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Matt Canterino

Twins Sign Matt Canterino To Two-Year Minor League Deal

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The Twins re-signed Matt Canterino to a two-year minor league contract, they informed reporters (including Betsy Helfand of The St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Minnesota had released Canterino, who will miss this season after undergoing shoulder surgery during Spring Training, last week.

That sequence came in response to the righty’s latest in what has been a brutal series of injuries. Minnesota no longer wanted to carry Canterino on the 40-man roster. Injured players cannot go on outright waivers, so they either needed to add him to the major league injured list or release him. Placing him on the major league IL would have required paying him the $760K minimum salary, and there’s a decent chance they would have taken him off the 40-man when the injured list goes away during the offseason anyhow.

Canterino was once one of Minnesota’s most promising young arms. The Rice product ranked in the top half of Baseball America’s ranking of the organization’s top 30 prospects every season between 2020-24. A mid-90s fastball and plus slider gave him a chance at a mid-rotation role or potential leverage work out of the bullpen.

He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy for almost his entire professional career. Canterino battled elbow issues early in his minor league tenure. That was a precursor for 2022 Tommy John surgery. He missed two seasons recovering from that procedure. Minnesota added him to the 40-man roster during the 2022-23 offseason so as not to lose him in the Rule 5 draft, but he hasn’t thrown a regular season pitch since then. They were hopeful that he’d return from the elbow problem this year. The shoulder issue arose during Spring Training and will cost him yet another season.

Canterino has been very effective in his intermittent stints. He has a 1.48 ERA with a 39.1% strikeout rate over 85 career minor league frames. The Twins will be able to see how his stuff looks next year, probably in a relief role, without carrying him on the 40-man. He’ll be entering his age-28 season.

Twins Release Matt Canterino

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The Twins released righty Matt Canterino, according to the MLB.com transaction log. That was the likeliest outcome when Minnesota designated the injured pitcher for assignment last week. Canterino underwent season-ending shoulder surgery midway through Spring Training.

Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers. The Twins therefore needed to trade Canterino or release him after the DFA. A trade of a pitcher rehabbing shoulder surgery seemed unlikely. Assuming he goes unclaimed on release waivers, Canterino will become a free agent. The Twins can look to bring him back on a two-year minor league contract, though the former second-round pick will have the ability to explore other opportunities.

Canterino was once one of Minnesota’s most promising young arms. The Rice product ranked in the top half of Baseball America’s ranking of the organization’s top 30 prospects every season between 2020-24. A mid-90s fastball and plus slider gave him a chance at a mid-rotation role or potential leverage work out of the bullpen.

He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy for almost his entire professional career. Canterino battled elbow issues early in his minor league tenure. That was a precursor for 2022 Tommy John surgery. He missed two seasons recovering from that procedure. Minnesota added him to the 40-man roster during the 2022-23 offseason so as not to lose him in the Rule 5 draft, but he hasn’t thrown a regular season pitch since then. They were hopeful that he’d return from the elbow problem this year. The shoulder issue arose during Spring Training and will cost him yet another season.

Canterino has been very effective in his intermittent stints. He has a 1.48 ERA with a 39.1% strikeout rate over 85 career minor league frames. He’ll turn 28 in December.

Twins Designate Matt Canterino For Assignment

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The Twins have designated right-hander Matt Canterino for assignment, reports Phil Miller of the Minnesota Star Tribune. That’s the corresponding move to open a 40-man spot for prospect Luke Keaschall, whose promotion was reported yesterday. Catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper has been optioned to Triple-A Saint Paul to open an active roster spot for Keaschall.

Canterino, 27, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery about a month ago. Injured players aren’t allowed to be placed on outright waivers. Unless some club out there wants to trade for Canterino, he’ll be on release waivers in the coming days.

That recent surgery is just the latest in a series of health issues that have derailed Canterino’s trajectory. Once upon a time, he was a very promising prospect. The Twins selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He then put up a 1.44 earned run average in his first 25 professional innings.

He hasn’t been able to pitch much more than that in the subsequent years. The 2020 minor league season was canceled by the pandemic. Canterino logged 23 innings in 2021 with a 0.78 ERA and 37 innings in 2022 with a 1.95 ERA, battling through ongoing elbow problems. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2022.

