Player News
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Jax earned the save in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Cleveland, pitching a scoreless two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout while allowing one hit. After suffering the loss Monday night, Jax relieved Jhoan Duran with runners on first and second with one out in the ninth. Jax had struggled of late, as he entered this contest with a 6.14 ERA across 7.1 innings this month, so this performance was a welcome sight. Although he has been better than Duran -- pitching to a 2.16 ERA across 66.2 innings compared to Duran's 3.99 ERA across 49.2 innings -- Jax collected his first save since Aug. 5. The 29-year-old has been a stalwart in the Minnesota bullpen, pitching to a 2.08 FIP, 0.91 WHIP and 88:15 K:BB with nine saves and 24 holds this season.
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Jax allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in an 8-7 win over the Athletics in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader. Jax hadn't logged a save since May 10, but he received the opportunity to do so Sunday after Jhoan Duran closed out the matinee game. While the two relievers initially shared closing duties early in May, Duran has been the Twins' main closer for about a month while Jax has settled into a setup role. Jax has been excellent all year with a 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 43:8 K:BB with six saves, 12 holds and two blown saves over 31.1 innings.
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Jax gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning Friday while striking out one, recording his fifth save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. Jhoan Duran got the call in the eighth inning to face the top of Toronto's order, leaving the ninth for Jax, but Jax ran into trouble with two outs after a Bo Bichette single kicked off a Jays rally. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has been using Duran as a relief ace rather than a pure closer and Duran has three saves and three holds in six appearances since coming off the IL in late April, but Jax hasn't been the sole beneficiary of the available opportunities -- Caleb Thielbar and Cole Sands have also picked up saves since Duran's season debut. Brock Stewart (shoulder) could also end up in that mix once he gets healthy. Jax has a 3.06 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB through 17.2 innings on the season, and while Duran should see the majority of the save chances for the Twins, his main understudy could creep into the low double digits in saves by the time the season is done.
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Jax will likely shift into a setup role since the Twins reinstated Jhoan Duran (oblique) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday. Jax pitched well as the fill-in closer to begin the season with four saves, a 2.25 ERA and 17:4 K:BB across 12 innings, but it appears his time in the role is now up. The right-hander should still see plenty of high-leverage opportunities as a setup man, but his fantasy utility will likely be minimal while Duran is healthy.
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Jax pitched a perfect ninth inning and struck out one to pick up his third save of the season Wednesday against the White Sox. Jax seems to have taken hold of the closing job in place of Jhoan Duran, who's in the midst of a rehab assignment after suffering an oblique injury late in camp. Jax has twirled back-to-back perfect innings for a pair of saves and owns a 2.70 ERA with a 14:3 K:BB over 11 appearances (10 innings), but his run in the ninth inning will likely come to an end soon with Duran nearing activation.
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Stats
| Year | Team | APP | GS | INN | W | L | S | K | BBI | HA | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MIN | 68 | 0 | 66.7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 88 | 15 | 45 | 2.16 | 0.90 |
| 2023 | MIN | 71 | 0 | 65.3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 68 | 19 | 58 | 3.85 | 1.17 |
| 2022 | MIN | 65 | 0 | 72.3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 78 | 20 | 56 | 3.35 | 1.05 |
Last 7 Games
| DATE | Opp | W | L | S | INN | HA | ERA | BBI | K | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/17 | @  |
- | - | 1 | 0.2 | 1 | 7.50 | 0 | 1 | 1.50 |
| 9/16 | @ |
- | 1 | - | 1.1 | 2 | 7.50 | 0 | 3 | 1.50 |
| 9/11 | vs  |
- | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 5.40 | 1 | 3 | 0.50 |
| 9/07 | @  |
- | - | - | 0.2 | 3 | 9.00 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 |
| 9/05 | @  |
- | - | - | 1.1 | 1 | 6.00 | 0 | 2 | 0.75 |
| 9/02 | @ |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 9.00 | 0 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 9/01 | vs  |
1 | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 18.00 | 2 | 0 | 3.00 |
Upcoming Games
| date | Opp | time | Scheduled Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/19 | @ |
1:10 PM | Joey Cantillo |
| 9/20 | @  |
7:10 PM | Richard Fitts |
| 9/21 | @ |
4:10 PM | Kutter Crawford |
| 9/22 | @ |
1:35 PM | Nick Pivetta |
| 9/24 | vs  |
7:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 9/25 | vs |
7:40 PM | Edward Cabrera |
| 9/26 | vs |
7:40 PM | Valente Bellozo |