Trevor

Larnach

Larnach, arguably the Twins’ best hitter at .265/.468/.412 this season, was up with runners on first and third with two outs in the fourth today, only to lose his at-bat on an ill-fated double-steal that saw Brooks Lee get easily retired on the throw back home by Elly De La Cruz. That might have been pretty big in what ended up being an extra-inning loss.

Larnach got a rare start against a left-handed pitcher on Saturday, batting seven against Eric Lauer. He capped off a seven-run inning for the Twins with a three-run blast off Lauer for his first homer of the season. The 29-year-old outfielder had just one home run over 106 at-bats against left-handed pitching in 2025. Larnach is hitting .273/.448/.500 with five runs and five RBI across just 29 plate appearances as the Twins have faced a lefty-heavy schedule in the early going.

Larnach was scratched from Sunday’s game due to soreness in his left side, but it never seemed like a major concern. If he is able to play without issue on Friday, then he seems all but a lock to make the Opening Day roster.

While it doesn’t sound like anything overly serious, there are only 11 days remaining until Opening Day, so every day missed is critical at this stage. If it doesn’t clear up in the next few days, there’s a chance that the 29-year-old slugger may need to open the season on the injured list. It’s a situation to monitor as the next week unfolds, especially with Larnach’s history of oblique issues.

Wallner was hitting sixth today against lefty Steven Matz. In his previous three starts against righties, he hit cleanup twice but also sixth once, with Trevor Larnach hitting cleanup then. One hopes Wallner will be hitting ahead of Larnach against righties in the regular season. Even in a down 2025, Wallner still out OPS+'d Larnach 110 to 99. Wallner has a 129 OPS+ the last three years, compared to 104 for Larnach. Wallner should also have a better chance of remaining in the Twins lineup than Larnach when the team is facing a lefty.

Larnach managed a middling .250/.323/.404 line in 567 plate appearances last season, making him a non-tender candidate in November. The Twins, though, thought it was worth giving him one more try, even though they have an abundance of young outfielders looking for opportunities in the near future. He’ll open the season as either the left fielder or DH against righties.

It was assumed that Minnesota would not bring back Larnach for the 2026 campaign, but at least for now, it appears he will be a member of Minnesota. That being said, it wouldn’t be a shocker at all if Larnach was traded before the season began. The 28-year-old hit .250/.323/.404 with 17 homers over 503 at-bats in 2025.

The 28-year-old slugger will get a breather with left-hander Ranger Suarez toeing the slab for the Phillies on Saturday night. Carson McCusker will start in his place in right field and will bat seventh for the Twins on Saturday evening in Philadelphia.

Larnach worked a walk in the opening inning and scored the Twins’ first run on an RBI single by Royce Lewis. He also drew a walk in the fifth inning and swiped second base. Larnach then smacked a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning that pulled the Twins to within two runs at 10-8. He then tagged David Bednar for a 426-foot (110.5 mph EV) solo shot in the ninth that made it a 10-9 ballgame. Unfortunately for the Twins, that’s as close as they would get. For the season, the 28-year-old slugger is now slashing .254/.328/.411 with 17 homers, 60 RBI and four stolen bases on the season.

Wallner appears to be just getting a day off against José Soriano and the Los Angeles bullpen. He’ll take a break with Trevor Larnach lined up in right field.