Rather than choosing someone internally, the Twins immediately used the opening to acquire Kody Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, after hot-starting top prospect Luke Keaschall broke his forearm.

Before that, it was Matt Canterino who was dealt the same hand, outrighted off the 40-man roster on April 18, then ultimately released less than a week later, following yet another season-ending injury.

Matt Canterino re-signs with Minnesota Twins

Now facing his third shoulder injury in as many years, the 27-year-old’s chances of making it to the big leagues felt further away recently, than ever before. That was until Monday evening, when the Twins re-signed Canterino to a two-year deal that will allow him to rehab with the team, then try to work his way back with a clear path to the MLB, if he can still pitch effectively.

Twins have signed RHP Matt Canterino, who hasn’t pitched a regular season game since July 30, 2022 (1,003 days ago) and who is out for this season after another shoulder surgery, to a two-year minor-league contract. Neither side is giving up, apparently.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) April 28, 2025

Because Canterino was injured, and he was not subject to traditional waivers. In order for another team to claim him, the former 2nd round pick would’ve needed to be on that team’s 40-man roster. And once he hit free agency, Canterino and the Twins were able to strike a deal that worked for both sides.

Related: Minnesota Twins Reveal Details on Matt Wallner Injury Timeline

Short of Grapefruit League action, Canterino has not shown up in a professional game since 2022. Yet, the Minnesota Twins kept him on the 40-man roster for three years, due to his uncanny ability to get batters out, when healthy. Once this latest injury hit, however, it was time to make room for someone else.

Twins aren’t crazy for Matt Canterino belief

It has been a litany of issues for the former Rice Owl. He has dealt with both elbow and shoulder problems. But if Matt Canterino can ever stay healthy, the Twins will likely be vindicated for their continued belief in the right-handed starter. You can’t blame them.

Whenever he is on the mound, Matt Canterino has been an out machine, posting a 1.48 ERA and 0.859 WHIP across 85 professional inning. Oh, and he struck out 130 batters during that stretch.

Great to see Matt Canterino back in game action as he pitched 2 innings yesterday in Spring Training 💪

He had 9 whiffs on the day including 3 strikeouts in his first game back in almost 2 years🔥#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/GirRbHm9J8

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) March 1, 2024

Matt Canterino certainly has the stuff to be a top-end reliever! The question is, can he execute on it? pic.twitter.com/evyyCF7KRp

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) February 25, 2025

Minnesota was unwilling to use a 60-day major league injured list spot on Canterino in recent seasons. That would have cost them roughly $700,000. The minor league deal Canterino is now back on, is likely substantially less than that number.

At next to nothing from a financial outlay, there’s no reason for the Twins to stop working with Canterino and trying to coax him to the big leagues. He has swing-and-miss stuff with a high-octane fastball. It has been a road filled with potholes, but it only takes one surgery to go right for everything to change.

Many pitchers have quit and hung them up when faced with the level of adversity Canterino has seen. He’s clearly a competitor and willing to put in the work. This would be something of an all-time comeback story if he can make it happen.

After blowing a lead late against the New York Mets, the Twins were able to grab an extra innings victory on Wednesday. Surprisingly, Rocco Baldelli pinch hit Mickey Gasper for Willi Castro in the 8th inning. We found out after the game that Castro had suffered an oblique injury.

News broke on Thursday evening that top infield prospect Luke Keaschall was coming up to the show for his major league debut, sparking questions over the Twins’ corresponding roster move. On Friday, when the roster move became official, the answer was career minor league utility man, Mickey Gasper heading to St. Paul.

Luke Keaschall call up official – Mickey Gasper optioned – Matt Canterino DFA’d

To make room for Keaschall on the 40-man, the Minnesota Twins DFA’d one time promising pitcher prospect Matt Canterino. On Friday night, the 23-year-old Luke Keaschall — who’s ranked as the No. 57 overall prospect (MLB.com) — will bat 8th in the Twins lineup.

