Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Minnesota Twins placed outfielder Max Kepler (knee) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a right-knee contusion. The club also acquired right-hander Michael Tonkin from the New York Mets for cash considerations and moved right-hander Zack Weiss (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list with a right-shoulder strain. The 31-year-old Kepler has struggled with injuries in his career and will now miss at least the next 10 days with what doesn't appear to be a major injury. He last played on Saturday and will be eligible to return to the Twins on April 17. In addition to the injury, Kepler has gone just 1-for-20 with six strikeouts in his first five games in 2024. Until he's able to return, Manuel Margot and Matt Wallner will likely platoon in right field.

Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien, first baseman Alex Kirilloff and outfielder Max Kepler are all sitting on Monday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and left-hander James Paxton. Kyle Farmer is starting at second base and batting sixth, Ryan Jeffers is the designated hitter and batting third, and Manuel Margot is in right field and hitting leadoff against Paxton. Farmer, Jeffers and Margot have a combined four career at-bats against Paxton. Both Margot and Jeffers will be DFS sleeper options against Paxton on this one. The 26-year-old Kirilloff has been on the bench in both of the games that the Twins have faced a left-handed hurler this year.

Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of the team's matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. With right-handed pitcher Daniel Duarte heading to the 15-day injured list with a triceps strain, Minnesota called up Miranda to help an offense that has scored just 12 runs over the last 45 innings. The third baseman bounced around the majors and minors last season and only hit .211 with three home runs and 13 RBI across 40 games with the Twins. As a result, he isn't a player that fantasy managers should be running to the waiver wire to pick up. However, in his last full season in 2022, he hit a respectable .268 at the plate with 15 HRs and 66 RBI across 125 games. So, he could be a player to consider in extremely deep formats.

Minnesota Twins pitchers Jhoan Duran (oblique) and Justin Topa (knee) are both pain-free and have been throwing, but neither of them have resumed throwing off a mound yet. Duran threw from 105 feet on Saturday, while Topa threw from 75 feet. Meanwhile, reliever Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday and seems bound for a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul soon. Duran, the Twins' closer, is on the 15-day injured list due to a moderate right-oblique strain he suffered in spring training. Fantasy managers should expect the 26-year-old to miss most, if not all, of April, but he should remain stashed in an IL spot in all leagues. Until Duran can make his 2024 debut, Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart could both be candidates for save chances.

The Minnesota Twins acquired Triple-A infielder Diego Castillo from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in exchange for cash considerations. The Twins now have two Diego Castillos on the Triple-A St. Paul roster -- one a pitcher and one a position player. The 26-year-old Venezuelan will give the Twins some more infield depth in the minors with third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) out at least a couple of months with a severe quad strain. Castillo can play some outfield as well but is likely to stick at St. Paul for now. The fact that he's been with six different teams this offseason tells you all you need to know. Castillo made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and hit .206/.251/.382 with 11 homers and 29 RBI in 96 games but had just one trip to the plate in the majors in 2023 with Arizona.