The Twins introduced a flurry of roster strikes this afternoon as they chose the contracts of right-hander Diego Castillo and utility hitter Michael Helman to the massive league roster. The membership additionally positioned outfielder Manuel Margot on the 10-day IL and activated infielder Brooks Lee from the 10-day IL. To make room for Castillo and Helman on the 40-man roster, left-hander Caleb Boushley was designated for task whereas right-hander Chris Paddack was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Castillo returns to the Twins for his second stint within the majors this yr. The 30-year-old righty signed with Minnesota on a minor league deal over the offseason and was chosen to the roster on the finish of Might. He in the end made simply 5 appearances for the membership earlier than being designated for task regardless of a stable 2.57 ERA because of worrying peripherals, highlighted by a ten% strikeout price and an eye-popping 23.3% stroll price. Castillo elected free company however returned to the Twins on a contemporary minor league deal shortly thereafter, and since then has been pitching for the membership’s Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul.
Even so, the outcomes haven’t been good. Whereas his numbers at Triple-A have been skewed by a disastrous efficiency the place he surrendered 5 runs whereas recording only one out final month, he’s nonetheless posted a 4.00 ERA with practically as many walks (6) as strikeouts (7) in 9 innings of labor since then. Whereas Castillo was among the many extra dependable late-inning arms within the sport from 2018 to 2022 with a 3.12 ERA and three.69 FIP over that point, it appears extraordinarily unlikely that he’ll be capable of recapture that type down the stretch with Minnesota. That being stated, his presence on the roster ought to enable the membership to maintain its key aid arms like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax brisker down the stretch by absorbing lower-leverage innings.
As for Helman, the Twins’ eleventh-round decide within the 2018 draft has steadily labored his means by means of the minor leagues by means of his profession earlier than beginning the season at Triple-A this yr and delivering robust outcomes. The 28-year-old has slashed .283/.367/.508 with 13 homers, 15 doubles, and ten steals in simply 63 video games this yr on the stage, and he’s performed that whereas splitting time between shortstop, middle subject, second base, third base, and left subject. The versatile defender figures to supply the Twins an attention-grabbing mixture of energy and velocity off the bench for the stretch run, and his potential to play everywhere in the subject will certainly turn out to be useful because the membership navigates accidents and relaxation for its common gamers.
Additionally returning to the majors is Lee, the membership’s 23-year-old prime prospect who struggled to a considerably lackluster .253/.309/.333 slash line in 110 journeys to the plate on the large league stage earlier than occurring the IL in early August. Now that he’s again within the majors, Lee figures to characteristic prominently within the membership’s infield combine, although with Royce Lewis locking down third base and Willi Castro performing admirably rather than Carlos Correa at shortstop, it’s not clear whether or not or not Lee will be capable of get common reps because the Twins look to protect their 3.5-game lead over the Pink Sox for the ultimate AL Wild Card spot.
As for the gamers transferring off the roster to accommodate these additions, Margot’s placement on the IL is hardly a shock after he suffered an obvious groin pressure throughout final night time’s sport. After the sport, supervisor Rocco Baldelli advised reporters (together with Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com) that the outfielder was “not transferring effectively” because of the difficulty and would want to endure an MRI. The outcomes of that MRI aren’t but clear, however they evidently warranted a visit to the IL for the 29-year-old outfielder, who has slashed simply .250/.302/.350 in 116 video games with the membership this yr.
In the meantime, Paddack’s placement on the 60-day IL isn’t essentially a shock given the truth that he’s already been on the shelf since mid-July resulting from a forearm pressure. A daily season return has lengthy appeared unlikely for the right-hander, however it’s nonetheless attainable he might return to motion sooner or later within the postseason relying on how far the Twins make it this season. As for Boushley, the lefty has appeared in simply two video games for the Twins this yr after signing a minor league take care of the membership over the offseason, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in 4 innings of labor.
