Minnesota Twins left handed reliever Ryan O’Rourke was moved to the 60 day DL, due to a torn ligament in his throwing elbow. Tommy John to follow soon.
Ryan O’Rourke is primarily a left handed specialist, a good weapon for the Minnesota Twins bullpen to have. His splits in the majors show left handed hitters only hit .077 vs. .262 from the right side.
The injury news is not great, however, the good news is we have plenty of options to fill that role.
One left handed reliever option for the Twins is already off to a great start in 2017. Taylor Rogers currently has an ERA of 1.50 in eight relief appearances. He has also yet to give up a hit to a lefty in six at bats.
Rogers’ career MLB splits continue to show his success against left handed hitters. Opponents hit just .189 with a .519 OPS when facing Rogers from the left side of the dish.
Another replacement for the Minnesota Twins bullpen is Buddy Boshers. He has already made one appearance this season. He pitched two scoreless relief innings in an effort to mop up after Kyle Gibson’s mess Sunday against Detroit before being sent back to AAA.
Boshers doesn’t have the extreme splits that Rogers or O’Rourke boast. One thing he does have, however, is an impressive 8.67 K/BB ratio against lefties.
Mason Melotakis and Randy Rosario are both left handed relievers doing well in AA. Both on the active 40 man roster, and could make a big impact in the future down the line.
The other left handed pitcher in the bullpen is a face you will recognize.
Craig Breslow decided, after bouncing around with other teams for nearly a decade, that it was time to get the band back together. The problem is that Breslow actually fares better against right handed hitters, and may not stick with the team for long.
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We hope Ryan O’Rourke can heal quickly and contribute to the bullpen again soon, but hopefully he won’t have to.