The talent was enough that the Twins didn’t want him to be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, so he got a 40-man roster spot in November of 2022. He then missed all of 2023 while recovering from his surgery. A return in 2024 seemed possible until shoulder problems set him back. As mentioned, those shoulder issues ultimately resulted in surgery about a month ago.

At this point, Canterino hasn’t pitched in any official game action since the summer of 2022 and he won’t be returning soon. The numbers have been good, including huge strikeout totals, but the health problems have been so considerable that the Twins would be forgiven for running out of hope about his future.

Sometimes, in these situations, a player will be released and then rejoin his club via a minor league deal. The Twins would likely have interest in that scenario, as they could keep Canterino around without giving him a roster spot. However, he would have the ability to speak with the 29 other teams before signing a new pact.

Photo courtesy of Chris Tilley, Imagn Images

Twins Prospect Matt Canterino Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Twins right-hander Matt Canterino has undergone season-ending surgery to “tighten” ligaments in his throwing shoulder, as relayed by Phil Miller of the Star Tribune.

It’s a brutal blow for the 27-year-old hurler, who will now miss a third consecutive season after last pitching during the regular season back in 2022. A second-round pick by the Twins back in 2019, Canterino has been nothing short of dominant during his professional career but has been had his career thrown off the rails by injury woes. After posting a sterling 1.44 ERA in seven starts down the stretch during his draft year, Canterino missed the entire 2020 season (like all minor leaguers) due to the cancelled minor league season that year.

Upon returning to action in 2021, the right-hander was once again dominant with a sensational 0.78 ERA but made just six starts due to a forearm injury. He returned to action in 2022 and picked up right where he had left off, with a 1.83 ERA and a 34.8% strikeout rate in his first taste of Double-A action, but that 2021 forearm issue resurfaced and he ultimately required Tommy John surgery. That led him to miss the entire 2023 campaign, and in 2024 he was sidelined the entire year due to a rotator cuff strain. He pitched a scoreless inning during Spring Training this year but was shut down earlier this month due to a shoulder strain, which has now required him to go under the knife once again.

It’s a devastating turn of events for Canterino and deeply frustrating for the Twins, particularly given the right-hander’s obvious and immense talent when healthy enough to take the mound. While he’s been limited to just 85 innings in his minor league career, those innings could hardly have been more impressive. He’s posted a lifetime 1.48 ERA during his professional career while striking out a sensational 39.2% of opponents. His 10.5% walk rate is certainly elevated, but that issue is masked by Canterino’s overpowering stuff and an impressive ability to keep the ball in the park. He’s surrendered just three home runs throughout his MiLB career despite his fly ball-heavy approach, and it’s easy to imagine him finding success at Triple-A and even in the majors with his impressive repertoire so long as he can eventually stay healthy enough to use it.

Canterino is currently on the 40-man roster, which means the Twins could theoretically place him on the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot should they need to at some point this year. With that being said, doing so would mean that Canterino will accrue big league service time this year despite not having made his MLB debut. Alternatively, Canterino can be placed on the minor league injured list, where he would not accrue MLB service time but would count against the club’s 40-man roster.

Twins Notes: Tonkin, Canterino, Topa, Rodriguez

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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.

AL Notes: Slater, Garcia, Canterino

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White Sox outfielder Austin Slater was scratched from yesterday’s game with a left oblique strain, with Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times among those to relay the information. The club hasn’t provided any details about how long they expect Slater to be out but oblique strains are notoriously pesky.

The Sox have taken a few hits to their outfield mix recently. Andrew Benintendi suffered a fracture in his hand after being hit by a pitch and is slated to be out of action for four to six weeks. Michael A. Taylor has been undergoing scans due to some elbow inflammation.

The club isn’t planning on being competitive this year but has made an effort to bolster the roster. They signed Slater, Taylor and Mike Tauchman to join an outfield/designated hitter mix alongside Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. The idea was seemingly to add some veteran presence to a young roster while also giving the club some potential midseason trade candidates. With some more playing time opening up, perhaps young guys like Dominic Fletcher or Oscar Colás could seize roles. The club also has Joey Gallo, Brandon Drury and Corey Julks among their non-roster invitees.

