Twins’ Mick Abel, David Festa Likely To Miss Rest Of 2026 Season
Twins GM Jeremy Zoll provided reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) with some unfortunate updates on two starting pitchers today. Mick Abel is unlikely to pitch again this season in the aftermath of his arthroscopic elbow surgery on July 1, and David Festa‘s season-long shoulder problems will keep him off the mound for the entirety of the 2026 campaign.
It was almost a year ago that Abel and catching prospect Eduardo Tait were acquired from the Phillies for Jhoan Duran, in one of the most prominent of the many deals the Twins swung as part of their deadline fire sale. The Twins’ focus was mostly on acquiring MLB-ready younger players who could contribute to the roster in immediate fashion, and Abel fit the bill as a former top prospect in his rookie season in the Show.
After four forgettable outings for Minnesota over the rest of the 2025 season, Abel posted a 3.98 ERA over 20 1/3 innings at the start of the year. The righty gave up nine earned runs over his first 7 1/3 innings of work, but rebounded to toss 13 shutout frames over his next two starts. Those ended up being Abel’s last outings of the year, as he was placed on the 10-day injured list due to an initial diagnosis of elbow inflammation.
Abel made a pair of minor league rehab starts in June before more elbow discomfort led to his surgery. A timeline wasn’t provided until today, when Zoll said Abel is scheduled to get his first post-surgery checkup in the last week of August. Even if everything goes well in that evaluation, there isn’t likely to be enough time left in the season for Abel to get through a throwing progression and some rehab outings, even if he is only built up enough for bullpen work.
Festa developed a shoulder impingement during Spring Training and received a stem-cell injection to try and aid the healing process, yet the right-hander hasn’t been able to take part in any game action. “He had thrown a few bullpens and then had a re-occurrence of symptoms in his shoulder,” Zoll said, adding the ominous detail that the Twins think Festa could be dealing with symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome.
This isn’t the first time Festa has dealt with a TOS scare, and more will be known once Festa visits a specialist this week. Once a well-touted prospect in Minnesota’s farm system, Festa posted a 5.12 ERA over 117 2/3 innings over the 2024-25 seasons, but it has been almost a year since his last big league game.
Between Pablo Lopez‘s internal brace surgery and these long-term injuries to Abel and Festa, the Twins’ rotation has lost some notable arms but remained fairly stable in terms of results. Joe Ryan is an ace while Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, and Zebby Matthews have all ranged from okay to inconsistent. Connor Prielipp is on a rehab assignment and could soon return as a fifth starter, but rotation help surely looks like a target for the Twins if the team does some buying at this year’s deadline.
Twins Claim Jack Anderson
The Twins claimed right-hander Jack Anderson off Boston’s waiver wire, as initially reported by 7 News’ Ari Alexander. Minnesota has officially announced the claim, as well as the corresponding 40-man roster move of shifting Anthony Banda from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. (Banda recently underwent a lat surgery that will sideline the left-hander for the rest of the season.)
Anderson was a 16th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2021 draft, and moved to Boston once the Red Sox selected the righty in the minor league Rule 5 Draft in December 2024. After another full season in the minors, Anderson made his Major League debut this year, posting a 3.38 ERA over eight innings and three appearances for the Red Sox in April.
Used primarily as a starter this season in Triple-A, Anderson has mostly been used as a long man and multi-inning reliever over his pro career. Boston’s attempt to turn Anderson back towards starting pitching has yielded mixed results, as he has a 4.81 ERA, 20.5% strikeout rate, and 8.4% walk rate over 58 innings for Worcester.
That said, Anderson has a 4.10 ERA over 48 1/3 IP as a starter and a 6.11 ERA as a reliever, so Minnesota might have interest in carrying on with Anderson in a starting capacity (or perhaps as a swingman or as the front end of a piggyback). The Twins have needs all over the pitching staff, but the relief corps is a more pressing concern given the bullpen’s lack of effectiveness this season. Anderson has all of his minor league options remaining, so the Twins can shift him back and forth from St. Paul with relative ease whenever they need some innings covered.
AL Central Notes: Jeffers, Keaschall, Vest, Pasquantino
One of the most intriguing players heading into the trade deadline made his long-awaited return to the lineup on Friday. Catcher Ryan Jeffers was back behind the plate for the Twins after missing nearly two months with a fractured hamate bone. The backstop needed just five rehab games to get up to speed.
