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Twins Place Jake Odorizzi On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins placed right-hander Jake Odorizzi on the 10-day injured list yesterday due to a blister on his right middle finger.  Righty Sean Poppen was called up from the Twins’ alternate training site to take Odorizzi’s spot on the active roster.

The placement is retroactive to September 17, so Odorizzi can be activated on the last day of the regular season.  While blisters can be a nagging problem, Odorizzi is expected to miss only the minimum amount of time, though he’ll miss even more time in what has been an injury-plagued season for the veteran righty.  Odorizzi has pitched only 13 2/3 innings due to two previous IL stints — the first for a back strain suffered during Summer Camp, and the second for a chest contusion after Odorizzi was hit in the chest with an Alex Gordon line drive.

Unsurprisingly, all the stops and starts have seemingly impacted Odorizzi’s performance, as he has only a 6.59 ERA and has been tagged for four homers over those 13 2/3 frames.  As a result, Odorizzi seems ticketed for bullpen action during the Twins’ postseason run, and it certainly isn’t the platform year Odorizzi was looking for as he prepares to head into free agency this offseason.  Odorizzi was also scheduled for free agency last offseason but he accepted the Twins’ one-year, $17.8MM qualifying offer rather than test the open market.

Twins Reinstate Mitch Garver

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The Twins announced that they’ve reinstated catcher Mitch Garver from the 10-day injured list and optioned utility player Willians Astudillo. La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune first reported on Garver’s return.

The Twins have gone without Garver since he went on the IL on Aug. 20 with a right intercostal strain. Before that, Garver only managed a .154/.262/.212 line with one home run in 61 plate appearances. That production represents a stunning drop-off for a player who seemingly broke through a season ago by slashing .273/.365/.630 with 31 homers and 3.9 fWAR in just 359 trips to the plate. Garver led all major leaguers with 350-plus PA then in isolated power (.357), but that number has plummeted to .058 this year.

At 31-21, the Twins are in position for a second straight playoff berth, but it doesn’t appear another AL Central title is in the cards, as they’re three games behind the White Sox. Regardless, if Garver’s able to round back into last year’s form upon his return, it would certainly increase the Twins’ World Series chances. Garver, rookie Ryan Jeffers and Alex Avila could comprise a strong trio at catcher.

Twins Outright Zack Littell

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The Twins passed right-hander Zack Littell through outright waivers and have assigned him to their alternate training site in St. Paul, tweets Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The move opens a spot on the team’s 40-man roster, which could open a spot for the return of righty Homer Bailey from the 45-day injured list or open a spot to select the contract of a non-roster player.

It would have been hard to imagine Littell clearing waivers a year ago this time and still registers as a bit of a surprise that no team placed a claim. The 24-year-old allowed seven runs through 6 1/3 frames in 2020 but also gave the Twins 37 innings of 2.68 ERA ball in 2019. That included a dominant stretch beginning with his June recall from Triple-A, wherein Littell rattled off 30 2/3 innings with just three runs allowed (0.88 ERA) and a 27-to-8 K/BB ratio. Littell’s velocity remained consistent with its career levels, as he averaged 94.1 mph on his heater in this year’s small sample of work.

Littell remains in the Twins’ 60-man player pool, so he can still be summoned later this season should a need arise, and he’ll still be under the organization’s control beyond the current season.

Twins Activate Jake Odorizzi, Option Randy Dobnak

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Twins right-hander Jake Odorizzi and catcher Alex Avila are returning from the injured list, Dan Hayes of The Athletic was among those to report. The club optioned right-hander Randy Dobnak and infielder Travis Blankenhorn, who will be part of its taxi squad, to clear roster room.

The Twins have gone most of the season without Odorizzi, who didn’t debut until Aug. 8 because of a back strain. Then, after three starts, he returned to the IL on Aug. 22 with a chest contusion. So far in 2020, the 30-year-old has only thrown 10 innings and allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits and two walks (nine strikeouts). That isn’t what the Twins or Odorizzi had in mind on the heels of his first All-Star season in 2019, after which he accepted the club’s $17.8MM qualifying offer. Odorizzi could once again have the option of free agency in the winter, but barring an incredible run over the next several weeks, he’ll get there in the wake of a disappointing season.

Odorizzi will take over in the Twins’ rotation for Dobnak, a rookie whose 2020 got off to a tremendous start. But Dobnak’s low velocity and lack of strikeouts have caught up to him recently, as the 25-year-old has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his four outings since Aug. 29. In fairness to Dobnak, however, he has still given the Twins respectable production with a 4.05 ERA/3.97 FIP, 5.21 K/9 against 2.51 BB/9, and a terrific 62.1 percent groundball rate through 46 2/3 innings.

