FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Brooks Lee said Friday that his tight lower back had improved since he was scratched from his scheduled appearance Thursday, but it’s unclear how soon he will be able to return to action.

Lee went for what he called a precautionary MRI exam after coming into the clubhouse Friday morning. He was not listed among the available players for Saturday’s home game against the Blue Jays, and he said he is still feeling some discomfort.

He did explain that he was encouraged by the location of the issue. Lee has dealt with considerable issues in his lower back over the years, but said that this discomfort is not in the same place as those have been.

“I think it’s a little better [than Thursday],” he said Friday morning. “Hopefully, just muscular. I’ll get an MRI today, just in case it’s something that’s going to take longer, then we have the imaging already set up. So, it’s just precautionary. But yeah, I feel better than I did yesterday, and it’s a lot higher than it usually is, which is definitely a thumbs up.”

Castro expecting third child
The Twins are down two infield options due to injury, and for the next little while, they’ll be missing a third as well. But in this case, it’s good news. Utility man Willi Castro left camp Friday morning to fly to Minnesota, where his wife Aniana is expecting to give birth to the couple’s third child soon.

Misiewicz deals
Left-hander Anthony Misiewicz turned in an impressive ninth inning on Thursday night, and quietly is making a case to snag the last spot in the Twins’ bullpen. If Brock Stewart is cleared to pitch on the Opening Day roster, then there really aren’t any open spots. However, it’s very possible that Stewart will be slow-played as he recovers from a left hamstring strain, and if that’s the case, then the Twins have a few options.

The most talked-about has been Rule 5 selection right-hander Eiberson Castellano, but he’s not the only one. Non-roster veteran Scott Blewett and Misiewicz have both pitched well and both are still in camp with six days before Opening Day.

On Thursday, Misiewicz pitched a perfect ninth to close out a win, striking out Red Sox starting first baseman Triston Casas as well as slugging Roman Anthony, whom MLB Pipeline ranks as the best hitting prospect in baseball.

Paddack adjusts
Chris Paddack, who had an outstanding start on Thursday night, explained that he is making an adjustment to his changeup in hopes of making it more effective. He was frustrated with the amount of power that hitters managed against the pitch last year, which sent him searching for answers.

According to the data that Paddack saw, the movement and velocity of the pitch had not changed. Instead, teammates noted that his release point had strayed farther than usual from his release point on his fastball, allowing hitters to pick up that something offspeed was coming.

“Talking to some of our hitters, two or three inches [of difference], they can’t really recognize,” he said. “But five, six [inches], they’re able to see the difference and recognize, that’s not a heater. They might not be able to say, 'OK, that’s a changeup,' but they’re going be able to notice that’s not a fastball.”

According to Statcast data, Paddack’s changeup release point has been about a half-inch closer vertically to his fastball this spring than it was in 2024.