They sorted out Justin Topa’s contract situation, avoiding arbitration with the 34-year-old righty reliever by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2 million. They also traded for a new backup catcher, in 29-year-old veteran Alex Jackson.

No non-tenders for Minnesota Twins, including Trevor Larnach

The acquisition of Jackson made for seven Twins players who needed to be tendered or signed, before Friday’s arbitration deadline.

After some rumblings that Trevor Larnach could be on his way out, Minnesota opted to tender the corner outfielder, along with the other five arb-eligible Twins remaining after Topa signed his deal Thursday.

Aside from Trevor Larnach, the #MNTwins offered a contract to everyone else — Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Cole Sands, Alex Jackson, Ryan Jeffers and Royce Lewis –after DFA'ing DaShawn Keirsey Jr. earlier in the day.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) November 21, 2025

Trevor Larnach: Tendered. #MNTwins

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) November 21, 2025

MLB Trade Rumors projects Trevor Larnach’s 2026 salary at $4.7 million. He made $2.5 million in 2025. It’s not that the salary increase is substantial, but for a team that looks destined to have a bottom-of-the-barrel payroll , it still seems unlikely he’ll be in Fort Myers for Spring Training.

Larnach is a left-handed outfielder on a team with a boatload of left-handed outfielders. Across 442 big league games he has a .241/.323/.403 split with a 101 OPS+.

Back-to-back days with a home run for Trevor! pic.twitter.com/qdqbiIApmv

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 5, 2025

Larnach’s 116 OPS+ in 2024 was a career-best. Unfortunately the development didn’t continue, and he’s hardly been the exit velocity power hitter that the front office dreamed on when grabbing him out of Oregon State in the first round.

Derek Falvey has been shopping Larnach long before Friday, and those conversations can now continue this winter. It’s unlikely Larnach generates anything substantial in return, if the Twins can indeed find a trade partner.

Other MN Twins tendered

The other tender candidates include Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, who are both penciled in as front-line starters in next year’s rotation… if the MN Twins don’t trade them first. Sands is the top member of a gutted bullpen, along with Topa. Both Jeffers and Lewis will be every day starters.

Fast forward to the smoldering mess that was a 70-92 season with a since-fired manager, and starting pitching was a significant part of the problem. Sure, more than one key arm missed time, but 16 different players took the ball to open a game.

It remains to be seen which of them will have a pathway to playing time next season, but there are at least two holdover starters that may be watching the hourglass run out.

Getting late early for Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson

To say that Bailey Ober was bad in 2025 would be putting it lightly. He was historically horrific in June, and his 14 home runs allowed during that stretch aided into the final 5.10 ERA. On the flip side, Simeon Woods Richardson and his 4.04 ERA looked competent on paper, but the stuff tells a different story again. The Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale considered the outlook for both in 2026.

One of the Twins’ biggest disappointments. A hip injury messed with his mechanics, and he saw his velocity dip all year. He had a 5.10 ERA in 27 starts, giving up 30 runs in 30 innings during a hide-your-eyes June. Twins officials are confident he’ll rebound. There’s no other real choice than to give him another long leash in the rotation.

Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune) – On Ober

Demoted to the minor leagues in mid-May after an ugly start to the season, the young righthander had a 3.54 ERA over his final 15 starts. He started throwing his splitter more in September, and he looked near unhittable. He will be out of minor league options. It’s sink-or-swim time, but his September should keep him in the rotation to start the year.

Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune) – On Woods Richardson

No one is praying that Ober rebounds more than the Twins front office. They believed he was in line for a Joe Ryan-like trajectory, and right now you’d have to trade him for peanuts. His 90.2 mph average fastball velocity was a problem dating back to spring training, and even with his extension, he simply doesn’t work throwing that soft.

Ober is projected to get near $5 million in arbitration this offseason. That’s a modest amount even for an average pitcher. It’s not worth handing out if he pitches himself out of the rotation though.

