Twins News: Joe Ryan's return shakes up rotation, Austin Martin takes big step, Wild Card standings

Joe Ryan's return shakes up Twins rotation

The Twins finally got Joe Ryan back from the injured list earlier this week. On Monday, Ryan made his first MLB start in a month against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk while collecting seven strikeouts over four innings en route to suffering the loss. He threw just 66 pitches.

Notably, Connor Prielipp entered the game out of the bullpen. The southpaw allowed two earned runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five over four innings. He threw 68 pitches.

Now that Ryan is back, it appears that Prielipp will be a long man out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. That doesn't mean that Prielipp is done starting for good. However, since the left-hander has shattered his single-season innings record this year, the Twins may want Prielipp in a bullpen role that allows him to throw fewer pitches and have more rest between outings for the rest of the season. Then he can return to the rotation in 2027.

Twins OF Austin Martin begins rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul

The Twins sent Martin on a rehab assignment with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints on Tuesday. He hit second as the designated hitter in the Saints' 5-4 loss to the Syracuse Mets last night, going 1-for-4 with an RBI single.

The Twins placed Martin on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on Aug. 17. He suffered the injury when he crashed into the left-field wall at Target Field while attempting to make a catch.

Martin has slashed .241/.352/.333 over 110 games with Minnesota this season. As a right-handed hitter, Martin has mostly been a platoon player this year. He has played solid corner outfield defense and is hitting .258/.405/.403 against southpaws in 2026.

Updated Wild Card Standings before Twins-Tigers series finale

Every game feels like a must-win at this point for Minnesota. Luckily, the Twins defeated the Tigers 3-2 last night. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Guardians, who own the final AL Wild Card spot, also won on Tuesday. The odds are stacked against the Twins right now, with a 3.0% chance to make the playoffs (FanGraphs). But with a strong finish to the season, the Twins could reclaim the final Wild Card spot.

Here are the updated AL Wild Card standings:

The Twins will wrap up their series against the Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday afternoon. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m. CDT.

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