Thankfully, the Twins do not feel like Will Castro’s his injury is serious enough for a trip to the injured list… at least for now. We’ll see how that story develops over the coming days, but the medical staff must feel pretty good because DFA’ing Canterino is risky. He has a lot of talent.

Luke Keaschall has been called up by Twins, will bat 8th as DH vs Braves tonight. Mickey Gasper has been optioned to AAA St Paul. RHP Matt Cantetino has been DFA’d off 40-man roster to make room. Willi Castro recovering, stays on roster for now.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) April 18, 2025

Mickey Gasper couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity for the 29-year-old career minor leaguer to finally catch on in the big leagues. Unfortunately, he failed to take advantage, batting .111 in 22 plate appearances (.384 OPS. Gasper managed just 2 hits and 4 walks to go with his 7 strikeouts.

With their two most flexible defensive players now out of the lineup, in Gasper and Castro, Luke Keaschall — who played infield and outfield in 2024 — has only played 2B and DH since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August, 2024. In fact, it wasn’t until Tuesday April 15 with St. Paul that Keaschall played his first full nine-inning game.

Other MN Twins infielders will get chances

Thus, it’s no surprise Luke Keaschall is making his debut as a DH. It’s something he proved he could handle down in the minors, where he was written into the lineup for much of last season, posting a .303/.420/.483 slash line across 103 games between Single and Double-A.

Luke Keaschall's first Triple-A @StPaulSaints homer was a no-doubter 😤

MLB's No. 57 prospect has soared up the @Twins' system since being a second-round pick in 2023. pic.twitter.com/r1aL4kRyAI

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 12, 2025

Edouard Julien has not been the player he was as a rookie in 2023, but looks much closer to it than last season. His .250/.304/.385 slash line leaves room for improvement, but offensively he may be as capable or better than Castro was or will be, when he gets healthy.

The final two Twins who are sure to be most impacted by Keaschall’s addition to the dugout are newly acquired Jonah Bride and regular DH Trevor Larnach. If Keaschall is going to be the designated hitter, Larnach could lose at bats. Harrison Bader and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. give the Twins a much better defensive outfield when paired together.

Related: Minnesota Twins Calling Up Latest Top Infield Prospect

Over the course of his career, Bride has spent the majority of his time at corner infield spots. He does have 35 big league games at second base as well. It’s been a slow start for him in 2025 (4-for-40), but he batted .276/.357/.461 in 71 games with Miami last year.

Man Jonah Bride was a pulled fly ball expert in 2024 pic.twitter.com/YptSPf4Hs3

— FreeMNTWINS (@freemntwins) April 17, 2025

Ultimately Baldelli is going to rely on some youth and new faces to step up and bring the Twins back to a level of competitiveness. It’s not the path they planned, but with Keaschall in tow, could be a fun one to watch.

But of course, the Twins haven’t fully escaped the injury bug down in Florida, especially when you look at the middle reliever talent they were hoping to lean on, before games reach backend bullpen staples, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.

Over the past 24 hours, Minnesota Twins injury updates have revealed injuries to RHP Brock Stewart, RHP Michael Tonkin and RHP Matt Canterino. While all three injuries have different severity, the overall health of the bullpen is becoming a bigger concern, as spring goes on.

Michael Tonkin, Brock Stewart injury updates

33-year-old Brock Stewart, who left his Friday Grapefruit league appearance vs the Boston Red Sox with a leg injury, has been diagnosed with a mild left hamstring strain. The good news is that he is expected to start throwing later this week.

Michael Tonkin, 35, came back to the Twins midseason 2024, pitching 13 impressive innings (2.13 ERA and 12.1 SO/9), but will not open the season on the 26-man roster, as he works his way back from a shoulder strain he suffered last week.

RHP Michael Tonkin (shoulder strain) will open the season on the IL, will remain in Fort Myers a few weeks to build up to pitch again.