On the flip side, Woods Richardson earned a leash because of his 2.33 ERA in September. That was fueled by splitter usage, and the change was necessary due to velocity concerns. He has pushed things forward from the 90 mph slop he had two seasons ago, but he doesn’t miss enough bats even at 93.2 mph.

Like Ober, Woods Richardson is going to make the 2026 Minnesota Twins roster. How long they last will depend on how quickly they can establish the best versions of themselves. A 50th percentile or worse is not an actual major league asset.

Rotation gets crowded for Minnesota Twins

There are two paths forward for the MN Twins in 2026 and neither of them are particularly heartwarming. Either the arms that should be approaching big league quality aren’t ready or don’t have a place. If that’s not going to be the case, then one or both of Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez will have been traded.

If Lopez and Ryan remain, then the rotation gets filled out with Ober, Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews. That puts both Taj Bradley and Mick Abel back at Triple-A, with David Festa, Andrew Morris, Kendry Rojas, and Connor Prielipp stuck there as well.

Taj Bradley continues the concerning trend of Twins’ deadline acquisitions that just aren’t missing bats pic.twitter.com/JTFRWudroX

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) August 24, 2025

Yes, having that level of depth is a good thing, but we just saw how little it can be counted on. If the Twins are going to go young and cheap, then a host of those arms start at the big league level and immediately need to make it work.

Of note, Matthews has a pitch mix that could probably thrive in relief. It doesn’t matter after the coaching turnover, but a source suggested he generated the most belief from the last staff in a future as a starter among the young arms.

What the Twins rotation looks like in April should be fascinating to say the least.

Right now the only guaranteed money on the books is allotted to Byron Buxton ($15.1 million) and Pablo Lopez ($21.75 million). They have ten players eligible for arbitration, and bringing some of that talent back will help to fill out the roster.

MLB Trade Rumors has long been the gold standard when figuring out what arbitration salaries may look like. 2026 projections became public on Monday.

Twins arbitration projections paint a picture

Major League Baseball affords a period of time for organizations to keep players under team control. Before reaching free agency, players are granted raises through an arbitration process. Either the team and player can agree on a number, or they go to a hearing. The Twins have ten eligible players this offseason, and MLB Trade Rumors has outlined where they may land.

There’s a lot to break down here. Of the ten players up for arbitration, five seem like slam dunks. Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Cole Sands will all be offered contracts. Trevor Larnach seems like a candidate on the fence, and there are a handful of veterans that could easily be replaced with others at the minimum.

Both Jeffers ($6.6M) and Ryan ($5.8M) become serious trade candidates for Derek Falvey with their values creeping upwards. Minnesota already dangled Ryan at the trade deadline, and he pairs with Pablo Lopez as potential salary dumps this offseason.

Larnach is an interesting case. At $4.7 million he’s no longer cheap. With a career OPS+ of just 101, he’s barely been over league averaged, and the power he was drafted for has translated into a single season (2025 – 17) with more than 15 homers.

There are also four relievers among the group. Only Cole Sands has been an above-average option, but the Twins bullpen was torn down to the studs at the trade deadline. How Falvey goes about rebuilding that group remains to be seen.

If the Minnesota Twins keep each of the five expected players, they’d add roughly $21.3 million to their 2026 payroll. Combined with Buxton and Lopez, that would push the overall amount to $58.15 million with seven of the 26 roster spots filled.

Lopez remains out, and will be until at least mid-August. Ober’s injury was expected to be less serious even though it was initially reported to be representative of necessary mechanical tweaks.

The tall right-hander made an initial rehab appearance with Triple-A St. Paul last week. It now appears his return to the big league rotation may be imminent.

Bailey Ober almost back for Minnesota Twins

Last week Bailey Ober worked four scoreless innings for the St. Paul Saints as he kicked off a rehab assignment. He came out of the appearance feeling good and is trending towards a return. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes has provided the next step in that process.