Some more notes from around the Junior Circuit…

  • Rangers left-hander Robert Garcia hopes to be a closer someday, telling Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News as much. He also believes now is a good time to take a shot at it with Texas not having a set closer yet. Garcia had a 4.22 earned run average last year but his 29.9% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate were quite strong. A .329 batting average on balls in play and 57.2% strand rate pushed that ERA up, which is why he had a 2.38 FIP and 2.71 SIERA. He doesn’t yet have a save in his career but has 17 holds. His main competition could come from veteran Chris Martin, who has plenty of good numbers on his track record but more as a setup guy than a closer. Martin has 14 career saves in the majors and 106 holds, though he did have a 21-save season in Japan in 2016.
  • Twins right-hander Matt Canterino has been shut down due to a right shoulder strain, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune. He’s awaiting a second opinion with no current timetable for his return. It’s another unfortunate setback for a righty who has had many. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2023 season and then a rotator cuff strain prevented him from getting back on the mound last year, meaning he hasn’t pitched in official game action since 2022. Thanks to the pandemic and some other injuries, he only tossed 85 innings from 2019 to 2022. He had an excellent 1.85 ERA and 39.2% strikeout rate in that time, prompting the Twins to protect him from the Rule 5 draft by giving him a roster spot in November of 2022. But since then, he has burned through two of his option years without throwing an official pitch and is now hurt again.

Twins Notes: Paddack, Festa, Canterino, Bullpen

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The Twins placed righty Chris Paddack on the 15-day injured list yesterday due to fatigue in his right shoulder, but the right-hander made clear in a follow-up interview that he’s not concerned about any potential injury (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune). “This isn’t pain or discomfort,” said Paddack, who’s in his first season full season back from the second Tommy John surgery of his career. “This is fatigue.”

Paddack expanded that while his general approach is that he wants the ball at every opportunity, he also felt the need to listen to his body and “not be a hero” after a recent dip in his fastball velocity and feelings of a “dead arm.” The 28-year-old righty has tossed 78 1/3 innings this season — already his most since 2021 and in fact more than he pitched in 2022-23 combined (majors and minor league rehab work included). Some fatigue and workload management was to be expected, and the recent drop in velocity prompted the team to make a move.

Notably, Nightengale adds that manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed Paddack will return to the rotation once he’s reinstated from the injured list. There’s no plan to shift the right-hander to a relief role at this time, though he thrived in that setting down the stretch and in the postseason with the Twins last year when he tossed a combined 8 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk with a hefty 14 strikeouts. Paddack’s fastball sat at a career-high 95.5 mph last year in relief, per Statcast, and he was frequently touching the upper 90s in the playoffs.

Perhaps a return to that role could be in play down the line (speculatively speaking), but the organization will continue starting him for now. Paddack has a 5.29 ERA in 15 starts, due largely to a pair of ugly outings at Camden Yards (nine runs) and at Yankee Stadium (seven runs).

In the short term, the Twins will need to plug someone into the fifth spot in their rotation. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reports that Minnesota will start reliever Ryan Jensen today at Triple-A instead of top prospect David Festa, presumably setting the stage for Festa to make his big league debut tomorrow in Arizona. (Note: I misread the team’s game log yesterday and incorrectly wrote that Festa had pitched too recently to be an option; my apologies for the error.)

The 24-year-old Festa has been sharp in Triple-A this season, pitching to a 3.77 ERA with a huge 35.1% strikeout rate, a 9.7% walk rate and a strong 45.5% grounder rate. While his walk rate could stand to come down a few ticks, it’s worth pointing out that Festa has improved considerably in that regard as the season has progressed. After walking an alarming 20% of his opponents through his first four starts, he’s slashed his walk rate to 6.7% — including zero walks over his past two outings. His strikeout rate has improved a bit as he’s honed his command, sitting at 37.3% in his 10 most recent outings.

Festa is considered one of the Twins’ best — if not their best — pitching prospects. He sits at No. 99 on MLB.com’s recently updated top-100 list and is the game’s No. 93 prospect over at FanGraphs. He’s been a nice development story for the Twins as a 13th-round pick in 2021 who signed for a $125K bonus. Minnesota will need to add Festa to the 40-man roster if he is indeed called upon for his debut, but they have an open spot at the moment anyhow (and righty Brock Stewart has already been on the 15-day IL for nearly 60 days in the event that they need a second space anytime soon).

