MLB Player News

The Twins optioned Woods Richardson to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday.

Rather than sending the 27th man from Wednesday's doubleheader (reliever Kody Funderburk) back to Triple-A, the Twins will instead demote Woods Richardson, who struggled mightily in his start in the second game of the twin bill. Woods Richardson coughed up a season-high six earned runs over four innings in an 8-6 win over Baltimore, leaving him with a 5.02 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 37.2 innings on the season. The 24-year-old righty will presumably get another look in the Minnesota rotation later on in the season, but the Twins will likely turn to David Festa or Zebby Matthews to replace Woods Richardson the next time a fifth starter is needed this weekend in MIlwaukee.

Smith started at shortstop and went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Rockies.

Smith returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore lower back. He was back at shortstop, where the Rangers have a need after the club placed Corey Seager (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list. Texas manager Bruce Bochy said it's possible Seager will need more than the 10-day minimum, so Smith should see ample opportunities as a fill-in at short.

Langford went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-3 win over Colorado.

Langford gave Texas an early lead with a two-run blast in the first inning. It was his second home run in three games and team-leading eighth through 34 contests. That's half as many as he hit during his rookie 2024 season over 134 games. He's second on the team with 18 RBI behind Adolis Garcia (24).

Burger went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Rockies.

Burger has hit safely in all three games since his return from the minors. The three-game run pushed his average to a season-high .202.

Manzardo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Manzardo put the Guardians on the board with a second-inning home run. After leaving the yard five times over 53 games in 2024, Manzardo has gone deep 10 times in 38 games this season.

Kjerstad went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Twins.

After drawing a walk as a pinch hitter in the matinee, Kjerstad got the start in right field for the nightcap and crushed a Simeon Woods Richardson fastball to right field in the third inning, snapping a 17-game homer drought in the process. Kjerstad has struggled to make a consistent contribution in the majors this season, and through 99 plate appearances he has a .212/.262/.364 slash line with four home runs and 14 RBI.

McDermott came away with a no-decision in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Twins, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. He struck out five.

Called up from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day for the twin bill, McDermott tossed 65 pitches (34 strikes) before being lifted in favor of Charlie Morton to begin the fourth inning. Following this appearance, McDermott is expected to return to Norfolk's rotation where he's had a little more success, allowing just one run with a 7:3 K:BB over eight innings in his last two starts.

Kremer (3-5) took the loss in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Minnesota, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out four.

After blanking the Twins for three innings, the right-hander watched both Brooks Lee and Christian Vazquez launch curveballs over the fence in the fourth to put Minnesota in the lead for good at 4-3. Kremer had been taken deep only once in total over his prior three outings, but long balls have been an issue for him overall in 2025 -- he's been tagged for 10 homers in 50.1 innings, fueling his 5.36 ERA. He'll try to get back on track in his next start, which lines up to come on the road early next week in Milwaukee.

Clemens went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of the Orioles.

The 28-year-old utility player played hero in the nightcap, taking Yannier Cano deep for a three-run homer in the eighth inning that flipped the script on a 6-5 deficit. Clemens is batting .227 (5-for-22) with two home runs and six RBI in 11 games since joining the Twins, but he could he in line for more playing time if Ty France, who left the first game of the twin bill with a foot injury and sat out the nightcap, is sidelined for additional time.

Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Orioles.

The veteran backstop took Dean Kremer deep in the fourth inning, giving Vazquez his first long ball of the year. He's added little offense in general to begin the campaign -- Vazquez's .193/.277/.316 slash line through 57 plate appearances has him on pace to record a sub-.600 OPS for the third straight year.