The Twins are just one game back of the third American League Wild Card spot and three back of the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central. There are two Twins players who need to start performing better, or they could be in danger of losing their roster spots as Minnesota continues its playoff push.
2 Twins players with the most to lose in the second half as team chases a playoff spot
1) INF Tristan Gray
Simply put, the Twins may not have room for Gray very soon. He hasn't hit well this year, with a .232/.271/.333 slash line in 182 plate appearances.
Gray's ability to play all four infield positions is a valuable asset for Minnesota. However, he has recorded -6 Defensive Runs Saved and -7 Outs Above Average in 263 innings at shortstop. He's a decent defender at third and second base, but the Twins are pretty much set at those positions with Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens.
If Gray wants to keep his roster spot, he needs to step up his game. Ryan Kreidler has pretty much overtaken the starting shortstop role and has been a much better hitter and defender than Gray this season. However, Kreidler has cooled down significantly lately, hitting just .152/.200/.182 over 33 at-bats this month. Entering this month, Kreidler held a .287/.357/.505 slash line. Now, he has a .254/.320/.425 batting line.
Kreidler's rough stretch may actually be bad news for Gray. When Kreidler was playing well, the Twins couldn't justify taking him out of the lineup. Now that he's cooled down, the odds of top infielder Kaelen Culpepper being recalled this season are higher.
On July 6, Culpepper landed on the IL with a glute injury for the second time this season, but he could make his MLB debut soon after he returns. In 63 games at Triple-A St. Paul this season, Culpepper has slashed .272/.376/.492 with 14 home runs, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases.
The Twins will only promote Culpepper if they plan for him to be in the lineup regularly. He would presumably take over the team's starting shortstop role, meaning either Kreidler or Gray would likely lose their roster spot. Since Kreidler has been a better hitter and defender than Gray this year, and can also play outfield, Gray would likely be the odd man out. Gray has options, so the Twins could option him to Triple-A St. Paul if they want to keep him in the organization.
2) OF Austin Martin
Martin needs to start playing better to avoid a triple to Triple-A St. Paul. When the Twins optioned Matt Wallner to the minors on May 14, Martin held an outstanding .333/.454/.429 (154 wRC+) slash line. Martin basically took over the Twins' starting right field duties when Wallner went down.
But since the Twins optioned Wallner, Martin has hit just .171 with one home run and 32 strikeouts in 128 at-bats. Even with Buxton on the IL, Martin is mainly just playing against left-handers at this point. Martin still has a .417 on-base percentage against southpaws this year, which may be what keeps him on the roster. Still, if Martin continues to struggle against right-handers, the Twins may consider moving on from the former Blue Jays prospect in the offseason if not sooner.
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