Article: Perkins To DL, Rogers Called Up

[Nick Nelson]

The Minnesota Twins have placed closer Glen Perkins on the disabled list with a shoulder strain and called up left-hander Taylor Rogers from Class-AAA Rochester.

 

Rogers was "coincidentally" the subject of Seth's Prospect Retrospective today.In spring training, Rogers was competing for a lefty specialist role in the bullpen and he lasted deep into camp before being optioned on March 23rd. Last year in Rochester he went 11-12 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 126-to-44 K/BB ratio over 174 innings. He pitched two scoreless innings in his lone appearance there this year.

 

The 25-year-old has served mostly as a starter in the minors but profiles better as a reliever due to his consistent success against left-handed hitters. In Triple-A last season he held them to a .177/.209/.193 slash line with 55 strikeouts and five walks. Rogers now stands out as Paul Molitor's best option against tough lefty swingers late in games.

 

Perkins showed decreased velocity in his two appearances, which included a blown save against the Royals on Sunday. Obviously it's an ominous sign that he's going on the shelf one week into the season, but hopefully some time off will enable him to come back strong with more life on his fastball.

 

Presumably Kevin Jepsen, who served as the team's closer down the stretch last year, will take over ninth-inning duties for the time being.

 

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[FunnyPenguin]

Personally I think Taylor would be good out of the bullpen with his stuff, but in MN you never know...

[DrNeau]

How many times now has he reported an injury after getting shelled? Hope this gets fixed ASAP, and he comes back healthy & effective. 

[twinkies]

This should allow Pressly to pitch in some later innings, right?

[Seth Stohs]

I think he can be very good. Never know what to expect early in anyone's career, but he has the stuff and makeup to be a good reliever. 

[Mike Sixel]

Dang, I got that pool wrong. Not surprised at any of this.

 

If only they had used Taylor out of the bullpen last year, they might have some idea what they have......

[DrNeau]

He was only throwing 91 MPH the other night when he was giving up lasers. Curious when the injury occurred, and if anyone has asked. 

Edited April 13, 2016 by DrNeau

[Winston Smith]

The good thing is that Jepsen has been lights out so far.

[alarp33]

2 weeks ago..... 

 

“Honestly, I could care less what it is,’’ Perkins said. “I haven’t uncorked a [regular-season] pitch. I don’t really see a point in me wowing anybody right now.’’

 

“I will be right where I need to be once the season starts and as we get going,’’ he said.

 

Pretty typical Perkins, gets shelled and suddenly has an "injury" again.  Maybe he could've told the team in March he was hurt and they would be 1-6..... 

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

Perkins is getting less and less easy to root for these days.

[nicksaviking]

I trust Jepsen much less than Pressly and May.

 

I know for some reason he was the 25th man on the roster and he was at one point a Rule 5 pick, but when healthy, Pressly has been the most consistent and reliable bullpen arm since the start of last year.

 

I don't know why he isn't getting more trust. I'd put him in the 8th/9th until the real fireballers get called up.

[USAFChief]

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

[Mike Sixel]

 

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

 

Who sees more time, Tonkin, or Rogers? 

[Winston Smith]

 

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

Cynical? Never!!

[nicksaviking]

 

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

 

There's an AA flight that leaves in 20 minutes and he'd be at MSP by 3 PM.

 

https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=ROC;t=MSP;q=rochester+ny+to+minneapolis+flights;d=2016-05-04;r=2016-05-08

 

If he's not on that plane, or the Delta that left an hour and 15 minutes ago, George Castanza must the the assistant to the traveling secretary for the Twins.

[Vanimal46]

I'm with Levi... Perkins does great things off the field, but on the field, it's getting harder to root for the guy. I'm excited to see Rogers for the first time and hopefully he does well to earn a spot full-time on this team. 

 

[d-mac]

 

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

 

Speaking of self-inflicted pain, what's the over-under on how many RH batters faced until the Twins realize that Rogers is only a LOOGY at the ML level? Any fan with two gray matter cells to rub together can take a quick glance at his BBref minor league splits and determine in about 10 seconds that he should exclusively be used against lefties. I'm setting the over/under at 50 right handed PA's.  

[Blackjack]

Good call Seth!!!! Better go buy a lottery ticket!!!

