Three weeks ago David Festa was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and his season came to an end. On Tuesday night Luke Keaschall was lifted against the Texas Rangers after an awkward slide injured his hand. Now both are hoping for some good news regarding their health going forward.

David Festa avoids TOS surgery for Minnesota Twins

The plan of attack for Festa was to travel with the Twins to Texas and consult a specialist regarding next steps for his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome rehab. The surgery can be a death-knell to pitchers, and thankfully he has avoided that outcome.

David Festa will have Botox injections in his neck and pec muscles tomorrow to address his TOS symptoms. Surgery was not recommended per @Audra_Martin

— Ted (@tlschwerz) September 25, 2025

Audra Martin made note on the Wednesday night broadcast that trainer Nick Paparesta said botox injections can have immediate effects. If that’s the case, Festa would have quick relief and have a pretty good idea how his body will respond in the short term.

It’s a positive outcome to avoid the surgery, and that hopefully gives him a path to return for an unbothered 2026 season. Festa spent time on the injured list this season with shoulder issues, and being all systems go would be a big boost for a Twins team that will need pitching in 2026.

Across 53 1/3 innings (11 games, 10 starts), Festa posted a 5.40 ERA (4.89 FIP). He had an identical 3.2 BB/9 from 2024, but the strikeout rate dropped from 10.8 K/9 to just 8.9. He also allowed 1.7 HR/9 as opposed to 1.3 last season.

Festa remains a question mark from a stuff perspective, but a clean bill of health would give him opportunity to earn a role during Spring Training.

MN Twins rookie Luke Keaschall could go under the knife

While Festa avoided surgery, that may not be the same plan of attack for Keaschall. After jamming his hand on a slide into second base, an MRI revealed a sprained left thumb. That could ultimately require surgery.

Luke Keaschall will see a hand specialist next week about his left thumb after today’s MRI. Could require surgery. #MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 24, 2025

Similarly to prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez last season, Keaschall may spend the offseason rehabbing from hand surgery. It would be an unfortunate result from a meaningless game during the final week of the season.

Keaschall underwent Tommy John surgery last year and has not been fully cleared to play the outfield. He also suffered a broken forearm after being hit by a pitch this year. This would be just another entry in a long line of injuries to bit him early in his career.

49 games into his big league career, Keaschall put together an impressive rookie season. He batted .302/.382/.445 with 14 doubles, four home runs, and 14 stolen bases. He looks the part of a future fixture for the Minnesota Twins, but he’ll need to remain healthy for that to materialize.

Minnesota wraps up the series with Texas on Thursday before a three-game swing out to Philadelphia puts a bow on the season.

Pablo Lopez missed significant time as the staff axe, and plenty of other expected contributors have been out as well. Young starter David Festa was recently pulled off of his rehab assignment. The new assessment of his injury is horrendous.

David Festa dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

For a long time Tommy John surgery was a dreaded outcome for pitchers. Now that’s so common it’s almost welcomed just to get it out of the way. Shoulder injuries are far more damaging, and among the worst is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. David Festa just received that diagnosis.

David Festa met with Dr. Keith Meister this week. Nick Paparesta said Dr. Meister believes Festa is suffering from neurological thoracic outlet syndrome.

Festa has been referred to another doctor and after he sees him, the Twins should have a better idea of a treatment plan.

— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) September 10, 2025

If TOS sounds familiar, that’s because it basically ended former Twins pitcher Phil Hughes’ career. The Mayo Clinic defines Thoracic Outlet Syndrome as “Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a group of conditions in which there’s pressure on blood vessels or nerves in the area between the neck and shoulder. This space is known as the thoracic outlet. Compression of the blood vessels and nerves can cause shoulder and neck pain. It also can cause numbness in the fingers.”

Shoulder and neck pain, as well as finger numbness, is basically the perfect recipe to destroy a baseball player. An inability to have feel for the ball, or utilize key body parts in order to compete, is a crushing reality.

A study was done back in 2022 to dissect the correlation between TOS rib resection (the surgery to alleviate the issue, basically removing a rib from the body) and future performance. The injury is rare among pitchers, and therefore limits potential data. However, while return-to-play rates are strong, a decline in career length and effectiveness is notable.