After throwing a bullpen today, Bailey Ober is starting at Triple-A Saint Paul on Friday. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 23, 2025

With Ober set to pitch Friday for Triple-A St. Paul, he could be an option for the Minnesota Twins early next week. He’d be lined up to pitch Wednesday at home against the Boston Red Sox. That happens to be the day before the MLB Trade Deadline.

At his best Ober is a reliable back-end starter. He posted a 3.66 ERA across 68 outings from 2022-2024. He has rarely been at his best this season and it’s drawn frustration from the fans and team alike. His 9.00 ERA and 14 home runs across 30 innings in June were nothing short of disastrous.

Where does Bailey Ober fit for MN Twins?

Right now there isn’t an immediate rotation spot open. Moving Chris Paddack would be a straightforward way to change that reality. Paddack is owed the final portion of his $7.5 million salary, and may have use to a team looking for a back-end starter down the stretch.

Bailey Ober, Ridiculous 83mph Changeup. 😳

26 Inches of Horizontal Break. pic.twitter.com/rGktpnUpKd

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2025

After Ober got shelled by St. Louis while pitching sick, he turned in 11 starts with a 2.43 ERA (3.26 FIP). He doesn’t need to be that good, and even if he is it’s unlikely the Minnesota Twins get back in the playoff picture. Still, he needs to instill confidence that he can be a realistic rotation option moving forward.

Related: MN Twins Reliever Trending at MLB Trade Deadline

All eyes will be on the velocity and stuff Friday at Triple-A. His 90.4 mph average fastball is down from his 91+ mph career averages. It’s not much, but with a pitcher that relies on extension, the little things matter.

Ober probably did need to make some mechanical tweaks, but it was disingenuous to overlook the hip discomfort in that process. Hopefully both situations have resolved themselves upon his return to the big leagues.

On paper, it looked like the perfect place for Minnesota to begin the second half of their regular season, especially as Twins players and coaches try their best to convince team president Derek Falvey that the front office should buy at the MLB trade deadline, not sell.

Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always meet expectations. And that was certainly the case on Friday, when Chris Paddack took the mound at Coors Field and struggled to get anybody out early on, allowing five earned runs by the end of the second inning.

Look out on the second deck 🚀 pic.twitter.com/KYr3AcXZdP

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 19, 2025

The Sheriff eventually settled in, gutting out five innings (8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 97 P), and the MN Twins fought their way back into it, but couldn’t complete the late-inning comeback, eventually falling 6-4 to the lowly Rockies.

Bailey Ober has successful rehab start, Zebby Matthews ready

While last night wasn’t the return to play Minnesota was hoping for, there was some good news throughout the evening, on the injury front. Hours earlier, Bailey Ober made his first rehab start for the St. Paul Saints… where the 30-year-old righty shoved for 4 innings (4 H, 0 R, 3 K, 0 BB).

Night is over for @baileyOB_17. He goes 4.0 shutout innings allowing four hits and strikes out three. He throws 50 pitches, only 7 balls. He threw 18 fastballs that averaged 90.1 mph, topped out at 91.6 mph

— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) July 19, 2025

Related: Secret High Roller Emerges to Anchor New MN Twins Ownership Group

But that wasn’t the only good injury news from Friday night, that might help fans offset the disappointment of a slow start out of the break, revolved around another Minnesota Twins starter, Zebby Matthews, who has been out of the rotation since the first week of June, when he went down with a shoulder injury.

On Saturday, Zebby’s time on the IL will come to an end. According to multiple reports, Matthews will be activated off the injured list today, before he starts game two of this series in Colorado. He’ll throw his first MLB pitch in over a month at approximately 7:10 PM CDT.

Zebby Matthews will start tomorrrow for the #MNTwins. Travis Adams is headed back to Triple-A St. Paul.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 19, 2025

Minnesota Twins sending Travis Adams down

In order to make room for the 25-year-old righty, the Twins are sending long-reliever, Travis Adams, who appeared in three games, while up with the Big League club, tossing 9 total innings and posting an underwhelming 6.00 ERA, 73 ERA+ and a 1.444 WHIP. On the bright side, his 3.53 FIP gives him some hope to build on.