While Festa’s progress toward the big leagues is a big positive, the Twins’ former top pitching prospect, Matt Canterino, has had yet another setback, per Nightengale. The 26-year-old righty is headed for an MRI on his shoulder after experiencing discomfort in a recent bullpen session. Canterino, the No. 54 overall pick back in 2019, has dominated minor league opponents when healthy, evidenced by a career 1.48 ERA and 39.1% strikeout rate since being drafted.

Unfortunately, between the pandemic-canceled 2020 season and repeated injuries, he’s only been able to pitch 85 innings in total. He most recently underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has yet to get back into a minor league game since that time. He’s on the Twins’ 40-man roster and is in the first of three minor league option years, so they needn’t yet consider cutting him loose to open a spot, but it’s another frustrating setback for the talented but oft-injured righty.

There’s better news on a pair of injured Twins relievers, however. The aforementioned Stewart pitched a bullpen session three days ago and will do so again today and on the 29th, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. The former Dodgers prospect has been a revelation since joining the Twins on a minor league deal, pitching 41 innings of relief with a 0.66 ERA and 34.8% strikeout rate dating back to last season. He’s been out since early May with a shoulder injury.

As for righty Justin Topa, whom the Twins acquired in the offseason Jorge Polanco trade, he’s slated to throw a bullpen session in early July, per Park. The right-hander suffered a 25% tear of the patellar tendon in his knee during spring training, Park notes, but was recommended for a platelet-rich plasma injection and rest rather than surgery. Twins trainer Nick Paparesta detailed that Topa will then ramp up through the All-Star break before being reevaluated. A second-half return remains in play for the righty, who pitched 69 innings of 2.96 ERA ball for the Mariners in 2023 and is under team control with the Twins through 2026.

Jhoan Duran, Caleb Thielbar, Anthony DeSclafani To Begin Season On Injured List

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1:39pm: There’s concern that DeSclafani could require season-ending surgery, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey tells Nightengale and others.

1:00pm: Twins closer Jhoan Duran, lefty reliever Caleb Thielbar, and rotation hopeful Anthony DeSclafani will open the season on the 15-day injured list, tweets Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Duran is dealing with a “moderate” oblique strain, while Thielbar will head to the IL with a strained hamstring. DeSclafani has a more ominous forearm strain and is slated to meet with Dr. Keith Meister for further evaluation.

Beyond that trio of surefire big leaguers, the Twins will also see prospect Matt Canterino and roster hopeful Zack Weiss start on the injured list, tweets Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Canterino, long one of the organization’s most promising arms, will be on the Triple-A injured list after suffering a subscapular strain in his shoulder. Weiss, a waiver claim out of the Red Sox organization, has been rehabbing a teres major strain and will be on the major league injured list.

Losing Duran even for a short spell is painful for the Twins, given the flamethrower’s emergence as one of MLB’s premier relievers. Since making his big league debut on Opening Day 2022, Duran has pitched 130 innings of 2.15 ERA ball with 35 saves, 19 holds, a 33.2% strikeout rate, a 7.9% walk rate and a massive 63.4% ground-ball rate. He averaged a ludicrous 101.8 mph on his heater last season and 98.4 mph with his splitter/sinker hybrid (“splinker”). The good news for the Twins is that a moderate strain shouldn’t result in excessively lengthy absence, but even Grade 1 strains have been known to sideline players for upwards of a month. The team hasn’t formally announced a timetable for Duran’s expected return just yet.

Wit Duran sidelined, it’ll likely fall to Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart to handle save situations early in the season. Jax has become one of Duran’s top setup men in recent years and offers an above-average strikeout rate and strong command of a slider-heavy arsenal. Stewart returned from a yearslong MLB absence and multiple arm surgeries brandishing an upper-90s cutter that helped him punch out nearly 36% of his opponents while pitching to a 0.65 ERA in 27 2/3 innings for the Twins last saeson.