Some recent success stories that have come back from the injury include Merrill Kelly, Alex Cobb, and Frankie Montas. Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with TOS last month.

Related: Top MLB Insider Floats Possible Rocco Baldelli Replacements…

Quite possibly the most damaging aspect of this situation for Festa is that he is both young, and has yet to see success. The 25-year-old has just 117 2/3 innings under his belt. He owns a 5.12 ERA (4.27 FIP) and has yet to substantiate himself at the big league level.

Conflicting reports on MN Twins pitcher

After Helfand reported Thursday that Festa was likely dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale provided a different report on Friday.

David Festa says his shoulder issue is related to a compressed nerve, and not the typical symptoms from thoracic outlet syndrome.

He said his visit with Dr. Keith Meister brought good news and he expects to be fine for spring training next year.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) September 12, 2025

No matter what the outcome is, shoulder issues are not positive in the baseball world, and certainly not for pitchers. Still, avoiding TOS, and furthermore the surgery to address it, would be a massive win.

Minnesota’s rotation is largely in flux behind Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan for 2026. Those two could also be traded as part of further payroll reductions.

David Festa was on track to be the next in those footsteps. He pitched last week at Triple-A for the St. Paul Saints and looked good. Unfortunately the outcome isn’t going to be a positive one.

David Festa likely done for season

In his first, and what will be the only rehab start that David Festa made for Triple-A St. Paul, he threw 48 pitches. That looked like a straightforward workload to open a return to play. Five days later, his season appears to be over.

Sounds as if #MNTwins will shut down David Festa for the season. Had a reoccurrence of his shoulder issues last week. Set to visit Dr. Meister.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 2, 2025

The bad news doesn’t end with Festa being shut down for the year. A meeting with Dr. Keith Meister could result in a surgical procedure. While Tommy John is the most well-known surgery for pitchers, those to the should are often much more difficult to return from.

Last season Festa debuted at the big league level and pitched 14 games (13 starts). He posted a 4.90 ERA (3.76 FIP) and the hope was that another step forward would follow the offseason.

Unfortunately this year Festa scuffled during his second exposure to the big leagues. He finishes with a 5.40 ERA (4.87 FIP) across 53 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate has dipped, the walk rate remained the same, and he allowed a few more home runs.

As a whole, this year has to be seen as a step backwards for the former top prospect. Festa represented Minnesota at the 2023 Futures Game, and he has been expected to be a piece of the rotation moving forward. The results haven’t suggested that’s a likelihood right now though, and injury complicated that more.

A former 13th round pick out of Seton Hall, Festa is a development success story for Minnesota. The problem is that the completion of the development has not yet taken hold. The more shoulder issues he has to overcome, the less likely the arm talent will ever be able to fully take hold.

No with his season coming to an end, the offseason again becomes an important one for Festa. He’ll need to go through a throwing program and build back up to a place where he can contribute next season. The missteps from a production standpoint become more cumbersome as the team needs to outline their future plans.

Related: Twins Ace Nearing Return; Veteran Catcher Trying

Minnesota plays host to the Chicago White Sox before heading out to fact the Kansas City Royals. They have just 25 games left this season. The team results don’t matter, but individual achievements do. Hopefully Rocco Baldelli can find comfort in another arm or two to use if he’s still around a next spring.

On Thursday night, David Festa will make his first rehab start for the St. Paul Saints. Shut down with right shoulder inflammation, the Twins second-year pitcher is hoping to take a few turns at the big league level before the season comes to an end.

David Festa tracking towards a Minnesota Twins return

The Minnesota Twins last had David Festa on the mound July 21st against the Chicago Cubs. He went six innings and threw 81 pitches. Then he was shut down. Now more than a month later, he is returning to action.

Twins pitcher David Festa begins a rehab assignment tonight for the @StPaulSaints

Erasmo Ramirez cleared waivers and has reported.

— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 28, 2025

Across 11 games (10 starts) this season, Festa owns a 5.40 ERA (4.87 FIP). In 53 1/3 innings he has a 53/19 K/BB. The big bugaboo has been the propensity to surrender a longball. After allowing nine in 64 1/3 innings last year, he has coughed up ten in less frames during 2025.