If Minnesota Twins players and coaches want to hold out hope that the front office will look to buy at the MLB trade deadline, they need to win the last two games of this series.

Because when they fly out of Denver on Sunday, they’ll be LA bound, for a three game set against the 58-40 Los Angeles Dodgers, where they’re scheduled to face Shohei Ohtani in game one on Monday night.

The last few deadlines, Minnesota has opted against making any substantive deadline moves, which has left players in the clubhouse frustrated. This time around, the team is underachieving and chasing a wild card spot aggressively may be foolish.

Minnesota Twins expecting to get healthier very soon…

At the same time, the impending change in ownership and questions surrounding the future of the front office makes it unlikely that they’ll go into full-sell mode, either. And a look just down the road, shows a team that should continue to get healthier, especially in their starting rotation.

Since the beginning of June, the MN Twins’ rotation has been without Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews, who suffered separate shoulder injuries during a series in Sacramento. About a month later, a struggling Bailey Ober joined them on the injured list with hip pain.

According to recent reporting out of The Athletic, by Dan Hayes, all three pitchers are on the road back to the active roster, some sooner than others. Also expected to join the fray soon, is infielder Luke Keaschall, who broke his arm on a HBP in May, after a flaming one-week start to his MLB career.

Zebby Matthews joining the Twins rotation first

It shouldn’t be a shock that Zebby Matthews is nearing a return for the Minnesota Twins, immediately out of the All-Star break. He threw a rehab game for the St. Paul Saints on Sunday, and absolutely punished the Triple-A hitters he faced for four innings. (1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K).

“The current situation is a crapshoot, though Zebby Matthews’ performance at Triple A on Sunday offers encouragement. Matthews struck out nine in four scoreless innings, which leads one to believe he’ll return to the majors soon.”

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

As of Thursday, the Minnesota Twins are yet to set their probable starters for the upcoming three-game series in Colorado, which begins Friday. It’s possible Matthews is in their plans, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Twins utilize long-reliever Travis Adams, in a piggyback spot, to give Zebby some training wheels for his return start.

Adams has taken two turns with an opener for Rocco Baldelli. Across eight innings he has allowed seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits. His last time out, a four inning appearance Pittsburgh, Adams earned the win, allowing just two runs (one earned).

Related: Report: Minnesota Twins Planning for Quiet Trade Deadline

Matthews has hardly been a sure thing for the Twins this season. He has a 5.21 ERA (3.08 FIP) in four starts (19 innings), but his last start was his best one.

But from a pure stuff standpoint, Zebby might be the most talented pitcher in the rotation, toting a 97-98 MPH fastball with pinpoint precision and and nasty offspeed stuff that keeps hitters guessing, when he is right.

Bailey Ober and Luke Keaschall starting rehab assignments

Unlike Matthews, Bailey Ober has had just a minimal stay on the injured list. Dealing with hip discomfort that resulted in a 9.00 ERA across 30 innings in June, Ober pitched terribly. The Twins continued to run him out to the mound, suggesting mechanical tweaks were necessary. They finally gave in, and Hayes is reporting the hip issue has now finally cleared up.

“With his hip inflammation resolved, Bailey Ober is throwing bullpen sessions and won’t need much time, either. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ober make one rehab start since he and the Twins spent the last week trying to clean up mechanical flaws in his delivery.” – Dan Hayes

Ober will make that rehab start on Friday, and he’s being joined by rookie infielder Luke Keaschall.

Ober and Keaschall start rehab assignments at Triple-A St. Paul tomorrow. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 17, 2025

It will be very interesting to see what Ober looks like. If the velocity and stuff still look diminished, it will be difficult to trust the Twins assessment that he can be competitive the rest of the way. Keaschall is more straightforward as imaging clearly suggests his broken forearm is healed.

Minnesota got just a seven-game sample size from Keaschall before a hit by pitch stopped his hot streak. He went 7-for-19 with three doubles, five stolen bases, and a 2/5 K/BB. If that level of production rejoins the offense the the lineup will be better for it. Keaschall suffered his forearm fracture at the end of April and was looking to get comfortable back in the box last week.