Jeffers will look to pick up where he left off in the first six weeks of the season. He entered Friday’s action with a 165 wRC+ across 37 games. Jeffers was hitting .295 with seven home runs and 26 RBI through 147 plate appearances before the injury. He’s expected to be one of the most sought-after catchers on the trade market ahead of the August 3 deadline.
The Yankees are known to be interested in Jeffers. The Rays are also looking for catching help. New York had a scout at Friday’s game, per La Velle E. Neal III of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Tampa Bay also had folks in attendance keeping an eye on Jeffers, notes Darren Wolfson of KSTP.
Here’s more from around the AL Central…
- While teams are pursuing Jeffers, the Twins might not be so willing to sell. Owner Tom Pohlad suggested a more aggressive approach than in previous seasons during an interview with reporters today. “The barometer for success going forward is, ‘Let’s win a championship,'” Pohlad said, relayed by Dan Hayes of The Athletic. “And that’s going to require us to make decisions, whether it’s at a trade deadline or in the offseason, that look probably pretty different than decisions we would have made in the past.” The Twins are only a game out of the final Wild Card spot.
- The Twins are giving Luke Keaschall reps in center field. The former infielder has started in center the past three games, including tonight against the Angels. Keaschall opened the year as Minnesota’s everyday second baseman, but after he posted -6 Defensive Runs Saved, the club moved him to the outfield. Keaschall has recorded -3 DRS in 99 innings on the grass, with most of his opportunities coming in right field. The Twins have a vacancy in center with Byron Buxton sidelined by a hip injury.
- Tigers reliever Will Vest has a stress fracture in his elbow, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. The injury will not require surgery, and the club expects Vest to pitch again this year. The 31-year-old righty has been an important member of Detroit’s bullpen for several seasons. He picked up a career-high 23 saves last year. Vest has scuffled to a 6.08 ERA in 27 appearances in 2026.
- Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino rejoined the club on Friday against the Orioles. He wasn’t in the lineup tonight, but is expected to play this weekend. Pasquantino missed less than a month with a fractured hamate bone. “He worked exceptionally hard to get through this,” manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “He set his goal really early to get back before the All-Star break, and he had to do a lot of hard work to get here.” Pasquantino is in the middle of his worst offensive season as a big leaguer, with an 81 wRC+ in 68 games.
Photo courtesy of Matt Krohn, Imagn Images
Twins Acquire Tommy Nance From Blue Jays
4:15pm: Both clubs have now announced the trade. The Twins transferred right-hander Mick Abel to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. He first landed on the 15-day IL April 17, so he has already been out more than 60 days. That makes him eligible for reinstatement at any time. He underwent arthroscopic surgery last month and still doesn’t have a clear timeline.
1:52pm: The Twins have acquired right-hander Tommy Nance from the Blue Jays, per reporting from Alden González and Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Blue Jays are receiving minor leaguer Ryan Sprock in return, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Minnesota also receives international bonus pool space, per González. The Twins will need to make corresponding moves to free up space for Nance on their active and 40-man rosters.
The Blue Jays acquired Nance from the Padres in August 2024. The righty proved to be a surprisingly valuable bullpen arm in the second half of their pennant-winning 2025 season, pitching to a 1.99 ERA in 30 appearances. He was mostly limited to a low-leverage role, and he only threw 1 1/3 innings in Toronto’s postseason run, suggesting the team never quite believed his success was sustainable. Yet, to Nance’s credit, his underlying numbers were nearly as impressive as his sub-2.00 ERA. He struck out more than one-quarter of his opponents, generated grounders on more than half the balls they put in play, and never let a pitch leave the yard. Best of all, he had so much success getting hitters to swing at pitches outside the zone that he only walked seven of the 126 batters he faced (5.6%).
Toronto continued using Nance in a low-leverage role in 2026, and he continued to succeed, albeit to a lesser degree. His chase rate is still elite, but his walk rate has climbed, and his opponents have had better luck putting the ball in the air. Through 33 innings, he owns a 3.82 ERA and 3.57 SIERA.
The Twins rank last in MLB with a 5.28 bullpen ERA. Only two of their relievers, Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris, have thrown at least 20 innings with an ERA under 4.00. The 35-year-old Nance has only thrown 159 MLB innings, but that’s more than anyone in Minnesota’s bullpen right now, save for fellow 35-year-old Taylor Rogers, who is having the worst season of his career. Nance is hardly a blockbuster acquisition, but there’s no denying he makes this team better right away.
