Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers' new weapon: a more effective throwing arm

Chas McCormick's third-inning homer scored a pair of runs Sunday, but it would have been three runs if not for a mildly surprising factor: Ryan Jeffers' throwing arm.

Astros outfielder Corey Julks opened the inning with a single, and two batters later, took off for second base. Considering that Jeffers threw out only 18% of potential base-stealers in 2022, it seemed like a reasonable gamble.

Maybe it was in the past. But Jeffers threw Julks out easily.

"This offseason, we really dug in [on improving his arm]. Getting on a more consistent throwing schedule and really putting in the work, cleaning up the arm path," Jeffers said. "It's good to see it pay off."

Kyle Tucker stole a base later in the game, but Jeffers' caught-stealing rate is still 60% this season, three caught in five attempts. Fellow catcher Christian Vázquez hasn't thrown out a base-stealer yet this year, but there's been only one attempt because the veteran's reputation — and his past success at throwing out runners, as high as 52% his rookie season — precedes him.

It's an exciting development, Jeffers said. Just in time, too — the White Sox, 13-for-13 in steal attempts this year, arrive at Target Field on Monday.

"You can really see the ball flying better. The [velocities] were better, stuff like that," Jeffers said of his effort to improve. "And once we cleaned up the arm path, we could really start pushing the quantity to get the arm in really good shape and create new muscle memory."

Joey Gallo was out of the lineup for a second straight day Sunday, the result, he said, of a strained intercostal muscle that began bothering him last week at Miami.

His condition is improving, Gallo said, and shouldn't require a stint on the injured list — and good thing, too. Because he can't wait to get booed next week in Yankee Stadium.

"That is definitely going to be a life experience," said Gallo, whose abysmal half-season as a Yankee in 2022 earned him nearly nonstop booing, and eventually a trade to the Dodgers. "I'm interested to see the reaction. It's going to be really interesting. Hopefully, I go in there and play well, and we'll see what happens."

There's a decent chance, he mused, that he won't even receive the worst reception when the series begins on Thursday. Carlos Correa, a New York villain ever since the Astros' banging-on-trash-cans scandal was revealed, will be there, too.

"Ooooh, that's a tough one. I think it's going to be close," Gallo joked. "I'm a little bit more fresh" in the minds of Yankees fans.

That Gallo is so sanguine about facing his loudest critics impresses manager Rocco Baldelli.

"He has a genuine nature and a candidness that not every guy is going to have, and I think it helps him," Baldelli said. "It's a really nice coping mechanism that allows you to keep going in difficult circumstances. Talking about it helps, and that's what he's really doing."

Tucker grounded into an unusual double play in the eighth inning, and it got him an early exit.

With the bases loaded and the Twins' infield in to cut off a run, the Astros outfielder hit a ground ball to Nick Gordon at second base. Gordon threw home for the force out, and Jeffers fired the relay to first baseman Donovan Solano.

But Jeffers' throw hit Tucker in the neck just before he arrived at first base, and bounced away. Home plate umpire Mark Carlson quickly stopped play, however, and called Tucker out for interference because he had run inside the foul line to first, and sent the runners back to first and second base.

Tucker complained, and Astros manager Dusty Baker intervened, continuing to argue with Carlson as Tucker returned to the dugout. As Baker walked away, Tucker yelled something from the dugout, and Carlson, the crew chief, turned and ejected him.

The Twins failed to capitalize on the break, however. The next batter, Jeremy Pena, lined a screamer to left that bounced just inches inside the foul line, a double that scored Houston's final run.

The St. Paul Saints lost the finale of their five-game series with the Iowa Cubs on Sunday 11-2 at CHS Field. Andrew Bechtold had two hits for the Saints.

The Saints (4-4) are off on Monday and then open a six-game series in Indianapolis on Tuesday.