Once shut down with shoulder inflammation, Festa simply needed a period of time to let the arm calm down. Following some initial rehab work, there was a need to build back up. Now ready to take the mound, it seems likely he will pitch at least twice before rejoining the Twins.

David Festa, Nasty 88mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/OHSH6WcpX6

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2025

Although Minnesota has had multiple open rotation spots for weeks, they have since filled out the group again. Mick Abel and Taj Bradley made their Twins debuts, and Woods Richardson took a spot as well. Currently their are six starting arms at the big league level, and Pablo Lopez is tracking towards being number seven.

Related: Former MN Twins Gold Glover Now Available for Plucking

Minnesota isn’t going to use a six-man rotation, and they certainly aren’t going to roll with seven. It will be interesting to see how Rocco Baldelli utilizes each of his arms. There are definitely some options to work in piggyback situations.

Festa gets the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday night. and he can be followed by initially projected starter Andrew Morris. Detroit Tigers starter Jose Urquidy is also on a rehab assignment and will oppose him. He is looking to make his way back to the big leagues for the first time since 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The tough thing about depth at any position in professional sports is that it can be fleeting. All it takes is a down year here and an injury there, before it’s gone. And while the MN Twins may have had plenty of pitching depth to start the season, that hasn’t proven to be the case since it started.

In large part, that’s why the Twins find themselves sitting under .500, with a 49-52 record, and looking at a selloff between now and the July 31 trade deadline.

With Pablo Lopez out since the start of June, Minnesota’s rotation has looked like a shell of itself, in large part due to health, not just that of their ace, but other ancillary members of the staff, as well.

David Festa heads to IL for Minnesota Twins

Throughout the spring/summer we’ve seen all sorts of Twins pitchers go on and off the IL, like Zebby Matthews and Bailey Ober, who are both healthier now than they have been for much of the season.

But now that those two are getting back into the swing of things, the Minnesota Twins’ rotation has been dealt another blow, this time to 25-year-old righty, David Festa, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, replaced on the 26-man roster with long-reliever, Travis Adams.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/HXPZ7F5fEX

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 23, 2025

Related: Another MN Twins Starter Nearing Return to Rotation

David Festa has made 11 appearances (10 starts) this season. His latest came Monday, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. While he worked into the sixth inning and looked no worse for wear, something was obviously amiss in his shoulder, where he now has “right shoulder inflammation”.

The injury wouldn’t appear to be workload-related. Festa — who pitched 103 2/3 innings in 2022, 92 1/3 in 2023, and 124 2/3 last year — has thrown just 82 innings between the majors and Triple-A this season.

David Festa felt so good Monday, in fact, that manager Rocco Baldelli sent him back out for the sixth inning, to face the Dodgers’ lineup a third time through. That’s something the skipper has not done with young arms this season and would seem to indicate there were no injury concerns, at the time.

MN Twins injury issues may not be over

It’s possible that Festa simply needs a break, or that something came up when he returned to the ballpark on Tuesday. At any rate, Travis Adams is back again to replace him.

The 2021 6th round draft pick out of Cal State Sacramento has been up twice previously this season. Across three games he has pitched 9 innings allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 12 hits, with a 6/1 K/BB ratio

Festa’s placement on the injured list was somewhat of a surprise. If there was a candidate to be cautious of it was reliever Anthony Misiewicz. He was on the mound late against Los Angeles on Tuesday and left with a pectoral injury.

LHP Anthony Misiewicz apparently sustained an injury somewhere during the instant replay delay. He's out of the game.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 23, 2025

At this point Misiewicz is considered day-to-day. He has pitched in four games for the Twins and allowed five runs on four hits in just 4 1/3 innings. As a lefty, he gives Baldelli a low-leverage option without having to utilize Danny Coulombe in those spots.

Considering Coulombe is a prime trade candidate next week, the Minnesota Twins may need to look at a recall of Kody Funderburk if they want a second southpaw in the bullpen. At any rate, Misiewicz is likely unavailable for Wednesday’s game against Los Angeles.

Hopefully he feels well enough to avoid a trip to the injured list.

Diego Cartaya sent packing

An additional move was made at Triple-A on Wednesday as well. After claiming Jhonny Pereda from the Athletics yesterday, the MN Twins opted to release Diego Cartaya. They traded for him this offseason and it never worked out. He had already been removed from the 40-man roster.

Cartaya was once a top 100 prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers but his production has fallen off a cliff. He played in only 20 games for the Saints this year while spending most of his time on the Development List. Cartaya was just 5-for-59 with a 40/9 K/BB.

Related: Minnesota Twins Swap Out Minor League Catchers

Minnesota’s only minor league catcher on the 40-man roster is Pereda. St. Paul also employs Noah Cardenas and Patrick Winkel as additional depth.

The Twins are 6-13 in June, and as the month goes along they just keep getting worse. Entering their four-game home series against the Seattle Mariners to start this week, Rocco Baldelli & Co are 3-12 in their last 15 games and 1-9 since June 12.

Minnesota Twins pitching staff riding the struggle bus

Minnesota’s biggest problem has been pitching, which had been their biggest strength while winning. But since Pablo Lopez (grade 2 teres major strain) and Zebby Matthews (grade 2 subcapularis strain) hit the injured list, the Twins can’t keep runs off the board.

Through May their 6.1 fWAR was 4th in baseball and the 3.42 ERA was 5th. This month they sit dead last in ERA (5.87) and are 24th in fWAR (0.7). Of course losing doesn’t help. And when something isn’t working, human nature tells us to fix it.

On Sunday, in their season finale vs Milwaukee, Rocco’s latest attempt to cure the Twins’ recent pitching problems manifested itself in the form of an “Opening Pitcher”. The Brewers had two left-handed batters at the top of their lineup so Minnesota replaced righty starter David Festa, with lefty reliever Danny Coulombe.

Unfortunately, Rocco’s ingenious plan didn’t work. Coulombe gave up a run in the first, off a Christian Yelich (lefty) hit. From there, Festa went on to allow 8 earned runs on 12 hits in his 4.2 innings pitched and the Minnesota Twins lost 9-8.

MN Twins looking to fix a once-dominant rotation

But if you thought last night’s failed “opener” attempt would get Rocco Baldelli off the idea of using one again in the near future, you’d be wrong. According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, we can expect more opening pitchers going forward, when the manager sees it as being advantageous (in theory). is reporting that more is on the way.

The team’s first attempt didn’t go according to plan…But Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and his coaches believe the strategy can potentially help turn around a club sitting at three games under .500…the Twins recognize changes are necessary to aid a pitching staff that has surrendered 128 runs (118 earned) in 147 innings since [June 3].

They’d love it if several of their top relievers operated as openers and pitched scoreless innings early before handing the ball off to a bulk pitcher with a lead in place.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

Related: Injured Minnesota Twins Take First Steps Toward Return

The strategy behind an opener is straightforward. Coulombe has allowed left-handed hitters just seven hits (in 36 PA) with a single extra-base hit (a double). He also has a 10/1 K/BB.

In theory, not only did the swap allow a better first inning pitching matchup for the Twins, but it also allowed Festa to avoid the top of the Brewers’ lineup his first time through. It’s a logical and commendable attempt to fix a pitching staff that is currently broken, with little help remaining at Triple A to come up and help.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Baldelli has employed the opener strategy, since being hired as Minnesota Twins manager, before the 2019 season. In 2022, for example, Minnesota used 14 different starters, including Chris Archer, Devin Smeltzer, and Josh Winder all of whom made at least 11 turns through that rotation.

Rocco Baldelli explains why Twins will continue to use openers

The results of using an opener haven’t always been there for Minnesota, but desperate times often call for desperate measures. With four of the Twins’ current starters (all not name Joe Ryan) struggling mightily, Rocco clearly isn’t ready to abandoned the new-school baseball strategy just yet.

“We’ve got to do a better job of slowing the other team down. That’s what we have to do and I’m going to try to make some adjustments. Our pitchers are going to make some adjustments. Our defense can do a better job, too. Our defense is a part of this, as well. But we have to continue to amend what we’re doing for the better, make adjustments and figure this thing out.”

“We’re reacting a little bit because we have to. It’s been a little while now we’ve been struggling to stop the other teams from scoring. And we’re going to introduce something new and try to switch things up…It’s something that we’re comfortable with. It’s something that I think can help us get to the middle of the game. It’s something that can help us and probably something that we’re going to see more of.”

