Dan Hayes

Though his chances of being elected a first-ballot Hall of Famer remain uncertain, Joe Mauer easily qualifies as the biggest surprise of the 2024 class. With 122 ballots made public via social media or print through Friday morning, the catcher’s name has been marked “yes” 82 percent of the time on a ballot that also includes first-timers Adrián Beltré and Chase Utley. To gain entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mauer only needs to be voted “yes” by 75 percent of the 380-plus expected…

Late-developing offseasons are the new normal for the front office. Even though the start of spring training is less than four weeks away, and they’ve yet to make a major addition, Derek Falvey says he’s not concerned. The Twins’ president of baseball operations may be bored by a lack of activity, but he’s not sweating. Advertisement The expectation heading into this offseason was the Twins would likely deal two infielders off their 25-man roster to satisfy other needs. With a plethora of talen…

MINNEAPOLIS — Recovery from plantar fasciitis took longer than he expected, but shortstop is finally feeling more spry. Correa declared himself ready for the season during TwinsFest this weekend. Entering his third year in a Twins uniform, Correa, who played with sharp pain in his left foot for most of the season after being diagnosed in mid-May, said his injury showed significant improvement in mid-to-late December. With the start of spring training about two weeks away, Correa is sprinting,…

The have a hole in the outfield. They might like to bolster their starting rotation. They even have a question or two at first base. Suddenly, the Twins possess financial flexibility to potentially address one or two of their needs. Courtesy of Monday’s trade, the Twins have money they struggled to find only a few days earlier. It comes as part of a trade Derek Falvey described as a “one-stop shop,” a move that services the team’s current and future needs. Advertisement As part of a deal that…

FORT MYERS, Fla. — As he enters spring training, his twice-repaired knee feels good enough for a different emotion to be far more prominent in ’s mind. He’s nervous. About catching fly balls. Faced with the prospect of patrolling center field for the first time since August 2022, the 2017 Platinum Glove Award winner admits he’s a little concerned about returning to the position. Buxton — who had the plica removed in his right knee last October, 13 months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery — s…

FORT MYERS, Fla. — One made a slight mechanical tweak this offseason that unlocked athleticism and increased his confidence after seeing improved fastball velocity. The other is feeling more assured since he rediscovered the swing that made him a first-round pick before he attempted to overhaul it in search of more power. Both players’ paths to potentially finding big-league success are currently intersecting, and it’s a regular topic in the spring training household they share. At long last, p…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — is headed back to the injured list. The Minnesota Twins’ young star’s season lasted only three innings before he that has him headed to the IL for the fifth time in his career, according to a team source. Lewis suffered the injury running the bases against the on Opening Day. He homered in his first at-bat of the season and singled in his second during Thursday’s opener, suffering the injury as he tried to score from first base on a double. Advertisement Lewis previously mi…

When they searched for a new broadcast partner this offseason, the hoped to expand their audience, a goal they never realized by signing in February. But as of Wednesday morning, the team’s expanse will include even fewer eyeballs. Many Twins fans attempting to tune in Wednesday afternoon to see the team try to could be in for quite a shock as Comcast/Xfinity announced it no longer has a deal to carry Bally Sports and air the team’s games, the result of a contractual stalemate between the cab…

MINNEAPOLIS — At long last, the summer sausage went bad. After several early missed opportunities Sunday afternoon, any hope of the extending their winning streak was dashed by a late four-run rally in a 9-2 loss in front of 29,638 at Target Field. The team’s first defeat since April 21 snapped the Twins’ winning streak at 12 games, the second-longest stretch in team history. Advertisement Though the Twins had their chances, a that helped propel them to the franchise’s longest winning streak…

MINNEAPOLIS — Clutching a pair of late leads on Monday night, the found themselves in the same unenviable spot as many of their opponents routinely did over the previous 10 seasons: facing with the game on the line. With Polanco returning as an opposing player for the first time, the Twins were subjected to a pair of the veteran’s signature torturous at-bats where anything clutch can happen and usually does. Fortunately for the Twins, Polanco only struck once and the bottom of their own lineup…