The Twins announced two roster moves before Sunday's game.
The Minnesota Twins defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Saturday night in a game that went into extra innings. The Guardians earned a win on Friday, however, so the series is now tied 1-1. Before Sunday's contest, Minnesota announced two roster moves.
Left-handed pitcher Kody Funderburk was optioned to Triple-A while left-handed pitcher Kendry Rojas was recalled to the big league ball club.
Funderburk, 29, was a reliable reliever for Minnesota in 2025, pitching to a 3.51 ERA. So far in 2026, the southpaw has turned in a 2.81 ERA across 19 appearances. He has surrendered runs in two of his past three outings, but Funderburk has pitched well for the most part.
It is a surprising move, but Minnesota needed to make room on the roster for Rojas.
Rojas, 23, has pitched in only one MLB game in his career, something he accomplished in 2026. He did not allow a run in two innings.
At Triple-A this season, Rojas has pitched to a 2.40 ERA in five total outings. Rojas has struck out 15 hitters in 15 innings on the mound.
The Twins are hoping Rojas can make a significant impact. Minnesota's pitching has been inconsistent all season long.
Twins' Current Outlook Before Sunday's Game
Despite the victory on Saturday, Minnesota is in last place in the American League Central standings. They have gone 4-6 over their past 10 games overall and the ball club trails the Guardians for first place in the AL Central by 3.5 games.
The division has been competitive throughout the campaign. The fact that the teams are all within 3.5 games or less of each other suggests that any ball club could win the division. Cleveland is just 21-20, so any of these teams could realistically win the AL Central.
Minnesota will need a more consistent performance from its pitching in order to realistically compete. The bullpen has been especially inconsistent.
As far as starting pitching is concerned, right-handed pitcher Andrew Morris is scheduled to start on Sunday against the Guardians. Morris has pitched to a 1-1 record and a 4.96 ERA so far in 2026. Meanwhile, Cleveland will turn to one of its best pitchers in right-handed pitcher Gavin Williams, who has a 5-2 record and a 3.28 ERA so far in 2026.
First pitch for the Guardians and Twins game on Sunday afternoon is scheduled for 1:40 PM EST at Progressive Field in Cleveland.