Luke Keaschall has recorded 5 stolen bases through the first 5 MLB games he has appeared in.

That is tied for the most stolen bases since at least 1901 😱 pic.twitter.com/hdJ5chmqu7

— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2025

Royce Lewis, Willi Castro, and Brooks Lee are all healthy now. That presumably takes some options away from Keaschall. That said, he could spend time all over the infield, including first base as a better platoon partner with Kody Clemens than Ty France has been.

No matter what, if Keaschall and Ober are healthy and look ready to produce, the Minnesota Twins will find room.

Pablo Lopez planning to pitch through injury for MN Twins

Of those pitchers hurt, no injury is more significant than ace Pablo Lopez. The shoulder strain is the same injury that ended Joe Ryan’s season last year. The timeline presented was 8-12 weeks, but Lopez won’t have additional time to get back to 100%.

“I have to be smart about it. That doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be able to throw with an MRI showing a little bit of something. And that’s also when I have to be honest, be like, ‘Hey, I feel like I can push myself.’ Now, it’s like I know that I can still perform while my body continues to do its thing and heal.”

Pablo Lopez

The reality that Lopez won’t return in a full capacity this year is tough to swallow. Even with the extended time off, he’ll be pushing himself to work through different levels of hesitation. Lopez is extremely intelligent and knows his body very well. What level of competitiveness he can provide could go a long ways to determining Minnesota’s yearly outcome.

Pablo López, Wicked 85mph Sweeper. 🤢

10th K pic.twitter.com/P3QE9HHCC3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 7, 2025

Lopez is having the best season of his career. With a 2.82 ERA (2.98 FIP) and 61/14 K/BB across 60 2/3 innings, it’s almost a guarantee he would have been an All-Star if healthy. That’s why the Minnesota Twins want him back. The part they have to weigh is at what cost it comes.

That’s probably where Lopez’s knowledge of himself comes in. With the ability to see imaging at any point, it Minnesota will be heavily reliant upon the feedback that Lopez provides. He’ll need to be real with himself, and upfront about his capacity as well.

Related: Minnesota Twins Jersey Patch Sponsor Revealed

A quality arm at the level that Lopez is will be far-and-away more impactful than anything the Twins can do at the trade deadline. They don’t need him to feel as though he must shoulder that load, literally and figuratively, however.

Ober himself has suggested he has been working through different physical ailments. Despite the results suggesting the plan wasn’t working, the Twins tried to make mechanical tweaks between starts.

The club is now 40-45 and the pitcher has been a pin cushion for opposing offenses. Finally sensibility has won out and something is going to change.

Bailey Ober headed to Minnesota Twins injured list

Earlier this month Bailey Ober revealed he was dealing with both knee and hip discomfort. He hoped that it wouldn’t result in a trip to the injured list, but the results have all but necessitated that.

The Twins are also placing RHP Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with a left hip impingement. LHP Kody Funderburk has been recalled to replace him. Not sure yet who takes Ober’s start Friday vs. Rays.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) July 2, 2025

Now finally sent to the injured list to end his suffering, Bailey Ober owns a 5.28 ERA (5.29 FIP) for the Twins. It’s the worst mark of his career and is coupled with a career-low 7.2 K/9.

Ober made five starts in June, again, despite dealing with multiple maladies. Those resulted in truly horrendous numbers. Across 30.0 innings he allowed 30 runs, 14 home runs, and posted a 24/8 K/BB. The stretches of competence were so minimal you needed to squint in order to see them.

It’s unfortunate for a guy that the Minnesota Twins needed to take another step forward this year. Derek Falvey banked on a top three of Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Ober. Even before getting blasted the last month Ober had just a 3.48 ERA and looked more like a fourth or fifth starter than a two or three.

Now with Lopez, Zebby Matthews, and Ober all on the injured list Rocco Baldelli must pray for rain. Joe Ryan has been exceptional and will warrant individual award consideration. David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson have been shaky. Chris Paddack has turned back into a pumpkin.

