Jax (3-6) earned the win in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Guardians. He didn't allow a hit or walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning.
Jax struggled with an 8.18 ERA and three blown saves between April 21 to May 19. He's since thrown five scoreless innings in his last five appearances with an 8:0 K:BB ratio, so it looks like he's back to being a reliable setup man.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Records fifth hold
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Jax threw a scoreless inning while striking out two in Friday's 8-6 victory over the Royals. He earned his fifth hold.
Jax has a 3.18 ERA and 14:2 K:BB ratio in 11.1 innings as he picked up where he left off last season as a high-impact reliever. He's working as a key setup man for the Twins but could get a save chance the next day or two with Jhoan Duran away from the team for a personal issue.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Gets hold in season debut
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Jax threw a scoreless eighth inning with a walk in Thursday's win over against Kansas City to earn his first hold of the season.
It was notable that Jax was used in the eighth inning ahead of Jhoan Duran in the ninth, while Pablo Lopez worked the seventh. Jax had a breakout season in 2022 after moving to the bullpen and became a key setup man for the Twins. He improved both his strikeout (26.9 percent) and walk (6.9 percent) rates with a 78:20 K:BB over 72.1 innings. It looks like he could be the main set-up man and rack up holds again, and possibly be in the mix for saves if manager Rocco Baldelli sticks to his previous matchup-based bullpen usage.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Working on new pitch
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Jax threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout and a walk in his spring debut Monday. Jax has introduced a new pitch this spring, a cutter, which he worked on at Driveline in the offseason, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Jax will likely use the cutter as a rare change of pace, as his primary off-speed pitch, a slider, held opponents to a .187 batting average against last season. Jax had a breakout season after moving to the bullpen and became a key setup man for the Twins. He improved both his strikeout (26.9 percent) and walk (6.9 percent) rates with a 78:20 K:BB ratio over 72.1 innings. He also induced grounders at a 47.3 percent rate and had 18 holds. He should be a good source of holds again, and possibly some saves, in Minnesota's bullpen.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Records 10th hold
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Jax threw a scoreless inning while striking out one batter over two-thirds of an inning in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Padres to earn his 10th hold.
Jax has become a key setup man after transitioning from being a starting pitcher last season. He's improved both his average fastball velocity (95.3 mph from 92.7 mph last season) and strikeout rate (9.6 K/9 from 7.1 K/9 last season). Despite Minnesota's struggles to find a steady closer at times, Jax hasn't been used at the end of games, however.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Earns second win
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Jax (2-0) picked up the win Saturday against the Athletics, striking out two while allowing one hit across 1.2 scoreless innings.
Jax entered a scoreless tie with one out in the sixth inning and completed the frame without allowing a baserunner. The Twins went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the inning, and Jax remained on the mound for the seventh, allowing just a two-out double. He now owns a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings of relief this season, a far cry from the 6.37 ERA he posted as primarily a starter last year.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Picks up first career save
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Jax earned the save, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out two while allowing two hits, a walk and a hit batsman in a 7-1 win over Detroit.
Jax got the unconventional save by tossing three innings in a lopsided affair. After making 14 starts last year, the righty has pitched exclusively in relief for the Twins early in 2022. Thursday's three-inning save was his longest appearance of the season and first save at any level in professional baseball. He's allowed two runs and has 11:3 K:BB in nine innings of work on the campaign.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Returns to big club
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The Twins recalled Jax from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Jax had been preparing for a starting role for St. Paul after he was optioned to the affiliate Thursday, but his turn in the rotation never came up before he was called back up to Minnesota. He's expected to serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen while he's up with the Twins.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Twins optioned Jax to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Jax was moved to the bullpen this spring and was competing for a middle-relief role, but he ultimately fell short in his bid for the Opening Day roster. The Twins could consider moving Jax back to a starting role as he heads to St. Paul.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Moving to bullpen
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Jax will move to the bullpen and work in a relief role this season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Jax will get ready for one-to-three-inning assignments, two or three times a week, according to manager Rocco Baldelli.
Jax finished his first big-league season with a 6.37 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 65:29 K:BB across 82 innings. He was a starter in 14 of 18 outings. He'll try to win a role in middle relief. Jax and Lewis Thorpe moving to the bullpen could be a sign the Twins are set to bring in more veteran starting pitchers or are ready to have younger talent contend for rotation roles.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Finishes season on high note
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Jax (4-5) earned the win over Kansas City on Saturday, pitching five shutout innings during which he allowed one hit and two walks while striking out three.