Despite their bullpen struggles, the Twins have been hot lately. Many thought they would be sellers ahead of the deadline – and they still could be – but they’re only two games back of the White Sox and the Guardians in the AL Central right now, and only one game back of the third Wild Card spot. By making a relatively early trade, it seems like they’re trying to put themselves in a position to justify more significant buying a few weeks from now. They’re also hedging their bets a bit by bringing back some international bonus pool space. In a worst-case scenario, they can always try to flip Nance closer to the deadline, and the bonus pool money will help make up for the loss of Sprock.
Sprock is not a highly-regarded prospect, but his arrow is pointing up. FanGraphs recently ranked him No. 31 in the Twins’ system, giving him a 40 Future Value grade. The 21-year-old is relatively new to catching, but he’s taking to the position well. And while he projects as a glove-first backup catcher, he’s been tearing the cover off the ball at Single-A. In 65 games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels this season, Sprock hit .306 with a 144 wRC+, earning Florida State League Player of the Month honors for June and a promotion to High-A.
As for the Blue Jays, this isn’t necessarily an indication that they’re ready to throw in the towel. As disappointing as their season has been, they’re only 1.5 games behind the Twins and 2.5 back of a Wild Card berth. Nance has been good for Toronto, but his average leverage index when entering games is the lowest of anyone currently on the roster. Only once this year has he come into a game in what FanGraphs defines as a high-leverage spot. It sure seems like manager John Schneider doesn’t trust Nance with a game on the line.
Nance isn’t just on the bottom of the bullpen depth chart. He’s also out of options. That means that if the Blue Jays add a reliever or two before the deadline, there’s no small chance they’d have to part with Nance anyway – and possibly for a much lesser return than Sprock (if any return at all). Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hoffman, Mason Fluharty, and Braydon Fisher are locks at the back end of Toronto’s arm barn, and Patrick Corbin is valuable inning-eating depth. Spencer Miles will also need a spot if a healthy Max Scherzer pushes him back into a more traditional relief role, as will Yimi García if he ever returns from the IL himself. That doesn’t leave much room.
Pitching injuries have hit the Blue Jays hard this season, particularly in their rotation. They’re a perfect example of the age-old lesson that there’s no such thing as too much pitching depth. So, it’s certainly possible they’ll come to regret trading a healthy, effective reliever to a Wild Card competitor. Nevertheless, it isn’t hard to see their logic. They turned a low-leverage journeyman into a promising young catcher. If they keep losing, all they did was start their selling early. If they turn things around, it won’t be long before they’re shopping for a more trustworthy reliever.
Anthony Banda Undergoes Season-Ending Lat Surgery
Twins left-hander Anthony Banda is done for the year. The southpaw tells Dan Hayes of The Athletic that he had surgery on his injured lat and is done for the season. He expects to be ready for next year’s spring training.
Banda landed on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain a couple of weeks ago. At the time, manager Derek Shelton said the injury was pretty significant and that Banda would probably miss months rather than weeks. That timeline left a small window open for Banda to return late in the year but today’s update closes that. Banda will be transferred to the 60-day IL when the Twins need his roster spot.
It’s an unfortunate development for Banda and the team. The lefty wasn’t having an amazing season but was trending in a good direction before getting hurt. He posted a 4.46 earned run average in 34 1/3 innings overall but most of the damage was done early on. From May 5th onward, he had a 1.33 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. There was some luck in there as he had a .259 batting average on balls in play and 90.6% strand rate but it was a nice stretch regardless.
For the Twins, it’s less than ideal to be losing arms from their bullpen. Their relievers have a collective 5.24 ERA on the year, tied with the Royals for worst in the majors. Even if Banda’s hot stretch was fluky, Minnesota is worse off without him.
Despite the rough results from the bullpen, the Twins are hanging in the race, currently just half a game outside a playoff spot. For now, they will proceed with Taylor Rogers and Kody Funderburk as their relief lefties. Kendry Rojas was also recalled today to give them a long relief option. Perhaps they will look to add to this group if they hang around the playoff picture for a few more weeks.
For Banda personally, it’s also not a great development. He’s been a decent reliever in his career but has been pushed to fringe roster status. He was with the Dodgers in 2025 but struggled in the playoffs. Since he is out of options, he was designated for assignment in February, though the Twins sent international bonus pool space to Los Angeles in order to grab him from DFA limbo.
