1:08pm: The Twins are planning to recall Matthews for what’ll be his first main league look this season, experiences Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He’ll probably get the ball for Sunday’s sequence finale. Nightengale provides an ominous word that Festa’s final begin was omitted because of arm fatigue, though the promising righty is slated to start out Saturday’s Triple-A sport.
10:21am: The Twins optioned righty Simeon Woods Richardson to Triple-A St. Paul following yesterday’s powerful begin, per the staff. Left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk, who’d been with the staff because the twenty seventh man in Minnesota’s doubleheader versus the Orioles, will keep within the massive league roster in his place.
Woods Richardson has been a continuing within the Twins’ rotation courting again to final April. He’s been stable on the entire, working to a 4.36 ERA with a 20.7% strikeout price and eight.4% stroll price throughout 171 1/3 innings, however his current work has been lackluster. Woods Richardson has lasted fewer than 5 innings in 4 of his previous 5 begins. He pitched into the sixth inning and held the Angels to at least one run again on April 26, however that’s the one time prior to now month he’s accomplished 5 frames.
The three most up-to-date begins for Woods Richardson have been notably problematic. Past their abbreviated nature, he’s been tagged for a mixed 10 runs and seen his command undergo significantly. Because the calendar flipped to Might, Woods Richardson has pitched 13 1/3 innings and allowed 10 runs (6.75 ERA) on 15 hits (4 homers) and eight walks. He’s walked 13.6% of his opponents towards an unpleasant 15.3% strikeout price and served up 4 of his eight house runs throughout that span.
A staff optioning its fifth starter isn’t all the time headline information, however Woods Richardson’s demotion is a little more notable given each a comparatively prolonged run in beginning 5 and the presence of two high-end younger starters with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate: right-handers David Festa and Zebby Matthews. Each ranked among the many sport’s top-100 prospects previous to their respective MLB debuts final yr. Matthews continues to be prospect-eligible and sits on the No. 46 spot on Baseball America’s not too long ago up to date top-100 checklist.
Festa, 25, was hit exhausting in his first two massive league begins final yr however settled in with a 3.81 ERA, 30% strikeout price and 9.6% stroll price in his ultimate 11 main league turns down the stretch. He began three video games for the Twins earlier in 2025, pitching 13 innings with a pristine 1.38 ERA. Over his previous 14 MLB begins, the 6’6″, 185-pound righty — nicknamed the “Slim Reaper” — carries a 3.34 ERA, 29.4% strikeout price and 9.4% stroll price. Since being despatched again to Triple-A final month, he’s tossed 11 2/3 innings and held opponents to a few runs (2.31 ERA) on six hits and no walks with 14 punchouts.
To not be outdone, the 24-year-old Matthews has began seven video games in Triple-A this yr and logged a glowing 1.93 earned run common. The 6’5″, 225-pound righty has set down 28.1% of his opponents on strikes and walked a pointy 6.7% of his opponents. Matthews’ 2024 debut was the inverse of Festa’s first MLB look; he was terrific by way of three begins earlier than being trounced for 9 runs by the Blue Jays on Aug. 31. In his ultimate six begins, he pitched simply 22 2/3 innings and was tagged for 23 runs.
Each Festa and Matthews have the makings of potential long-term rotation items for the Twins. That’s to not say Woods Richardson received’t get one other likelihood. He’s nonetheless solely 24 himself and received’t flip 25 till September. That is additionally Woods Richardson’s ultimate choice yr, so the Twins might want to discover a function for him heading into the 2026 season. Righty Chris Paddack is a free agent at season’s finish, and accidents can come up at any time to create additional alternatives, in fact.
In the intervening time, the Twins have Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Paddack beginning video games. Festa, Matthews and Woods Richardson are all on the 40-man roster and within the combine for the final rotation job, although it appears Woods Richardson is shifting to the again of the road for the quick time period, on the very least.
The Twins will begin Paddack at this time (2.51 ERA, 20.2 Okay%, 7.8 BB% over his previous six begins) after which go to Ryan (2.74 ERA) and Lopez (2.77 ERA) towards the Brewers on Friday and Saturday, respectively. They’ll must carry up one other starter for Sunday’s sequence finale in Milwaukee, as Ober would solely be on three days’ relaxation. They may additionally push Ryan and Lopez again a day, as Matthews is slated to start out tomorrow and Festa would even be on full relaxation if summoned for Friday’s sport.
