The Minnesota Twins have made a roster move to bolster their scuffling bullpen. Puckett’s Pond has the latest for you.
The Minnesota Twins have optioned Alan Busenitz to Triple-A Rochester and recalled Tyler Duffey. Something needed to happen as the bullpen has struggled over the last few games and hopefully Duffey can help settle things down.
Duffey is not the cure for all that currently ails the Twins pitching staff. However, he has turned himself into an effective groundball pitcher and can pitch multiple innings.
Where does Duffy slot in?
The easy answer to that is Duffey will be the long man. So, the next time Phil Hughes can’t make it through four innings, Duffey will be there to clean up the mess. His first 36 games in MLB were as a starter so Duffey can easily give you two or three innings.
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However, Duffey could quickly find himself pitching in high-leverage situations. He has induced 16 groundballs while only five have been hit in the air already this season. Minnesota needs to get out of the rut they are in and Duffey will help, for now.
Why this could work
Duffey has adjusted to a bullpen role well after moving there during the 2017 season. He has never had a BB% higher than 9.6 throughout his career and that will help him succeed. However, he allows too many hits, and if his sinker isn’t effective, he will struggle.
He made 56 appearances out of the bullpen for the Minnesota Twins during last season and had his moments. Although his ERA was a little bit high at 4.94, he walked only 18 batters in 71 innings pitched. Duffey is off to a great start this season pitching with the Rochester Red Wings. He has allowed only three hits while striking out 14 through his first 11 innings pitched.
Only time will tell whether Duffey translates that success in the Majors. Either way, this team needs something different right now and Busenitz will be back in the Twin Cities soon enough. Hopefully, Duffey is effective and can solidify a spot in the bullpen for the duration of this season.
Next: A look at how the Twins top prospects are performing
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