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Max Kepler has been a relative mainstay in Rocco Baldelli’s lineup through the first week of the season. That’s despite having fouled a ball off of his knee on Opening Day. It was clear that the outfielder was in some pain, and that was further confirmed by him needing a few days to recover. Although he wasn’t initially placed on the injured list, the malady could be the cause of his dreadful start.
Similar to how he got out of the gate last season, Kepler is finding little success for a Twins lineup that needs him to be better. He has gone just 1-for-20, with a 6/1 K/BB. His exit velocities have been down, and his launch angles haven’t given him a chance to succeed, either.
After it was decided that José Miranda would take the roster spot of injured reliever Daniel Duarte last night, Minnesota’s bullpen was short an arm for the first time in what feels like forever. In grabbing Michael Tonkin, a former prospect in the Terry Ryan-era Twins system, they fill that gap without needing to shuffle the 40-man roster.
When Duarte went down there were no obvious additions to take his place in the bullpen. Matt Canterino is hurt, and both Simeon Woods Richardson and Brent Headrick started games within the past few days. It was unthinkable that the Twins would play short on arms for long, though, and with the addition of Tonkin, they didn’t have to wait 24 hours.
Tonkin was DFA’d by the New York Mets a few days ago, and Minnesota grabbed him for cash considerations. The sample size is much too small to glean anything this year, but in 80 innings for the Atlanta Braves a season ago, Tonkin proved to be a quality low-leverage reliever, posting a 4.28 ERA and 4.43 FIP.
The Twins aren’t close to the same organization they were when Tonkin was last around in 2017, and he’s something of a different pitcher now, too. With Atlanta last season, Tonkin threw a sinker and slider exclusively. That has been his repertoire for the bulk of his career, but he did splash in a fastball in 2024. He’s not averaging the 95-mph heat he had with the Twins as a rookie, but 93-94 mph is something that can work for just a guy out of the pen.
How long Tonkin remains around is uncertain. Both Caleb Thielbar and Josh Staumont are starting rehab assignments with Triple-A St. Paul, and Minnesota goes on the road following Wednesday’s tilt with the Dodgers. The pair of veterans may not be on the same plane as their teammates, but expecting them to re-join the squad before the series with Baltimore on Monday may be a good bet. In order to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Tonkin, Minnesota moved Zack Weiss to the 60-day IL.
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- The Mad King and nclahammer
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