Kody Funderburk is back in the interim, but he’s not a starter. He has allowed 10 runs on 18 hits across 12 major league innings this year. He has a 1.69 ERA in 21 1/3 innings at Triple-A.

Related: Surprise: MLB Trade Deadline Buyers Targeting MN Twins Pitchers

Where the Twins turn for their next starter remains to be seen. It could be Travis Adams, but he hasn’t been great since returning to Triple-A, and pitched on Tuesday. Both Cory Lewis and Marco Raya have struggled this season, and Andrew Morris is currently on the Triple-A injured list.

Randy Dobnak could be recalled to eat innings, but he has been going through it of late too. No matter who it is, the reality is that the Minnesota Twins depth is now gone and there is no good option. Any option though, is better than continuing to expose Ober in the fashion he was over the last month.

No one wanted MN Twins Jonah Bride

Over the weekend the Minnesota Twins designated Jonah Bride for assignment. That move paved the way for Royce Lewis to return following his latest stint on the injured list.

IF Jonah Bride, DFA’d on Sunday, has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Class AAA St. Paul.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) July 2, 2025

It’s not exactly shocking no one wanted a veteran journeyman infielder with a .170/.248/.188 slash line. If anything, the most surprising part of Bride’s existence with the Twins was just how long the held on.

Minnesota kept Bride on the roster for over 70 days and paid him more than $300,000 despite providing next to no value. He was more known for pitching in blowouts than any of his positional contributions.

Bride passed through waivers without any other team willing to give him the major league minimum. He also is sticking in the organization, and it’s likely we haven’t seen the last of him on the Minnesota Twins roster. It’s the result of roster failure that keeps on popping up.

Now 37-42 on the 2025 season, Minnesota’s struggles are no secret. Their pitching has gone from devastating… to disaster. In 156 innings pitched during this 18-game losing stretch, Twins pitchers have allowed 8 runs per game on 27 total homers, touting a brutal 7.67 ERA and 5.00 FIP.

Minnesota Twins pitchers hold unprecedented staff meeting

You can’t win very many baseball games when your staff is pitching like that. So Tuesday, before suffering their fifth-straight loss, the Minnesota Twins held a come-to-Jesus style meeting for their pitchers that included starters, relievers, catchers and coaches.

According to what Chris Paddack told Audra Martin (Twins.TV), this type of meeting was rather unprecedented. The only other time he’s been a part of anything similar is immediately after the All-Star break, when the starters usually gather as a way to reset for the second half of the regular season.

The pitching staff had a reset meeting after yesterday's game pic.twitter.com/644gyDS3cN

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) June 25, 2025

“There was a pitching staff meeting held yesterday. Chris Paddack said, really, the only other time they’ve ever had a group meeting in the middle of the season is after the All-Star break, as a way to reset and get ready for the second half. But yesterday’s meeting wasn’t only the starters, but it was relievers, coaches and catchers as well. And everyone I talked to today said it was time very well spent.”

Audra Martin – Twins.TV (clip above)

Who initiated the pitchers meeting and what was the point?

The goal of Tuesday’s staff meeting, per starter Bailey Ober, was accountability and providing support for one another. I get the feeling he’s one of the pitchers on staff that needed whatever morale boost yesterday’s therapy session provided.

It sounds like it was Minnesota Twins coaches who initiated the in-person group chat. Rocco Baldelli told Twins.TV that the main goal was to refocus pitchers on controlling the things that they can control, and not getting worked up about the things that they can’t.

“The meeting was something that really stemmed from the following idea — There are things you can control and that you should attack, and there are things that you have less control over. Not that those things aren’t going to be on your mind, but focus on the things that you can clearly control and do those things exceptionally well, and start there.”

Rocco Baldelli – Twins.TV (clip above)

Related: High Chance Minnesota Twins Trade Coveted Flamethrower?

