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Emmanuel Rodríguez

Twins Notes: Tonkin, Canterino, Topa, Rodriguez

By Mark Polishuk | March 8, 2025 at 6:52pm CDT

We already covered Erasmo Ramirez’s long-term shoulder issues in larger detail earlier tonight, but Twins trainer Nick Paparesta’s meeting with reporters (including MLB.com and La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) also addressed the status of several other players.

Right-hander Michael Tonkin seems to be the newest player bitten by the injury bug, as the reliever is battling a strain in his right rotator cuff.  The strain appears to be on the mild side, as Paparesta said Tonkin’s MRI came back clean.  For now, Tonkin will be shut down for the next 7-10 days and then re-evaluated.

Tonkin tossed 79 1/3 combined innings with the Yankees, and two separate stints apiece between the Mets and Twins.  Beginning the season on the Amazins’ roster, Tonkin went from the Mets to the Twins to the Mets to the Yankees and then finally back to Minnesota after being repeatedly designated for assignment and then traded or claimed on waivers.  Amidst all of these moves, Tonkin delivered solid numbers, posting a 3.63 ERA, 25% strikeout rate, and 8.8% walk rate.

These results continued what has been a pretty successful second act to Tonkin’s big league career.  After appearing in parts of five seasons with the Twins from 2013-17, Tonkin didn’t return to the majors again until 2023, as his interim years were spent pitching in the minor leagues, Nippon Professional Baseball, independent ball, and sitting out altogether during the pandemic-marred 2020 season.  The 35-year-old entered Minnesota’s spring camp looking for more stability and to secure a job in the Twins bullpen, though this injury setback may hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster.

Matt Canterino is unfortunately no stranger to injuries, as the 2019 second-round pick has seen his pro career repeatedly stalled by arm problems.  Between a Tommy John surgery and then a rotator cuff strain, Canterino hasn’t pitched at all since 2022, and he now faces an appointment with Dr. Keith Meister this week in the wake of another shoulder strain.

The exact severity of Canterino’s latest injury won’t be known until the right-hander undergoes an internal dye procedure known as an MR arthogram.  In terms of what the team knows at the moment, Paparesta said “last year [Canterino] had a fairly moderate right subscap strain.  This year it is a little bit of a milder subscap with a more moderate strain of his teres major and latissimus dorsi.”

The bottom line is that even in a best-case evaluation, Canterino is likely facing another lengthy absence as he tries to put this latest injury behind him.  Canterino has pitched only 85 professional innings, though his impressive numbers (1.48 ERA, 39.16% strikeout rate) hint his potential if he can just stay healthy.

Justin Topa’s pro career has also been heavily impacted by injuries, including left knee problems that limited him to only three games with Minnesota in 2024.  His work in camp was halted by soreness in his right shoulder, though Paparesta said the problem wasn’t severe enough to merit an MRI, and Topa could resume throwing as early as today.

Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez also seems to be making progress from a sprained ankle, as Rodriguez took part in a live batting practice yesterday.  Beyond just the recovery from his ankle sprain, the BP session also seemingly provided Rodriguez some relief from the thumb problems that plagued him for most of 2024.  Rodriguez underwent surgery on his thumb back in November, and Paparesta said that following batting practice, Rodriguez commented that “it didn’t hurt for the first time in seven months” after swinging and missing.

Rodriguez might see some game action as early as this week, if he is able to run the bases without issue.  With only seven Triple-A games under his belt, Rodriguez is expected to begin the 2025 campaign in the minors, but all signs point to the outfielder making his MLB debut at some point during the coming season.

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Minnesota Twins Notes Emmanuel Rodríguez Justin Topa Matt Canterino Michael Tonkin

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AL Central Notes: Royals Pitching, Rodriguez, Manning

By Mark Polishuk | November 9, 2024 at 5:17pm CDT

With Michael Wacha retained on a three-year deal worth at least $51MM, “we don’t expect to be in the market for a starter moving forward.  We’re going to focus on some other things,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com’s Maria Guardado and other reporters during the GM Meetings.  Picollo cited the projected top five of Wacha, Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer, and Alec Marsh, and said that the Royals continue to view Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch as starters even though both pitched primarily as relievers in 2024.  All in all, the GM is “very comfortable with our starting pitching right now,” and added that “we feel very good about the depth of our bullpen right now” as well.

