Game 38: Twins at Nationals

TL;DR

The Minnesota Twins face the Washington Nationals today with Simeon Woods Richardson starting amid struggles. The Twins are looking for a turnaround as they deal with several injured pitchers.

Key points

Simeon Woods Richardson has a 6.49 ERA this season
Twins bullpen struggles are leading to potential changes
Jake Irvin is starting for the Nationals
Austin Martin and Matt Wallner are in key lineup positions

Minnesota TwinsWashington NationalsSimeon Woods RichardsonJake Irvin

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 1: Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Target Field on May 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images ***First Pitch (CT):*** 12:05 PM ***TV:*** *Twins.TV* ***Radio:*** *TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App* ***Know Yo’ Foe****:* Federal Baseball After what we’ve seen from the Twins’ bullpen of late, we might need a stronger word than “implosion” to describe what’s happening. It’s unlikely to get better today with Simeon Woods Richardson amid arguably the worst stretch of his career. So far in 2026, SWR’s strikeout rate is half of his career average at just 10.6%, the second worst in baseball among players with at least 30 IP. His 8.76% walk rate is around league average, but you can’t be league average in walks while not striking anyone out. The main issue seems to be Sim’s splitter, which was a big part of his resurgence in the second half of 2025. Opponents are hitting .350 with a .625 SLG off his splitter this season. His slider isn’t any better (.343 BAA, .600 SLG) so batters are just sitting on his fastball which has also made *that* pitch underperform. SWR’s path to success was already very limited, but this has been pretty much a worst case scenario for a rotation already missing Pablo Lopez, Mick Abel, , and had a injury scare a few days ago. What’s the solution? Beats me! With every one of his pitches getting hammered and nothing generating swing-and-miss, the solution might be moving to the bullpen where you can see if his funky delivery could get some added velocity and movement. Given the state of things down there, it’s not like he’ll be worse than or Luis Garcia. And the Twins have a knack for rescuing pitchers careers after flaming out in the rotation (see: , , , , , , etc). For now, Woods Richardson will get a chance to right the ship at least until Mick Abel is ready to return. Andrew Morris and John Klein seem to be transitioning to bullpen roles, at least for this season, and is still severely limited on pitch count at the moment. Unless rediscovers how to pitch, SWR will be a mainstay. Lineup notes:

Q&A

What are Simeon Woods Richardson's current pitching statistics?

Simeon Woods Richardson has a 6.49 ERA over 34.2 innings pitched this season.

How is the Minnesota Twins' bullpen performing recently?

The Twins' bullpen has been underperforming, leading to discussions about potential changes in their pitching strategy.

Who is starting for the Washington Nationals against the Twins?

Jake Irvin is the starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals in today's game.

What lineup changes has the Minnesota Twins made for today's game?

Austin Martin is starting against a righty, Matt Wallner has been moved to the 5th spot, and Tristan Gray is starting at 3B over Royce Lewis.


Twins	Opponent
SP: Simeon Woods Richardson (34.2 IP, 6.49 ERA)	SP: Jake Irvin (34.2 IP, 4.93 ERA)
1. Byron Buxton, CF (.825 OPS)	1. James Wood, RF (.893 OPS)
2. Trevor Larnach, DH (.807)	2. Daylen Lile, LF (.687)
3. Austin Martin, LF (.886)	3. Curtis Mead, 1B (.771)
4. Ryan Jeffers, C (.858)	4. CJ Abrams, SS (.960)
5. Matt Wallner, RF (.613)	5. Brady House, 3B (.691)
6. Luke Keaschall, 2B (.609)	6. Jose Tena, DH (.832)
7. Kody Clemens, 1B (.667)	7. Jacob Young, CF (.590)
8. Brooks Lee, SS (.733)	8. Keibert Ruiz, C (.506)
9. Tristan Gray, 3B (.733)	9. Nasim Nuñez, 2B (.565)

Game 38: Twins at Nationals

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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