MINEPOLIS – Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson has informed the club that he is leaving his job this week, for the same role at LSU.
Johnson traveled to Cleveland with the team on Sunday night, where he will stay for a five-match series scheduled for Thursday, Twins spokesman Dustin Morse said.
According to D1Baseball.com on Twitter, Johnson has accepted the position of pitching coach at LSU. The twins did not confirm Johnson’s whereabouts. Staff changes will be announced from surrounding clubs this week.
The move to midfield with the first-placed team’s main assistant was shocking, but Johnson’s arrival in 2019 was also unusual. When the Twins hired him from Arkansas, he was widely regarded as the first college pitching coach to jump directly into the major leagues.
Johnson has captained the pitching staff for the division’s champion teams in his first two years, and the Twins have returned to the top of AL Central this season. They lead the parents in two games entering their series this week. Minnesota has a 3.78 Team ERA, ranking 11th among major companies.