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New MN Twins Prospect Promoted for MLB Debut
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- New MN Twins Prospect Promoted for MLB Debut
Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK
There is no hotter team in baseball than the Minnesota Twins , who are currently riding an 11-game winning streak and enter tonight's opening game series against the Milwaukee Brewers four games over .500, at 24-20.
The hot streak has turned the season around. After a 7-15 start, there were all sorts of trade deadline and Rocco Baldelli job security questions. More concerning was how many fans just didn't care anymore. Target Field empty, interest was dropping. Until the win streak. And now for the past two weeks, vibes in the Twins clubhouse have been immaculate.
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Then Thursday, we were brought back down to earth fast, when CF Byron Buxton and SS Carlos Correa , collided in shallow center field trying to run down a weak pop fly that was hit into no-man's land, during the third inning of a win over the Orioles.
Buxton is staying in the game, Correa is coming out. Replay shows Buxton ran into Correa's shoulder and they bumped heads pic.twitter.com/Zl7yG351lM
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) May 15, 2025
Correa left the game immediately, Buxton finished the half-inning, before he too was pulled out of the lineup. Later during the game, news broke that both players had entered MLB's concussion protocol. On Friday, both are out of the lineup.
Ryan Fitzgerald joins Minnesota Twins taxi squad
With Correa potentially heading to the 7-day concussion list, the Minnesota Twins need infield help. Specifically, they need someone who can play shortstop. Enter former undrafted Creighton Bluejay, Ryan Fitzgerald.
Former @CU_Baseball standout Ryan Fitzgerald has been called up to the @Twins from AAA St. Paul Saints.
He went undrafted in 2016, and started his pro career in '17 with the @railcats . What a story. @_robanderson @KETV @gocreighton— Jack Connolly (@JackConnolly21) May 15, 2025
Shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald joined #MNTwins today and is on the taxi squad in case Correa or Buxton isn't able to avoid concussion IL.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 16, 2025
Fitzgerald went undrafted out of Creighton in 2016 and began his professional career in independent ball the following season. He has spent the majority of his minor league career with the Boston Red Sox , but played in the Kansas City Royals organization last year.
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This season at Triple-A St. Paul Fitzgerald has batted .328/.426/.528 across 35 games. He has 11 doubles and four home runs with a 29/19 K/BB rate. The former Worcester Red Sox fan favorite has 684 minor league games under his belt, but he'll be making his major league debut when in the lineup for the Minnesota Twins.
Over the course of his career Fitzgerald has played all over the diamond. His 2,991 innings at shortstop are where he is most comfortable though, and that gives the Twins a needed backup on the dirt.
He's 8th in the IL in OPS (.926) and @RyRyThisGuyy continues to stay hot with this RBI double to center. He's 3-3 on the day pic.twitter.com/2kHTTNdYai
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 14, 2025
With Correa on the injured list, Brooks Lee should be assumed as the regular shortstop. Willi Castro has also played there in recent seasons but his -9 DRS (defensive runs saved) last season are a cautionary tale to playing him at the position.
Related: Minnesota Twins Lose Two Superstars in One Ugly Outfield Collision
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The Twins will need to announce a 40-man move to add Fitzgerald to their active roster. Michael Tonkin , who was recently pulled off his rehab assignment, could be a logical candidate for the 60-day injured list. Byron Buxton is out of the lineup for Minnesota on Friday as well, but no move has been announced regarding his status.
MN Twins need youth to rise up
Fitzgerald is not a top prospect by any means. The 30-year-old is a minor league veteran which means counting on him to carry the load for Correa seems unlikely. The infield now will lean heavily on the left-side combination of Royce Lewis and Lee.
Lee is batting .250/.299/.410 through his first 29 games this season. The offensive results haven't been consistent, but he has looked much better than the guy who owned a .585 OPS in 50 games as a rookie. If there's a time for him to step up, now is it.
Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Lewis just recently returned to the lineup and hasn't been playing third base every day. This could necessitate that change. It took him five games to land his first hit, but he has a pair of two-hit games in his last three starts. Lewis is looking for his first home run of the season.
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The concussion injured list doesn't present a guaranteed timeline for Correa. It's a shorter seven day period to allow for a player to return more quickly, but he must still progress through concussion protocol and be ready to go.
It's an unfortunate blow for the Twins, and Correa, who had started to turn things around after a slow start. His .236 average has been on the rise, but a .274 on-base percentage, and .331 slugging percentage are just a sliver of what expectations are for a superstar player.
The Twins start a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. They return home Monday for a divisional matchup with the Cleveland Guardians .
