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Twins Reinstate Jorge Polanco

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The Twins announced a series of roster moves today, with infielder Jorge Polanco reinstated from the injured list and right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson recalled from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, righty Jorge Alcalá and infielder Edouard Julien were optioned to Triple-A. The Polanco-Julien swap was reported by Twins Farm Report on Twitter prior to the official club announcement.

Polanco, 29, is in tonight’s lineup, batting fifth and playing second base. This will be his first major league game since August of last year. He was placed on the injured list in early September due to left knee inflammation and wasn’t able to return. As this year’s Spring Training ramped up, everything seemed aligned for him to make the Opening Day roster, but he was eventually slowed down in the middle of March with what chief baseball officer Derek Falvey called “normal soreness.” That ultimate led to an IL-placement on Opening Day, but he’ll now slot back into the Minnesota lineup for the first time in almost eight months.

He began his career as a shortstop and didn’t get especially strong marks for his glovework but showed encouraging offensive abilities. By the end of 2018, he had appeared in 288 games and struck out in just 16.2% of his plate appearances while demonstrating a bit of power with 23 home runs. His .272/.329/.420 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 100, indicating he was exactly league average in that time.

The Twins clearly believed that Polanco would grow into something more, as they then signed him to a five-year, $25.75MM extension with a couple of club options. Polanco has since proved them right, hitting 75 home runs over the past four seasons, one of which was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His .270/.337/.459 line in that time amounts to a wRC+ of 117. He’s since moved to second base in deference to stronger shortstop defenders like Andrelton Simmons and Carlos Correa.

Polanco is now in the final guaranteed season of that extension, though it seems likely that those options will be picked up. The 2024 option is valued at $10.5MM with a $1MM buyout, making it a net $9.5MM decision. The 2025 option is worth $12.5MM with a $750K buyout, making it a net $11.75MM decision. Those are reasonable salaries for a potent bat at an up-the-middle position.

While Polanco has been out of action this year, most of the playing time at second base has gone to Julien, Nick Gordon and Kyle Farmer. Julien will now go back to the minors to get regular work down there. Farmer went on the IL last week after getting hit in the face by a fastball from Lucas Giolito. Though the incident looked quite scary on the broadcast, Farmer managed to avoid any fractures and was mostly limited to dental injuries. He told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press today that he still has to get four root canals next week but has started doing baseball activities like hitting off a tee and taking ground balls.

Jorge Alcala Undergoes Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

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Twins reliever Jorge Alcalá has undergone arthroscopic debridement surgery on his throwing elbow, the club announced (relayed by Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). He’s done for the season, but the Twins anticipate he’ll be ready for Spring Training next year.

Aclalá made just two appearances in 2022, with elbow issues virtually wiping out the year. He first landed on the injured list five days into the season with elbow inflammation, then experienced a setback in June. The issues have deprived the Twins of one of their better relief arms, a pitcher who worked his way into higher-leverage work down the stretch last season. Alcalá tossed a career-high 59 2/3 innings in 2021, posting a 3.92 ERA with an above-average 26.6% strikeout rate and a tiny 5.7% walk percentage.

Had the 27-year-old been healthy and able to replicate that kind of production this season, perhaps the Twins would have a bit more than a one-game cushion over the Guardians in the AL Central. Minnesota’s bullpen has blown 19 leads, fourth-most in the majors. Aside from star rookie Jhoan Durán and converted starter Griffin Jax, the group has struggled. That led to a pair of deadline pickups to fortify the back end, with Minnesota landing All-Star closer Jorge López from the Orioles and veteran righty Michael Fulmer from the division-rival Tigers.

Alcalá entered the season with more than two years of major league service time. He’ll collect a full year for his time on the IL, meaning he’ll surpass the three-year threshold and be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter. Alcalá is controllable through the end of the 2025 campaign.

Cody Stashak To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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JUNE 10: Stashak told reporters that while he hopes to be ready for next Spring Training, he’s likelier to be out into May (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). HIs procedure is scheduled for next Thursday.

JUNE 8: Twins reliever Cody Stashak will undergo surgery to repair a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder, the club informed reporters (including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). He’ll miss the remainder of the season.

Stashak hasn’t pitched since May 21, when he landed on the 15-day injured list with what the team called a shoulder impingement. Unfortunately, further testing has revealed a more serious issue that’ll cost him the remainder of the 2022 campaign. Minnesota is sure to transfer him to the 60-day IL whenever they have a need for a spot on the 40-man roster.

The 28-year-old Stashak has emerged as a unheralded but productive member of the Minnesota relief corps in recent years. A former 13th-round draft choice, the St. John’s product didn’t draw much prospect attention. He’s nevertheless had a decent run at the big league level, pitching to a 4.13 ERA with excellent strikeout and walk rates (27.6% and 4.7%, respectively) through 72 innings since debuting in 2019.