RHP Brock Stewart has a mild left hamstring strain, but tested well today and should resume throwing later this week.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) March 16, 2025

The update on Stewart is good news, though we have heard this type of story before, specifically with Stewart, whose season-ending injury in 2024 started out as something that was supposed to be minor. With this organization, take all early injury updates, diagnosis and timelines with a large grain of salt.

The Twins would really love to have Stewart on the Opening Day roster. His career in Minnesota has been marred by injury, including missing most of last season. But when he’s available, Brock Stewart has been nothing short of dominant. In 43 innings as a Twin, the Illinois State University alum has a 2.28 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 191 ERA+ and 12.3 SO/9.

Related: FanGraphs Extremely Confident Twins Reliever Will Return to Form

Tonkin played the first seasons of his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins (2013-2017), before spending 2018 in Japan. He returned to the Big Leagues in 2019, where he’s played for three other teams, the Braves, Yankees and Mets. Both guys project as major pieces of Minnesota’s bullpen this season.

Oft-injured Minnesota Twins reliever Matt Canterino going through it again

A spring training Minnesota Twins injury update would not be complete without mentioning Matt Canterino, their 27-year-old pitching prospect who’s brought a lot more hype during the course of his career than he has minor league production.

That’s saying something, being he has a 1.91 ERA, 0.859 WHIP and 13.8 SO/9 in 85 minor league innings between 2019 and 2022. Unfortunately, injuries have kept Canterino from the mound in each of the past two seasons. And now, he’ll miss a third-straight season, following surgery on his right shoulder.

RHP Matt Canterino underwent shoulder surgery in Dallas this week to “tighten” ligaments, Twins announce. He’ll miss the entire season for the third straight year.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) March 16, 2025

There are less than ten days before the 2025 Minnesota Twins regular season begins on March 26 in St. Louis vs the Cardinals. Manager Rocco Baldelli and the rest of the organization will be holding their breath every day between now and then, as their bullpen cannot afford anymore injuries between now and then.

Rocco Baldelli must trim down the group of men on the roster, and tighten up his clubhouse. After a game against the Baltimore Orioles today (Mar 9), Minnesota began the process of whittling down their options.

Nine players optioned to minor league camp for Minnesota Twins

There are a handful of Minnesota Twins players that were never going to make the major league club. Invited to big league spring training for a myriad of reasons, their time to be optioned was always going to come. A handful of veterans and minor league prospects are now among the group sent to the back fields.

Most notable of the cuts would be Cory Lewis. He looked sharp in two innings of Grapefruit League action and picked up a pair of strikeouts. His knuckleball pitch may be a record-breaking offering in speed at the big league level. He’ll be part of a talented rotation at Triple-A St. Paul, and should appear at Target Field at some point this season.

Twins prospect Cory Lewis throws a mid-80's knuckleball. It has reportedly reached 87-mph this spring.

It has a chance to be the fastest knuckleball ever recorded in MLB history.

Here it is on display, striking out Gleyber Torres. pic.twitter.com/L7v2xxylm8

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) February 26, 2025

Related: Minnesota Twins Provide a Bunch of Injury Updates

Last season, Randy Dobnak made his way back up to the big leagues, and finished with a 5.59 ERA over 9.2 innings, for the Twins. Mot recently, he pitched six scoreless innings, including a three-inning outing on Sunday. Dobnak picked up seven strikeouts in the outing. No longer on the 40-man roster, Dobnak is in the final year of a five-year extension worth $9.25 million.

Minnesota brought Erasmo Ramirez in as a late addition to compete for a bullpen spot. He was an easy choice to option after suffering a significant tear that could threaten his season as a whole.

Related: Minnesota Twins Bullpen Harboring Dark Horse Stud Nobody is Talking About

Both Alex Isola and Yunior Severino are Triple-A depth pieces. The former will rotate time at catcher alongside Jair Camargo, and the recently acquired Diego Cartaya. The latter was previously on the 40-man roster but his .254/.342/.434 slash line at Triple-A across 128 games last year played himself out of the picture.

