Goldschmidt is sidelined due to a knee sprain and will be evaluated before the series against St. Louis.

In the seventh inning of today’s game, with a left-handed pitcher on the mound, a right-handed batter was needed to pinch hit. When Paul Goldschmidt's name appeared on the lineup, the Yankees were expected to have one of the best options in the league.

However, there was no movement in the dugout, and when left-handed hitter Austin Wells replaced him to face Kody Funderburk, it raised some eyebrows. But there was a good reason: after the Yankees lost 1-4 to the Twins at Yankee Stadium, the team revealed that Goldschmidt was unavailable due to a low-grade right knee sprain.

“I don’t think it’s a long-term issue, so I feel good about that,” Goldschmidt said. “If it’s a short-term problem, I feel optimistic about it.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that Goldschmidt would be evaluated after tomorrow's off day, and he did not rule out the possibility of being placed on the injured list. The 37-year-old player expressed his hope to participate in the three-game series starting the day after tomorrow in St. Louis, where Goldschmidt had played and excelled from 2019 to 2024.

Goldschmidt mentioned that he got injured while trying to catch a foul fly ball hit by Byron Buxton in front of the Yankees' dugout yesterday, slipping on the dirt. He showed signs of pain when he ran out a double in the seventh inning and left the game shortly after.

“I kind of overran it and then fell back, and my knee hit the ground,” Goldschmidt said. “I felt some pain in my knee yesterday, but obviously, I could still play. When I got back to my defensive position, I thought, ‘This hurts a bit.’ But things like this happen sometimes.”

For Goldschmidt, this has been a solid rebound year, as he has a batting line of .276/.331/.422 (OPS+ 107) over 112 games, with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. After a hot start, he has cooled off, with significant splits: Goldschmidt has an OPS of 1.192 against left-handed pitchers, while it drops to just 0.584 against right-handers.

“He’s a huge part of this team,” Cody Bellinger said. “He’s like a vacuum at first base. I really appreciate everything he does defensively. To me, he has quality at-bats; he’s a true professional every time he steps up to hit.”

Wells struck out in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter, leaving a runner on base while the Yankees trailed by three runs—part of the deficit came from Kody Clemens’ go-ahead double against Yerry De Los Santos in the sixth inning. The game was delayed for nearly two hours due to rain, but the score did not change.

The Yankees managed only four hits and two walks against Joe Ryan. Ryan allowed Bellinger to hit a home run in the third inning over 6.2 innings while striking out seven batters.

“He really settled in,” Bellinger said about his home run that went to the second deck in right field, marking his 22nd of the season. “He had great command today. His arm action is really unique. His pitch selection was also very good. Overall, he did an excellent job.”

The Yankees won two out of three games against the Twins, and Wednesday's loss ended their nine-game winning streak against Minnesota. Since the start of the 2002 season (including playoffs), they have a record of 125 wins and 45 losses against the Twins.

In a game with scarce scoring, it became another stepping stone for Cam Schlittler. The rookie showcased a powerful fastball in his sixth start while continuing to refine his curveball/slider combination, which he graded as a “B+.”

Schlittler's four-seam fastball reached a maximum speed of 99.8 mph, averaging 98.3 mph, effectively suppressing the Twins for most of his pitches.

“His fastball has always been good, but it was especially effective up in the zone,” Boone said. “With the angle he creates, it’s effective down in the zone as well, and he can use that to throw his secondary pitches. I think he was outstanding. He handled the first three innings easily.”

Schlittler retired the first nine batters in a row, then gave up a run in the fourth inning while struggling to escape two walks and a double, prompting Boone to feel that Schlittler “really had to battle in the fourth and fifth innings.” In the fifth, he engaged in a 10-pitch battle with Royce Lewis, bringing his pitch count close to 86, which ended his night.

“I felt good, but I’m a rookie,” Schlittler said. “You have to earn these. It takes time and consistency. I have no qualms about that decision. I trust the bullpen. … As a rookie, you have to earn trust to throw 100, 105 pitches like Max Fried and Carlos Rodón.”