{"id":97312,"date":"2025-09-23T09:18:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T09:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=97312"},"modified":"2025-09-23T09:18:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T09:18:49","slug":"twins-report-twins-may-have-uncovered-a-hidden-gem-after-giving-longtime-minor-leaguer-his-chance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=97312","title":{"rendered":"Twins report: Twins may have uncovered a hidden gem after giving longtime minor leaguer his chance"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"relative z-10\">\n<h3 class=\"my-2.5 text-black font-group-gigantic !leading-[30px] md:!leading-[44px]\">Twins may have uncovered a hidden gem after giving longtime minor leaguer his chance<\/h3>\n<div class=\"article-intro mb-4 text-darkGrey font-group-large md:font-group-normal lg:font-group-large !mb-2.5 md:mb-5\">The journeyman infielder is proving he deserves to stick around in the major leagues as a 31-year-old rookie.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_360,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 1x,  \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 719px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 2x, \n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 3x\" media=\"(max-width: 1079px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 1x, \nhttps:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 2x,\n    https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_2160,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images%2FGettyImages%2Fmmsport%2F2%2F01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg 3x\" media=\"(min-width: 1080px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full\" title=\"Kansas City Royals v Minnesota Twins\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_106,w_6179,h_3475\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/2\/01k5cpje0d7d7d6b7cg4.jpg\" alt=\"Kansas City Royals v Minnesota Twins\" width=\"6179\" height=\"3475\" data-uw-rm-alt-original=\"Kansas City Royals v Minnesota Twins\" data-uw-rm-alt=\"ALT\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center gap-4 ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\"><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Kansas City Royals v Minnesota Twins | Brace Hemmelgarn\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\"><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1 odesa-article-main\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\">\n<figure class=\"player-wrapper relative aspect-video mb-[18px] bg-grey rounded-md hidden player-wrapper-lg md:block\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"article-content [&amp;_p]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_p]:md:leading-[28px] [&amp;_li]:leading-[30px] [&amp;_li]:md:leading-[28px]\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Twins infielder Ryan Fitzgerald is receiving a major league opportunity largely due to the\u00a0Twins&#8217; trade deadline fire sale\u00a0that resulted in nearly 40% of Minnesota&#8217;s roster being gutted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Fitzgerald, 31, is a longtime minor leaguer who previously played independent ball and didn&#8217;t make his Major League debut until May of this season\u00a0due to shortstop Carlos Correa suffering a concussion. Fitzgerald didn&#8217;t get much of an opportunity to prove himself in his first major league stint, going 0-for-3 before being optioned back to Triple-A St. Paul. However, he has recently been given a longer look at the big league level.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Twins infielder Ryan Fitzgerald is making his mark in the majors after nearly a decade in the minor leagues<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The Twins recalled Fitzgerald from the Saints one day after the trade deadline, and although he hasn&#8217;t been playing every day, the journeyman infielder has been producing at a high level in his limited action for the Twins.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">After going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a single against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, Fitzgerald is slashing .258\/.324\/.548 for a 138 wRC+ with three home runs, eight RBIs and eight runs in 34 plate appearances for Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Fitzgerald went undrafted out of Creighton in 2016 and played a year of independent ball before spending six seasons in the Boston Red Sox\u2019 system and one with the Kansas City Royals organization. The Twins signed the longtime minor leaguer to a minor league deal this past offseason. In seven minor league seasons, Fitzgerald has hit .258\/.338\/.432 with 76 home runs and 378 RBIs over 708 games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Beyond the Twins trading nearly half of their team, the main reason Fitzgerald has been given his opportunity in the major leagues is because he has taken his game to the next level with Triple-A St. Paul this season. In 59 games for the Saints this year, Fitzgerald has slashed .277\/.367\/.469 for a 119 wRC+ with seven homers, 31 RBIs, 30 runs and five stolen bases over 245 plate appearances.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The Twins likely will have a tough time fitting Fitzgerald on the roster next season, as top prospects\u00a0Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kaelen Culpepper will likely make their MLB debuts at some point in 2026, and Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey may look to the free agent market for a veteran infielder with more major league experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">However, if the Twins have an extra roster spot, Fitzgerald should be considered due to his performance this season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Twins may have uncovered a hidden gem after giving longtime minor leaguer his chance The journeyman infielder is proving he deserves to stick around in the major&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":97326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - 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