MN Twins 40-man talent headed to St. Paul

The Saints rotation should have plenty of talent in it this year, and they will all be depth pieces that the Minnesota Twins can rely on. Marco Raya and Travis Adams were added to the 40-man roster this offseason. Now, each is looking for the opportunity to make their big league debut.

Emmanuel Rodriguez hit Triple-A last season despite an injury-plagued campaign. He had thumb surgery this offseason, and was already behind schedule after suffering an ankle injury. But, he should be running this week and will get in minor league action before the season kicks off.

Matt Canterino also is among the 40-man group that was optioned. He is dealing with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for months, after making just one Spring Training appearance. It’s a tough blow for a prospect that needs to make it work this season. His injury may make it difficult for the Twins to keep him on the 40-man over others over the course of the year.

After trimming down the group by nine spots, the Minnesota Twins still have 48 players in big league camp. They have 17 days to make the final 22 roster moves.

But the most important part of this time of year is staying healthy. Last year, the Twins struggled to do that, and it wound up being a running narrative throughout the season. And this last week, we’ve seen more of the same thing down in Florida, though most of this year’s injuries have involved prospects, not impact big leaguers.

Minnesota Twins prospects dealing with injuries down in Spring Training

Let’s start with oft-injured, aging pitching prospect, Matt Canterino, when he suffered a shoulder strain back in early March. He isn’t the only pitching prospect dealing with injuries, though. Zebby Mathews, another advanced minor league pitcher the Twins are hoping will make an impact in their rotation this summer, has a hip strain.

Minnesota Twins hitting prospects have been bitten by the injury bug too. In fact, the best two prospects in the entire organization — Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez — are both trying to recover from their own injuries too. Big league relievers Justin Topa and Michael Tonkin are also dealing with shoulder issues.

Matt Canterino, Erasmo Ramirez injury update

On Saturday, Minnesota Twins injury updates were aplenty, on all the aforementioned prospects. Matt Canterino, who hasn’t pitched in a professional game since 2022, is dealing with the same type of shoulder injury that cost him all of last season. Local insider Darren Wolfson took it a step further on SKOR North this week, saying Canterino is expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks.

RHP Matt Canterino has shoulder injury similar to one that cost him all of 2024 season. He’ll see Dr. Keith Meister to determine severity and treatment, likely will not pitch for several weeks.

RHP Erasmo Ramirez has “significant tear” in his shoulder, he’ll miss extended time.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) March 8, 2025

“Matt Canterino, shoulder strain, looking at 6-8 weeks if not more. It’s just another injury for the Twins pitching prospect. Very unfortunate.”

Darren Wolfson – Skor North

Canterino was placed on the Minnesota Twins 40-man roster prior to the 2023 season. He has yet to be placed on the 60-day injured list, but that could be coming. Matt Canterino’s 1.48 ERA and 130 strikeouts across 85 professional innings makes a fan wonder. Unfortunately, his body isn’t reliable.

Related: Minnesota Twins Prospects Revealed for Exclusive MLB ‘Spring Breakout’

Erasmo Ramirez, who was likely ticketed for St. Paul, may not wind up pitching in the Twins organization at all this season. The veteran threw 20 2/3 innings with a 4.35 ERA for Tampa Bay last season, but a significant shoulder tear may end his season.

Zebby Matthews, Michael Tonkin, Justin Topa injury updates

News regarding Zebby Matthews appears to be positive after he left the game following a ball he fielded coming off the mound. The starter suggested he could continue pitching but the Twins wanted to error on the side of caution and re-evaluate him.

RHP Zebby Matthews recovering well from hip strain, he’ll pitch in bullpen tomorrow.

RHP Michael Tonkin has “slight” shoulder strain, he’ll be examined again in 7-10 days.

RHP Justin Topa has shoulder tightness, will play catch today to measure the extent.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) March 8, 2025

Matthews has pitched well this spring and owns a 7/0 K/BB across 6 1/3 innings. He is on the outside looking in for a rotation spot, but could challenge both Chris Paddack and Simeon Woods Richardson.

