Matt Canterino Is Finally Back on the Mound

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

There was a time when Matt Canterino looked like one of the highest ceiling pitching prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization. Now, the biggest question is much simpler: Can he stay on a mound?

The Twins announced Tuesday that Canterino will begin a rehabilitation assignment with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. When he takes the ball, it will mark his first professional inning since July 30, 2022, bringing an end to a wait that has stretched for more than four years.

For a pitcher whose career has been defined by long stretches away from competition, simply seeing Canterino appear in a game will be significant. And for the Twins, there is still a reason to pay attention.

A Long Road Back

Canterino was selected by Minnesota in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, 54th overall, out of Rice. His combination of a mid-90s fastball, sharp slider and ability to attack hitters made him one of the organization's most intriguing pitching prospects.

The results backed up the scouting reports. Across 85 minor league innings, Canterino owns a 1.48 ERA with 130 strikeouts, 35 walks and only 38 hits allowed. His 0.86 WHIP is equally impressive. Those numbers came across parts of three minor league seasons, but injuries repeatedly interrupted whatever momentum he built.

His 2022 season offered perhaps the clearest glimpse of what he could become. Canterino posted a 1.95 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 37 innings for Double-A Wichita, dominating hitters before elbow problems eventually forced him from the mound. That season ultimately ended with Tommy John surgery in August 2022. He would not pitch in 2023.

Then came another setback. Canterino suffered a right rotator cuff injury during Spring Training in 2024 and missed the entire season. The Twins had hoped to gradually bring him back and even considered moving him into a bullpen role to better manage his workload. Instead, another shoulder problem emerged during Spring Training in 2025, leading to surgery in March. At that point, the timeline became even more uncertain with Twins trainer Nick Paparesta saying the recovery could be more than 12 months. 

The Twins released Canterino in April 2025 after designating him for assignment, but the story didn't end there. Just eight days later, Minnesota re-signed him to a two-year minor league contract. The organization gave Canterino another opportunity to continue rehabbing with the team, and that decision has now brought him to this moment.

That investment is about to become tangible. Pitching in a game is different from throwing bullpen sessions. Hitters swing. Adrenaline changes the environment. Mechanics are tested under pressure. Most importantly, Canterino will finally have the opportunity to measure his stuff against professional hitters again.

What Can the Twins Expect?

There is no reason to expect Canterino to immediately resemble the pitcher who overwhelmed Double-A hitters four years ago. He will have to rebuild his workload. The Twins will have to monitor his velocity, command and recovery between appearances. There will almost certainly be limitations during the early stages of this assignment.

But there is still something intriguing about the possibility. Canterino's career minor league numbers are not the result of a handful of dominant outings. He made 26 appearances and 25 starts while producing a 1.48 ERA and 130 strikeouts over 85 innings. His strikeout ability has always been the calling card, and his arsenal has given him the potential to work either as a starter or out of the bullpen.

The bullpen route may eventually make the most sense. It could allow Minnesota to leverage his fastball and slider in shorter bursts while limiting some of the workload that has contributed to his injury history. But there is no need to make that decision right now. For the moment, Canterino just needs to pitch.

That sounds incredibly simple, especially for someone who was once viewed as one of the organization's brightest arms. Yet it represents the biggest accomplishment of his professional career to this point.

Four years after his last competitive inning, Canterino is finally getting another chance. The prospect rankings, projections and future role can come later. First, he gets to pitch.

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What stands out about Canterino's professional journey? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

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[Wedman13]

Great update.  He is Sidd Finch 2.0

[Brandon]

I hope the Twins get to keep him this off-season.  They have so much invested in him.  It would be cool to see him come up next season in the pen and dominate.

[D.C Twins]

Bullpen right away with goal ceiling of future high leverage reliever 

[DJL44]

Let’s see if he can get A-ball batters out. 2022 was a really long time ago.

[Kenny Powers]

I saw he was assigned to Cedar Rapids for rehab.  What a great "never quit" story.  I hope he makes it to the majors.  Even if he only gets a cup of tea I'm sure it would validate all the effort he's put into this journey.  I'll be very curious to see where his velocity sits.

[thelanges5]

[Brandon]

7 minutes ago, Kenny Powers said:

I saw he was assigned to Cedar Rapids for rehab.  What a great "never quit" story.  I hope he makes it to the majors.  Even if he only gets a cup of tea I'm sure it would validate all the effort he's put into this journey.  I'll be very curious to see where his velocity sits.

If he hits 96 or higher they might need to add him to the 40 man roster 

[bean5302]

16 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I hope the Twins get to keep him this off-season.  They have so much invested in him.  It would be cool to see him come up next season in the pen and dominate.

What did the Twins invest? The $1.1MM signing bonus would have been slot value for top of round 3 this year. The rest is basically just the Twins paying for his health care and miniscule MiLB salaries.

[bean5302]

Glad to see he's able to throw off the mound. I don't expect anything, but it would be fun to see him have some success as a reward for his hard work.

The legend of Canterino has been pretty crazy around here. He had a great ERA and a super high K rate, but his BB rate soared at AA suggesting the stuff might not be what generated all the K's. It might have just been aggressive hitters in the lower minors.

[Brandon]

3 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

What did the Twins invest? The $1.1MM signing bonus would have been slot value for top of round 3 this year. The rest is basically just the Twins paying for his health care and miniscule MiLB salaries.

