MN Twins Cut Bevy of Youngsters from Big League Camp
Spring Training continues to roll on for the Minnesota Twins, no matter how many legitimate big leaguers they have present down in Fort Myers, a number that has been steadily declining since the team first arrived about one month ago.
It started with Pablo Lopez, who was lost for the season with a UCL tear. Joe Ryan went down after that, then Royce Lewis. The latter has returned to the lineup, the former is expected to be back in the rotation any day.
As long as Team USA continues to dominate the World Baseball Classic, Byron Buxton won’t be back until the Minnesota Twins head to Baltimore for the start of the regular season.
Luckily for new manager Derek Shelton, all the losses his Twins are racking up in 2026 Grapefruit League play won’t count against him. However, every roster cut he and his coaching staff makes is a reminder of just how close we are to March 26.
Camp down to 49 after latest Minnesota Twins moves
And guess what, just six days after they sent six players down to minor league camp, the Minnesota Twins made another round of camp cuts on Monday, this time a total of nine.
Among the pitchers sent out of camp, Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya were probably the closest to Opening Day roster consideration. Both of them have pitched at Triple-A, and could have been used in the bullpen. The most surprising cut is top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/bEf0K1qjkM
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 9, 2026
Walker Jenkins was the most notable name among them, but he recently suffered a hamstring injury so that was an expected decision. Monday’s group of nine departures brings another level of clarity.
Prielipp continues to be stretched out as a starter though, and he didn’t show enough to warrant additional time. In three Grapefruit League games he pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing four runs on six hits (two home runs). He also carried an even 6/6 K/BB.
Last season was a nightmare for Raya who posted a 6.02 ERA in 98 2/3 innings at Triple-A. Now converted to a reliever, he gave up five runs in just 2 1/3 innings this spring while walking five and striking out just two.
Both should be up at some point this season, but will work to refine their stuff before the Minnesota Twins come calling. The same can be said for Andrew Morris who struggled (6.2 IP 7 H 4 R) this spring, and John Klein who got in just one game.
Emmanuel Rodriguez a surprise early cut for MN Twins?
It’s not as though there was an expectation that Emmanuel Rodriguez would make the Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster, but an early cutdown is relatively shocking. He’ll start the season at Triple-A, and should be ready as an early-season promotion candidate.
In 11 Grapefruit League games, Rodriguez batted an impressive .421/.476/.789 with a double and two home runs. He walked twice and struck out nine times. Last season at Triple-A, Rodriguez had an .853 OPS in 52 games.
Emmanuel Rodriguez with his 2nd HR in his 2nd Spring Training game of ‘26🌴
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) February 24, 2026
🚀 106.6 mph
📐 31 degrees
💣 420 feet@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/fluxwxkJum
Capable of playing centerfield, the next step for Rodriguez is to tighten up the strikeout rate and remain healthy. The top prospect does a great job commanding the zone and has often carried a walk rate north of 20%. The problem is that he still strikes out nearly one-third of the time as well.
Gabriel Gonzalez was also sent out at the same time. He homered on Monday and went 9-for-18 with three doubles and a home run this spring. He’ll push for a corner outfield spot with a strong start to the year.
MN Twins continuing to develop Kendry Rojas
Hendry Mendez has a ways to go, and Patrick Winkel is organizational depth. Kendry Rojas is expected to be among the depth arms for the starting rotation though, and they could dip into it plenty again this season.
Rojas was the reason Minnesota felt compelled to trade Louie Varland at the trade deadline. A fringe top 100 prospect, the left-hander has shown strong velocity with strikeout stuff. It fell apart post trade last season, but there is room for adjustment following the organizational shift.
He allowed seven runs on seven hits in Grapefruit League action, but carried a strong 7/1 K/BB. He’ll look to make a strong start at Triple-A St. Paul and position himself for a promotion.
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