Related: Minnesota Twins Flamethrower Struggling to Find Heat

Speaking of Paddack, he threw on Saturday but exited after just 2 2/3 innings after as he was hit in the head by a comeback line drive that thankfully deflected off his glove first. Paddack walked off the field under his own power and is not showing concussion symptoms, per LaVelle E Neal (Star Tribune).

Twins official let us look at an in-house b/w replay. Liner ticked the tip of his glove before hitting him above the right ear. https://t.co/hmtfHf6T2O

— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) March 8, 2025

Unfortunately, bullpen updates are less promising. Michael Tonkin, who’s near the bottom of the pecking order, has allowed four runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings this spring. He needs more time to rest, and is a likely candidate to begin the season on the injured list.

Justin Topa has consistently been injured since joining the Twins. Last season was a knee issue and now he has shoulder soreness. There is a possibility he could have been a capable middle-relief arm, but not if he can’t stay on the field.

Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez injury updates

Both Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez are on their way back for the Minnesota Twins. Spring training minor league games started on Saturday and Jenkins told me he is “doing good.” The hope is that he can be in games soon.

Fellow top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez has now had back-to-back days of batting practice. He had thumb surgery to end his 2024 season and told trainers he’s swinging pain-free “for the first time in seven months.” Rodriguez will start running next week and shouldn’t miss any regular season time. MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra had updates on both prospects, as well.

Although it was just a 47 game sample size, it’s beyond impressive that Rodriguez played through pain to post a .280/.459/.567 OPS and reach Triple-A. He’s way up there on top 100 prospect lists. Both Rodriguez and Jenkins should have a real shot to turn heads in 2025.

Related: Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli Wants a F***ing Parade

Minnesota needs to continue a trend of more positive injury updates and have the bill of health remain clean through the final weeks of March. They were hit hard just before Opening Day last season. Hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself.

That pattern of wear-and-tear concerns isn’t new for the Twins. Former Rice standout Tyler Duffey, another Twins pitcher, had those same risks tied to the program’s approach. Similarly, Canterino’s tenure with Minnesota has been plagued by health setbacks, leaving him sidelined despite occupying a valuable spot on the 40-man roster.

This spring it looked as though Canterino was at a point where he could make an impact, but one Spring Training appearance already has him shelved once again.

Matt Canterino looks cooked for the Minnesota Twins

Matt Canterino has been trying to work back to a level of relative health for the Minnesota Twins for awhile. He hasn’t thrown a single inning since 2022, and has just 50 innings to his credit since 2019. That is almost insane. To say he has been hurt and unavailable would be putting it lightly.

The stuff looks great when he’s healthy, but the reality is that he never is. After pitching a single inning against the Yankees this spring, and walking three batters, he is hurt once again.

“Canterino, 27, was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain after a magnetic resonance imaging exam and there is no timetable for him to resume throwing while he awaits a second opinion on his shoulder. He said he felt the injury when he warmed up to enter a spring training game last Saturday.”

Bobby Nightengale – Star Tribune

It would be one thing to suggest that Canterino was nervous as he walked three batters, and struck out just one during his 2025 Grapefruit League debut. It’s not uncommon for that to happen to someone who’s just happy to be back on the mound. But, it’s another to continue the charade of keeping him on the 40-man roster while we don’t currently know what he brings to the table.

Matt Canterino throws live batting practice. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/069llS9g5T

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 20, 2025

Last season, the Minnesota Twins shuffled Jorge Alcala between the majors and minors, despite his 3.92 ERA and 87 MLB innings since 2019, which show he can contribute. By contrast, Matt Canterino’s ability is still a projection. While Alcala fights for a steady role, Canterino’s 40-man roster spot ties up space that could go to younger players who are ready to perform now.

Related: Minnesota Twins Ramp Up Efforts to Improve Royce Lewis’ Defense

It’s unfortunate that Minnesota has to pull the plug on a former to draft pick. Realistically though, Canterino offers nothing to believe in currently. If someone else wants to claim him, so be it.

