The Twins reinstated Brock Stewart from the injured list on Saturday. Stewart has been on the injured list all season due to a left hamstring strain he suffered in spring training. He made two appearances in Single A, throwing 1.2 innings while striking out all five batters. He will replace left-hander Kody Funderburk, who was optioned to Triple-A. Funderburk appeared in two games this year, throwing 4.0 innings with a 4.50 ERA.

Stewart only pitched in 16 games last year, mostly due to right shoulder tendinitis. The Twins are hopeful that, now fully healthy and ready, he can return to his 2023 performance, during which he struck out 39 batters in 27.2 innings and had a 0.65 WHIP. That season, Stewart also topped many statistical pitching categories. His fastball averaged around 97 MPH, Whiff% 41.5, K% 35.8, Barrel% 3.4, and Hard-Hit% 31.0. Those are all great stats when you compare relievers, but that was 2023 when he was healthy. Fast forward two years, and now completely healthy, it will be interesting to see how fast he can bounce back.

With a hefty 11.25 ERA and having blown the Twins' last two leads, struggling reliever Griffin Jax will also benefit from his reinstatement. By taking on some high-leverage situations, Stewart could give struggling Jax a breather, with the ultimate goal of Jax returning to his 2024 level. Will Rocco throw him out there right away? That remains to be seen.

Michael Tonkin, back for his third stint with the Twins, has been sidelined all year with a right shoulder strain. He will begin a rehab stint Friday with Triple-A St. Paul Saints. Assuming that goes well and there are no setbacks, I see him back sometime at the end of April. Who will be the odd man out in the bullpen is the bigger question?

Pablo Lopez, who has been out since April 8 due to a strained right hamstring, will make a rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A St. Paul. Assuming no setbacks, Lopez will probably only need one start. Look for him to rejoin the Twins rotation around Wednesday, as that is when he is eligible to return from the IL.

Royce Lewis is probably the farthest away, although reports say he is making some progress. He has been running and doing baseball activities, including hitting, for a while now, but he was scheduled to advance his running progression Thursday with some light baserunning work. Although his return to game action is still weeks away, rather than days, he continues to progress in his recovery from a strained left hamstring.

 With Matt Wallner recently hitting the IL due to a strained hamstring, there's no new information regarding him, Austin Martin, or Jose Miranda. This comes at a bad time for Wallner, as he was one of the Twins' most consistent hitters and an on-base threat. His slash lines look like this: .263 average, .373/.474/..847.  Miranda will likely return in the middle of next week when his stint is over.  Despite his struggles this year, Miranda would provide much-needed depth for the Twins. He was injured while shopping at Target when he dropped a pack of water and strained his left hand trying to re-grab it, yes, that's no joke, Twins fans. He could add some depth if Correa and Castro continue to nurse injuries.

Willi Castro (oblique) and Christian Vazquez (hand) remain day-to-day due to injuries. The Twins will also continue to monitor Carlos Correa, who sustained a wrist injury earlier this week but has played in subsequent games.