After being swept by the San Diego Padres in three games at Petco Park this past weekend, the Minnesota Twins are set to begin a three-game series against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif., at 8:40 p.m. CDT on Monday. The Athletics are the worst team in the American League with a 51-80 (.389) record. They are coming off a 2-1 series victory over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
As the Twins prepare to take on the Athletics, let's take a look at the latest news surrounding the team.
Before the Padres series, the Twins were the third American League Wild Card team with a 63-65 record. Minnesota is no longer in playoff position, but the team isn't too far out.
Here are the AL Wild Card standings (Aug. 24):
| Team |
Record |
Games Back |
| 74-56 (.569) |
+9.5 |
|
| 71-59 (.546) |
+6.5 |
|
| 65-66 (.496) |
||
| 65-66 (.496) |
||
| 64-68 (.485) |
1.5 |
|
| Minnesota Twins |
63-68 (.481) |
2.0 |
| 63-68 (.481) |
2.0 |
|
| 62-69 (.473) |
3.0 |
|
| 61-69 (.469) |
3.5 |
Meanwhile, the Twins are 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central.
The Minnesota Twins placed left-hander Kendry Rojas on the 7-day injured list, according to the southpaw's transaction log on MLB.com . Rojas suffered a right oblique strain, per AaronGleeman.com 's Aaron Gleeman.
Rojas exited his Friday start with Triple-A St. Paul in the second inning due to his oblique injury.
While Rojas has primarily served as a bulk reliever/spot starter for the Twins this year, he has recently been operating as a starter with the Saints.
The 23-year-old has posted a 3.34 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 22 walks over 29 2/3 innings with Minnesota this year. He has recorded a 3.18 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks over 34 innings at the Triple-A level this season.
It'll be interesting to see what the Twins do with Rojas if he returns this year. While he has been getting stretched out as a starter lately, Minnesota could be interested in his services as a reliever for the postseason if the team makes it that far.
The Twins quietly announced they promoted catcher Vahn Lackey to High-A Cedar Rapids. Lackey, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, slashed .204/.389/.370 with one home run, nine RBI and five stolen bases across 15 games with Low-A Fort Myers before being promoted.
While Lackey's batting average and slugging percentage in his short stint with Fort Myers weren't great, his strong 19.4% walk rate is impressive for a 21-year-old in his first 15 professional games.
This article was originally published on www.puckettspond.com as Twins News: Wild Card standings, Kendry Rojas injury, Vahn Lackey promoted .