That aggregate run prevention number is inflated by an outlier 2021 season in which Stashak was tagged for nearly seven earned runs per nine innings. He’s posted a sub-4.00 mark in each of his other three years, including a 3.86 across 16 1/3 frames this season. Stashak struck out 15 batters and didn’t issue a single free pass in that time.

The only silver lining is that he’ll collect MLB service time and pay for the rest of the season while rehabbing. Stashak will surpass the three-year service threshold and reach arbitration-eligibility for the first time next winter, and he’s controllable through the end of the 2025 campaign.

In other Twins’ bullpen news, the club announced that righty Jorge Alcalá has halted his rehab process after experiencing elbow stiffness (via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). The 26-year-old had made one rehab appearance with Low-A Fort Myers last Wednesday but hasn’t pitched in a game since that point. Alcalá went on the shelf after just two MLB outings, and Minnesota moved him to the 60-day IL in late April. He posted a 3.92 ERA across 59 2/3 innings last season, earning some higher-leverage opportunities late in the year.

Twins Select Jose Godoy, Place Jhon Romero On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins have placed Jhon Romero on the 10-day injured list and selected the contract of catcher Jose Godoy, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Jorge Alcala, out with elbow inflammation, was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Godoy is back on the active roster in part to protect Gary Sanchez, who is day-to-day with abdominal tightness. The Twins will look to avoid an injured list stint for Sanchez. Godoy has been the third catcher for Minnesota thus far this season, backing up Sachez and Ryan Jeffers. If he appears in a game, however, it will be the first time this season. He had 40 plate appearances with the Mariners last season, slashing .162/.225/.189.

Romero’s IL placement is made retroactive to April 20th. He is suffering from right biceps tendinitis. He was claimed off waivers from the Nationals before the season started and appeared in four games before the injury.

Injury Notes: Walker, Fletcher, Alcala

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The Mets have placed right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker on the 10-day injured list with shoulder bursitis per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Walker started yesterday’s game against the Phillies, pitching two scoreless innings with four strikeouts before leaving the game with shoulder irritation. Though the right-hander himself indicated he’d be alright following an MRI earlier today, it appears the team will be taking a more cautious approach. DiComo adds that Walker will miss at least a couple turns through the rotation as he will stretch out on a rehab assignment when he’s cleared to pitch again.

Electric closer Edwin Diaz will return from the bereavement list and take the roster spot vacated by Walker, sparing the Mets from any further roster shuffling for the time being. With New York’s rotation already thinned following Jacob deGrom’s untimely IL stint, the team will presumably have to rely on internal options— perhaps long reliever and last-year starter David Peterson— to patch over some rotation gaps early in the season.

Some other injury developments from the young season…

  • The Angels announced that they have moved infielder David Fletcher to the 10-day IL with a left hip strain. Infielder Andrew Velazquez, acquired in an offseason waiver claim from the Yankees, has been recalled to man the shortstop position in tonight’s game against the Marlins. It’s an inauspicious start to the 2022 season for Fletcher, who struggled offensively (.622 OPS) across 157 games in the first year of his five-year extension.
  • Twins right-hander Jorge Alcala is also headed to the 10-day IL with right elbow inflammation, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park. Elbow discomfort has followed Alcala around since this spring, so down time may do some good for one of the more quietly effective members of the Twins’ pitching staff the past few seasons. Right-hander Griffin Jax, who saw a plenty of action out of the team’s rotation last year, has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Twins DFA Marcos Diplan, Select Jorge Alcala

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The Minnesota Twins designated Marcos Diplan for assignment, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). Diplan’s designation paves the way for Jorge Alcala to join the big league club at Progressive Field for today’s doubleheader against the Indians. Alcala was not on the 40-man roster prior to today’s call-up.

Alcala, 24, came to the Twins from Houston as part of the Ryan Pressly trade. He is their 23rd ranked prospect, per MLB.com. Baseball America put him at #19 in their midseason report, while Fangraphs was less bullish, ranking him 26th at the outset of the season with a future value score of 40. The 6’3″ right-hander began the year in Double-A, where he made 16 starts and 26 total appearances for a 5.87 ERA and 2.84 K:BB. While those numbers won’t make you jump out of your seat, he did throw 7 2/3 scoreless innings in relief since a promotion to Triple-A.

Diplan, 22, was acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline. He made 8 appearances for Double-A Pensacola since his acquisition with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings.

The team also announced Devin Smeltzer as the starter for game one of today’s twin bill. Smeltzer is 1-2 with a 4.05 ERA/4.96 FIP across 40 innings (4 starts) on the year. The Twins acquired Smeltzer from the Dodgers at last year’s deadline as part of the Brian Dozier deal.

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