3 Starting Pitchers the Twins Could Turn to Down the Stretch

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Minnesota’s starting rotation has taken its share of hits this season. Pablo López, Mick Abel, and David Festa are all out for the season. Joe Ryan is currently sidelined with a glute injury, and there is no firm timeline for his return. That leaves the Twins trying to navigate the stretch run with a rotation that looks considerably different than it did when the season began.

For now, Minnesota is rolling with Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer, Bailey Ober, Connor Prielipp, and Zebby Matthews. There are certainly questions surrounding that group. More importantly, there are no guarantees that all five pitchers will still be in the rotation when September arrives. The Twins could need additional innings, and they have a few internal options who could become increasingly important over the next several weeks.

Here are three pitchers to watch as potential reinforcements.

RHP Germán Márquez

The Twins signed Márquez to a minor-league deal last week, after the Padres had been using him in a swing role. Minnesota is now trying to stretch him back toward something resembling a starter’s workload. 

That process began Sunday with the St. Paul Saints. Márquez pitched four innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking one and striking out nobody. He threw 33 of his 57 pitches for strikes. The lack of strikeouts certainly stands out, but the workload is more important at this stage. Márquez had already thrown 80-plus pitches multiple times for San Diego as recently as the beginning of July, so there is a foundation to build upon.

There was a time when Márquez was one of the more reliable starters in the National League. From 2017 through 2022, he accumulated 975 1/3 innings, sixth-most in the majors during that span. His 4.38 ERA over those seasons doesn't jump off the page, but plenty of those innings came at Coors Field.

Reports indicate Márquez has an opt-out date of August 25, with another opportunity to opt out in September if Minnesota doesn't add him to the active roster. That could influence how aggressively the Twins accelerate his workload. If the organization believes Márquez can give them four or five competitive innings in September, he becomes a particularly interesting insurance policy.

LHP Kendry Rojas

Rojas clearly has the highest upside of the three options. Since being demoted at the beginning of August, he has made three starts and pitched 11 innings while allowing just one earned run. He has struck out 11 and walked only two, holding opponents to a .180/.220/.256 line. That kind of performance gets attention. Rojas has already made four starts among his 12 appearances for the Twins this season, with some coming in an opener role. Across those four outings, he owns a 2.19 ERA with 14 strikeouts and seven walks in 12 1/3 innings. Opponents have posted just a .430 OPS against him when he has been used as a starter.

The next step is figuring out how much workload he can handle. On Sunday's episode of Inside Twins, general manager Jeremy Zoll said the plan is to ramp up Rojas's workload in his upcoming starts. That makes sense. The Twins don't simply need another pitcher capable of throwing two or three innings. If Rojas is going to become a legitimate rotation option, he needs to demonstrate that he can handle a starter's workload.

That's why the next few weeks could be important for the 23-year-old. Rojas has already shown that he can navigate Triple-A hitters. Now, the organization needs to see whether he can do it while carrying a larger workload. Young pitchers can change the conversation quickly when they string together a few strong starts. Rojas has an opportunity to do exactly that.

If Ryan isn't back soon and the current rotation develops another opening, Rojas could quickly move from an interesting prospect to a legitimate September option.

RHP Jack Anderson

Anderson is a different type of option. The Twins claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox on July 11. Boston had primarily used him as a starter at Triple-A this season, although his professional career has featured plenty of work as a long reliever. The Red Sox's attempt to move Anderson back toward starting has produced mixed results. He posted a 4.81 ERA, 20.5% strikeout rate, and 8.4% walk rate over 58 innings for Worcester.

Still, the Twins clearly see something worth developing. Zoll recently mentioned that the organization plans to stretch Anderson back out after he was used primarily in one-inning relief appearances following his arrival in Minnesota. In four appearances for the Twins, he hasn't allowed a run over 4 1/3 innings.

Since being sent back to Triple-A, Anderson hasn't made a start. However, the workload has gradually increased in a piggyback role. He's pitched multiple innings in each of his last three appearances. On Saturday, he provided his strongest outing of that stretch, throwing three shutout innings while allowing two hits and striking out five. He threw 30 of his 48 pitches for strikes.

That's worth watching. Anderson may not be the traditional answer if the Twins suddenly need a starter, but he could be useful in a bullpen game or as an opener who can provide several innings afterward. If Minnesota continues increasing his workload, he could eventually become something closer to a traditional rotation option.

The Twins don't necessarily need to find one pitcher who can solve all their rotation problems. They need options. Márquez provides experience and a track record of handling a starter's workload. Rojas offers youth and considerably more upside, if his workload can be increased safely. Anderson provides flexibility and could bridge the gap between the rotation and bullpen.

