Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews attempts to build on a strong Grapefruit League debut Friday afternoon with a start against the visiting Baltimore Orioles in Fort Myers.
Matthews struck out two, allowing a hit in two scoreless innings against the Braves six days earlier. A meteoric riser in the Twins minor-league system a season ago, Matthews is a candidate for the starting rotation with the big club, though multiple projections foresee him starting at Triple-A.
Baseball America ranks him its No. 73 prospect.
Matthews faced the Orioles at Target Field in the penultimate regular-season game of 2024 and was hit hard in a three-inning start. The Orioles already had clinched a playoff spot, and the Twins had been eliminated from the postseason the night before.
It's a rare Z vs. Z matchup, because taking the bump for the O's is right-hander Zach Eflin. He made nine starts with a 2.55 ERA for Baltimore in '24 after coming from the Rays in a late-July deal. While no announcement has been made by manager Brandon Hyde, Eflin could be the O's Opening Day starter, because former ace Corbin Burnes left for the Diamondbacks in free agency.
Orioles (3-2) starting lineup
1. Jackson Holliday 2B
2. Colton Cowser CF
3. Gary Sánchez C
4. Heston Kjerstad LF
5. Emmanuel Rivera 3B
6. Dylan Carlson RF
7. Coby Mayo 1B
8. Daz Cameron DH
9. Livan Soto SS
Orioles starting pitcher: Zach Eflin (first start of Spring Training)
Eflin's career vs. Twins: 2 GP, 13 2/3 IP, 2-0 record, 0.66 ERA, 14 K, 1 BB.
Orioles previous result: Beat Blue Jays 11-8 on Thursday
Twins (3-2) starting lineup
1. Matt Wallner RF
2. Carlos Correa SS
3. Byron Buxton CF
4. Trevor Larnach LF
5. Royce Lewis 3B
6. Ryan Jeffers C
7. Edouard Julien 1B
8. José Miranda DH
9. Brooks Lee 2B
Twins starting pitcher: Zebby Matthews (0.00 ERA in 2 IP)
Matthews career vs. Orioles: 1 GP, 3 IP, 0-1 record, 18.00 ERA, 5 K, 3 BB
Twins previous result: Lost to Pirates 12-1 on Thursday
Watch/listen: No TV | WCCO 830 AM, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 and TIBN (affiliate list)
First pitch: 12:05 p.m. (Central)
Location: Hammond Stadium at Lee Sports Health Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.
Weather: 73 degrees and partly sunny
Notes
• The Orioles likely won't have star shortstop Gunnar Henderson available. He was removed early Thursday because of discomfort in his lower right side. It's a precautionary move after he landed on his side catching a line drive by Bo Bichette. The Orioles said no MRI would be performed.
• The O's already have been without infielder Jordan Westburg because of a sore back.
• Jackson Holliday is 1-for-6 with three strikeouts so far after batting .189/.255/.311 with five home runs in 60 games as a 20-year-old top prospect in 2024.
• Right-hander Pablo Lopez was roughed up by the Pirates in his Grapefruit debut for three runs, four hits and a pair of walks in two innings. He struck out four, and reached 97.1 mph with his four-seam fastball. He threw 10 sweepers, getting four called strikes with none hit into play. He generated four misses among 23 swings overall. López moved to the third-base side of the pitching rubber for the first time in a game after working that way in bullpen sessions. As a result of some missed executions from a new release point, he gave Bucs hitters better pitches to hit than ideal. He'll keep working on it. "This is the time" to experiment with changes, manager Rocco Baldelli said.
• Infield prospect Luke Keaschall went 0-for-2 coming off the bench against the Pirates.
• Willi Castro continues to work out at first base, even though the Twins haven't committed to using him there. He's more likely to start Opening Day at second base (where he played Thursday), but one never knows. Ty France and José Miranda figure to get most of the work at first — as of now.
"I’m going to be prepared and stretch my abilities," Castro said in a Star Tribune story.
• Former Twins right-hander Josh Winder will undergo Tommy John surgery, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.