Turn on Twins.TV or the Treasure Island Baseball Network (TIBN) radio feed during a Connor Prielipp-started Minnesota Twins baseball game, and you will quickly hear Cory Provus, Kris Attebery or one of the many talented analysts discuss how well Twins decision-makers are managing Prielipp’s innings this season. On the surface, the assumption that the front office and coaches are carefully monitoring the 25-year-old’s workload makes sense. The University of Alabama product threw only seven innings in his 2021 college campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He then underwent internal brace surgery in 2023, delaying his first extended stint as a starting pitcher in Minnesota’s minor-league system until 2025.
Splitting his 2025 campaign between Double- and Triple-A, the hard-throwing southpaw netted 82 2/3 innings pitched over 23 starts, signaling he could soon join the parent club’s starting rotation. That assumption became reality on April 22 of this year, when the former top prospect was recalled from Triple-A, joining the Twins' starting rotation. Despite a brief 15-day IL stint in mid-July, Prielipp has remained a fixture of Minnesota’s rotation since his promotion, starting every fifth or sixth day. You could argue his stint on the IL was more about maintenance than serious injury, and he's twice had his starts pushed back one game, lengthening the rotation. Those are small safeguards for a pitcher with big injury trouble in his recent past, though.
Over 19 starts (functionally 20; Andrew Morris opened Prielipp’s last appearance), the lefty has averaged roughly 5 1/3 innings pitched per outing—a rate typical of an unrestricted starting pitcher. In fact, since April 22, Prielipp ranks third among Twins pitchers in innings with 104, trailing only Zebby Matthews (112) and Taj Bradley (126 2/3). Prielipp has thrown more innings than Joe Ryan (98 1/3) and Bailey Ober (87 1/3) during that stretch, though of course he's spent less time on the shelf than they have. Assessing Prielipp’s workload from a league perspective, the hard-throwing lefty ranks 34th in innings pitched among AL starting pitchers, tied with New York’s Gerrit Cole and ranking just ahead of Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Inserting NL starting pitchers, Prielipp ranks 63rd in innings pitched, tied with Cole and Milwaukee’s Dustin May.
Does that read as a starting pitcher on an innings limit? Again, I don’t blame Twins broadcasters for assuming that Twins decision-makers were limiting Prielipp’s workload this season. He's had just one campaign resembling a full workload in the past three minor-league seasons. I’m sure they’re monitoring his innings and are in constant communication about how his left arm feels. Yet, to suggest his innings have been limited this season would be incorrect. Going forward, I beg Twins broadcasters (and fans) to resist the urge to suggest Prielipp is pitching under an innings limit. In fact, one could argue it would be more apt to refer to him as one of Minnesota's few workhorses.
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