Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is taking a day off on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox in the series finale. Jeffers has played a big part in the Twins' current nine-game winning streak, but he'll get a blow in this one with a scheduled off day coming on Thursday. The 26-year-old had started each of the team's last seven games and has swung a hot bat so far in 2024, going 26-for-88 (.295) with five home runs, 17 RBI, a stolen base and 15 runs scored in 26 games. He's clearly become Minnesota's primary catcher over Christian Vazquez, who is behind the dish on Wednesday and batting ninth against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen. Vazquez will be a low-upside catching option in DFS contests in the nine-hole. He has a hit in two career at-bats against Flexen.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers went 1-for-3 on Tuesday versus the Chicago White Sox. Jeffers lone hit was a single, but he has quietly been putting together a strong campaign behind the dish. The 26-year-old is hitting .295 and has five homers with 17 RBI. Managers couldn't ask for more from behind the dish and Jeffers is delivering it at a much lower price than other top tier catchers. The backstop hasn't been hitting the ball hard and his average exit velocity is a weak 83.9, so managers should expect a regression in the future. Despite that, Jeffers makes good contact with nice pop in his bat, so he should continue to be valuable throughout the season. Jeffers should remain rostered in most 10-team leagues moving forward.

The Minnesota Twins have activated right-hander Jhoan Duran (oblique), who has missed the start of the season due to an oblique injury. Last season, the right-hander had 27 saves with a 2.45 ERA. Duran is one of the top closers in fantasy baseball and is expected to resume his role as the closer after his two-game rehab stint in Triple-A, as his fastball clocked in at an average of 101.8 mph. In a corresponding move, the Twins have designated right-hander Matt Bowman for assignment. Bowman had a 2.35 ERA in five games in 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs out of the bullpen.

Minnesota Twins right-hander Josh Winder (shoulder) is set to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Low-A Fort Myers on Tuesday. Winder was placed on the 60-day injured list on Feb. 26 with a scapular stress fracture in his right shoulder that he suffered late last year. It means the 27-year-old reliever won't be able to rejoin Minnesota's bullpen at the big-league level until at least late May. Winder made his major-league debut for the Twins in 2022 and even started 11 games that year, but all 19 of his appearances last year came in a relief role. In his 101 2/3 total innings pitched the last two seasons in Minnesota, he has recorded a 4.51 ERA (4.57 FIP), one save, a 1.34 WHIP, 32 walks and 75 strikeouts. Winder is currently off the fantasy radar everywhere.

Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran (oblique) is with the team in Chicago, but there hasn't been immediate news about him being officially activated from the 15-day injured list. However, that move should be imminent during the team's series against the White Sox early this week. Duran should be activated from the IL after recovering from a right-oblique strain that kept him from being ready for the start of the 2024 season. The 26-year-old made two appearances on a minor-league rehab assignment, but it's possible the Twins choose to ease him into high-leverage, late-inning situations at first. Still, Duran should be returned to starting fantasy lineups once he's activated, as he has proven in recent seasons he's a high-end closer when he's healthy.UPDATE: Manager Rocco Baldelli said Duran will likely be activated on Tuesday.