Kendry Rojas Could Return to Twins Before Season’s End

[Cody Christie]

The Minnesota Twins have spent much of the season searching for answers on the pitching staff. Injuries and inconsistency have forced the organization to move pitchers between the rotation, bullpen, and minor leagues, creating plenty of roster movement along the way.

Kendry Rojas could soon give the Twins another option. Rojas suffered a mild right oblique strain on August 21 during a start for the St. Paul Saints. He exited after just two innings, creating some concern about whether the injury would end his season. However, general manager Jeremy Zoll provided encouraging news over the weekend.

Rojas could throw a bullpen session as early as this week, with the Twins hopeful that he can return to game action by the middle of September. There is one significant change coming, though. The organization doesn't expect him to have enough time to build back up as a starting pitcher.

“Where we're at calendar-wise, not expecting to be able to stretch him back out at this point,” Zoll said. “If he does get back into game action, it'll probably be a two-inning outing for his first go, and we'll go from there.”

That could still be valuable for the Twins.

Rojas Has Already Shown Enough

Rojas has made a strong first impression during his first taste of the major leagues. Across 12 appearances, including four starts, he has posted a 3.34 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 29 2/3 innings. His 26.2% strikeout rate is particularly encouraging. Rojas has shown the ability to miss bats against major-league hitters, and Minnesota has already demonstrated its willingness to use him in different roles.

The biggest concern has been his control. Rojas has issued 22 walks in his limited major-league sample, resulting in a 16.9% walk rate. That's a number the Twins will want to see improve, especially if he's going to work in shorter outings where free passes can quickly create problems.

Still, the walk issues haven't been nearly as pronounced throughout his minor-league career (8.3 BB% in 2026). That gives Minnesota some reason to believe the major-league number isn't necessarily representative of what Rojas will become. More importantly, the Twins have already seen that he can provide length.

Another Multi-Inning Option

Rojas returned to Triple-A following the trade deadline after Minnesota acquired Jeff Hoffman and added A.J. Minter to its pitching staff. Those additions created some difficult roster decisions, and Rojas ultimately went back to St. Paul.

He resumed working as a starter, but that role is unlikely to continue if he makes it back to Minnesota this season. Instead, Rojas could become another multi-inning weapon for a pitching staff that has needed plenty of them.

That type of role would also allow Minnesota to manage his workload carefully. Rather than immediately asking him to handle a starter's workload after an oblique injury, the Twins can ease him back into competition while still getting meaningful innings from his arm.

September rosters aren't what they used to be, but every healthy arm can matter during the final weeks of a season. The key will be making sure the oblique injury doesn't linger. Rojas has already shown he can handle multiple innings in the majors. If his oblique cooperates, the Twins could see what he looks like in shorter outings where he can amp up his velocity.

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