MINNEAPOLIS -- Marek Houston, the Twins’ 2025 first-round Draft pick, threw out the first pitch at Target Field ahead of Friday night's 9-4 win over the Royals. It capped a dream day for him, as he hopes to be back on the same field sooner rather than later.
“This is what you dream of, you know?” Houston said while wearing a white No. 1 Twins jersey as he met with the media in person for the first time. “Hopefully I’m playing here one day. This is a really cool ballpark, and this has been a really cool day.”
The Twins made Houston the No. 16 overall pick in last month’s MLB Draft. The 21-year-old from Wake Forest is the third college shortstop to be taken in the first round by Minnesota in the past four years. Brooks Lee (2022) made his Major League debut last season. Kaelen Culpepper (2024) has already reached Double-A Wichita and could be on target for a 2026 debut.
You might think Houston’s path to the Majors would be blocked by that much shortstop talent. But Lee has already shown position flexibility, playing every infield position but first base in his brief Twins career. And Culpepper is seeing time at third base in Double-A, potentially clearing the way for a quick ascent for Houston. Right now, however, that’s the last thing on his mind.
“I'd like to say they like me at shortstop, but I'm always open to playing wherever the team needs me and wherever I fit best,” Houston said.
So far, that’s been at shortstop in Single-A Fort Myers, where he already has 10 hits in his first 27 professional at-bats. He said one of the biggest adjustments has been to the hitting environment in Fort Myers, a far cry from the friendly confines of Wake Forest’s ballpark.
“Down in Fort Myers, it’s not a hitter’s ballpark. … It's a great ballpark so far, but you definitely have to hit it pretty hard to get it out there,” Houston said.
As for the quality of the Minor League pitching?
“It's been a lot better than I expected,” he said. “I would have thought some pitchers would have had some great stuff, great velo. But I thought they were going to kind of spray it around a little bit. ... It’s a lot harder to walk. You gotta go up there and attack. You can't just wait around for your pitch.”
Minnesota injury updates
The smiling face of Simeon Woods Richardson was a welcome sight in the Twins’ clubhouse on Friday. The second-year right-hander was added to the 15-day IL on Aug. 4 (retroactive to Aug. 1) with what was described as a stomach ailment.
Woods Richardson revealed Friday that he was dealing with an intestinal parasite, which he thought might have come from eating some bad food. But after spending a few days in bed, he said he was back to feeling normal and “counting the days” until he can return to the Twins’ rotation.
Manager Rocco Baldelli cautioned that it might be a bit longer of a recovery process than Woods Richardson hopes, but he was happy to see his young starter back on his feet.
“He's going to have to build back up. That's going to take a lot out of you,” Baldelli said. “There are stomach bugs and then there's what he was dealing with, which was not the same thing. I think he's doing good, though, so overall positive here.”
Meanwhile, Byron Buxton continues to recover from cartilage irritation in his ribcage. Baldelli indicated that Buxton is nearing a return, but “there are still things he needs to build up and be able to do at his normal explosive level. We’re getting closer, but we’re not quite there yet.”
Finally, Christian Vázquez was placed on the 10-day IL with an infection in his left shoulder, while Trevor Larnach was out of the lineup for a second straight game on Friday after he reported soreness in his side on Wednesday.