That's important, because the current rotation comes with plenty of uncertainty. Bradley has seen some inconsistency in recent starts. Kremer was recently added to the group. Ober has dealt with his own velocity concerns. Prielipp is still developing as a starting pitcher (and, like Rojas, presumably faces some workload constraints), while Matthews remains a young pitcher trying to establish himself at the big-league level.

The Twins don't need all three of these pitchers to emerge. They probably need at least one of them to become a legitimate option. With Ryan's return date still unclear and the organization already having lost López, Abel, and Festa for the season, Minnesota can't afford to wait until its rotation is completely depleted before figuring out where the next innings are coming from.

The next few appearances for Rojas and Anderson, along with Márquez's continued transition back toward a starter's workload, could tell the Twins quite a bit. The rotation may not look the same by the time September arrives. If it doesn't, these are the pitchers who could have a chance to change the picture.

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What stands out about this group of potential starters? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[Patzky]

It's very strange that I can't imagine where this team would be without Bailey Ober and Dean Kremer. Didn't see that one coming.

Rojas has done so already; he'd be a smart choice to be the first to get a start when needed.  Wouldn't want to lose Marquez if they think he could help but the option outs can't be the deciding factor; we have worked that way in the past. I like Anderson in long relief.. other than Morris we don't have any one who does it well (Rojas, I don't think we'll see Raya again this season.)

[tony&rodney]

There is zero doubt in my mind that we will see Kendry Rojas back in a Twins uniform. Rojas has the stuff to shut down any batting order, but his inexperience likely means that fans (and the Twins) should not expect more than 5 innings at any stretch. Still 5 innings of 0-2 runs scored against is a solid outing.

Anderson could fill a role should an injury occur. He keeps the ball off the barrel for the most part if not exactly blowing through lineups, which is worthwhile.

 Count me as surprised if German Marquez manages to pitch meaningful innings for the Twins, although it would make for a nice storybook return to the major leagues. 

The guy the Twins are hoping to turn to in September is Joe Ryan. Labor Day is September 7 this year and if Ryan can be at full strength from that time until the season ends, the Twins will have the pick-me-up person they want in their rotation.

[Coach JT]

I was surprised we didn’t give Trevor Bauer a call . A guy who basically is willing to play for free to get one more shot. I think he has done his penance and why not take a look at him in AAA. 

[Jack207]

It would be great to see Joe Ryan back around Labor Day to get 2 or 3 starts down the stretch, If healthy that would be a tremendous help.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

16 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

There is zero doubt in my mind that we will see Kendry Rojas back in a Twins uniform. Rojas has the stuff to shut down any batting order, but his inexperience likely means that fans (and the Twins) should not expect more than 5 innings at any stretch. Still 5 innings of 0-2 runs scored against is a solid outing.

Anderson could fill a role should an injury occur. He keeps the ball off the barrel for the most part if not exactly blowing through lineups, which is worthwhile.

 Count me as surprised if German Marquez manages to pitch meaningful innings for the Twins, although it would make for a nice storybook return to the major leagues. 

The guy the Twins are hoping to turn to in September is Joe Ryan. Labor Day is September 7 this year and if Ryan can be at full strength from that time until the season ends, the Twins will have the pick-me-up person they want in their rotation.

I agree on Rojas, We don't need him to pitch complete games, but just having him pitch some effective innings will be a big help. 

[tony&rodney]

6 minutes ago, Coach JT said:

I was surprised we didn’t give Trevor Bauer a call . A guy who basically is willing to play for free to get one more shot. I think he has done his penance and why not take a look at him in AAA. 

Senior Men's League pitchers are not usually part of a scout's viewing schedules, although in my experience a number of scouts and some pretty good pitchers participated in those leagues.

[mike8791]

It's a tough choice.  With the Twins now (barely) holding a wildcard position, do you keep sending out Ober and Mathews, both of whom have been wildly inconsistent, or do you promote a guy with greater potential in Rojas, but who has much less experience at ML level, in a playoff race?

Chances are the FO will stick with the former and hope that Ryan can come back and return to his pre-AllStar form.  Personally, I'd take my chances with Rojas, but for now, the safer bet is to stick with the veterans, until one of them blows up again.

[stringer bell]

I think Rojas eventually at least partially replaces Prielipp, maybe in a piggyback scenario. Adding in Joe Ryan is crucial to this season's postseason chances. Perhaps the couple weeks rest will rejuvinate the Twins starter. 

