DUNEDIN, Fla. — Brooks Lee understands he isn’t likely to remain in Twins camp much longer. But he’s making the inevitable parting much more difficult.
Brooks Lee homers, triples in Twins’ spring training loss to Toronto Blue Jays
Brooks Lee, who’s expected to start the season with Class AAA St. Paul, continued to impress for the Twins, who lost 9-4 to the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 17, 2024 at 8:51PM
Lee, almost certainly destined to open the season at Class AAA St. Paul, smacked his first home run and first triple in a Twins uniform Sunday, raising his spring batting average to .343 (12-for-35) with his second consecutive two-hit game.
Alex Kirilloff also contributed an RBI triple, and Jose Miranda drove in a run with a single. But the Twins didn’t use a pitcher expected to make the Opening Day roster, and the Toronto Blue Jays took advantage, piling up 12 hits, including three home runs, to walk away with a 9-4 victory at TD Ballpark.
Lee, the Twins’ first-round pick in 2022, launched a 2-1 slider from Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez into the bleachers above the ballpark’s high right-field wall in the first inning, his first home run in 26 career Grapefruit League games.
Two innings later, Lee followed a walk by Edouard Julien by lining a 3-2 curveball into the right-field corner, then easily reaching third base. Kirilloff made it back-to-back triples by hitting a hot grounder near the same spot.
But Kevin Kiermaier homered twice for the Blue Jays and George Springer once as Toronto swept this spring’s home-and-home with the Twins and handed Minnesota its eighth loss in the past nine games.
Gerrit Cole gave up his opt-out right on Monday and will remain with the New York Yankees under a contract that runs through 2028 rather than become a free agent.
