Twins DFA Former Top Prospect Outfielder
Outman was designated for assignment to open the 40-man roster spot for Lewis, ending a tenure in Minnesota that produced almost nothing offensively.
The Numbers That Made This Inevitable
Outman appeared in 49 games as a Twins backup outfielder this season, making only 17 starts with 70 plate appearances and slashing .156/.229/.250 across that sample.
He struck out at a rate that made productive at-bats almost rare.
His playing time had already been reduced significantly since late May, an indication that the organization had already made its decision internally before the Lewis recall made it official.
The Dodgers traded OF James Outman to the Twins for RHP Brock Stewart ahead of last year's deadline.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 6, 2026
Stewart has appeared in six games over the last 10 months, spending a majority of the time on the IL.
Outman was just DFA'd after hitting .151 with an OPS of .526 with Minnesota pic.twitter.com/lQ62X4rpnV
The Dodgers traded Outman to Minnesota at last July's deadline for pitcher Brock Stewart, a change of scenery that was supposed to help him rediscover what had made him one of the more exciting young outfielders in baseball three years ago.
It did not help.
Outman has batted .144/.235/.284 across his last 374 big league plate appearances combined, a stretch of consistent futility that spans three seasons and two organizations.
The 2023 Version That Made This Hurt
Outman hit .248/.353/.437 with 23 home runs across 567 plate appearances for the Dodgers, finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, posted a 114 OPS-plus, and generated 3.4 bWAR in what looked like the emergence of a legitimate everyday outfielder.
The seasons since have been a steady and unexplained collapse.
He hit .147 in 2024 with Los Angeles. He hit .134 across his split 2025 between the Dodgers and Twins. He is hitting .156 this year.
No clear mechanical explanation has emerged publicly.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/jaZKUR6z76
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 6, 2026
No injury has been cited as the primary cause.
He simply stopped hitting, and three consecutive seasons of evidence has made it increasingly difficult for any organization to justify the roster spot.
Lewis, meanwhile, slashed a 1.303 OPS during his Triple-A stint, making the decision to recall him and designate Outman pretty obvious.
Outman has no remaining minor league options, meaning he must clear waivers to be assigned to Triple-A.
If he clears, the Twins can send him to St. Paul.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
