Right-handed reliever Justin Lawrence has made two appearances since being acquired by the Minnesota Twins from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash on Tuesday, and fans are already growing impatient with the 31-year-old veteran. In his first appearance with Minnesota, Lawrence didn't allow any runs but surrendered a walk and hit two batters against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field on Wednesday.
The right-hander entered last night's game against the Kansas City Royals in a 6-6 deadlock with runners on second and third base with one out in the ninth inning. Lawrence walked the first batter he faced, Maikel Garcia, on five pitches, then surrendered a two-RBI single to Josh Rojas, giving Kansas City an 8-6 lead. Lawrence then walked Kyle Isbel on five pitches before striking out Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr., respectively, to end the frame. The Twins got the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but the Royals held on, winning 8-6.
Justin Lawrence...predictably bad. What a frustrating game to lose.
— Twins Central (@TwinsCentral1) June 5, 2026
While it's too soon to write Lawrence off after just two outings, the right-hander has struggled all year. In 23 appearances with the Pirates this season, Lawrence posted a poor 5.32 ERA with a 1.55 WHIP over 22 innings.
Why is Justin Lawrence in a Twins uniform? In his last 100 innings he has a 5.11 ERA with a ridiculous 1.57 WHIP.
— Jeff (@MNTwinsZealot) June 5, 2026
Can Lawrence turn his season around after rough start to Twins career?
Some Twins fans still believe in Lawrence, who posted a 0.51 ERA in 17 2/3 innings last season. As a side-armer with a fastball that can reach the high-90s and a solid 23.9% strikeout rate (60th percentile) this season, Lawrence looks like a pitcher who could be much better than he's shown in 2026. But if he cannot significantly improve his control, he's going to have a difficult time finding success in the majors again. This season, the right-hander has a poor 12.8% walk rate (12th percentile) and a .275 expected opponent batting average (8th percentile).
I believe in Justin Lawrence but 2nd team appearance being in the 9th inning with runners on in a tied game doesn’t seem like great usage of him
— aidan (love island FC) 🌊 (@MVPrielipp) June 5, 2026
Since the Twins' bullpen is dealing with injuries to Cole Sands and Kendry Rojas and has plenty of relievers who have struggled, Minnesota should hold onto Lawrence for now. But if he is still struggling when Sands (who is rehabbing with Triple-A St. Paul) or Rojas return from the injured list, Lawrence could be the odd man out of the bullpen.
The Twins look to even up the four-game series against the Royals at Target Field tonight. The Game is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. CDT and will be available to stream on Twins.TV.
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