As noted by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, it is possible the Royals could still add a veteran arm as depth, so the door probably isn’t closed entirely on Kansas City’s starting pitching plans even if re-signing Wacha checked a major box on the to-do list.  There were some reports earlier this week suggesting that the Royals could consider moving Marsh or Bubic in order to land lineup help, and such a trade would in all likelihood lead to K.C. pursuing some extra pitching to shore up the depth chart.  Some level of relief additions are also probably likely, even if these might take the form of minor league signings if Picollo is really as set as he claims about the bullpen mix.

More from around the AL Central…

  • Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez underwent a “cleanup procedure” of a right thumb operation after the season, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters.  Rodriguez is expected to be recovered and ready for the start of Spring Training in February.  Even with thumb problems limiting him to 47 games and 209 plate appearances across four minor league levels in 2024, Rodriguez was still a force at the plate, hitting .280/.459/567 with nine homers.  This has essentially been the story of Rodriguez’s young pro career, as his potential has stood out despite playing in only 230 games over parts of four seasons due to multiple injuries.  Baseball America ranks Rodriguez as the 14th-best prospect in the sport, and assuming he can stay healthy, the outfielder should be making his Major League debut at some point in 2025.
  • Speaking of careers hampered by injuries, Matt Manning has yet to really take off as a big leaguer since being drafted ninth overall in 2016.  Manning has a respectable 4.43 ERA in 254 innings with the Tigers since making his MLB debut in 2021, but with only a 16.4% career strikeout rate.  Despite the lack of a breakout to date, Tigers president of baseball ops Scott Harris told Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press that the team still views Manning as a starting pitcher, and expects him to compete for a rotation job in camp.  Harris feels Manning’s splitter can become a quality secondary pitch for the right-hander, as Petzold observes that Manning has had trouble developing a true second offering beyond his solid four-seamer.  Detroit has been rumored to be looking for pitching additions this winter, but for now, Manning will be vying for one of the two open rotation spots behind the top three of Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, and Casey Mize.
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Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Minnesota Twins Notes Emmanuel Rodríguez Matt Manning

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Twins Select Emmanuel Rodríguez, Austin Martin

By Leo Morgenstern | November 14, 2023 at 5:02pm CDT

The Twins have selected outfielder Emmanuel Rodríguez and utility player Austin Martin to the 40-man roster just ahead of the 5:00 pm CT Rule 5 deadline, the team revealed (as reported by several sources, including Bobby Nightengale of the StarTribune). These moves bring the 40-man roster up to 38 players.

Rodríguez, 20, is highly unlikely to appear in the majors this coming season, but evidently, the Twins believe the promising young outfielder is too talented to leave unprotected. After missing most of the 2022 season with a knee injury, the slugging center fielder came back strong in 2023, hitting 13 doubles, 9 triples, and 16 home runs, good for a 145 wRC+ at High-A. On top of that, he showed off his speed, stealing 20 bases, and his strong arm, recording seven outfield assists.

Martin, 24, is not quite as highly-regarded a prospect as Rodríguez, but he is more likely to contribute at the major league level in 2024, and thus, the team saw reason to protect him from the draft. A versatile defender, Martin is primarily a shortstop but also has experience playing all three outfield positions. He is also a quick runner and a disciplined hitter, as demonstrated by his 19 stolen bases, 39 walks, and only 46 strikeouts last season in 67 games. His offensive ceiling is limited by his lack of power, but he has the skills to contribute off the bench for a big league team.

Earlier this month, the Twins added 24-year-old infielder Yunior Severino and 24-year-old catcher Jair Camargo to the 40-man roster, preventing them from reaching minor league free agency and protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft. Notable names that were not protected include 26-year-old outfielder DaShawn Keirsey, 25-year-old utility player Anthony Prato, and 27-year-old utility player Michael Helman.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Austin Martin Emmanuel Rodríguez

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