MN Twins have multiple bullpen options

The Minnesota Twins’ starting rotation is mostly locked in, with a solid group of five anchoring the staff. Beyond that core, a handful of depth pitchers stand ready, each eager to compete for innings and a chance to crack the lineup. Among the veterans, Chris Paddack looks like the most vulnerable, his spot ripe for the taking if a younger arm steps up.

If the MN Twins are going to have one of the best bullpens in baseball, then they can’t afford to have holes in the group. Canterino was never going to be a consideration from the jump, but multiple arms can help to mitigate his absence.

Related: Chris Paddack in Danger of Losing Starting Job for Twins?

Louie Varland—call him Louis—could be an arm to bolster the Twins’ bullpen. A healthy Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are set to dominate the late innings, locking down the back end. The more Rocco Baldelli can trust arms like Cole Sands, the less Brock Stewart’s absence—still lingering from last year’s shoulder injury, with no clear return date—will hurt.

Multiple starting pitchers could also make their first appearance in the bullpen. If the Twins need to go that route, they’d be fine leaning on a performer rather than a prospect who is always hurt.

The batting lineup is largely unchanged, outside of Ty France replacing Carlos Santana and Harrison Bader taking over the fourth outfielder role from Manuel Margot. The bullpen is currently projected to be among the best units in baseball. That is largely due to the belief in players like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.

As is always the case though, depth is essential throughout the course of a 162 game season, especially on the mound. And the Minnesota Twins appear to have a lot of depth in their bullpen, talent that stretches from the big leagues to down on the farm.

It’s Matt Canterino time for the Minnesota Twins

But not all prospects are created equal. Everything from age, to arbitration eligibility to production play into MLB promotions throughout the system. Take right-handed reliever Matt Canterino, for example. The Twins selected the 27-year-old Rice alum in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Unfortunately, he hasn’t pitched since 2022, due to a multitude of injuries.

But given his ever-advancing age, impressive host of pitches and injury proneness, The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman would like to see Canterino fast tracked to the big leagues this spring/summer… as long as he can stay healthy and productive during Spring Training.

“The remarkable thing about Canterino thus far is that he’s had endless injuries and has come back from each of them with his raw stuff pretty much intact. Which is to say, high octane, mid-to-upper-90’s with two good off-speed pitches that he can throw…Not only has he remained on the 40-man roster now for two years while injured, they haven’t even transferred him to the 60-day injured list when he’s out for the season. They didn’t want him collecting service time and moving closer to free agency.”

Gleeman on Matt Canterino (Gleeman and the Geek)

Why do the Minnesota Twins remain high on Canterino? Well, I would start with the 130 batters he’s struck out in just 85 career professional innings. Maybe his high-90s fastball or 1.48 ERA is what they are hooked on…?

Matt Canterino struck out the first batter he faced tonight. pic.twitter.com/o6p26OWYYv

— TFTwins (@TFTwins) April 20, 2022

Pitchers like Canterino aren’t just readily available, and Minnesota working with him through all of the setbacks shows a real commitment. Now working as a reliever, a fast track with eyes set toward the big leagues makes sense.

Related: Pohlads Aren’t Set on Selling Twins

Canterino started 10-of-11 appearances at Double-A Wichita back in 2022. He compiled 34 1/3 innings and owned a 1.83 ERA. The MN Twins may send him back there this season, but he also is a logical candidate to open with St. Paul.

“I almost feel with him, use those bullets while they are in the gun. What I mean by that is, I’m not saying he needs to be in the Opening Day bullpen. He needs to prove on some level that he can perform. He doesn’t strike me as a guy you need to go send to Triple-A for a year. All you’re asking him to do is get injured again and wipe out all the optimism. To me, if you think he can get guys out today, let’s get him in the majors as soon as possible. You don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

Gleeman suggests a fast track for Canterino (Gleeman and the Geek)

If he’s at Triple-A, then a logical plan would be to throw him for a month or two and see how it goes. If the results are positive, he profiles as one of the first candidates to replace a major league arm.

