Twins send strikeout-prone outfielder Matt Wallner to Triple-A and call up Zebby Matthews to start

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins sent struggling right fielder Matt Wallner to their Triple-A team and promoted right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews to start against the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

Wallner is batting just .167 with three doubles and four home runs in 120 at-bats and a .551 OPS. The 28-year-old struck out in eight straight at-bats prior to the demotion and has 53 strikeouts in 135 plate appearances, the worst whiff rate in Major League Baseball.

“Obviously, Matty was grinding a little bit. I think it’s just a little bit of a reset. When we’ve seen him have consistent at-bats, we’ve seen him have success at the major league level,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Right now, he’s too far in between.”

Wallner hit a career-high 22 home runs in 104 games last season after posting robust OPS marks in part-time duty of .877 in 2023 and .894 in 2024. The Twins have also been seeking more playing time for Austin Martin, who can play all three outfield spots but has spent the majority of his time in left field, where Trevor Larnach is a regular against right-handed pitching.

Star center fielder Byron Buxton, who had been slated to serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday, was scratched from the lineup before the game because of what the team called soreness in his right hip flexor.

Matthews went for 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 18 innings over his last three Triple-A starts for the St. Paul Saints. Matthews made 16 starts for the Twins last season, but he was the odd man out for the rotation at the end of spring training.

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The Twins placed right-hander Taj Bradley on the injured list with inflammation in his right pectoral muscle last week, joining All-Star right-hander Pablo López and rookie right-hander Mick Abel on the shelf. López is out for the season following Tommy John elbow surgery, and Abel recently had a setback in his recovery from elbow inflammation.

Matthews was promoted so the Twins could push back rookie Connor Prielipp’s next start to manage his workload, but right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson’s spot in the rotation is tenuous, too. Woods Richardson allowed eight runs in three innings on Wednesday in a 9-5 loss to the Marlins, and his ERA spiked to 7.71.

The Twins also sent right-handed reliever Travis Adams to St. Paul and recalled utility player Ryan Kreidler for his second stay with the club. Kreidler played third base and center field over a five-game stint last month.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb