Braves claim former Twins left-handed reliever Joey Wentz off waivers
After a short tenure with the Twins, Wentz, who was DFA’d in favor of lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz on Wednesday, is headed to Atlanta to play for the Braves, the organization that drafted him in 2016, the team announced. The Braves designated right-handed pitcher Kevin Herget for assignment as a corresponding move.
The Twins claimed Wentz, 27, off waivers on June 11 after the Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment. The move was made shortly before the Twins traded Jorge Alcala to the Boston Red Sox, which created the 26-man roster spot for Wentz.
Misiewicz, 30, has made one appearance since getting promoted to the big leagues, allowing one earned run on one hit (home run) and zero walks with three strikeouts in two innings against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Target Field.
Although moving on from Alcala was probably the right decision, claiming Wentz did not work out for Minnesota. Not that the Twins viewed Wentz as a late-inning arm, but they certainly expected him to pitch a little bit better in a Twins uniform than he ultimately did. In eight innings since Minnesota claimed him off waivers, Wentz allowed 14 runs on 17 hits (three home runs) and nine walks while striking out six.
The Braves are 10 games behind the San Francisco Giants for the third National League Wild Card spot. Playoffs this season seem like a reach for Atlanta at this point. The team likely claimed Wentz just because he has MLB experience and can eat some innings when they need it.
Twins set to take on Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates
In an All-Star pitching matchup, Twins’ starting pitcher Joe Ryan will make the start on the mound against Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday at Target Field. With a 1.94 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 19 starts, Skenes is arguably the best pitcher in the National League this year. Ryan has been dominant this season as well, posting a 2.76 ERA with 116 strikeouts through 18 outings.