48 ERA in April, Ober struggled to the tune of a 5.46 ERA in May. He's also given up seven home runs in five starts this month compared to no home runs in April. Things won't get any easier as his first start of June will be against a hot Bronx Bombers, a team that leads the MLB in long balls this season.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. It appears to be a normal day of rest for Buxton as the Twins look to keep the oft-injured veteran outfielder healthy. Willi Castro is making the start in center field and will bat seventh for the Twins against Royals veteran right-hander Seth Lugo. Castro has one hit in two career at-bats against Lugo and has been a useful utility man for the Twins this year, hitting .247 (45-for-182) with four homers, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases and 26 runs scored so far. The Puerto Rican is mostly useful for his speed in deeper fantasy leagues. After getting on base four times and stealing a base on Tuesday, Buxton is now slashing .254/.308/.426 on the year with three homers, 15 RBI and two thefts in 122 at-bats.