Banda is making $1.625MM this year. He can be retained via arbitration for 2027. The Twins will have to decide whether or not to tender him a contract by November. Perhaps the status of his surgery rehab at that point will factor into the decision. Dating back to the start of 2024, Banda has thrown 149 innings with a 3.44 ERA. His 22.7% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 41% ground ball rate are all fairly average numbers.
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Twins Sign Matt Bowman To Minor League Deal
The Twins have signed right-hander Matt Bowman to a minor league deal, reports Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com. He will report to Triple-A St. Paul and give the Saints a fresh bullpen arm.
Bowman and the Twins are plenty familiar with each other. He pitched for them in 2024, one of many clubs he has suited up for in his journeyman career. He signed a minor league deal with the club in February of this year. At the end of spring training, he triggered an opt-out and was released, but signed a new deal shortly thereafter. He opted out of that deal in May, which led to a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. Last week, he opted out of that deal as well, which allowed the Twins to re-sign him today.
Around all the deal-signing and out-opting, he has thrown 30 Triple-A innings this year, allowing 4.20 earned runs per nine. He has probably deserved better than that. His .325 batting average on balls in play and 69.1% strand rate are both a bit to the unlucky side. Meanwhile, his 26.8% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 54.3% ground ball rate are all better than average.
His big league career numbers are close to that, without as many strikeouts. He has logged 240 2/3 innings over seven different seasons with a 4.38 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 52.3% ground ball rate.
Those strong results have not yet resulted in a major league call-up this year but St. Paul is a pretty good spot for him to be. Minnesota relievers have a collective 5.25 ERA this year, which is the worst such mark in the majors. Given the weakness of the group, there’s not too much standing in Bowman’s way. It’s also possible the Twins sell off some arms ahead of the deadline, though they are currently playing well enough to be within a game and a half of a playoff spot, so that might only happen if they hit a bad stretch this month.
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Twins Place Byron Buxton On Injured List
The Twins announced that they have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip strain, retroactive to July 6th. Fellow outfielder Alan Roden has been recalled in the corresponding move. Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune was among those to pass along the news prior to the club announcement.
Buxton is a supremely talented baseball player but frequent injury issues have often limited the volume of his production. This is his 12th big league season but he has only twice played more than 102 games in a season.
Various injuries have contributed to his absences but the right hip has been a frequent one. A right hip strain put him on the shelf for over a month in 2021 and then again in 2022. Right hip inflammation put him on the IL for just under a month in 2024.
It has continued to be an issue here in 2025. He missed five games in the middle of May due to right hip flexor soreness. When he returned from that issue, he spent more time as the designated hitter, as opposed to being in center field. He started playing center field more regularly in June but that month ended with him dealing with a right hip impingement. He missed four games before returning to the lineup Saturday but then was removed from Sunday’s game after re-aggravating the injury.
At this point, it’s unclear if the Twins expect an extended absence. Perhaps next week’s All-Star Break provided them with a convenient time to give Buxton a rest. If he is ready to return next week, he would only miss six games.
Whether it turns out to be a brief absence or not, it’s a blow to the Twins. Buxton is the best player on the team. He has 25 home runs, a .271/.328/.575 line and seven stolen bases this year. As mentioned, he has often been kept in the DH slot, but he has solid defensive metrics for the time he has spent in center.
With Buxton out, the Twins will have a few options to cover center. Ryan Kreidler, Kody Clemens, Austin Martin and Kyler Fedko have all seen time at the spot this year, though Clemens is currently playing second base almost every day and perhaps needs to stay there. Roden has some limited experience at the position and could factor in as well.
No one in that group can reasonably be expected to produce like Buxton, so it’s a downgrade for the team, ideally only for a short time. The Twins are in a crowded American League playoff picture, currently a game and a half out of a playoff spot. If they stay that close, they could stave off a summer sell-off, but dropping in the standings could make that more likely.
Buxton himself has been in plenty of rumors over the years but shouldn’t be expected to be available this summer. He has a full no-trade clause and has repeatedly said he wants to stay in Minnesota, including as recently as last month. Shortly after Buxton made those comments, general manager Jeremy Zoll doubled down by saying that the club has no plans to move him.
More likely trade candidates include guys like catcher Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach and Joe Ryan, though it’s not a guarantee that any guy in that group will be moved as long as the club keeps their playoff hopes alive.
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Tigers Trade Woo-Suk Go To Twins
July 7: The Twins announced Tuesday that Go has been added to the active roster. He’ll make his big league debut the first time he takes the mound. Right-hander Cody Laweryson was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to open a spot on the active roster.
