FORT MYERS—Joe Ryan took another step toward returning to the top of the Twins’ rotation on Wednesday, throwing a live batting practice session and coming away encouraged by how his body responded.
“Most importantly… the back felt good,” Ryan said, noting he felt better than the first time he got back on the mound. Ryan was a late scratch from his first spring training start back on February 21 with a sore back that he has been rehabbing.
Ryan faced, among others, Luke Keaschall, Matt Wallner, and Brooks Lee. He said there were only “maybe two pitches” he didn’t love location-wise, but overall he liked where his offspeed was, describing it as “comfortable coming out of the hand” and something he can trust.
The next step, assuming his body feels healthy tomorrow, is likely to be a live game. The Twins’ road games on Monday, March 9, or Tuesday, March 10 would be five or six days out, allowing him to get an additional two or three starts in spring training to build up his pitch count. Ryan said his offseason program had him “a little ahead of schedule” prior to the sore back.
Cuts, But Not Deep Cuts
The Twins made their second round of cuts Wednesday, sending six players to minor-league camp and leaving them with 59 players still in major-league camp. The six players were catchers Andrew Cossetti and Ricardo Olivar; outfielder Walker Jenkins; right-handed pitchers Andrew Bash and Raul Brito; and left-handed pitcher Christian MacLeod to minor league camp.
The most notable of these is Jenkins, Twiins Daily’s #1 prospect, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain this week, which limited his ability to participate in the rest of camp. This is often when top prospects are sent down, after coaches have had an introductory look at them. So maybe more notable than who was sent down is those who were not—and why they were not.
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