Twins Provide Injury Update on Mick Abel

[Cody Christie]

There was a brief moment of concern surrounding Mick Abel this week, but the Minnesota Twins appear to have avoided a worst-case scenario. When Abel experienced soreness following a bullpen session, the organization opted for caution, and the MRI results delivered encouraging news.

“We felt like if we aggressively treat it, get him on some anti-inflammatories and play it safe on the front end, it’ll be something that will be relatively quick and short,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said. “We didn’t want to try to chase it and then make it potentially worse later by trying to prolong this.”

That measured approach reflects both the Twins' current pitching depth and the importance of Abel to the organization’s long-term plans.

Originally selected 15th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020, Abel arrived in Minnesota with plenty of intrigue. He was part of last summer’s headline-grabbing deal that sent Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia, with catching prospect Eduardo Tait also coming back in return. At the time, the move signaled a shift toward reshaping the Twins' pitching pipeline.

Now 24 years old, Abel’s development path has not been perfectly linear. Once a staple on top 100 prospect lists, his stock dipped entering 2025 before rebounding in a big way. He reached the majors with Philadelphia and pitched well enough to reestablish himself as a meaningful trade asset.

Abel did not enter spring training with a guaranteed role, but he forced the Twins’ hand with a dominant showing in the Grapefruit League. Across 22 innings, he posted a 2.05 ERA with a 32.9% strikeout rate and just a 4.9% walk rate, looking every bit like a pitcher ready to contribute at the major league level.

The regular season has brought some ups and downs, which is to be expected for a young arm finding his footing. After being hit hard in his first two outings, Abel responded with authority. He delivered 13 consecutive shutout innings across starts against Detroit and Boston, compiling a 16-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the process.

Through 20 1/3 innings, Abel owns a 3.98 ERA with a 24.7% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate. Underlying metrics paint an even more encouraging picture. His 2.79 FIP suggests better days ahead, while a 3.93 SIERA reinforces the idea that he has been a steady contributor.

For the Twins, the decision to pause rather than push reflects both confidence and caution. Elbow inflammation is not something to ignore, especially for a pitcher with Abel’s workload trajectory, but it is far from a devastating diagnosis.

The focus now shifts to recovery and timing. If the inflammation responds well to treatment, Abel could return without missing significant time and continue building on what has been a promising start.

In a season where pitching depth is already being tested, keeping Abel healthy matters. The early signs suggest the Twins have navigated this situation correctly, giving themselves a chance to have one of their most intriguing young arms back on the mound sooner rather than later.

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[bunsen82]

This is best case outcome.   The Twins acting on the hint of discomfort/inflammation to make sure it doesn't become a bigger issue.   

[ashbury]

Not sure what Zoll means to "chase" it, assuming that the "it" is "soreness".  I will guess that chase means to try rest first, and if that's not the answer then they would start the more aggressive treatments like anti-inflammatories, with a notion of playing catchup at that point.

He goes on to describe their course of action as playing it safe, and maybe that's the medical opinion of 99% of qualified doctors, I wouldn't know.  I probably would have reversed the terminology and called "rest" the play-it-safe option.

Not word salad, exactly, but his quote took more than a little parsing on my part, and I'm still left uncertain.

[laloesch]

Tommy John surgery on the horizon if this doesn’t work?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

9 hours ago, laloesch said:

Tommy John surgery on the horizon if this doesn’t work?

[bean5302]

Quote

 

When Abel experienced soreness following a bullpen session, the organization opted for caution, and the MRI results delivered encouraging news.

“We felt like if we aggressively treat it, get him on some anti-inflammatories and play it safe on the front end, it’ll be something that will be relatively quick and short,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said. “We didn’t want to try to chase it and then make it potentially worse later by trying to prolong this.”

 

Wonder what the "encouraging news" was? Given Falzol seems to treat injury news like players on the Twins are NFL quarterbacks where opposing teams change entire strategies around them, I'd say the encouraging news was a partial tear and the possibility Abel could avoid surgery exists.

Rest and rehab never works.

[Possumlad]

Update from a few days ago that I haven't seen posted anywhere: 

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-mick-abel-resumes-playing-catch/

"Twins manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Abel (elbow) has resumed playing catch and "all signs have been encouraging," Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports."

[LakesPibble]

A club official confirmed that following a bullpen session on Saturday, Abel experienced soreness in the joint. He received a cortisone shot in his right triceps and will be re-evaluated when the team returns home on Tuesday from its current road trip. The discomfort is in a different location from what initially sidelined him.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mick-abel-experiences-right-elbow-inflammation-during-rehab-process