Mickey

Gasper

The 30-year-old Gasper has hit an impressive .303/.406/.512 in 117 games in Triple-A over the last three years, but he came in at just .133/.250/.195 in 13 games with the Red Sox in 2024 and 45 with the Twins last season. That he’s a legitimate catcher also capable of handling first and second gives him some utility as a 26th man, but he needs some of that Triple-A offense to surface.

The Twins needed to clear space on the 40-man roster for Vidal Bruján, so Gasper was the choice. The 30-year-old hit .158/.257/.232 in 110 plate appearances for the Twins last season.

Jeffers heads to the injured list following a two-game absence after taking a foul ball to the catcher’s mask during Thursday’s game. There is no timetable for his return at the moment. Jhonny Pereda and Mickey Gasper will handle the catching duties for Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

It was a big homer, too, tying the game in the ninth off Jeff Hoffman. The three-hit game was also a first for the 29-year-old catcher/infielder. Gasper came into the night with a .115/.250/.131 line in 73 plate appearances this season. He went 0-for-18 for the Red Sox in his major league debut last year.

The Twins are apparently content with Mickey Gasper as their backup catcher in Christian Vázquez’s absence. He was picked over Pereda to start Sunday’s game, which is the only one Ryan Jeffers hasn’t caught since Vázquez went on the IL. Pereda didn’t even get into a game in his four days with the team.

Larnach was scratched from the Twins’ lineup on Wednesday due to soreness in his side and it doesn’t sound like he improved much over Thursday’s off-day. There haven’t been any rumblings yet about him requiring a stint on the injured list, but if this lingers through the weekend the Twins’ hand may be forced on this one. Mickey Gasper will function as the team’s designated hitter on Friday and will bat ninth against Seth Lugo and the Royals.

Gasper has been brought up to handle the backup catching duties for the next couple days while starter Ryan Jeffers is away from the team on paternity leave.

One imagines that’ll keep him out of the mix for a callup for at least a few weeks. Gasper, who went 6-for-34 in 17 games early this season, was hitting .318/.418/.609 in 40 games for St. Paul.

Gasper, 29, will be up for the second game, and the Twins don’t need to announce a corresponding move since it’s part of a twin-billing. The versatile catcher/infielder will head back to Triple-A after the game.

Gasper has been filling in sporadically at designated hitter, but will head back to the minors with Willi Castro and Royce Lewis coming back to the Twins’ lineup on Tuesday.