Rocco Baldelli – The Athletic

Simeon Woods Richardson was demoted earlier in the year, in part because he couldn’t go more than four or five innings without being rocked. He has taken three turns since returning, allowing 11 runs (nine earned) in just 15 2/3 innings with a 10/7 K/BB.

Festa turned in three great starts earlier this year, while up with the big league club. Unfortunately, he’s been anything but competitive, since his return. In 18 innings, across four starts, the 25-year-old out of Seton Hall has allowed 22 runs (20 earned), touting a 17/10 K/BB ratio.

Now dealing with a grade two teres major strain — the same injury that ended Joe Ryan’s 2024 season — that will cost him two to three months, the Twins are tapping on Festa yet again.

Minnesota Twins turn to David Festa with Pablo Lopez out

Wednesday night’s St. Paul Saints starter was scratched in favor of Randy Dobnak, essentially giving away the Twins’ plans to call him up. Late this evening, the reports that Festa was in Sacramento and slotted to take over for Lopez started rolling in.

Rather than waiting for Pablo Lopez’s next turn, the Minnesota Twins will have Festa close out their 10-game road trip on Thursday against the Athletics.

Festa has joined the Twins in Sacramento, he’s potentially in line to start the finale tomorrow once officially added to the active roster. https://t.co/Bqnlp9TwAg

— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) June 5, 2025

He woke up to banging on his door Wednesday morning, unaware of the 45 missed calls on his phone, and David Festa’s first thought was he’d done something wrong. Instead, he discovered Minnesota Twins player development director Drew MacPhail was at the door to inform him he needed to wake up and pack for an impromptu flight to California’s capital city.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

Related: Pablo Lopez Injury Update is Not Good News for MN Twins

Last season Festa debuted with the Minnesota Twins as their top pitching prospect. He appeared in 14 games (13 starts) and posted a 4.90 ERA (3.76 FIP). After allowing 12 earned runs through his first two starts Festa was demoted. He returned later in June and finished with a 3.80 ERA (3.15 FIP) across his final 54 1/3 innings.

Festa is a pretty good plan b for the Twins

Festa has already filled in once for Lopez this season. In three major league starts he owns a 1.38 ERA (2.38 FIP) across 13 innings. His experience last season should serve him well in the latest call-up, and he’ll look to match production with Zebby Matthews in order to solidify Minnesota’s starting depth

David Festa, Nasty 88mph Back Foot Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/fDXBDfWfc8

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 16, 2025

Despite dealing with some arm fatigue at Triple-A this year, Festa has a 2.83 ERA in six starts (28 2/3 innings). He is a strikeout pitcher that profiles as a mid-rotation arm. The Minnesota Twins having depth on the farm like this is something that puts them in a position to withstand injuries like that of Lopez’s.

This should be a longer stay in the big leagues for Festa, assuming he produces. Lopez missed three turns with his hamstring injury. The latest lat muscle issue will cost him at least 2-3 months.

Now above .500 for the first time all season and in the midst of a ten game winning streak, however, the Twins have decided to make the first major change to their rotation, outside of a quick injured list stint by Pablo Lopez earlier in the year.

Simeon Woods Richardson demoted by MN Twins

Minnesota knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in both games of their doubleheader on Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins optioned their late-game starter, Simeon Woods Richardson, down to Triple A St. Paul, after forced his offense to make up for the 6 earned runs off 8 hits (2 HR) and 2 walks, in just 4 innings of work.

Kody Funderburk, who was called up as Minnesota’s emergency 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader, will now remain on the Twins 26-man roster. The 28-year-old worked 1 1/3 innings scoreless of scoreless work during Wednesday’s doubleheader.

We have made the following roster move: pic.twitter.com/NV43lQMkBC

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 15, 2025

Funderburk provides Baldelli a second lefty, pairing with Danny Coulombe, out in the bullpen. He has made three big league appearances this season and has thrown 5 1/3 innings. At Triple-A St. Paul Funderburk has appeared in 10 games with a 2.19 ERA across 12 1/3 innings. He has a 16/5 K/BB on the farm.

