Gray (5-4) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings against the Cardinals. He struck out eight.
Gray was excellent Thursday, tallying his highest strikeout total since May 12 to earn his first win in 15 starts. The veteran right-hander has now delivered three consecutive quality starts after allowing 11 earned runs in his previous two outings (11.2 innings). Overall, Gray has a 3.18 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and 123:44 K:BB across 22 starts (124.1 innings) in an up-and-down campaign. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, currently scheduled for next week in Detroit.
Buxton (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Thursday at St. Louis.
Buxton was scratched from the Twins' lineup Wednesday due to right hamstring tightness and needs at least one more day of rest and treatment. Jorge Polanco will take a turn at designated hitter Thursday while Kyle Farmer covers third base.
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Twins' Dallas Keuchel: Selected to MLB roster
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The Twins selected Keuchel's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Keuchel exercised the opt-out in his minor-league contract with Minnesota on Tuesday, but the Twins suddenly need him as a replacement for Joe Ryan, who has landed on the 15-day injured list because of a groin strain. Keuchel, 35, had registered a stellar 1.13 ERA in 32 innings (six starts) with St. Paul and is back in the majors for the first time since September of 2022.
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Twins' Joe Ryan: Goes on IL with groin strain
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Ryan was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left groin strain, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Ryan was excellent in the first half of the season, but he got hammered by the Cardinals on Wednesday night in St. Louis and has stumbled to an 8.63 ERA across his last seven starts covering 32.1 innings. He'll be sidelined through at least Aug. 18. Dallas Keuchel is joining the Twins in a corresponding roster move and will presumably slide into the rotation.
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Twins' Brooks Lee: Promoted to Triple-A
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Lee was promoted Thursday to Triple-A St. Paul.
The top-ranking prospect in the Twins' minor-league system, Lee earned the level jump after slashing .292/.365/.476 with 11 home runs, 31 doubles, 61 RBI, six stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 87 games this summer at Double-A Wichita. The fast-rising 22-year-old shortstop was the eighth overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly.
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Twins' Joe Ryan: Might get extra rest
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Twins manager Rocco Baldelli suggested late Wednesday that Ryan might get extra rest before his next start, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Ryan struggled again in a loss at St. Louis on Wednesday, yielding seven runs on nine hits, including four homers, over just four innings. He's given up 17 home runs across his last seven starts, the most of any Twins pitcher over a seven-start stretch in franchise history. Ryan currently lines up to work Monday's series opener at Detroit, but the Twins could push him back to a later date in that four-game set as he works on some mechanical tweaks.
Twins' Matt Wallner: Produces all three runs in loss
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Wallner went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday.
Minnesota fell behind big early and was never really competitive in the contest, but Wallner continued to shine with his three-run, 431-foot blast in the seventh inning. The long ball was his fifth in his past seven games, a span during which all six of his hits (the five homers and one double) have gone for extra bases. Wallner has also struck out 10 times over 25 at-bats during that stretch, so he's the epitome of all-or-nothing at the moment.
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Twins' Joe Ryan: Yields seven runs in loss
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Ryan (9-8) took the loss against St. Louis on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out four batters over four innings.
Ryan was hit hard by the Cardinals in the contest, as five of the nine hits against him went for extra bases, including four that left the yard. It was the second time this season that the right-hander has given up at least four homers in a game, with the other being a June 27 outing during which he served up five long balls to Atlanta. Ryan has struggled in his past two starts, giving up 11 runs and six homers over 7.2 frames. He at least struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings in his previous appearance, but his four punchouts Wednesday were his fewest since a June 10 start versus Toronto.
Twins' Byron Buxton: Scratched with tight hamstring
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Buxton was scratched from the lineup Wednesday at St. Louis with right hamstring tightness, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Buxton may have tweaked his hamstring while legging out a double in the Twins' defeat of the Cardinals on Tuesday night. There's no word yet as to the severity of the injury. Consider him day-to-day for now.
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Twins' Michael Taylor: Another start in center field
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Taylor is playing center field and batting ninth Wednesday against the Cardinals.
This is the third consecutive start in center for Taylor, who seems to have reclaimed the job from Willi Castro. Taylor has reached double digits in both homers (12) and stolen bases (11) this season, but he's batting just .220 with a .682 OPS through 274 total plate appearances.
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Twins' Willi Castro: Sitting again Wednesday
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Castro is not in the lineup Wednesday versus the Cardinals.
Michael Taylor will make a third straight start in center field for the Twins. Castro has put together a few multi-hit games in recent weeks, but he's slashing just .246/.330/.369 across 277 total plate appearances this year.
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Twins' Jhoan Duran: Escapes with 18th save
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Duran recorded his 18th save of the season in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals, giving up a run on a solo home run while striking out two in the ninth inning.
Tyler O'Neill drove a 102-mph Duran fastball over the wall in right field to make things interesting, but the Twins' closer shook it off and fanned Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson to end the night. Duran has looked a little vulnerable lately, getting tagged for runs in three straight appearances and posting a 6.75 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over 10.2 innings since the beginning of July despite a 15:3 K:BB, but his spot at the head of the bullpen doesn't appear to be in any jeopardy.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Sharp in sixth win
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Lopez (6-6) picked up the win in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The right-hander delivered his second straight quality start and 13th of the season, blanking St. Louis through five frames and allowing only one baserunner before giving up three singles in the sixth. Lopez has a 3.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 55:10 K:BB through 44.2 innings over his last seven outings, and he'll look to extend his quality start streak when he next takes the mound, which is likely to come at home this weekend against Arizona.
Castro is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.
He'll take a seat for the series opener in St. Louis after he closed July on a high note, batting .324/.425/.441 with three extra-base hits, six stolen bases, five RBI and three runs over his final 11 games of the month. Michael Taylor will spell Castro in center field and hit ninth.
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Twins' Christian Vazquez: Not in Tuesday's lineup
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Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game at St. Louis, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Vazquez started the past two games but will take a seat for Tuesday's series opener. Ryan Jeffers will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Pablo Lopez.