Jax put together an up-and-down rookie campaign, and he saved his best for last as Saturday's outing was his first in which he didn't allow a run. The right-hander surrendered just one hit -- a third-inning single -- and didn't allow any runners to reach second base. Jax finished his first big-league season with a 6.37 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 65:29 K:BB across 82 innings. Moving forward, he'll need to do a better job of keeping the ball in the park to find sustained success, as his 2.52 HR/9 in 2021 ranks third-highest among pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Allows four runs in loss
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Jax (3-5) allowed four runs on six hits while striking out two over five innings as he took the loss against the Blue Jays on Sunday.
Jax was punished by the long ball Sunday. He allowed two runners on in the second before serving up a three-run blast to Danny Jansen to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead. George Springer later added a home run of his own after hitting a solo shot against Jax in the fifth. Jax would end up finishing the frame before calling it a day at 83 pitches. He was finding the strike zone a lot, as he threw 61 strikes and didn't walk anybody but was hurt by a few big mistakes. The 26-year-old hasn't won a game since Aug. 10 and sports an ugly 6.78 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 62:27 K:BB over 77 innings this season. He's projected to take the hill one more time in Kansas City next weekend.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Whiffs six in three frames
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Jax didn't factor in the decision against the Cubs on Tuesday, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.
The right-handed rookie gave up one run in each of the three innings in which he pitched, with the final two tallies coming by way of the long ball. Though it wasn't a very efficient outing -- Jax needed 72 pitches to retire nine batters -- he did flash some solid strikeout stuff, as his six punchouts were his most since he fanned 10 on Aug. 10. Jax has looked good at times this season, but his overall 6.75 ERA suggests that his first taste of the big leagues has been more struggle than success. He's expected to next take the mound Sunday at home in a tough matchup versus Toronto.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Bested by Cleveland
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Jax (3-4) allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk over 4.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday against Cleveland. He also had three strikeouts.
Jax kept Cleveland off the board until the fourth inning when Bobby Bradley broke a scoreless deadlock on a run-scoring double. Cleveland tacked on four more runs in the following frame, the big blast coming on Oscar Mercado's three-run homer. Jax has been throttled to the tune of a 9.36 ERA over his last five starts, yielding eight home runs in that stretch.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Allows four runs in no-decision
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Jax allowed four unearned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four across six innings in the loss to the Royals on Friday. He did not factor in the decision.
Jax surrendered a three-run home run to Andrew Benintendi in the first inning. He gave up a fourth run in the fourth frame on a Michael Taylor double. The 26-year-old has allowed 23 earned runs in his last four outings. On the season, he has a 6.72 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Yields four runs in no-decision
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Jax allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over 4.2 innings in Sunday's win over the Rays. He struck out three and did not factor in the decision.
Jax kept the Rays off the board for two innings before coughing up a two-run blast to Brandon Lowe in the third. He allowed another run in the fifth and was charged with a fourth and final run after Austin Meadows went deep off Caleb Thielbar. Jax has been hammered for 19 runs over 14.1 innings (11.93 ERA) over his last three outings. He's lined up to face Kansas City at home next week.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Gives up six in another loss
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Jax (3-3) allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings Sunday in a 6-2 loss to the Brewers.
Jax had a clean opening inning but was chased for six runs over the next three frames. Luis Urias took him deep in the second for a solo homer. A double and a walk would put two runners on in the third before Rowdy Tellez cleared the bases with a three-run blast and then Kolten Wong would drive in two more in the fourth with a double. The 26-year-old has given up 15 runs over his last two outings, which has inflated his ERA to a 6.71 to go along with a 1.40 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB over 53.2 innings. Jax lines up for a tough matchup against the Rays his next time out.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Sunday's start postponed
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Jax and the Twins won't play Sunday against the Yankees after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
Hurricane Henri is forecasted to hit the East Coast on Sunday, so the teams will be unable to play their series finale. The Twins haven't revealed their revised rotation plans, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Jax start on the road against the Red Sox on Tuesday.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Whiffs 10 in win
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Jax (3-1) earned the win over the White Sox on Tuesday by completing six innings, during which he allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out 10.
The right-hander looked strong in handling a talented White Sox lineup, inducing 14 swinging strikes and registering a career-best 10 punchouts. He allowed two homers and three runs in the third inning but otherwise kept Chicago off the scoreboard. Jax's ERA still sits at an untidy 5.45, but he has allowed only six earned runs while posting an 18:5 K:BB over 20.1 innings covering his past four starts. He's tentatively lined up to take on Cleveland at home early next week.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: First win as starter
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Jax (2-1) won Thursday's 5-3 game against Houston, allowing one run on three hits and a walk in 5.1 innings. He failed to record a strikeout.
Jax stymied a potent Astros lineup through five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth by permitting a Jason Castro home run and a double while inducing only one out before being removed. The rookie right-hander has now allowed a single run in three consecutive appearances, lowering his ERA from 8.66 to 5.63, though he sports a low 6.2 K/9.
