Implications of the Latest Minnesota Twins Injury Updates

Well, here we go again.

As always, the "logjam" of people looking to make the roster always seems to magically resolve itself once the injury bug comes by.  I'm just glad that the injuries so far appear to be confined to the more minor potential contributors to the Twins 2025 success.  Also, for those in back who weren't listening:  "There is no such thing as too much pitching depth!"  Hopefully we don't need to absorb any more.

I don't see much mystery as to Canterino's spot on the 40-man.  He can go on the 60-day IL to begin the season if they need a spot (or, I suppose, right now if they need the spot urgently), a status that can go as long as they want until season's end, after which he will be DFA'ed/waived and not re-added to the 40.  The only tiny intrigue is when do they actually DFA him, to minimize some other team picking him up on those waivers - unless they don't care in which case they simply release him after the DFA.

Roster machinations aside, it's a shame for him as well as for the FO and fans who were looking forward to him making it.

Tonkin and Topa with shoulder injuries? Yikes. Looks like Tonkin will not be on the Opening Day roster, and Topa's health just isn't holding up.

Good to hear that Zebby is in good shape. I don't know much about hip flexors but I know a pitcher would much rather to be injured there than in the arm or shoulder.

1 hour ago, Karbo said:

Well, here we go again.

I suppose that is the glass half empty impression. I'll go the other way - Ryan and Stewart back on track means none of the Twins' high leverage starting or bullpen arms is dealing with health issues.

Topa and Tonkin are/were probably 7-8 in the bullpen pecking order (behind Duran-Jax-Sands-Coulombe-Stewart-Alcala), and, quite frankly, for the long run the Twins are probably better off with Varland and Castellano anyway. It's a shame about Canterino, but he wasn't expected to make the 26 man roster.  

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

I don't see much mystery as to Canterino's spot on the 40-man.  He can go on the 60-day IL to begin the season if they need a spot (or, I suppose, right now if they need the spot urgently), a status that can go as long as they want until season's end, after which he will be DFA'ed/waived and not re-added to the 40.  The only tiny intrigue is when do they actually DFA him, to minimize some other team picking him up on those waivers - unless they don't care in which case they simply release him after the DFA.

Roster machinations aside, it's a shame for him as well as for the FO and fans who were looking forward to him making it.

Canterino received a $1.1MM signing bonus back in 2019. He's 27 years old now and unless he's on the IL all year, he'll burn his final MiLB option. I'd expect the Twins to move him to the 60 day IL and DFA and release him before the end of the year. Canterino won't get anything other than a MiLB deal.

The time for Canterino to make a decision in regard to his future career might be close at hand now. The $45k annual pay rate for him being on the 40 man in AAA, much less the $35k he'll make on a MiLB deal certainly wouldn't offset the compensation he'd be making professionally in a business setting.

I would say that the odds were never good that Canterino would be a healthy contributor for the Twins. That said, one has to feel bad for the still-young man who has obvious talent but simply can't stay healthy. Banking on more than a half season from either Stewart or Topa is a similar long shot IMHO. Being able to use both the IL and rehab will allow the Twins to hold on to their Rule V guy and get Varland some innings as a bullpen piece while not losing either Tonkin or Topa. By the time someone falters or is injured, they might be able to step in. 

What are the rules for DFAs of injured players? It could be they'll have to carry Canterino on the 60 man IL and he will accrue major league service time since he hadn't been optioned to the minors. I don't know if he can be DFA'd while injured or recovering from surgery. 

1 hour ago, Sjoski said:

Baseball players sure get injured enough for a non-contact sport.

Imagine if these guys played in the NHL... they'd be on the injured list before the end of the first period !

You're comparing apples and oranges.

17 hours ago, stringer bell said:

What are the rules for DFAs of injured players? It could be they'll have to carry Canterino on the 60 man IL and he will accrue major league service time

You raised a good point, and I can't find anything definitive.  OOTP tries to mirror MLB rules pretty closely but certainly isn't authoritative for such situations - it lets me DFA someone on the 60-day so I'll assume it's legal, but with low confidence.

But if the rules are strict like you suggest, either 1) they will opt to rip the bandaid off, so to speak, very soon and DFA him before ILing him, or 2) they are already on the hook given that he's injured and will have to let him accrue benefits for the whole season.  The latter is a relatively minor financial aspect, and service time for a guy in his situation is not really an issue for a team - but the Twins have always had the philosophy, "watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."  

We'll get a refresher course in rules arcana by watching what the Twins do, if no one here speaks up definitively before that.

No restrictions on DFA/releasing injured players that I know of. J.T. Chargois was DFA'd by the Twins in 2018 while recovering from TJ as I recall.

1 hour ago, Fatbat said:

Its only a matter of time until Canterino is DFA’d. If his contract is insured, the FO will not care how long he sits on the IL 60 cause that opens up the 40 man spot. The team doesn't lose anything by paying for his rehab time.

 The immediate question is who gets added to the 40 man? someone outside the org or a young stud like Keaschall that can displace Martin/Julien. 
Then the questions that have to be answered in under 14 days is do Tonkin and Topa go on the 60 IL and if they both do, who do you add for pitching depth to the 40 man? Who is worthyANDready to be the next man up if needed? 
who will be out on the waiver wire before 4/1?  
The only thing constant is change… and you never have enough pitching. 

I'm not sure about all of the procedures, but there is zero reason to add someone to the 40-man roster until they are going to be on the active roster--that is, why add someone like Blewett to the 40-man unless he is on the active 26-man roster? Canterino, Topa or Tonkin might eventually land on the 60-day list, but the first move will be to put them on the 15-day list until there is a need to add a non-roster guy to the active roster. Any of those guys can eventually be moved to the 60-day if the injury is disabling for that period and there is a need to add to the active roster. 

Any word on Connor Prielipp?

51 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

Any word on Connor Prielipp?

34 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

He throws smoke and has a very good pitch mix. Lots of K’s. 

I meant any word on his health.

42 minutes ago, old nurse said:

They can DFA him. They would still e liable for medical and this year’s salary. They can’t option him injured. That is why so many players get optioned early out of spring training. They would have to put him on the 60 day to open up a slot on the 40 man. 

That is probably what we're remembering, and misapplying to the DFA case.