The Minnesota Twins optioned Matt Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul on May 14 due to his immense struggles this season; the 28-year-old right fielder slashed .167/.259/.292 (58 wRC+) with a 39.3% strikeout rate and a league-worst -9 Defensive Runs Saved in 34 games with Minnesota before being demoted. In his first nine games with Triple-A St. Paul this year, Wallner hit just .171/.250/.229 (25 wRC+) with no home runs and a 27.5% strikeout rate. Since then, the Minnesota native has slashed .292/.414/.500 (139 wRC+) with one homer and two doubles across six games.
98.0 mph coming in and 106.0 mph going out. @Matt_Wallner with his first home run with us. This one crushed 425 feet away. Wallner 2-5 today after going 2-5 yesterday pic.twitter.com/OU1wovNBiM
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 31, 2026
Wallner still struck out at a 27.6% clip over his past six games, but the right fielder has always racked up strikeouts even when he's hot. The fact that he has hit the ball hard and reached base at a high rate lately is encouraging.
Austin Martin has struggled since becoming Twins' starting right fielder
The Twins may need Wallner back sooner than expected. Since taking over Minnesota's starting right field duties due to Wallner's demotion, Martin has slashed .159/.209/.254 (27 wRC+) in 17 games. Before that, Martin had an outstanding .327/.448/.416 (151 wRC+) slash line over 37 games.
Because Martin got off to such a hot start this season, his overall numbers are still solid. The former Toronto Blue Jays prospect is slashing .262/.365/.354 (108 wRC+) over 192 plate appearances this season. Martin deserves to maintain his starting right field duties for now, but continued struggles at the plate could force the Twins to make a change. If Wallner can continue hitting at the level he has over his past six games for at least a few more weeks while Martin's regression continues, the Twins should seriously consider recalling Wallner and moving Martin back to a platoon role.
As abysmal as Wallner's stats are this season, the Twins shouldn't forget that he's been an above-average hitter throughout his MLB career, slashing .223/.333/.461 (122 wRC+) with 55 home runs and 138 RBI across 307 games. The Twins were justified in their decision to option the right fielder after his rough start to the year, but they shouldn't give up on him just yet. However, if Wallner fails to continue his recent hot streak and/or struggles when/if he returns to the majors, it may be time for Minnesota to cut him loose. We're all rooting for Wallner, but he must prove he can be a long-term major leaguer this year if he wants to keep his job.
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