The Minnesota Twins designated outfielder Kyler Fedko for release or assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for September call-up Ben Ross. Minnesota placed Fedko on the full-season injured list in mid-August. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL and LCL in his left knee, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/pUTuvvRb3J
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 1, 2026
The Twins selected Fedko's contract on June 15. He didn't get much playing time with Minnesota before being optioned back to Triple-A St. Paul roughly a month after his contract was selected. He went hitless in 16 at-bats with eight strikeouts during his short stint in the majors.
Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, so the Twins will release Fedko. Minnesota might re-sign the outfielder. Another club could also be interested in acquiring him via release waivers or free agency.
While his MLB stint didn't go well, Fedko posted strong numbers with the Saints this year, slashing .274/.362/.545 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI.
Kyler Fedko battled through years of struggles before making MLB debut with Twins
The Twins selected Fedko in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Connecticut. He posted a lowly .611 OPS over 23 games with Single-A Fort Myers in 2021. The right-handed hitting outfielder earned a promotion to High-A after a strong start to the 2022 season with Fort Myers. He initially struggled with Cedar Rapids, but put together a solid .810 OPS over 59 games at the High-A level in 2023.
Fedko took another step back in 2024, recording a .646 OPS across 76 games with Double-A Wichita. At that point, it seemed like a long shot that Fedko would ever reach the majors. However, he bounced back with a strong 2025 season, slashing .258/.367/.487 over 130 games between the Wind Surge and Saints. Then he earned the call-up to the majors this year after a strong start to the season at Triple-A.
If there's one positive thing Fedko can take away from being designated for assignment, it's that he can play in the minors next season if there's a lockout. If he were on a 40-man roster during a lockout, he would be ineligible to play minor-league baseball. Players can make more money on the 40-man roster, but playing minor-league ball next year (if there's a lockout) could ultimately be best for his career. He could also pursue an opportunity overseas.
Add us as a preferred source on Google