AL Injury Notes: Twins, Astros, Altuve, Taylor, Drake

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The Twins saw Eddie Rosario, Trevor May, and Miguel Sano all leave Sunday’s 7-5 win over the Indians, though “everything does seem relatively mild” in regard to these injuries, manager Rocco Baldelli told Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press and other reporters.  Rosario had perhaps the most overt injury, as an awkward collision with Byron Buxton during a Buxton catch left Rosario with what the team described as a left elbow contusion.  May left the game due to some minor back cramps, while Sano is dealing with a sore neck.  While none of the injuries seem like a big concern for now, it’s possible any or all of the trio could get a day off on Monday when the Twins begin a huge four-game series against the White Sox.  Obviously even brief absences wouldn’t be ideal for a Minnesota team that will want all hands on deck for a series that will factor so heavily in the AL Central race.

More injury updates from the American League…

  • The Astros have been hit hard by injuries this season, but two notable reinforcements could be on the way back.  Jose Altuve took some swings in the batting cage yesterday and left-hander Blake Taylor could begin throwing as early as today, manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome).  Altuve was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right knee sprain on September 5, while Taylor hit the IL two days later with soreness in his throwing elbow.  Should both continue to recover with no setbacks, the players could be activated from the injured list for the Astros’ upcoming series against the Rangers, with Altuve eligible for activation tomorrow (a Houston off-day) and Taylor on Wednesday.
  • Rays right-hander Oliver Drake is set to be activated off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other media.  Drake has missed over a month of action due to right biceps tendinitis, and has tossed only 5 1/3 innings in 2020.  Drake was a standout performer out of Tampa’s bullpen in 2019, with a 3.21 ERA, 3.68 K/BB rate, and 11.3 K/9 over 56 innings.  The Rays are slowly starting to get some of their many injured hurlers back, though Drake is one of eight pitchers currently on the IL, several of whom are out with season-ending injuries.
  • After this look at the AL’s injury picture, check out this pack of National League injury notes from earlier today on MLBTR.

Twins Activate Max Kepler From Injured List

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The Twins announced they have activated outfielder Max Kepler from the 10-day injured list. As expected, the right fielder returns after the minimum time off due to a left adductor strain.

Kepler has taken a bit of a step back from his breakout 2019 effort. After hitting .252/.336/.519 (121 wRC+) with 36 home runs last year, he’s down to .220/.322/.431 over his first 143 plate appearances this season. That’s still productive, though, and Kepler’s .222 batting average on balls in play hints at a bit of forthcoming positive regression. Even if he settles in as more of an above-average regular than a true star, Kepler’s a plenty valuable piece of the Twins’ lethal lineup. At 29-18, Minnesota’s a lock for the postseason, but they’re jockeying with the White Sox and Indians in a three-way battle for the AL Central. Chicago currently leads Minnesota by one game.

Unsurprisingly, fellow outfielder Brent Rooker is hitting the injured list in a corresponding move. The former supplemental first-rounder was lost for the season yesterday after fracturing his forearm on a hit-by-pitch.

Twins’ Brent Rooker Suffers Fractured Forearm

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Twins outfielder Brent Rooker suffered a fractured right forearm during tonight’s game, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters.  Rooker suffered the injury after being hit by a pitch from Cleveland’s Zach Plesac during the fourth inning of Minnesota’s 8-4 victory over the Indians.

The forearm injury brings a painful end to Rooker’s first MLB season, but the 25-year-old at least made an impressive accounting of himself.  Rooker hit .316/.381/.579 over 21 plate appearances since being called up to the big leagues on September 4.  Rooker was promoted since Max Kepler went to the injured list with an adductor strain, and in an ironic twist, Kepler is expected back soon and could potentially be the one who replaces Rooker on the active roster.

The 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Rooker ranked 98th on Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list prior to the 2018 season, though evaluators in general have considered him to be a step below an elite level prospect due to questions about his defense and the amount of swing-and-miss in his approach at the plate.  Rooker is a bit of a “three true outcomes” type, as his strikeouts come with a fair amount of walks and some plus power.  Rooker hit .267/.357/.505 with 54 home runs over 1110 PA in Minnesota’s farm system.

