Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quad) saw doctors again for another checkup on Wednesday, and his latest MRI still showed some inflammation in his strained right quad. Lewis started sprinting on Wednesday alongside up to 80 swings in the batting cage a day, jogging on the warning track, and taking fielding drills hit directly to him, but there's still a lack of a concrete timeline for him to be cleared to ramp up his baseball activities. With the Twins exercising ample levels of caution with the 24-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, Lewis' return to the major-league roster is not expected to arrive before June. In the meantime, super-utility man and switch-hitter Willi Castro is bouncing around the diamond to help fill in for Minnesota and worth rostering in most fantasy leagues. In 21 games since April 17, Castro is batting .363 with two home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, and five stolen bases.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez looked sharp on the mound during Thursday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, and striking out 10 batters in the win. Lopez didn't walk anyone and threw over 60 of his pitches for strikes in this game. He'll take his 3.89 ERA into his next start against the New York Yankees. Despite a tough matchup, Lopez remains a must-start in fantasy formats.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Daniel Duarte (elbow) will miss the rest of the 2024 season after having UCL revision reconstruction on his elbow on Tuesday in Dallas. The typical recovery timeline for these injuries is 14 to 16 months. The 27-year-old right-hander is not only going to miss the rest of this year, but he'll also most likely be sidelined into the second half of 2025 as well. The Mexican hurler only made two appearances out of Minnesota's bullpen this year and allowed one earned run on two hits while walking one and striking out three in four innings. In his three MLB seasons to this point, Duarte has a 3.99 ERA (6.10 FIP), a 1.38 WHIP, one save, 24 walks and 28 strikeouts in 38 1/3 relief innings for the Twins and Cincinnati Reds.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack struck out 10 batters in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mariners, picking up his fourth win of the season. It wasn't all smooth sailing, however, as he also allowed eight hits and one walk in just five-and-a-third innings pitched. The outing marked the fourth straight start in which the righty has picked up a victory and it was the second time this season he's struck out 10 batters. It seems he's walking a tightrope, though, as the 28-year-old has given up 48 hits and eight walks in 37 1/3 innings (1.50 WHIP), along with six home runs (1.45 HR/9, 14.0% HR/FB%) through seven starts, so use him in season-long fantasy at your own risk. The former eighth-round draft pick can be useful in DFS depending on the matchup, however, as exhibited Wednesday. His next start lines up with the Yankees at home next Tuesday.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers has been red-hot at the plate to begin the month of May. On Tuesday, Jeffers went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the loss to the Seattle Mariners. At the time, his offensive heroics helped the team get the lead, but it didn't last. Despite that, Jeffers is hitting 6-for19 with two homers and eight RBI this month. Fantasy managers in need of catching help should take a look at Jeffers.