Twins

Twins-Nationals series preview: Pitching probables, radio-TV information, injury report

Washington is last in the National League East while the Twins are opening a six-game homestand.

By Joel Rippel

The Minnesota Star Tribune

July 25, 2025 at 2:00PM

Twins third baseman Royce Lewis celebrates his Wednesday home run at Dodger Stadium. (Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press)

Washington Nationals at Twins

THREE-GAME SERIES AT TARGET FIELD

All games on Twins.TV, 830-AM and 102.9-FM

Friday, 7:10 p.m.: LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-9, 3.59 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (1-2, 6.26)

Saturday, 6:10 p.m.: LHP Mitchell Parker (6-10, 5.00) vs. RHP Joe Ryan (10-4, 2.63)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.81) vs. TBD

WASHINGTON UPDATE

The Nationals (41-61) are in last place in the NL East as they open a six-game road swing. ... In their most recent visit to Target Field, the Nationals won two of three from the Twins in 2023. ... The Nationals are 20-30 in road games and 13-14 against AL teams, including 3-3 against A. Central teams.

Gore and OF James Wood represented the Nationals in the All-Star Game, with Wood also participating in the Home Run Dervy. Wood is hitting .272 with 24 home runs, 70 RBI and 14 stolen bases. ... 3B Brady House has hit safely in 11 of 12 games (17-for-46) to raise his average to .279. ... SS CJ Abrams is hitting a career-high .276 with 13 home runs, 37 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Irvin, a Bloomington Jefferson graduate who pitched collegiately at Oklahoma, is in his third season with the Nationals and will be making his second career start against the Twins. He was the losing pitcher in the Twins’ 3-2 victory at Washington on May 22, 2024. Irvin was on the Star Tribune’s first-team All-Metro squad in 2015 after going 5-2 with a 1.29 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 48⅔ innings at Jefferson.

OF Dylan Crews (left oblique strain), RHP Trevor Williams (right elbow sprain) and C Keibert Ruiz (concussion) are out. RHP Josiah Gray, who underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement on July 24, 2024, is in a throwing program and could return before the end of the season.

TWINS UPDATE

Related Coverage

The Twins (49-53) open a six-game homestand after concluding a 2-4 road trip with a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday in Los Angeles. ... This series concludes a stretch of 15 consecutive games against NL teams for the Twins. They are 15-21 in interleague play this season.

3B Royce Lewis went 7-for-17 with three home runs and six RBI in five games on the just-completed road trip to raise his batting average to a season-high .237. He is hitting .298 (17-for-57) in July. … OF Byron Buxton is hitting .429 (15-for-35) in his past eight games.

RHP David Festa (right shoulder inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. ... 2B Luke Keaschall (right forearm fracture) and RHP Bailey Ober (left hip impingement) are on rehab assignments at Class AAA St. Paul. Ober is expected to make his second start for the Saints on Friday. ... RHP Pablo López (right teres major strain) is out.

LHP Anthony Misiewicz (left shoulder impingement) went on the IL Friday and LHP Kody Funderburk was recalled from St. Paul. Funderburk is in his fourth stint with the Twins this season; he has a 6.92 in the majors and a 1.78 ERA in the minors.

After the series with the Nationals, the Twins begin a three-game series with Boston on Monday at Target Field.