The 37-year-old Thielbar has flown under the radar since returning to affiliated ball following a five-year absence in 2020, but he’s quietly been one of the team’s most important relievers in that time. Over the past four seasons, the Minnesota native has given his hometown club 174 innings of 3.21 ERA ball, piling up 45 holds while punching out 30.2% of his opponents against a 7.4% walk rate. He struggled against right-handers last season, yielding a .258/.319/.621 batting line, but Thielbar didn’t have glaring struggles against righties from 2020-22. As with Duran, they’ll hope for a relatively brief absence, but the team hasn’t given any specifics on how long he’s expected to miss just yet.

Word of DeSclafani’s injury is the most concerning of the three. Acquired from the Mariners (who’d picked him up from the Giants previously) as part of the trade sending Jorge Polanco to Seattle, DeSclafani had been in the running to open the season as the Twins’ fifth starter. He was slowed early in camp by some discomfort and is now headed for evaluation with one of the sport’s more notable surgeons.

DeSclafani has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He missed the entire 2017 season with a UCL sprain that never required surgery, pitched a mostly healthy year in 2018 and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career with the Reds in 2019. A teres major strain hobbled him in 2020 and limited him to 33 2/3 innings of 7.22 ERA ball, however. DeSclafani bounced back with a bit 2021 season in San Francisco, working 167 2/3 frames of 3.17 ERA ball over a mostly full slate of 31 starts.

DeSclafani re-signed in San Francisco on a three-year, $36MM deal that hasn’t at all gone according to plan. An ankle injury that eventually required surgery limited him to 19 frames in 2022. Shoulder fatigue and a pair of flexor strains capped him at 99 2/3 frames in 2023. He’ll now be slowed to begin the 2024 season, though a timeline won’t be known until that appointment with Dr. Meister has taken place.

The Twins are only the hook for $4MM of DeSclafani’s $12MM salary. The Giants sent $6MM to the Mariners in their original trade involving DeSclafani, and the M’s sent that plus another $2MM to Minnesota in the Polanco swap. With DeSclafani headed to the injured list, right-hander Louie Varland should have the fifth spot in the rotation all but locked up. He’ll follow Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Chris Paddack and Bailey Ober in what should be a solid Twins staff if everyone can remain healthy. However, the Twins will undoubtedly feel the losses of Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda, particularly now with their top depth option shelved. In the event of additional pitching injuries, Minnesota would likely turn to one of Simeon Woods Richardson, Brent Headrick or yet-to-debut top prospect David Festa.

As for the others, Canterino is still working his way back from 2022 Tommy John surgery. Injuries have regularly slowed him since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft. Between shaky health and the scrapped 2020 minor league season, he’s still pitched only 85 professional innings. They’ve been excellent — 1.48 ERA, 39.2% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate — but his persistent injury troubles have undercut his considerable upside. As for Weiss, he’s pitched just 27 1/3 MLB frames but has a history of strong strikeout totals in the minors. He could be a bullpen option for the Twins at some point, but for now he’ll collect MLB service and pay while rehabbing. For a 32-year-old with just 91 days of big league service to this point in his career, that’s not insignificant.

It seems unlikely that the Twins will go outside the organization to boost their depth — at least in term of significant salary additions. Owner Joe Pohlad all but declared his team out on top names like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery earlier in camp when stating that his team was not going to “go out and spend $30MM on a player right now.” The Twins shocked baseball with a pair of Carlos Correa signings that came together under similar circumstances, but it doesn’t seem there’s another splash of that magnitude up their sleeves. Minnesota was reportedly interested in Michael Lorenzen earlier in the offseason, so it’s possible they could still circle back on that front. More likely is that they’ll just ride things out with internal options, perhaps adding a veteran on a minor league deal. A particularly lengthy absence for DeSclafani could create some extra urgency, so the results of his evaluation are worth tracking with a close eye for Twins fans.

Twins Select Four Players

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The Twins announced this evening they’ve selected four players onto the 40-man roster to prevent them from being eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Joining the roster are infielder Edouard Julien and pitchers Matt Canterino, Brent Headrick and Casey Legumina.

Julien was an 18th-round draftee out of Auburn in 2019. He’s hit very well in the minor leagues the last two years, including a .300/.441/.490 line with 17 home runs across 508 plate appearances at Double-A Wichita. The Quebec native walked in a stellar 19.3% of his plate appearances against a manageable 24.6% strikeout rate. He’s played each of second, third and first base and gotten some time in left field. Better suited for a corner, Julien’s a bat-first utility prospect. He checked in 10th on Minnesota’s midseason farm rankings at Baseball America.

