Minnesota Twins

Byron Buxton

CF

Buxton was replaced by Pete Crow-Armstrong after the former took a pitch to his right forearm during Friday's 15-5 win, but DeRosa relayed that Buxton's removal was a precautionary move. X-rays on Buxton's forearm came back negative, and while he isn't in Team USA's starting lineup for Saturday's WBC game against Great Britain, there's no indication that the 32-year-old center fielder will miss significant time.

Walker Jenkins

CF

Jenkins entered camp as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, and a Grade 1 left hamstring strain suffered this past weekend sealed his fate. The top prospect should debut at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Joe Ryan

SP

Ryan has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, after he was scratched ahead of his scheduled outing last weekend when he experienced inflammation on the right side of his back. The right-hander was cleared to resume working out a few days after suffering the injury and seems to be moving through his throwing program as anticipated. While the back issue will prevent Ryan from pitching for Team USA during pool play in the World Baseball Classic, he's still part of the designated player pool and could be available for the second round of the WBC if his schedule aligns with it. Before that, Ryan is expected to pitch in a game for the Twins during the upcoming week, assuming he makes it through his upcoming live BP session no worse for the wear.

Cory Lewis

SP

Lewis strained his right shoulder prior to reporting to spring training and only recently began playing catch, so he'll need more time to increase his throwing distance off flat ground before graduating to mound work. The 25-year-old was cut from big-league camp Thursday and will likely serve as a swingman at Triple-A St. Paul once he's fully healthy.

Julian Merryweather

RP

While Merryweather could resume full baseball activities in about two weeks, he doesn't look like he'll be on track to pitch again before the Twins' Grapefruit League slate comes to an end. With that in mind, the injury effectively ends Merryweather's bid for a berth in the Opening Day bullpen, as he had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and likely needed a strong spring to clinch a spot. Expect Minnesota to reassign Merryweather to minor-league camp in the coming weeks.

David Festa

SP

Festa had a compressed nerve near his pitching shoulder last season and is working his way back to full strength. He still has a chance to win a rotation spot this spring despite being eased back into action. Saturday's session is a sign he's making progress as he had previously only been throwing bullpen sessions.

Matt Canterino

SP

The right-hander underwent shoulder surgery last March and continues to work through his recovery. Canterino hasn't seen game action at any level since 2022 due to the recurring shoulder problems, but he showcased his upside at the Double-A level that year with a 1.83 ERA and 13.2 K/9 over 34.1 innings.