 

[Coach Wheels]

17 minutes ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

I agree on Rojas, We don't need him to pitch complete games, but just having him pitch some effective innings will be a big help. 

15-18 outs would awesome for 4 or 5 starts.

[JD-TWINS]

35 minutes ago, Coach JT said:

I was surprised we didn’t give Trevor Bauer a call . A guy who basically is willing to play for free to get one more shot. I think he has done his penance and why not take a look at him in AAA. 

Twins haven’t reached out to Trevor…… apparently, nor have 29 other teams

[JD-TWINS]

Prielipp may get sent down for a 10 day break……..assuming Ryan is back in next 10 days….he threw off the mound on Wednesday.

Anderson was intriguing in his appearances! At some point, he may be the better long/variable option than Adams?

Rojas stats are ALL very positive, other than walk rate. Ober/Rojas seem like a nice combination of very different looks in a game every 5th day.

Ryan, Bradley, Matthews, Kremer, Ober/Rojas by the end of the month…………do guys have to be on active roster on Sept 1 to be Playoff Eligible?

[MMBoys93]

Frankly I don’t understand why Rojas is still in AAA

Prielipp and Ober are not giving the team a chance to win. Rojas has the potential to give the Twins what Yesavage gave the Jays last year. 
 

This team’s roster management since the deadline has been extremely poor 

[Althebum82]

Who'da thunk throwing in Randy Dobnak of all people last year at the deadline was going to burn us before this year's trade deadline?  While he underperformed last year in St Paul and seemed like a tiresome and mildly expensive liability, his role with this organization would have put him ahead of all three of these names.  I like Anderson and Rojas, kudos to what the Twins have gotten from them so far and I hope they return soon to show us more, in whatever role.   The reason why the Padres gave up on Marquez was that in his last outing he faced 8 batters with 4 of them scoring.  However, the prior game he was brilliant earning a five inning save.  He's a safer gamble than Dallas Keuchel was.  The opt out dates are pretty ridiculous, though.  Let him walk if he wants to do so.

[AceWrigley]

Beyond all baseball understanding Randy Dobnak has pitched in 8 games for the Royals and racked up 1.9 WAR ranking 5th on the team and second to only Michael Wacha on their pitching staff.

 

[Jeff K]

Obviously Ryan returning and doing so to good form is the best hope.  That said, with the signifcant improvements to the bullpen, I think the team could do fine with a few purposeful 3 inning starts by Rojas and Prielipp.

[just-a-fan]

Ok - I’ll  concede starting pitching has been inconsistent but it never ceases to amaze me the thoughts of constant tinkering.  Clubhouse continuity is important and this group has shown they support each other and play hard.

Philly series was bad but Atlanta sweep suggests to me these guys are all scrambling to make a run.

I see Joe Ryan back Sept 1 with roster expansion and possibly swapping out Nance for Rojas as viable options but this group has been throwing well.

This road trip could set the tone for a nice run at the wildcard and who knows, over taking Chicago for the division lead is still within reach.

[HarmonK03]

Rojas is very intriguing and he has done well in St. Paul and he did well in shorter outings up here other than the walks.

But I find the comments interesting in that a lot of comments feel he can give us 5 innings while only giving up a couple of runs.  First that is pure projection on the number of runs, because the success he is having in St Paul would have to translate up here.  But we are currently getting that from Preilipp, Ober and Matthews so why would you move one of them from the rotation, they are giving us what we need right now.  Especially Ober, how can you take a veteran pitcher out of the rotation and insert another young pitcher into the mix in the middle of a playoff push.

Now if there is another injury, the first pitcher I want called up is Rojas, I would be excited to see what he can do.  But I don't think he should replace anyone unless there is an injury.

[HarmonK03]

6 minutes ago, just-a-fan said:

I see Joe Ryan back Sept 1 with roster expansion and possibly swapping out Nance for Rojas as viable options but this group has been throwing well.

Nance is not going anywhere, the only option to send anyone down out of the bullpen is Adams and possibly Funderburk even though he has pitched better of late.

[HarmonK03]

2 hours ago, Coach JT said:

I was surprised we didn’t give Trevor Bauer a call . A guy who basically is willing to play for free to get one more shot. I think he has done his penance and why not take a look at him in AAA. 

It appears the ship has sailed on Bauer, I will be very surprised if he pitches in the major leagues again.  There have been teams that have been woefully short on starting pitching and he has not received a call.  He has apparently burned his bridges in the major leagues.  To continue bringing up his name as an option is just an exercise of futility.