And coaches and I'm sure his healthcare isn't free.  I'm sure he wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things but they are spending 💰.  I would be surprised if they didn't spend at least a million over the last 4 years directly and indirectly with resources used 

[jmlease1]

I'm really rooting for this guy. He's battled so many injuries, and I respect his determination to keep trying to pursue the dream. (By all accounts he's incredibly smart and certainly would have other opportunities)

My expectations are zero. Hopefully he still can get back his velocity and be able to get guys out. That would be awesome. I think he'll likely end up in the bullpen at this point, but regardless: him getting back on the mound is a win for him. Hopefully he's back in the system next season, healthy and with a real opportunity in the high minors to get himself to MLB.

Good luck to him. He's always been talented.

[LambchoP]

Nice to finally get an update. Canterino has been the Twins' lock ness monster lol. Really hope he can stay healthy and maybe even be a bullpen weapon for the big league club next year.

[Blyleven2011]

Great to have a positive report on canterino …

he has a dream that won’t let go and he’s working hard to accomplish that dream , hope all the injuries are behind him and he can have that opportunity in the MLB …

rehab in September and AFL and bring him to spring training hopefully healthy and ready to go …

thanks Cody for the article ..

[CRF]

Completely forgot about him, as many of us possibly did. I absolutely wish him the best of luck with his return to the mound and health, but I'm sure not planning on seeing him up here any time soon. 

[PuckettPond]

He will turn out to be a better investment than buying Apple in 1980. He has the talent to be very special.

[arby58]

He wouldn’t be the first pitcher to return from a long injury lay-off. Jose Rijo missed 5 seasons because of arm injuries before returning for a couple years (at age 36). Even more incredibly, Daniel Bard was out of baseball for 7 (!) years before returning and earning NLComeback Player of the Year in 2020.

[cheeseheadgophfan]

As someone who tore his rotator cuff, had the surgery, only to rehab and then tear his UCL, I appreciate the effort this guy has put into getting back on the mound.  The rehab is totally tedious and exhausting.  I couldn't do it a second time.  I really hope he gets a chance to live his MLB dreams......good luck Matt!!!!!

 

 

[nicksaviking]

"The bullpen route may eventually make make the most sense."

I'd say the bullpen route makes the ONLY sense. With his injury history and velocity, they absolutely should not stretch him out.

He might get injured again, or he might never regain his form, regardless if he is a reliever or starter, but to me it would seem irresponsible to put him in the rotation. If he gets injured again while as a reliever, everyone will be sad but proud of the comeback attempt. If he gets injured again as a starter, there is going to be a lot of finger pointing at the decision makers, and it won't be entirely unjustified.

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Brandon said:

And coaches and I'm sure his healthcare isn't free.  I'm sure he wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things but they are spending 💰.  I would be surprised if they didn't spend at least a million over the last 4 years directly and indirectly with resources used 

From the National Institute of Health

Abstract

Background: The economic loss following ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) in Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to quantify the financial impact of UCLR on MLB teams. We hypothesize that MLB teams incur significant losses annually as a result of salaries paid to injured players following reconstruction.

Methods: Public records were accessed to identify MLB pitchers from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2014, who had undergone UCLR. Contract terms and time away from competition were used to approximate economic loss. Successful return was considered when a pitcher returned to play in at least 1 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) or MLB game.

Results: One hundred ninety-four MLB pitchers underwent UCLR from 2004 to 2014, missing on average 180.2 days of the MLB regular season. Cost of recovery (COR) amounted to $395 million, averaging $1.9 million per player. Starting pitchers accounted for the largest total COR at $239.6 million, whereas closers had the largest economic loss per player ($3.9 million/player). Only 77% of pitchers returned to MLB play.

Conclusion: UCLR has a substantial economic impact on MLB teams. 

[Andy MacPhail]

It's too bad that Canterino didn't get care that Prielipp & Raya got. It's normal that pitchers who had TJ surgery to have control problems when they 1st come back. I'm optimistic that Canterino will eventually be impactful. My prayers are with him.

[nicksaviking]

12 minutes ago, old nurse said:

From the National Institute of Health

 

Abstract

 

Results: One hundred ninety-four MLB pitchers underwent UCLR from 2004 to 2014, missing on average 180.2 days of the MLB regular season. Cost of recovery (COR) amounted to $395 million, averaging $1.9 million per player. Starting pitchers accounted for the largest total COR at $239.6 million, whereas closers had the largest economic loss per player ($3.9 million/player). Only 77% of pitchers returned to MLB play.

Conclusion: UCLR has a substantial economic impact on MLB teams. 

I'm wondering if this Cost of Recovery includes the wages paid for missing days. If so, that was already a sunk cost in most other cases. And minimal in Canterino's case.

I'm not at all being critical, I'm with most others, the organization gets kudos for sticking with and standing by Canterino.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

2 hours ago, Wedman13 said:

Great update.  He is Sidd Finch 2.0

I am hoping a better version of Brock Stewart.  

[DJL44]

Everyone focused on his elbow, but his last surgery was on his shoulder. Shoulder surgeries almost always negatively affect velocity.

[mikelink45]

Rehab in September?  No - exercise this month - rehab in spring if he can stay healthy over the winter. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, Brandon said:

And coaches and I'm sure his healthcare isn't free.  I'm sure he wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things but they are spending 💰.  I would be surprised if they didn't spend at least a million over the last 4 years directly and indirectly with resources used 

MLB and MiLB has these things called health insurance and workers compensation insurance. I'd be pretty stunned if the insurance rates were $250,000/year per player.

MiLB coaches make $60k a year. Even if the Twins had a full time coach dedicated entirely to Matt Canterino (which is utterly insanely ludicrous), it'd only be $240k. Plus maybe $100k total in insurance.

 

[IndyTwinsFan]

Best wishes to the young man! One who's had to deal with more significant injuries than anyone his approximate age should ever be forced to deal with. 

May his MLB dream eventually come true!