Minnesota
What does an ideal, fully-healthy Minnesota Twins lineup look like?
Offense has not been the strength of the 2025 Minnesota Twins, who are 27-22 heading into a weekend series against the Royals at Target Field. They’re tied for 19th in runs per game (4.1) and are 20th in OPS (.695). It’s been their pitching staff — both the starting rotation and the bullpen — that has largely driven their recent success (14-2 since May 3).
But the offense also hasn’t been at full strength this year. Matt Wallner, Minnesota’s Opening Day leadoff hitter, has been out for over a month with a hamstring injury. Royce Lewis missed the first month and change with his own hamstring strain, then got off to a slow start in May. Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have been on the concussion IL since crashing into each other last week.
The good news is that the Twins are getting healthier. Correa is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday. Buxton and Wallner shouldn’t be far behind. With the exception of Luke Keaschall and his forearm fracture, the Twins could have all of their guys in the lineup next week, which will lead to some decisions for Rocco Baldelli when he sets the batting order.
Let’s take a stab at putting together a healthy Twins lineup that should have a chance to start producing runs at a high level.
Here’s what it could look like against a right-handed starting pitcher:
1. Matt Wallner RF
2. Byron Buxton CF
3. Trevor Larnach DH
4. Ryan Jeffers C
5. Carlos Correa SS
6. Kody Clemens 2B
7. Royce Lewis 3B
8. Ty France 1B
9. Harrison Bader LF
That’s a good-looking lineup if you assume Correa and Lewis will eventually hit at their career levels after slow starts to this season. It’s got a bunch of pop at the top with Wallner, Buxton, and Larnach (who has an .817 OPS against righties this year). It’s also got some real balance, with Lewis and the two newcomers making up the bottom of the order. If he starts to heat up, Lewis could swap places with Correa.
And yes, I’m giving Clemens the start at second base over Brooks Lee and Willi Castro. He’s been unbelievable (and extremely clutch) for the Twins as a scrap-heap pickup from the Phillies, hitting .318 with a 1.070 OPS and nine of his 14 hits going for extra bases. Until he cools down, his bat deserves to stay in the lineup.
And here’s what it could look like against a lefty starter:
1. Byron Buxton CF
2. Ryan Jeffers C
3. Royce Lewis 3B
4. Carlos Correa SS
5. Ty France 1B
6. Carson McCusker DH
7. Matt Wallner RF
8. Brooks Lee 2B
9. Harrison Bader LF
That lineup stacks right-handed bats at the top and throughout the order, with Wallner (3 for 5 with three XBH in a tiny sample size against lefties this year) as the only left-handed hitter. Larnach (.442 OPS in 39 PAs vs. lefties) does not make the cut. I’d rather give the hulking McCusker an opportunity to see if his Triple-A production can translate to the big leagues, though it’s definitely not a guarantee he remains on the roster when Wallner is activated.
There isn’t a great option at second base, considering Lee and Castro have both struggled against lefties. You could use Jonah Bride there if he’s still on the roster, but I’d rather see if Lee can get going from that side of the plate. I ended up without Castro making either version of my ideal lineup, which maybe isn’t fair. I just think I prefer Wallner and Lee against a lefty.
Christian Vazquez will obviously make plenty of starts in the Twins’ catcher rotation, and he’s actually been hitting the ball surprisingly well lately. Still, he’s not a guy you include when constructing an ideal, bat-first lineup for this team.
Minnesota
Utah Mammoth take down Minnesota 5-2 to end the Wild’s winning streak at 6
The Wild were taken down by the Utah Mammoth 5-2 on Friday night to end Minnesota’s winning streak at six games.
Lawson Crouse scored twice and U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists for Utah.
Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah began the night in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov’s goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.
Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.
Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.
Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.
Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.
Hayton made it 4-1 on a power play at 1:19 of the third, and Crouse added his 16th of the season on a tip with 7:12 to go.
Boldy got his 35th of the season with 5:57 remaining.
Up next
Wild: Host St. Louis on Sunday.
Mammoth: Host Chicago on Sunday.
Minnesota
Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.
Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.
Minnesota improved to 2-0 on a three-game trip.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.
The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.
The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.
The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards’ drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.
The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves’ last nine points.
Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.
Minnesota
Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters
A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.
The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.
In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.
Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”
The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.
“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.
All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”
Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.
This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.
The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”
Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.
Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”
Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.
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