Former MN Twins Fireballer Likely Done for Year

There was a time when the Minnesota Twins struggled to develop pitchers who threw near 100 MPH. Throughout the 90’s and well into the 2000s, pitching to contact and playing solid defense became a mantra of the Terry Ryan regime.

It also developed into a primary target of criticism for Ryan’s detractors, until the longtime Twins GM stepped down in September 2007. Thankfully, as the front office evolved under now president Derek Falvey, the Twins entire infrastructure and ways of thinking have been long overhauled.

And in the time Falvey has been in control, Minnesota’s pitching development has thrived, as has their velocity. The Twins current regime has produced flamethrowers like Jhoan Duran , Griffin Jax, Jorge Alcala and Louie Varland, among others.

Before any of those now household names were on most MN Twins fans’ radar, there was Brusdar Graterol, who they signed as a 16-year-old international prospect back in August, 2014. After working his way through the system, Graterol made his MLB debut in 2019, at just 20 years old.

That offseason, however, Falvey & Co traded the 6’1″ 265 lb power reliever to the Los Angeles Dodgers, in exchange for Kenta Maeda, who went on to pitch very well in Minnesota for three seasons between 2020 and 2023 (277.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 3.81 FIP and 107 ERA+).

Dodgers don’t believe Brusdar Graterol is coming back

Graterol, a former top 100 prospect, pitched just 9 2/3 innings during his short big league stint with the Twins. Now in his sixth season with the Dodgers, Graterol has thrown just 181 innings (178 games) over his six seasons in Los Angeles.

Only once has he surpassed 50 innings in a season. Brusdar’s 2.69 career ERA (3.19 FIP) is impressive, but if availability is still the best ability, Graterol has disappointed for the Dodgers. And according to LA manager Dave Roberts, their bullpen flamethrower isn’t expected to pitch again in 2025.

#Dodgers MGR Dave Roberts indicated that the chances of RH Brusdar Graterol pitching this season are slim. Graterol is in AZ but isn’t throwing.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 13, 2025

Related: Traded Minnesota Twins Pitcher Going Back on IL

Back in November Brusdar Graterol announced that he underwent offseason shoulder surgery. The hope then was that he’d be ready to return at some point during the 2025 season. Unfortunately, that dream doesn’t look like it’ll be realized.

That’s too bad, being the Dodgers are World Series favorites again and Graterol did not get to play in last year’s championship series. The timing of surgery was chosen in order to maximize his availability last October, and still return sometime this season. Unfortunately, the approach hasn’t played out as planned.

Last year, Graterol pitched just 7.1 regular season innings for the Dodgers. This season, he never took the mound at all, rendering him a non-factor in LA for two-straight summers.

Brusdar Graterol, Casual 101mph Mechanics. 🥱 pic.twitter.com/aUgDVPsorp

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 29, 2024

This season, Graterol is making $2.8 million for his rehab. He’s arbitration eligible for the final season of his rookie deal, in 2026. From there, the Los Angeles Dodgers must decide if the now 26-year-old is part of their future bullpen plans.