It was a fantastic weekend on the diamond for the Minnesota Twins, but one that ended on a rather stunning note.
Minnesota won its rubber match against the Houston Astros on Sunday, which makes it three series victories in a row for the Twins. Simeon Woods Richardson collected six strikeouts in a game he won't get credit for winning in the box score but further proved how valuable he is to the starting rotation.
The Twins are 7-2 in games that Woods Richardson starts, as he continues to be a rookie revelation at the back of the rotation. Sunday wasn't such a pleasant day for another former rookie sensation, as Edouard Julien's day ended without a hit and likely without a roster spot moving forward.
Twins expected to send Edouard Julien to St. Paul in order to call up Royce Lewis
All signs point toward Royce Lewis returning to the Twins lineup this week for Minnesota's series against the New York Yankees. It will mark the triumphant return of the team's best and most exciting young player but it seems to be coming at the expense of another.
Nothing has been made official, but multiple Twins beat writers reported on Sunday that Edouard Julien appears to be heading to St. Paul to make room on the 26-man roster for Lewis.
2B Edouard Julien spent part of postgame in manager’s office, then came out and hugged some teammates. Didn’t talk to reporters, and Twins announced no move, but it appears he’s been told he’s headed to St. Paul to make room for Royce Lewis.
— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) June 2, 2024
It's a move that makes sense in a narrow view, as Julien hasn't been the offensive force he was last season. He's played better than a few other candidates who were rumored to be on the bubble as Lewis' return nears, specifically Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot who have both slumped hard without much to suggest they'll singificantly snap out of it soon.
Farmer is the name Twins fans are ciricling as the guy who should be on the move over Julien. So far this year Farmer is hitting .163 and barely has a role with the team despite getting paid over $6 million this offseason.
That's likely something that factored into Julien being the guy who got moved over Farmer. Minnesota is simply optioning Julien -- which is no small thing -- but the Twins likely would have needed to designate Farmer for assignment if he had drawn the short straw.
In this scenario the Twins sort of get to have their cake and eat it too. Julien will ultimately be back with the team and likely with a more consistent bat, while Farmer has been given a last chance to prove himself before a decision on his future is made.
That time is coming, as Farmer might have survived this roster move but probably won't when it comes time to promote Brooks Lee. He has some time to save face, but the pressure seems to officially be on.