MLB Player News

Woods Richardson is expected to be available in relief for Monday's game against the Astros while Kendry Rojas makes his first MLB start, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

While Twins manager Derek Shelton hasn't provided word on what exactly Woods Richardson's role will look like moving forward, the right-hander may have lost his spot in the rotation after going 0-6 with a 7.71 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in 42 innings through his first nine starts of the season. Monday would have been Woods Richardson's turn in the rotation, but the Twins will instead give Rojas a look in a starting role. Since Rojas will be pitching on three days' rest and hasn't covered more than 3.1 innings between his nine appearances in the big leagues and minors this season, he'll likely be in line for a limited workload in his start. As such, Woods Richardson could be needed to eat some innings out of the bullpen.

Bradley (pectoral) struck out three and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks across 1.2 innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A St. Paul.

Placed on the 15-day injured list May 9 due to right pectoral inflammation, Bradley looks to be trending toward an abbreviated stint on the shelf. Though he didn't look especially sharp Sunday, Bradley was able to cover around 65 pitches on the day. After tossing 42 pitches before exiting the game midway through the second inning, the right-hander threw in the bullpen afterward to build up his count, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Manager Derek Shelton told Nightengale that Bradley will be re-evaluated Monday before the Twins determine his next steps. If the Twins are satisfied with how Bradley looks physically, the team could have him bypass a second rehab start and bring him back from the IL for next weekend's series in Boston.

Twins manager Derek Shelton suggested that Buxton (hip) is likely to avoid the injured list and return to the lineup soon after the outfielder worked out on the field prior to the Twins' games Saturday and Sunday against the Brewers, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. "The fact that he's out there moving around, I think we're trending in the right direction," Shelton said of Buxton. "And then we'll have a better idea [about Buxton's potential return] after he gets out and moves around."

Buxton hasn't played since Wednesday while he contends with right hip flexor soreness, but he appears to be confident that he'll return to the lineup in a matter of days. The outfielder will presumably go through another pregame workout Monday, after which the Twins will decide if he's fit to return to the lineup for the series opener versus the Astros. While Buxton has been on the bench the past four games, Ryan Kreidler and James Outman have shared center field, and right fielder Austin Martin has been elevated to the leadoff spot.

Emerson went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Padres.

While Emerson was held hitless in his major-league debut, he did score Seattle's first run of the game after drawing a lead-off walk in the sixth inning. The 20-year-old Emerson was recalled from Triple-A to serve as the Mariners' primary third baseman in the absence of Brendan Donovan (groin), though he could also now see time at shortstop after J.P. Crawford (triceps) left Sunday's contest after he was hit by a pitch. Emerson appeared in 38 games at Triple-A Tacoma this season, where he slashed .255/.347/.469 with seven homers and 10 stolen bases.

Ramirez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Sunday's 10-3 win over the Reds.

Ramirez took Tejay Antone deep for a two-run homer in the eighth inning that capped Cleveland's offensive outburst Sunday. The blast was his seventh homer of the season and his first in 24 games after he homered six times over his first 24 contests. While the superstar third baseman hasn't fully returned to his usual elite offensive form -- batting .229 with 19 RBI in 48 games -- he still holds an impressive .358 OBP and leads MLB with 20 stolen bases.

Lynch allowed a hit and no walks while striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-0 win over St. Louis.

After a strong outing from starter Stephen Kolek, Lynch entered with one out in the seventh inning and recorded five scoreless outs before turning things over to Lucas Erceg for the save in the ninth. While Erceg has held steady as the closer in Carlos Estevez's (foot/shoulder) absence, Lynch has quietly been the most effective arm in the Kansas City bullpen. The southpaw owns a 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with a 26:6 K:BB across 20 innings in 2026.

Sterner threw a perfect inning with no strikeouts in Sunday's 10-1 loss to the Giants.

Sterner entered in the seventh inning and retired the bottom of the Giants' lineup to keep the Athletics within one run before an eight-run, eighth-inning implosion turned the contest into a blowout. Over his past seven appearances (5.2 innings), the right-hander has allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Overall, Sterner owns a 4.03 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with a 23:7 K:BB across 22.1 frames in 2026.

Higashioka went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Astros.

Higashioka delivered a two-run single during Texas' big seventh inning before adding a solo homer off Cody Bolton in the ninth to pad the lead. The long ball was just his second of the season as the veteran catcher continues to search for consistency at the plate. Higashioka is now slashing .211/.273/.310 with eight RBI and seven runs scored across 77 plate appearances.

Clarke (foot) started at designated hitter and went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and an additional run scored with Single-A Stockton on Sunday.

Clarke has been on the injured list since April 22 due to a deep bone bruise in his right foot. After starting in center field and tallying one hit in his first rehab appearance Saturday, the 26-year-old recorded a hit in all three of his at-bats as the designated hitter Sunday, including a solo homer in the fourth inning before exiting the contest. With the weekend in Stockton complete, Clarke's rehab assignment will likely shift to Triple-A Las Vegas, as previously reported by Martin Gallegos of MLB.com.

Burger went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, four RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-0 win over Houston.

Burger opened the scoring in the fifth inning with a two-run homer off Peter Lambert before adding a two-run double in the seventh to help put the game away. The homer was his eighth of the season and his second in the last four games as the slugger continues a productive month at the plate. Across 13 games in May, Burger is batting .260 with 12 RBI. He's now slashing .232/.274/.411 with six doubles, 31 RBI and 18 runs scored across 179 plate appearances.