Twins’ Ryan heads home to get checked by doctor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Twins sent right-hander Joe Ryan back to Minneapolis to get checked out by team doctor Chris Camp, manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s back and glute issues,” Shelton said before the second of three games at Kauffman Stadium.

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Whether or not Ryan makes his next start Sunday is in question, Shelton added.

Ryan fared poorly the night before for the third straight start, allowing five runs — four earned — over 5⅓ innings as the Twins fell 8-2 to the Kansas City Royals.

Ryan had a 2.85 earned-run average at the all-star break, but he has allowed 16 earned runs, including seven home runs, in his past three starts dating to July 20. Overall, he has a 3.65 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 125⅔ innings over 23 starts.

Ryan reported tightness in his back, and the Twins performed a magnetic resonance imaging exam in February. But he was able to start the regular season on time.

After the K.C. game, Ryan didn’t complain about feeling pain, but he did express frustration at being unable to replicate his delivery with consistency. Ryan also acknowledged he could tell that his four-seam velocity was diminished (by 1.3 mph on average, per Statcast).

Ryan didn’t know, or couldn’t specify, what the matter was, and he sounded uncertain if he truly had gotten past the arm fatigue that prompted the Twins to skip one of his starts in late July.

“We owe it to him, and to us, to find out what he’s feeling,” Shelton said. “Most importantly, we have to do what’s best for Joe Ryan to be healthy.”

Ryan made 30 starts a season ago, but he missed the final two months of the 2024 season after sustaining a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right throwing shoulder. He also wasn’t 100% in the playoffs in 2023 after sustaining a groin injury in August.

Kremer vs Royals

Before making his first start with the Twins on Wednesday night, right-hander Dean Kremer said he felt jittery, in a good way, about starting a new chapter in his career after leaving the Baltimore Orioles.

“I feel jitters about being in a new organization, I feel jitters about it being a start day,” Kremer said. “But it feels like the normal jitters.”

Kremer had a rough season with Baltimore, posting a 6.50 ERA in seven starts. He also sustained a quad injury in April, and was sent to the minors toward the end of spring training despite being a mainstay in the rotation since 2022. The O’s traded him to the Twins for 18-year-old outfielder Jhomnardo Reyes, a minor-league prospect.

Kremer’s results became skewed by his final two starts, when he allowed a combined 14 runs against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. But there are reasons under the surface to think Kremer’s results will improve.

– For one, seven appearances is a drop in the bucket compared to his 106 starts and 3.95 ERA from ’22-25. Too small of a sample to worry about — much.

– Kremer’s home run/fly-ball ratio was a ridiculously high 26.7%, compared to 12.3% for his career. He allowed 11 homers in 36 innings, largely due to poorly located four-seam fastballs.

– His 4.93 expected ERA, while not good, is much closer to his 4.59 career xERA and 4.37 actual ERA.

– His relative fastball velocity is near his career average, his walks are in line with career norms, and his 24.8% K% is up about 4%. His splitter has been his best pitch.

Kremer’s struggles haven’t been erased from his mind, but they can be used as a foundation to get better.

“I don’t know about it being a new season for me,” Kremer said. “But it’s definitely a clean slate.”

Lewis progressing

Steadily, Royce Lewis is finding his swing. Lewis went 4 for 4 with a double in the series opener Tuesday, tying his career high for hits in a game. He boosted his slash line to .232/.308/.418, and has reached safely via hit or walk in a career-best 15 straight games.

Over the past 20 games since July 9, he’s slashing .296/.363/.563 with four homers, 10 extra-base hits, eight walks and 15 strikeouts.

Heading into action Wednesday, his overall results translate to a .316 weighted on-base average, which makes Lewis just above a league-average hitter.

Lewis has come a long way since a slow start, which included a humbling demotion to Triple-A St. Paul and a knee injury. Since then, he has cleaned up some issues with his swing. And regained confidence.

“It probably started since being at Triple-A, when I went down, and made some good adjustments with (swing) path stuff,” Lewis said. “I’ve felt more like myself.”

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