July 5: The Twins are acquiring right-hander Woo-Suk Go from the Tigers, according to MLive Media Group’s Evan Woodbery. Detroit receives cash considerations in return. Go was not on the Tigers’ 40-man roster, but he has an assignment clause in his contract and must now be added to the Twins’ roster, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
Go joined the Tigers on a non-roster deal back in December. He did not receive an invite to spring training, and he’s instead spent most of this season at Triple-A. For his part, Go has performed very well, posting a 2.60 ERA in 27 2/3 innings along with an impressive 29.1% strikeout rate. He is yet to allow a home run this year. While his opponents’ .239 average on balls in play suggests good fortune, on the whole, Go has done well to force his way into the Majors.
The Tigers were apparently unwilling to give Go a roster spot, so he’ll instead get that chance with a division rival. The Twins have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be needed to accommodate Go’s acquisition. As for the big league bullpen, Minnesota’s relievers have mostly underwhelmed in 2026. Andrew Morris has an above-average 17.1% K-BB rate along with a 3.04 xERA in 40 innings. He’s their only qualified reliever with an ERA under 4.00. Looking more broadly, the bullpen’s 5.28 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate, 11.5% walk rate, and 39.7% ground ball rate are all in the Bottom 10 in the Majors.
While Go’s control has been inconsistent since coming over from Korea in 2024, his propensity for inducing strikeouts and ground balls will certainly be intriguing to his new club. The Twins are at 44-47 following today’s win against the Yankees. They are tied with the Astros at two games out of an AL Wild Card spot. A lot can change between now and the deadline, so for now, the team will take a chance on Go as a low-cost lottery ticket in the bullpen before making a firm decision on buying or selling.
Per Hayes’ report, Go will join the Twins on Tuesday. He’ll be making his big league debut once he gets into a game. With the club still in contention, Go isn’t guaranteed an extended look in the Majors. If the team plays poorly and falls out of contention by the deadline, Go might be given a longer leash in August and September. The righty was outrighted by the Marlins in 2024, so he’d be able to reject another outright assignment if the Twins were to designate him in the future.
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Rays Eyeing Catching Help As Deadline Approaches
As the trade deadline looms just four weeks down the road, the Rays are once again in the market for catching help, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It’s a familiar stance for Tampa Bay. Rays catchers annually rank near the least productive in the sport. They’ve acquired names like Nick Fortes, Hunter Feduccia, Christian Bethancourt, Alex Jackson, Ben Rortvedt and Matt Thaiss over the past few seasons in an effort to find a low-cost option at the position, but it hasn’t paid dividends.
Fortes and Feduccia have taken every plate appearance behind the dish for Tampa Bay this season. The former is hitting .267/.312/.364. By measure of wRC+, that’s 11% worse than a league-average hitter but right in line with a league-average catcher. It also makes Fortes the second-most productive option the Rays have had behind the plate in a half decade, trailing only Danny Jansen, who popped 11 homers and walked at a near-13% clip in 70 games with the ’25 Rays. Meanwhile, Feduccia is hitting .222/.298/.306. Mike Zunino was the last Ray to post better-than-average offense behind the plate back in 2021.
Dating back to Opening Day 2022, Rays catchers have produced only a .213/.270/.342 batting line. The Guardians and White Sox are the only two teams that have received less offense from their catchers in that time. The Rays tend to have above-average defenders behind the dish, which has at least contributed some value at the position, but it’s been a perennial need for some time now.
The market doesn’t figure to have much in the way of impact catching help available. Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers, an impending free agent, stands as the likeliest catcher to be on then market. The 29-year-old got out to a monster start this season — .295/.408/.541, seven homers, equal walk and strikeout rates (15.6%) — but suffered a fractured hamate in his left hand/wrist back in May. That injury required surgery, but Jeffers is on a rehab stint right now and should return before much longer.
Jeffers’ 2026 breakout has drawn plenty of attention, but he’s quietly been one of the game’s best-hitting catchers dating back to 2023. Over his past 1411 major league plate appearances, Jeffers touts a .258/.346/.445 batting line (121 wRC+). The former second-rounder out of UNC Wilmington ranks eighth among qualified catchers in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging percentage in that time. Jeffers swatted a career-high 21 homers back in 2024 and was on pace to trounce that mark this season before his injury. He’s earning a reasonable $6.7MM and will have about $2.02MM of that sum still owed at the time of the Aug. 3 deadline.