Canterino went in the second round of the same draft coming out of Rice. The right-hander has an intriguing four-pitch mix but hasn’t logged many professional innings after spending time on the injured list in each of his seasons. He tossed 34 1/3 innings through 11 outings with Wichita this year, posting a 1.83 ERA with a huge 34.7% strikeout rate but walking 15.3% of opponents.

Headrick, 25 next month, was a ninth-rounder in 2019 from Illinois State. The 6’6″ left-hander split the year between High-A Cedar Rapids and Wichita. He combined for a 3.32 ERA through 108 1/3 innings, fanning just under 31% of opponents with only a 5.7% walk percentage.

Legumina was an 8th-rounder in that class out of Gonzaga. The 25-year-old joined Headrick in splitting his season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. He posted a 4.80 ERA while working primarily in multi-inning relief. Legumina struck out roughly 24% of opponents with a 9.4% walk percentage.

Injury Notes: Harper, Schwarber, Daza, Harris, Canterino

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Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper, on the shelf due to June surgery to repair a broken left thumb and also playing through a torn UCL in his right elbow, is backing off his throwing program due to ongoing stiffness in his right elbow, Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters this week (link via Scott Lauber of the Philly Inquirer).  Harper played through that ligament tear for months before an errant Blake Snell heater broke his left thumb and forced him to the injured list, though he’d been limited to DH work because the elbow tear prevented him from throwing.

Offseason Tommy John surgery is a possibility, though there’d been some hope that after receiving an injection in May, Harper might yet be able to gut it out and play right field upon returning.  For now, the Phils are just going to “concentrate on the hitting” aspect of Harper’s recovery, per Thomson, who added that there’s “no doubt in my mind” Harper will be back in the lineup this season.  He still needs to regain some flexibility in his thumb, from which doctors removed three pins back on Aug. 1.  Given the lengthy layoff, Harper will also need a minor league rehab assignment of some length.

More on other injury situations from around baseball…

  • In another concern for the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber left today’s game with what Thomson told reporters (including The Athletic’s Matt Gelb) was a mild right calf strain.  Schwarber will undergo tests but is currently considered day-to-day.  With an NL-leading 34 home runs, Schwarber has provided his typical power in his first season in Philadelphia, and the Phillies can only hope that the calf strain won’t require a lengthy IL stint.
  • Outfielder Yonathan Daza suffered what the Rockies described as a left shoulder sprain in today’s game against the Cardinals.  Daza suffered the injury while making a running catch to rob Nolan Arenado of a hit in the first inning, as the momentum took Daza to the ground and he immediately grabbed at his shoulder.  Now in his third MLB season, Daza has hit .299/.345/.367 over 307 plate appearances with Colorado in 2022, getting the majority of playing time as the Rockies’ starting center fielder.
  • Will Harris has yet to pitch in 2022, and the veteran reliever has now suffered another setback in the form of a groin injury.  (The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden was among those to report the news.)  Harris underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in June 2021 and then a related pectoral surgery last March, but the righty seemed to be on the way back when he started a minor league rehab assignment in late July.  However, Harris hasn’t pitched with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate since August 2, bringing fresh doubt as to whether or not he can return to a big league mound before the season is over.  It is possible Harris has already thrown his last pitch as a National, since his three-year, $24MM deal with the team is up at season’s end.
  • Twins pitching prospect Matt Canterino will undergo Tommy John surgery this month, as initially reported by SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson (Twitter link).  Canterino has been plagued by elbow injuries for the better part of two seasons, limiting the right-hander to just 60 total innings since the start of the 2021 minor league season.  As Twins assistant GM Jeremy Zoll told The St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Betsy Helfand and other reporters, “it felt like we didn’t have any more stones to turn over, and Matt was feeling like surgery was the right call for him to try and get him back up and running from there.”  Canterino was the Twins’ second-round pick in the 2019 draft, and he has an impressive 1.48 ERA and 39.16% strikeout rate over 85 career innings in pro ball.  As per the normal timeline for TJ recovery, Canterino won’t be back until August 2023 at the absolute earliest, and it is quite possible he’ll be sidelined until Spring Training 2024.
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