One thing is for sure, whether it is Tuesday’s rare staff meeting or something else, the Minnesota Twins desperately need their pitchers to go back being competent, and they need it to happen fast.

If something doesn’t change fast, then it won’t matter when Pablo Lopez returns… because his team’s playoff hopes will be long dead by then.

Most of the issues during the Twins’ three-game set this week vs the Rangers came from the pitching mound. Simeon Woods Richardson returned to the rotation and surrendered seven runs (six earned) in just 4 2/3 innings. Jorge Alcala followed by allowing 6 more earned runs in his 1.2 innings, before he was traded immediately following the game.

Then this afternoon, after David Festa flew in and saved the Twins’ tail Wednesday night by holding Texas to two runs on three hits, Bailey Ober — who we found out this morning has been dealing with two different injuries — turned in an ugly 4.2 innings where he allowed seven runs (all earned) on six hits and six walks.

No one is more frustrated with these recent performance than the players in the clubhouse. When he left the mound, Ober could be seen hanging his head in clear disappointment, after letting his teammates and Minnesota Twins fans down in a moment where they so desperately needed him to come through.

Bailey Ober receives death threats after poor performance

There’s no way to dress it up. Injuries be damned, Bailey Ober stunk up the joint on Thursday. It was his second straight tough outing, bringing his total runs allowed over the past two games (11.2 IP) to 12. But no high-level athlete or performer deserves what happened next, when Ober got back to his phone after coming off the mound Thursday.

That’s when the 29-year-old College of Charleston alum told Dan Hayes (The Athletic) opened (assumedly) a direct message with a threat on his life, due to his poor performance on the mound today.

We published this story yesterday. #MNTwins pitcher Bailey Ober mentioned he received death threats via social media following today’s blowout loss. https://t.co/97yWKeQGuR

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 12, 2025

One of the best things about the internet is that it gives everyone a voice. That truth literally spreads to anyone. And on some apps, like X, it can literally be anyone, no matter how small the account. “Normal” people who, social media, would otherwise never be heard.

The problem with the amplification of those “common” folk, however, is that some of the people sitting behind these screens are downright vile, and live completely void of empathy.

Minnesota Twins pitcher isn’t the only one dealing with online threats

In his tweet reporting the Ober death threats, for example, Hayes shared an article posted to The Athletic on Lance McCullers, who was subject to some brutal threats from a drunk, angry gambler earlier this season. It was so bad that the Houston Astros contacted the police who helped them track down the source of the threats.

“I’ve received (something) as simple as a Venmo request with a threat on it that says, ‘You owe me $9,000 because you blew the game – I need you to send me that money or I’m going to find your family,. That’s too far. We’ve communicated as players to MLB security that we need to get a handle on this before it gets out of control. I don’t want to say this, but something bad is going to happen and it’s going to be like, ‘We told you so.’”

Anonymous player – The Athletic

The Minnesota Twins — along with the rest of the 29 teams across Major League Baseball — employ professional athletes, yes. But they are also humans. Bailey Ober, Lance McCullers… they are all sons, brothers, parents, husbands, etc.

Bailey Ober has showcased his welcoming personality by collaborating on different with local cleat artists and he is active on social media. He’s also one of the rare professional athletes whose DMs are still open to the public. Probably not anymore, though.

Actions of the few will continue to hurt the experience of many

It won’t be at all shocking when the opportunity for fans to access their favorite celebrities or athletes dry up completely, due to interactions like what Bailey experienced today. Is having a presence on social media worth reading the increasing amounts of terrible messages these celebrities get?

“X isn’t fun anymore.”

“It’s brought more fans to the games the wrong way.”

Anonymous players – The Athletic

It’s every single one of these interactions that shape the future. Whether fueled completely by the ever-changing gambling landscape or not, the fact that they have to be addressed is ridiculous. Unfortunately, that’s the sad reality we currently live in.

