MN Twins’ Top Starter Inching Toward Return

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Taj Bradley - Minnesota Twins
Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins entered their game today against the Miami Marlins Wednesday evening on a three-game win streak; part of a larger sample size of marginally better baseball from our local-nine, of late.

The Twins have won five of their last eight games, which compared to their stretch from April 15 to May 2, when they lost 13 of 16 games and nearly threw a decently hot start down the toilet faster than they could say “#NoPlaceLikeHere”.

Notably, this stretch of better play comes as the MN Twins continue to lose starting pitchers to the injured list. To date, they are down ace Pablo Lopez (Torn UCL), David Festa (Shoulder), Mick Abel (Elbow/Tricep) and most recently, Taj Bradley (Pec).

Some semi-good news on Taj Bradley

That’s three of the Twins’ top five rotation starters, and four of their top six or seven. Pablo Lopez is done for the season, while Festa and Abel appear weeks out, if not longer (see below).

However, we did get a semi-positive update on Taj Bradley Wednesday, just days after he was surprisingly placed on the MN Twins injured list.

According to a Twitter thread filled with Minnesota Twins organizational injury updates today from Declan Goff (SKOR North), Bradley is playing catch again, and could get back on the mound for his first bullpen session later this week.

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Obviously, there is still a ways to go before Taj Bradley is considering a return to the big league mound. Nonetheless, he appears to be closer than any of the other pitchers mentioned above.

And that is good news for the Minnesota Twins, since Bradley has been far and away their best starter this season, posting a 2.87 ERA, 152 ERA+, 3.50 FIP and 1.191 WHIP in 47 innings pitched. He’s also struck out 52 opposing hitters vs just 17 walks.

Status update on other injured Minnesota Twins starters

Meanwhile, nearly two weeks since he received a cortisone injection due to a setback he suffered while pitching a bullpen session, Mick Abel began throwing lightly again on Wednesday.

He too will begin to ramping up toward getting back on the bullpen mound again over the weekend. David Festa is still a few weeks out from throwing again, after he received a stem cell injection last week, per Goff.

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