In 1967, Zimmerman played in 104 games as Battey was troubled by health issues; his 692 innings caught were tops on the team that season. In addition to his service as an active player, Zimmerman also functioned as the club's unofficial bullpen coach, as the Twins only employed three full-time coaches in 1967. The season featured a furious, four-team pennant race that went down the campaign's final weekend. Minnesota was in the league lead with two games left, but the club lost its final two games to the Red Sox and finished the season tied with the Detroit Tigers for second place. After Battey's release in the off-season, the Twins traded for catcher John Roseboro, and Zimmerman went back to being a reserve player during the 1968 season. He was released by the Twins on March 18, 1969.