Related: 45-Year-Old Former Minnesota Twins Pitcher Signs With New AL Central Team

Minnesota would love Funderburk to put together a season that he has looked capable of from St. Paul. He allowed just a single run in 12 innings as a rookie back in 2023. Last season’s 6.49 ERA (4.55 FIP) across 34 2/3 innings wasn’t good. That’s also not reflective of what he has shown capable of.

What’s wrong with Simeon Woods Richardson?

Unfortunately for Woods Richardson, this week’s start was just the latest in a line of less-than-efficient outings for the young 24-year-old right-hander, ballooning his ERA up to 5.02 and FIP to 5.28.

Cedric Mullins got him for a grand slam, and Heston Kjerstad immediately followed with a solo shot. It was the culmination of a tough outing, and the 24-year-old goes back to St. Paul owning a 5.02 ERA for the Twins.

In his last five starts, Woods Richardson has pitched into the fifth inning just once. Although yesterday was the first time he had allowed more than four runs during a start, his last five turns have resulted in a 5.48 ERA (6.15 FIP). Opposing batters own an .871 OPS against him in that stretch as well.

The Entertainer has left the building!! pic.twitter.com/MWEY3208Ol

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 14, 2025

The reality is that Woods Richardson’s best outings haven’t been good enough to avoid making a change. Not when the Minnesota Twins have potential horses like David Festa and Zebby Matthews chomping at the bit, in St. Paul.

Last season, SWR owned a 4.17 ERA (4.12 FIP), which might have been the very best he has to offer, at this point in his career, especially considering he was able to thread the ERA needle while posting a 1.540 WHIP. That’s way too many men on base, no matter how many he was allowing to come in.

New starter coming for Minnesota Twins

The stay for Funderburk may be brief as Minnesota will need to replace Woods Richardson in the starting rotation, by the time his next start comes around. Star Tribune beat writer Bobby Nightengale is reporting that Zebby Matthews will be promoted and make the start on Sunday in Milwaukee.

“Zebby Matthews, who has posted a 1.93 ERA in seven starts for the St. Paul Saints, is expected to fill Woods Richardson’s slot in the rotation, the Minnesota Star Tribune learned. The Twins haven’t announced their starter for Sunday at Milwaukee.”

Bobby Nightengale – Star Tribune

Zebby Matthews, who’s been dealing for the Saints, has certainly earned this opportunity. Zebby currently owns a 1.93 ERA in seven Triple-A starts. His 38/9 K/BB follows the command and control profile he has become known for down on the farm.

Matthews has not yet appeared in the majors this season. Last year he posted a 6.69 ERA (5.71 FIP) across nine starts as a rookie. His 43/11 K/BB in 37 2/3 innings absolutely worked. It was the 11 longballs that did him in. Matthews’ 4th and 9th starts accounted for 15 of his 28 total earned runs.

David Festa, who hasn’t pitched since May 6th, was skipped during his last turn due to arm fatigue. He previously filled in for Pablo Lopez earlier this year. Festa is scheduled to start on Saturday for St. Paul.

Related: Origin of Minnesota Twins Spartan Helmet Celebration Revealed

The demotion isn’t a death sentence for Woods Richardson, by any means. Now, his job is to go down, and get better, then fight his way back, which won’t be easy, given the high-end talent that Matthews represents.

That’s not great news for a Minnesota Twins team that has already dug itself a 4-8 hole to start the 2025 season or a starting rotation worth a bloated 5.49 ERA through 12 games, which ranks 29th in baseball.

The natural replacement for Lopez in the Twins rotation is 23-year-old prospect Zebby Matthews, who’s on the same pitching schedule as Lopez, down in St. Paul and who’s looked like a future star since the start of Spring Training, and into the Saints regular season (10 IP, 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 13 K).

David Festa gets surprising call up

Thursday in Kansas City is the final game of the Twins’ four-game set vs the Royals. After, they’ll fly home for a three-game series at Target Field vs the Detroit Tigers. But rather than wait to slot Matthews in directly to Pablo’s spot in the rotation, the Minnesota Twins reportedly plan to promote his Saints teammate, David Festa, to throw Friday.

Festa pitching Friday will allow the Twins’ other starters an extra day off since their last start. Most likely, they’ll resume the rotation Saturday with Chris Paddack, into Simeon Woods-Richardson on Sunday to close their series vs Detroit.

