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The Minnesota Twins have spent much of the season searching for stability in the bullpen. The recent emergence of Yoendrys Gomez has helped clarify the ninth inning, but one reliable arm was never going to solve all of Minnesota's relief issues.
That's why Wednesday's update on rookie Kendry Rojas may carry more significance than a typical rehab assignment.
The left-hander joined Triple-A St. Paul and is set to begin a rehab assignment after spending the past three weeks on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. The Saints' scheduled game Wednesday was postponed, but the move places the rookie one step closer to returning to a pitching staff that could use another dependable option.
Minnesota's bullpen ranked near the bottom of Major League Baseball in several key categories, including ERA, strikeout rate, walk rate and opponent batting average. Even during a recent stretch of improved results, the Twins have continued searching for pitchers capable of handling meaningful innings beyond the late-game responsibilities Gomez has recently claimed.
Before landing on the injured list, the 23-year-old appeared in five games for Minnesota, including one start, and posted a 1.26 ERA across 14.1 innings. What made those outings particularly valuable was the flexibility they provided. Rojas worked at least two innings in every appearance, giving manager Derek Shelton another bridge between the rotation and the back end of the bullpen.
Mick Abel appears close to rejoining the rotation after making another rehab start this week, while Bailey Ober is also progressing toward a return. Even once those starters are back, workload management will likely remain part of the equation. Having a pitcher capable of covering multiple innings allows the Twins to avoid overextending either their rotation or bullpen on a nightly basis.
There are still areas of Rojas' game that need refinement. Despite the impressive ERA, he allowed 10 walks and 11 hits in his first 14.1 major-league innings. The underlying traffic on the bases created challenges that won't always be erased by run prevention alone.
Yet there were signs of progress before the injury interrupted his momentum.
Rojas finished his final two appearances before going on the injured list with seven scoreless innings against the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six. That's the version of Rojas the Twins would gladly welcome back.
With the bullpen still trying to climb out of the bottom tier of several major statistical categories, Minnesota doesn't necessarily need Rojas to become a late-inning star overnight. What it needs is another arm capable of covering meaningful innings and easing the burden on a pitching staff that has been stretched for much of the season.
His rehab assignment is the next step toward that possibility. And for a bullpen still looking for answers, it arrives at a pretty good time.
Continue reading...
That's why Wednesday's update on rookie Kendry Rojas may carry more significance than a typical rehab assignment.
The left-hander joined Triple-A St. Paul and is set to begin a rehab assignment after spending the past three weeks on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. The Saints' scheduled game Wednesday was postponed, but the move places the rookie one step closer to returning to a pitching staff that could use another dependable option.
Minnesota's bullpen ranked near the bottom of Major League Baseball in several key categories, including ERA, strikeout rate, walk rate and opponent batting average. Even during a recent stretch of improved results, the Twins have continued searching for pitchers capable of handling meaningful innings beyond the late-game responsibilities Gomez has recently claimed.
Before landing on the injured list, the 23-year-old appeared in five games for Minnesota, including one start, and posted a 1.26 ERA across 14.1 innings. What made those outings particularly valuable was the flexibility they provided. Rojas worked at least two innings in every appearance, giving manager Derek Shelton another bridge between the rotation and the back end of the bullpen.
Mick Abel appears close to rejoining the rotation after making another rehab start this week, while Bailey Ober is also progressing toward a return. Even once those starters are back, workload management will likely remain part of the equation. Having a pitcher capable of covering multiple innings allows the Twins to avoid overextending either their rotation or bullpen on a nightly basis.
There are still areas of Rojas' game that need refinement. Despite the impressive ERA, he allowed 10 walks and 11 hits in his first 14.1 major-league innings. The underlying traffic on the bases created challenges that won't always be erased by run prevention alone.
Yet there were signs of progress before the injury interrupted his momentum.
Rojas finished his final two appearances before going on the injured list with seven scoreless innings against the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six. That's the version of Rojas the Twins would gladly welcome back.
With the bullpen still trying to climb out of the bottom tier of several major statistical categories, Minnesota doesn't necessarily need Rojas to become a late-inning star overnight. What it needs is another arm capable of covering meaningful innings and easing the burden on a pitching staff that has been stretched for much of the season.
His rehab assignment is the next step toward that possibility. And for a bullpen still looking for answers, it arrives at a pretty good time.
Continue reading...
