Why Minnesota Twins Made Right Matt Wallner Decision on Thursday

TL;DR

The Minnesota Twins optioned right fielder Matt Wallner to Triple-A after his poor performance, replacing him with pitcher Zebby Matthews, who helped secure a 9-1 win. Austin Martin also excelled in the game, contributing significantly to the team's offense.

Key points

Matt Wallner was optioned to Triple-A by the Minnesota Twins.
Zebby Matthews was called up and pitched a seven-inning shutout.
Austin Martin had a strong performance with three RBIs in the game.

Minnesota TwinsMiami MarlinsMatt WallnerZebby Matthews

Why Minnesota Twins Made Right Matt Wallner Decision on Thursday

The Minnesota Twins entered Thursday's matchup against the Miami Marlins 19-24, partially because of right fielder Matt Wallner. The 28-year-old is slashing just .167/.259/.551 with four homers and 10 RBIs across 32 games.

The Twins optioned Wallner to Triple-A and before the game and called up right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews, who tossed a seven-inning shutout in the 9-1 win. Meanwhile, right fielder Austin Martin went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a walk, and a run scored.

While Wallner's struggles were the primary reason for sending him down, Minnesota also did so to get Martin more reps. The 27-year-old is slashing .333/.454/.429 with one homer and 11 RBIs across 38 games.

Manager Derek Shelton explained the context on Wednesday, via The Athletic's Dan Hayes.

“In Austin’s case, the quality of at-bat has been so good,” he said. “It kind of started out as a platoon, but I think he’s in a situation where he’s earned more playing time. Just trying to make sure we find it and then find the right matchup on both sides of it that make sense while keeping the other guy sharp, too.”