Depending on how Rooker’s glovework develops, he could be the heir apparent to Eddie Rosario in the Twins’ corner outfield, or maybe a DH if time ever catches up to Nelson Cruz.  With blue chip outfield prospects like Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach ahead of him on the minor league prospect rankings, it remains to be seen where Rooker fits into the Twins’ future, though the small sample size of his 2020 debut provided some indication he can handle big league pitching.

Twins Option Devin Smeltzer, Reinstate Cody Stashak

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The Twins optioned southpaw Devin Smeltzer to their alternate training site while reinstating Cody Stashak from the injured list, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. The team has also announced the moves.

Smeltzer played a relatively important role on the 2019 Twins because of his ability to plug the gaps on the pitching staff, hurling 49 innings by way of 6 starts and 5 relief appearances with a 3.86 ERA. This season has been more of a grind for the New Jersey native. In 7 appearances including 1 start, Smeltzer has picked up a pair of wins with a 6.75 ERA. The bloated ERA might not be as bad as it seems: 8.4 K/9 to 2.8 BB/9 and a 4.02 FIP suggest a much better effort from the left-hander. He nonetheless heads back to the alternate training site a day after allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 1 1/3 innings to the Tigers.

Without Smeltzer, the Twins are down to Taylor Rogers and Caleb Thielbar as the only lefties in the pen. Rogers, of course, doesn’t function as a traditional lefty given his role as the team’s closer. Sergio Romo is also an effective weapon against lefties, as the veteran has held opposite-hand hitters to a .174/.231/.261 line this season. He’s been effective against lefties primarily by staying away with his frisbee slider and hammering the bottom corner of the zone with his sinker.

Stashak, 26, came into the season with a 3.24 ERA/3.01 FIP from 18 appearances covering 25 innings in 2019. This season he’s appeared in 6 game thus far, allowing 3 earned runs across 7 innings for a 3.86 ERA. Stashak brings a 92 mph heater about 50% of the time, backing it up with a slider away to righties and in on left-handers. He’ll give the Twins another option for the middle innings.

Twins Place Alex Avila On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins placed Alex Avila on the 10-day injured list earlier today, as the catcher is sidelined due to lower back tightness.  Utilityman Willians Astudillo and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. were called up from Minnesota’s alternate training site to replace both Avila and righty Sean Poppen, who was optioned down to the alternate site.

Avila has hit .167/.352/.262 over 54 plate appearances this season, getting a more even share of playing time than expected since regular catcher Mitch Garver has himself been on the IL since August 20.  With both Garver and Avila out, the Twins’ catching corps consists of rookie Ryan Jeffers and Astudillo, who has played every position except shortstop over his three MLB seasons but has spent the majority of his time behind the plate.

Juan Graterol, Tomas Telis, and Caleb Hamilton are the other catchers at Minnesota’s alternate training site, leaving the club without much catching experience as it fights the White Sox, Indians, and even the surprising Tigers for first place in the AL Central.  It isn’t yet known when Garver could return, though manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other media that Avila wasn’t expected to miss much or any time beyond the minimum 10 days.

Cubs Claim Ildemaro Vargas, Release Jharel Cotton

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The Cubs have claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Twins, the team announced.  In another move, the Cubs also announced that right-hander Jharel Cotton has been released.

Vargas was designated for assignment three days ago, as Minnesota looked to clear roster space for Josh Donaldson’s activation from the injured list.  Vargas is now on the move for the second time in a month, as the Twins only just acquired him a trade from the Diamondbacks (after another DFA) in early August.

Vargas has 45 combined plate appearances with the D’Backs and Twins this season, and has hit .255/.284/.385 over 289 career PA at the big league level, all but 24 of them in an Arizona uniform.  The switch-hitting Vargas has primarily worked as a second baseman in the minors and at the big league level, but he has experience at multiple other positions (mostly shortstop and third base) and thus offers some value as a utility piece.

Since Vargas is out of options, the Cubs will have to carry him on their Major League roster lest they risk designating him again and losing him to another team’s waiver claim.  Vargas will join Nico Hoerner and David Bote as Chicago’s primary backup infielders, with Jason Kipnis increasingly getting the lion’s share of regular second base playing time.

Cotton was acquired from the Athletics in an offseason trade, and the righty will now look for a new team to get his career back on track.  Once a top-100 ranked prospect during his time in Oakland’s farm system, Cotton hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2017 due to Tommy John surgery.  His brief big league resume consists of a 4.95 ERA over 158 1/3 innings in 2016-17, though Cotton has a solid 3.85 ERA, 3.84 K/BB rate, and 10.2 K/9 over 496 career innings at the minor league level.

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