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Every team deals with injuries during the course of the 162-game season. For the Twins, the front office has focused on adding depth in recent years after the club struggled with injuries in 2022. However, the team likely didn’t want to dig into that depth before the regular season began. On Monday, the Twins announced relievers Jhoan Durán (oblique) and Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) would begin the year on the IL along with starter Anthony DeSclafani (forearm strain). Durán and Thielbar will be out for most of April, and Desclafani could end up missing the entire season. With those injuries in mind, how has the team's 26-man roster changed for Opening Day?
Catchers (2): Christian Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers
Minnesota was one of two AL teams to use only two catchers last season, with Toronto being the other. Under the current regime, a balanced two-catcher system is and will remain the norm. It allows both catchers to stay healthier, at one of baseball’s most demanding defensive positions. Vázquez is at an interesting point in his career, after watching Jeffers take over the starting duties in last year’s playoffs. In his age-32 season, he posted a 65 OPS+ while still being strong defensively. Was it just a down year, or is age impacting his performance? Jeffers used Vázquez’s signing as motivation to improve his swing and work on his throwing mechanics, allowing him to finish among the AL’s top offensive catchers with a 134 OPS+. The Twins added Jair Camargo to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason, so he’d be the next man up when the club needs a third backstop.
Infielders (6): Carlos Correa, Kyle Farmer, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Carlos Santana
Injuries impacted this unit in multiple ways last season, but the group is relatively healthy with Opening Day approaching. Correa played through plantar fasciitis, making his performance suffer on both sides of the ball. Farmer took a brutal pitch to the face early in the season, which required jaw surgery. Kirilloff played through a shoulder injury before needing offseason surgery. Lewis missed time at the start of the season as he rehabbed from his second major knee surgery in as many years. Santana is the lone new face in this group and is expected to get most of the reps at first base. The team plans to use Kirilloff more regularly as a DH, since Santana is a better defender. Minnesota also has depth at Triple-A, with top prospects Brooks Lee and Austin Martin available to fill multiple infield roles when injuries impact the roster.
Outfielders (5): Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Willi Castro, Matt Wallner, Manuel Margot
Buxton’s health has been one of the biggest storylines this spring because of the optimism surrounding his return to center field. Unfortunately, he was scratched from a lineup earlier this week with back soreness. It was a precautionary measure, though, and there are multiple ways to view his upcoming season as a success. Wallner and Margot have struggled this spring, with both players hitting under .100, so seeing how the team uses them in the season’s early games will be interesting. Kepler is looking to build on a tremendous second half that saw him emerge as one of the team’s best offensive weapons. Castro can play all over the field and has been hitting the ball well this spring. Trevor Larnach and Martin will begin the year at Triple-A and figure to fit into the outfield mix at some point during the campaign.
Rotation (5): Pablo López, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Chris Paddack, Louie Varland
Varland is stepping into the role vacated by DeSclafani, which might be an upgrade throughout the season. The Twins don’t need a fifth starter for the first couple weeks of the season, but it seems likely they'll use that many anyway--especially with Paddack in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. It sounds like the Twins will limit his innings by skipping or pushing back starts.
This spring, Ober has shown an improved pitch mix and velocity, making him a potential playoff-caliber starter. Ryan attempted to pitch through a groin injury last season, and his performance suffered. If he can find more consistency, he could be as valuable as anyone except López. Other young options are knocking on the door to the big leagues, including Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Brent Headrick.
Bullpen (8): Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax, Justin Topa, Jay Jackson, Josh Staumont, Steven Okert, Jorge Alcalá, Kody Funderburk
Durán’s injury opens a significant hole in the ninth inning for the Twins. Fans can expect Stewart and Jax to get the majority of the save opportunities while Durán is on the shelf. Thielbar’s injury opens a spot for another lefty, so Funderburk can get the last bullpen spot. Alcalá gets the roster spot vacated by Durán, and he’s earned a look after a strong spring. Topa, Jackson, Staumont, and Okert were acquired this winter and have moved up the bullpen hierarchy with this week’s injury news. Cole Sands, Zach Weiss, and Daniel Duarte provide depth in St. Paul if any veteran additions are ineffective or injured.
This still has every chance to be the best team in the AL Central, and a force to be reckoned with come October. Adversity like this was inevitable; it's only frustrating that the parade of injury concerns began so early.
How will the Twins handle the injuries that have arisen this spring? How do you feel about the team's depth at multiple positions? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
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