Zebby Matthews delivers gem in Twins' win over Nationals

Matthews put together the best start of his MLB career on Friday at Target Field.

Jul 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews (52) throws to the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Twins right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews was back in action for the second time since his return from injury on Friday, and he delivered arguably his best performance at the MLB level.

Matthews was out of the Twins' lineup from June 4 to July 19 with a right shoulder strain. After a poor performance against the Rockies last week, Minnesota's former highly-regarded pitching prospect has come back with a bang with an impressive outing in the 1-0 win against the Nationals.

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Matthews threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts, and he allowed only two hits. It was his 13th start at the MLB level, but his first with zero earned runs. It marked only the second time he went at least six innings since making his debut last season.

Zebby Matthews, 2Ks in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/DjbvFdO8rh

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 26, 2025

Now 25 years old, Matthews finally showed on Friday night why he was regarded as one of the Twins' top pitching prospects. He had a 6.69 ERA in nine starts last season, but his performance should finally provide some confidence.

Minnesota's pitching staff was able to continue the shutout against the Nationals. Danny Coulombe, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran relieved Matthews with three straight dominant innings, and they allowed only three total hits as a pitching staff.

Byron Buxton drove in Minnesota's lone run the fifth inning, and it was enough to pick up the win. The Twins will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday night at 6:10 p.m. CT against the Nationals with less than a week before a pivotal trade deadline.