Simeon Woods Richardson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Minnesota Twins sent right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday. Right-hander Zebby Matthews is expected to be recalled from St. Paul to take Woods-Richardson's spot in the starting rotation, with his first start of the year expected to come in Sunday's series finale in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Woods-Richardson loses his rotation spot in the big leagues after starting the year going 2-2 with a 5.02 ERA (5.28 FIP), 1.54 WHIP and 35:14 K:BB in 37 2/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts). The 24-year-old had his worst outing of the year in Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing six earned runs on eight hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out four in four innings in a no-decision Woods-Richardson should get another shot with the Twins later this season, but for now they'll go with Matthews.

According to Betsy Helfand of TwinCities.com, Twins right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson is viewed as a "leading" candidate for the fifth starter role. While he is not guaranteed the spot, he is viewed as the top option entering camp. Minnesota's young pitchers, such as David Festa and Zebby Matthews, will compete for this spot alongside Woods Richardson. Last season, Woods Richardson logged a career-high 133 2/3 innings. During his first 82 frames, the 24-year-old was quite effective as he held a 3.51 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. However, over his final 51 2/3, Woods Richardson took a step back as he posted a 5.23 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress during spring training, as he could be a viable low-end starting pitcher in deeper formats if he earns a permanent spot in the rotation.

The Minnesota Twins optioned right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson to Triple-A St. Paul and recalled catcher Jair Camargo from St. Paul on Thursday. With Woods Richardson not set to pitch again during the regular season in 2024, the Twins elected to send him down to give them extra catching depth to close out the weekend series versus the Baltimore Orioles. The 24-year-old went out on a sour note in his first year in the big leagues by allowing three earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out two in just one inning in his final start on Wednesday against the Marlins. In his third year with the Twins in 2024, Woods Richardson ended up going 5-5 with a 4.17 ERA (4.12 FIP), a 1.29 WHIP and a 117:48 K:BB in 133 2/3 innings over 28 starts in his first full season in the big leagues. He came into 2024 with only 9 2/3 innings pitched in the big leagues.