Bailey Ober works his butt off, gives 110% and is a fantastic person on top of it! To hear him say he was getting threats completely broke my heart. He doesn't deserve it. No one does. https://t.co/HyErWP5RmY

— Audra Martin (@Audra_Martin) June 12, 2025

And they succeeded, in part thanks to a gritty pitching performance by 25-year-old starter David Festa, who went 6 innings, where he allowed only 3 hits and 2 runs to go along with 4 strikeouts. He got a little help from his friend out in center field, Byron Buxton, who batted in three runs and saved two more with this

David Festa on Byron Buxton:

"Look what Buck did in the third inning. Saving two runs for me and then hitting a three-run home run. That was one of the better innings I've ever seen. He showed today why he's one of the best in the game."pic.twitter.com/uDSqb1Varc

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 12, 2025

Festa answered the call from Rocco Baldelli, who publicly called for more from his starters after Lopez went down with a grade 2 major teres strain that will keep him on the injured list for at least two months. Two days later, Zebby Matthews followed Pablo to the IL with a shoulder injury of his own.

On Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins need another young(ish) starter to step up, in Bailey Ober, who has already proven himself in a way that guys like Festa have not. Throughout Ober’s five-year big league career, 29-the 29-year-old has repeatedly delivered when needed most.

Bailey Ober has not been the same pitcher and now we know why…

This season however, while many of his surface numbers are comparable with his first four years as a Twin (3.78 ERA, 110 ERA+), something has been up with the now-veteran righty, and those paying attention have noticed..

Bailey Ober’s fastball has dropped in velocity by over a full MPH — from 91.7 MPH in 2024 to 90.4 MPH in 2025 — which has resulted in his strikeout numbers tumbling too, from his 9.0 K/9 career average all the way down to 7.0. So… what is going on with the College of Charleston alum?

In the article posted this morning at The Athletic, with his next start looming Thursday, Ober finally admitted that he has been dealing with two different injuries (hip + knee) this season, discomfort that he has been treating since spring training.

Though he doesn’t think it’ll result in a trip to the injured list, Bailey Ober acknowledged knee and hip discomfort is playing a part in mechanical issues that have resulted in reduced fastball velocity.

Ober first experienced the discomfort in spring training after a pickoff attempt and has received daily treatment to manage it, which he said is atypical. Ober’s average fastball has peaked at 91 mph and is sitting at 90.4 mph for the season.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

Bailey Ober has been a staple of the Twins rotation since 2023, after he forced his way into the organization’s equation by posting a 3.82 ERA, 3.94 FIP and 108 ERA+ in his first 148 innings pitched, as a part-time call-up between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Minnesota Twins starter backtracks on reason behind velocity drop

Between 2023 and 2024, Ober got even better, posted a 3.73 ERA in 323 innings pitched, improving his WHIP to 1.031 and his ERA+ to 114. What’s interesting about Bailey’s admission Tuesday night is that, just days ago, he told Hayes’ colleague at The Athletic, Aaron Gleeman that his drop in velocity was due to mechanical issues, not health.

Set to start Thursday, Ober thinks he’s cleaned up the issues that led to his fastball averaging under 90 mph in two consecutive starts, his lowest of the season. Ober worked on mechanics during a bullpen session Tuesday and thinks he’s in a good place, though he’d like to feel better physically.

“I would like to be better, but it is what it is,” Ober said. “It’s nothing I haven’t pitched through. … Felt good going into the season. I feel like my velo was OK. It was still a little down, up until two weeks ago in Seattle, but not as much as it is right now. But, yeah, it feels majority mechanical and battling the ups and downs of feeling good and not good during the season.”

The Athletic

As far as we know, Bailey Ober plans to power through his knee and hip injuries, but this early admission is worth paying attention to. The Minnesota Twins are set to take Target Field here within the hour. If Ober struggles, does a trip to the injured list follow?

Related: MN Twins Trade Struggling Reliever for Exciting Young Infield Prospect

Or, would Rocco Baldelli and Bailey’s people decide that a day of rest during his next time through the rotation might be worth a try? Let’s hope he pitches lights out and we don’t have to worry about it.