[HitInAPinch]

Let the bullpen redo begin

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Like this move. Perkins has been awful.. Interested to see what Rogers can do

[SwainZag]

 

Speaking of self-inflicted pain, what's the over-under on how many RH batters faced until the Twins realize that Rogers is only a LOOGY at the ML level? Any fan with two gray matter cells to rub together can take a quick glance at his BBref minor league splits and determine in about 10 seconds that he should exclusively be used against lefties. I'm setting the over/under at 50 right handed PA's.  

 

The use of O'Rourke last year tells me you are exactly right.  Also the extreme example of being a LOOGY and he faced 49 lefties and 48 righties.  Amazingly he excelled against lefties and got lit up by righties.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

Can I assume they waited until this morning to summon Rogers, so that he'll be unavailable for tonight's game, even though they had to have known this was a possibility since at least yesterday, probably longer?

 

Or am I just too cynical when it comes to this team's self-inflicted pain?

Well, they had a day off so it shouldn't matter. Everyone should be ready to go.

 

But yeah, why this morning?

[nicksaviking]

If a move to the pen increases his velocity and/or eliminates the need of his weakest pitch, success against RHB likely will also improve.

[Mike Sixel]

It just seems, to me Brock, it is not a well planned system.......they didn't have a plan for Park/Plouffe/Sano to be on the same team, but bid on Park. They jerked May around last year for that 1 spot start. They never played Sano in the OF, in the eventuality this might happen. They didn't call up Rogers last year to be a LOOGY, despite needing one, and he's not pitched out of the bullpen at all, despite most people thinking his future is as a LOOGY. They often play with a short bench, or call up legit prospects to sit around. It just doesn't look planned from where I sit.

[HitInAPinch]

 

Who sees more time, Tonkin, or Rogers? 

Good question.  After what has happened in the 1st 7 games, why has Tonkin pitched only 1.1 innings?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Good question.  After what has happened in the 1st 7 games, why has Tonkin pitched only 1.1 innings?

Which leads to a better question: why was Tonkin brought north at all, then?

[Mike Sixel]

 

Which leads to a better question: why was Tonkin brought north at all, then?

 

It's not clear the GM and manager are on the same page.......or maybe they are, and they just are afraid to lose guys, even guys they won't play. Or, maybe, there just hasn't been much need for the bullpen so far, and he'll get more time. We'll see over the next few weeks, I'd imagine. 

[SirLoin]

 

I would suggest something similar with the outfield/DH situation. Send Park down to AAA so he can work out his swing (and committ to it, he stays until at least June 1), and have Sano half time at DH, half in the outfield. Use that opening and LF to give Kepler, Rosario and Arcia each at least 3 starts a week for the next month to 6 weeks.  Kepler and Rosario can also get an occasional start in CF when a non fly ball pitcher is going like Gibson or Milone. When and IF Park is ready to come back around June 1, send down whichever of those 3 has played the worst (or Buxton if there is no improvement).  The only person left out is Polanco but there just isn't a starting place for him right now unless one of the infielders gets hurt.

 

 

This is spot on, except that I would try to get Plouffe some reps in RF.  I would say get Mauer some reps in RF, but God forbid we sacrifice the Baby Jesus for all the sins of the front office. 

[d-mac]

 

It just seems, to me Brock, it is not a well planned system.......they didn't have a plan for Park/Plouffe/Sano to be on the same team, but bid on Park. They jerked May around last year for that 1 spot start. They never played Sano in the OF, in the eventuality this might happen. They didn't call up Rogers last year to be a LOOGY, despite needing one, and he's not pitched out of the bullpen at all, despite most people thinking his future is as a LOOGY. They often play with a short bench, or call up legit prospects to sit around. It just doesn't look planned from where I sit.

 

It's not just the past two years. They've dragged their feet on DL'ing players and leaving the manager with a short bench for as long as I can remember. And they're constantly trying to fit square pegs in to round holes due to lack of foresight. 

[USAFChief]

 

Well, they had a day off so it shouldn't matter. Everyone should be ready to go.

But yeah, why this morning?

Seems like the day off would've been a perfect opportunity to ask Perkins, "How's it feel?"  

 

And then put Rogers on a plane to MSP, just in case when we ask Perkins again, today, he says "Still don't feel right."  

 

Worst case, Rogers gets a few frequent flyer miles and a night at a nice hotel.  Twins are out a thousand bucks or so.  Rochester is without Rogers for a couple days, until Rogers is put back on a plane this afternoon to rejoin Rochester.

 

That seems like a small cost, and one a team interested in always giving itself the best possible chance to win, would be willing to shoulder.