3 Starting Pitchers the Twins Could Turn to Down the Stretch

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.

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