The Yankees have been tied to Jeffers, and Rosenthal at least implies that Tampa Bay could give them some competition on that front. As long as he’s healthy, Jeffers should be a popular name on this summer’s market, particularly since backup Victor Caratini has exploded with a .291/.372/.524 performance during Jeffers’ absence. That’ll make it easier for the Twins to trade him. Had Jeffers gone the whole season hitting as he was through mid-May, he’d have been a qualifying offer lock, but that seems like a reach now, so the Twins could trade him even though they’re only four games back in the AL Central and 1.5 back in the Wild Card race. (Caratini could be a target, too, though he’s signed through 2027 at $7MM annually, so Minnesota might prefer to maintain some continuity.)
While Jeffers is the most notable rental name available, he probably won’t be the only one. Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson is earning a near-identical $6.8MM salary to that of Jeffers. He’s also a 29-year-old impending free agent. Stephenson is having a down season, slashing just .233/.321/.367, but he’s drawing walks at a career-high 11.7% clip and making plenty of hard contact. If the Rays felt his batted-ball metrics were a sign that his career-low 9% homer-to-flyball rate is due for some regression, they could try to buy low. After all, even Stephenson’s poor showing at the plate is better than what they typically get from their catchers.
The Reds started the season hot at 20-11 but have gone just 21-37 since. They’re 14.5 games down in the NL Central standings and seven games back in the NL Wild Card hunt. They’re still “only” seven games under .500, so it’s feasible they get hot and hang around the playoff hunt, but Stephenson isn’t going to be a qualifying offer candidate anyhow, so moving him for a modest return when they’re at best fringe contenders would make sense.
The most appealing name for clubs targeting catchers will be Colorado’s Hunter Goodman. The Rockies are again the National League’s worst team. Goodman is again their best player. He has three seasons of club control remaining beyond the current campaign. In 84 games and 352 plate appearances, he’s already bashed 27 homers. Goodman is hitting .254/.318/.552. Detractors might assume he’s thriving because of his home park, but Goodman is actually hitting just .223/.301/.446 at home compared to a gargantuan .284/.335/.654 on the road. His 32.4% strikeout rate is far too high, but his power more than offsets that flaw. The asking price would be substantial, and Goodman will see some hefty salaries in arbitration, but he’s a natural target for any club in the market for some help behind the plate.
Anthony Banda To Miss Months With Significant Lat Strain
The Twins placed left-hander Anthony Banda on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain today. Right-hander Cody Laweryson was recalled as the corresponding move. Manager Derek Shelton tells Matthew Leach of MLB.com that Banda’s injury is significant, with his recovery to take months rather than weeks.
Banda, 32, was acquired from the Dodgers in a February trade. He has thrown 34 1/3 innings for the Twins with a 4.46 earned run average. His 21.2% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate are both pretty close to league average.
He’s not the most dominant relief arm in the league but it’s a notable loss for Minnesota regardless. They traded away most of their bullpen at last year’s deadline, with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe all shipped out of town. They didn’t do much to bolster the group coming into 2026 and, predictably, their bullpen has been one of the worst in the league. Minnesota’s relievers have a collective 5.45 ERA on the year, highest in the majors.
Despite that shaky bullpen, the club is hanging around in the weak American League playoff race. Their 40-45 record isn’t much to look at but the Twins are nonetheless just two games back of a playoff spot at the moment. While an injury to a pitcher with a 4.46 ERA might not be notable at first glance, it takes on extra significance when considering the larger roster picture and playoff race. As they try to keep the season afloat, Taylor Rogers and Kody Funderburk now make up the club’s southpaw relief contingent.
For Banda personally, it’s potentially going to impact his career. He was already a fringe roster guy, depending on the roster. He was part of the Dodgers’ playoff squad last year but struggled in the postseason. The Dodgers tendered him an arbitration contract for 2026, agreeing to a $1.625MM salary, but then designated him for assignment in February. That led to the aforementioned trade to the Twins.
The Twins can retain Banda for 2027 via arbitration but it’s fair to wonder if they will do so. As mentioned, Banda’s numbers have been more passable than great this year. He’s now going to miss a good chunk of the second half. There are only three months left in the season, so it’s entirely possible he doesn’t make it back from this injury before the offseason. In the arbitration system, player salaries almost never go down, so the Twins likely have to decide if Banda is worth a slight raise.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images