Where does Canterino fit for MN Twins?

It’s a tall task to crack the Minnesota Twins bullpen right now. Unless or until there is an injury, the most logical replacement candidates include either Jorge Alcala or Michael Tonkin. There are also players like Louie Varland and Eiberson Castellano that should be in front of Canterino on the 40-man roster.

Matt Canterino throws live batting practice. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/069llS9g5T

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 20, 2025

The reality is that if Canterino’s production remains where it was, and he’s healthy, he’ll force his way in. The former Rice Owl could profile as a high-leverage reliever, and Minnesota would love to add onto an already impressive back-end.

Cole Sands didn’t deal with the injuries, but took that path to his current role on the team. Over 71 1/3 innings last season, Sands posted a 3.28 ERA with 85 strikeouts. His 2.63 FIP suggests he could be even better this season. If that’s the profile the Twins get from a healthy Canterino they would be ecstatic.

Related: Failed Minnesota Twins Outfielder Settles for Minor League Deal

As has always been the case, it comes down to health for Canterino. We’re at the point in Spring Training again where it is on his side. Let’s hope that’s how things stay and we get to see the stuff unleashed at Target Field this summer.

Ryan has become an imperative part of Rocco Baldelli’s starting rotation. He has been durable but hit the injured list for the first time last season. After missing the stretch run due to a shoulder injury, he’s ahead of schedule when it comes to 2025.

Minnesota Twins need a healthy Joe Ryan

Last season the Twins came into the year with an ace in the form of Pablo Lopez. From there they expected Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober to hold the line. Ryan took another step forward and did his part, but then he wound up injured. Insider Darren “Doogie” Wolfson says he’s tracking well for 2025.

“Joe Ryan, with that shoulder injury, ahead of schedule with his rehab. So he’ll be fine by the start of spring training, but even before the start of spring training.”

Darren Wolfson on Joe Ryan’s health (Skor North)

After making 29 starts in 2023, Ryan pitched just 23 games for the Twins last year. His final start came on August 7th and he was lifted after just two innings. On the year he owned a 3.60 ERA with a 3.44 FIP and 147 strikeouts in 135 innings.

Joe Ryan struck out a dozen batters for the @Twins! 😤 pic.twitter.com/UucIvsOpOI

— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2024

Related: Minnesota Twins Gain Additional 1st Round Draft Pick for 2025

If the Twins are going to be competitive in 2025, it will be because Joe Ryan is both goo and healthy. Lopez needs to bounce back, but the rotation needs it’s best arms to keep the depth at bay for as long as possible.

Matt Canterino gets positive Twins update too

The Twins pitching pipeline produced a couple of new starters last season. Both David Festa and Zebby Matthews made their big league debuts. There will be more in 2025. One of the system’s most intriguing arms is Matt Canterino, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. For now, he’s good to go.

“Remember Twins pitching prospect Matt Canterino? Speaking of injuries, it’s been about two years of constant injuries. I am told, in this moment, he is 100%. He feels great. It looks like he’s on the 40-man roster. It looks like he is destined for the bullpen. Don’t forget that name… It looks like, not 100%, but looks like right now signs point to him ending up in the bullpen.”

Darren Wolfson on Matt Canterino (Skor North)

The Twins took Canterino in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft out of Rice University. He had worked as a starter, but Rice is synonymous with burning out arms and future professional problems. That trend has unfortunately continued with Canterino.

He has been nothing short of incredible when on the mound, but he has logged just 85 professional innings. He has 130 strikeouts in that span and looks like an arm that could immediately help the big league bullpen. It’s a good thing that the Twins seem willing to spend his bullets there.

Related: Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings (2025 ed.)

For a unit that could use some new high-ceiling talent this season. Canterino fits the bill. Now he just needs to stay healthy.