Mick Abel Suffers Injury Setback, Will Undergo MRI

[Cody Christie]

For a brief moment, it looked like the Twins were about to get one of their most important reinforcements back. Instead, Mick Abel's return to Minnesota's rotation is on hold once again.

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale Jr., Abel experienced a setback in his recovery process after throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday. The right-hander will not return from the injured list this week and is scheduled to undergo an MRI when the club gets back to Minnesota. That's an unwelcome development for a pitching staff that has already spent most of the season patching together innings.

A Promising Rehab Assignment Takes a Turn

Abel has been sidelined since April 20 after being placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. The injury interrupted what had been an encouraging first season in the Twins organization after arriving as part of last summer's trade deadline haul. 

The 24-year-old finally began a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul earlier this month, and the early results couldn't have gone much better.

In his first outing on June 10, Abel tossed three scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and striking out five batters. He followed that performance six days later with an even longer outing, surrendering one run across five innings while once again recording five strikeouts.

Those appearances appeared to put him on the doorstep of a return to the major league rotation. Instead, the Twins are back in wait-and-see mode.

Rotation Questions Continue to Mount

Minnesota's pitching depth has been tested all season, and Abel's setback only adds another layer of uncertainty. Pablo López is already lost for the remainder of the year. Bailey Ober remains on the injured list with a flexor strain, though the organization remains optimistic that his absence won't be a lengthy one. Simeon Woods Richardson was moved to Toronto after struggling to establish himself in the rotation.

That leaves the Twins leaning heavily on Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley at the top of the staff while searching for consistency from a younger group of arms.

Connor Prielipp has shown flashes of why the organization remains excited about his future. Zebby Matthews continues to work through the ups and downs that come with gaining major league experience. Mike Paredes has also been asked to shoulder a larger role than originally anticipated. The group has managed to keep Minnesota competitive, but the margin for error continues to shrink.

Every Game Matters

The timing of Abel's setback couldn't be much worse. Entering Saturday night's action, Minnesota sat 4.5 games behind Cleveland in the American League Central and 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card position. The Twins remain firmly in the postseason conversation, but they can ill afford to lose additional rotation depth for an extended period.

If the MRI reveals only a minor issue, Abel could still rejoin the club relatively soon. However, if the setback leads to another lengthy shutdown, Minnesota may need to explore external options before the trade deadline or continue relying on inexperienced pitchers to navigate meaningful games down the stretch.

The Twins have spent much of the season waiting for reinforcements, and Abel looked poised to become one of the most significant additions to the roster. His strong rehab outings offered hope that help was finally on the way.

Now, the organization is once again waiting on medical results. For a team trying to chase down a division title and climb back into a playoff spot, the news serves as another reminder of just how thin the line can be between contention and crisis. The Twins have survived plenty of pitching injuries already in 2026. Whether they can continue doing so may depend on what Abel's MRI reveals in the coming days.

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[Jacksson]

Certainly less than ABEL Bodied.