Twins searching for ways to shore up infield defense, done in by big inning in loss to Astros

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 30, 2026

Published in Baseball

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Five weeks after the Twins tried to shake up their poor infield defense by shifting Brooks Lee to third base, and later Royce Lewis to first, they are in the middle of another infield shuffle.

Luke Keaschall, who made 72 starts at second base, has spent the last five games playing right field. Kody Clemens, who was mostly an outfielder at the beginning of the month, has shifted to second base.

The changes haven’t been without a few growing pains.

Lewis misplayed a potential double-play grounder in the fourth inning Tuesday, before Twins starter Joe Ryan surrendered a go-ahead grand slam to Yordan Alvarez in the Twins’ 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.

Ryan, who owns a career 8.10 ERA in Houston’s ballpark, gave up six runs on six hits and three walks in four innings. After Cam Smith hit a one-out single to center, Taylor Trammell chopped a grounder that skipped past Lewis at first base. Lewis appeared surprised by the way the ball spun to the right of him.

Two pitches later, the Astros had their first run when Yainer Diaz hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Ryan struck out Nick Allen, one of his five strikeouts, and issued consecutive walks to Nick Delgado and Jose Altuve. He thought he struck out Altuve, but the final pitch was overturned when Altuve challenged it, a 95-mph fastball that was 0.6 inches off the plate.

Alvarez, who broke a 0-for-16 slump with a single in the first inning, clobbered a down-the-middle sinker into the right-field seats for his 26th home run of the season and his seventh career grand slam. Ryan knew his mistake immediately, spinning off the mound and wiping his face with his sleeve.

The Twins rank last in team defense (negative-34 runs), according to Sports Info Solutions, with negative grades at shortstop (negative-15), second base (negative-5) and third base (negative-5). With Byron Buxton sidelined because of a right hip impingement, Ryan Kreidler has started in center with Tristan Gray at shortstop.

Manager Derek Shelton said there were internal discussions about moving Keaschall to the outfield for a couple of weeks before they made the move.

Keaschall, who played a handful of games in the outfield during spring training, has looked solid in his brief stint in right field. Shelton said the coaching staff liked his routes and reads during pregame drills.

Shelton said “there will probably be some opportunities” for Keaschall to make appearances at second base, but the Twins started pulling him for defensive replacements at the end of games over the past couple of weeks. The Twins want Lewis to continue playing first base despite Keaschall’s position change, which puts Clemens at second base.

The Twins were unable to keep up with the Astros after the six-run fourth inning. The Twins sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring three runs, with a two-out, two-run single from Kreidler after Victor Caratini was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Josh Bell added a two-out RBI double in the fifth inning, but the Twins had no baserunners in four innings against Houston’s bullpen.

Up next

The Twins complete their three-game road series in Houston at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday before an off-day Thursday. Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (6-3 record, 3.98 ERA) will pitch the series finale against Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36), who allowed five hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings vs. the Twins on May 18. Josh Bell hit two homers off Imai.