Looks like it’ll be David Festa who starts for the Twins on Friday vs. Detroit.

The Twins are planning to give their starters an extra day of rest between starts, so TBA is listed in the game notes for Friday’s pitcher. Festa was scheduled to start tomorrow at St. Paul.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) April 10, 2025

During Grapefruit League action Festa was hit around. He threw 11 1/3 innings while giving up 15 runs on 19 hits with an 11/3 K/BB. He opened the Triple-A season with a strong start throwing five scoreless innings. His last time out though, he lasted just 3 1/3 while giving up six runs (five earned) on ten hits.

If the Twins believe Festa is their best option, they certainly aren’t misguided when looking at how he finished his rookie season. He took two ugly turns and was sent back to Triple-A. The former top pitching prospect returned for 12 more games (11 starts) and posted a 3.81 ERA (3.15 FIP) across 54 1/3 innings.

Early this season David Festa has seen a slight jump in his velocity. Last year he averaged 94.7 mph at the big league level. Even despite the lackluster weather conditions early, he owns a 95.2 mph average on his fastball. It’s clear that there’s a big league pitcher here, and he’ll have a few turns early to substantiate that.

David Festa in the @StPaulSaints #OpeningDay win💥

5 IP / 3 H / 0 R / 0 BB / 4 K#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/zYMtEDnSg4

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) March 29, 2025

Minnesota Twins rotation needed a breather

Paddack’s 14.73 ERA is second-worst among starting pitchers, with at least two starts this season. In other words, he’s has been terrible. This, despite the Twins choosing not to trade him in a salary dump move this offseason. Bailey Ober, who pitches today, enters with a 12.15 ERA and 2.400 WHIP in just 6.2 IP.

Related: Revealed: Why Byron Buxton is Out of the MN Twins Lineup Again

Simeon Woods Richardson owns a 5.59 ERA across a pair of starts (9 2/3 innings). He gave up just two runs during his first turn, but allowed four this week against the Royals. Then there’s Joe Ryan, who started out shaky but turned things around Wednesday allowing just 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 K, 0 BB in 7 innings.

There are still plenty of players in big league camp. A few non-roster invitees remain, but Rocco Baldelli’s Opening Day roster is becoming more clear as the days go by. After the latest moves, the starting rotation has now been set.

Five more roster cuts made by Minnesota Twins

None of Sunday’s roster moves should come as a shock to fans. What the latest moves mean is that Rocco Baldelli has his starting rotation locked in. That group was always expected to be Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, and Simeon Woods Richardson. Now it is official.

Twins announced the latest round of cuts:

David Festa
Kody Funderburk
Luke Keaschall
Zebby Matthews
Alex Speas

As expected, that means the rotation will be Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, and Simeon Woods Richardson.

Down to 40 players in major-league camp.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) March 16, 2025

Both David Festa and Zebby Matthews remain the most likely immediate depth options for the starting rotation. The former struggled this spring and allowed 15 runs on 19 hits in just 11 1/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked just three.

Related: Minnesota Twins Superstar Suffers Spring Training Injury

The latter has been called a breakout candidate this year, and his Grapefruit League results are more than encouraging. Matthews didn’t allow a run across 9 1/3 innings and posted a strong 12/1 K/BB.

Luke Keaschall and Alex Speas were never expected to make the roster. Keaschall, top 100 prospect, should spend time at Triple-A and could be a star. He flashed during the Spring Breakout game and had five hits, including a home run, across 12 games.

Luke Keaschall kicks off the Spring Breakout game with a single. pic.twitter.com/8elcnznqwY

— Ted (@tlschwerz) March 15, 2025

There are multiple avenues for Keaschall to make the Minnesota Twins roster at some point this season. He could be a factor at either second or third base. Speas will go to Triple-A and provide bullpen depth.

Kody Funderburk was in consideration for the second lefty out of the bullpen. He gave up four runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings this spring. He also had an 8/6 K/BB. He’ll need to hone in the command but should be back at some point this season.

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Rocco Baldelli’s camp now has 40 players in it. The Minnesota Twins must make 14 more cuts before taking the team back north. Most of the ambiguity remains in the bullpen, and final bench spots.