James

Outman

Roden performed admirably in the Grapefruit League with a .310 average and .774 OPS, but he has an option year left, while James Outman does not, so Outman wins the final outfield spot to begin 2026.

Outman is in the running to open the season as Byron Buxton’s backup in center, but he’s also auditioning for the rest of the league, as he’s out of options. He’s 6-for-18 so far and also 3-for-4 stealing bases.

Outman came over to the Twins at the deadline last year and is now fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 28-year-old has struggled in his big league at-bats since 2023, but he hit .281/.369/.576 in 390 minor league at-bats in 2025 with 23 home runs and 17 steals. He is a solid defender in the outfield as well, so there is still a chance he can not only earn a spot but perhaps push Trevor Larnach for starts.

Outman victimized Phillies’ southpaw Ranger Suarez for his 436-foot blast in the fifth inning — extending the Twins’ early lead to 5-0. It has been a very rough season overall for Outman, as he’s slashing a meager .138/.222/.331 with six long balls and 11 RBI in 144 plate appearances.

Outman did have two hard-hit balls in the nightcap, but he struck out in his other four at-bats today. He’s hit .167/.244/.359 with 36 strikeouts in 86 plate appearances since joining the Twins. It wasn’t a bad idea for the team to take a flier on him at the trade deadline, but he’s not making much of an argument for remaining on the roster this winter.

It’s the second time in the last three games that Wallner has found himself on the bench against an opposing right-hander, which isn’t ideal. It may have something to do with him hitting .170/.284/.386 with a 34/10 K/BB ratio over 102 plate appearances in his last 25 games. James Outman will start in his place in right field and will bat ninth against Ryne Nelson and the Diamondbacks on Saturday evening in Minneapolis.

Outman had two homers in 44 plate appearances for the Dodgers earlier this season, but this was his first in 64 plate appearances since joining the Twins. He’s hitting .143/.222/.296 overall, so he badly needs a strong finish if he hopes to put himself into Minnesota’s plans for 2026.

It looks to be nothing more than a routine day of rest for the dynamic 31-year-old outfielder. James Outman will start in his place in center field and bat eighth for the Twins against right-hander Jonathan Cannon and the White Sox on Thursday evening in Minneapolis.

Outman returns to the majors with Alan Roden hitting the injured list with a thumb sprain. The 28-year-old center fielder is just two seasons removed from an impressive 23-homer, 16-steal rookie campaign with the Dodgers, but persistent contact issues have eliminated any chance of him making a sustained impact at the big-league level.

Falvey mentioned that all three are working through adjustments that the Twins organization identified for them at the trade deadline. Since the Twins hope they are all “really long-term significant impact players,” they would rather have them take their time and make adjustments in the minor leagues. “The last thing you want to do is have guys come to the big leagues in a new environment, new staff, new everything, and ‘By the way, I’m working on something.’ If you can get some of that work done in Triple A to invest in the long-term future for that guy’s career, it’s usually a little bit better.” With Simeon Woods-Richardson (illness) landing on the IL this weekend, it might be Abel or Bradley who gets the first big league chance with their new club.