Minnesota Twins left-handed starting pitcher Connor Prielipp had another rough start against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Friday, allowing six earned runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings. He allowed eight runs against the Phillies in his previous start and allowed three runs each in his two outings before that. The southpaw has an awful 8.44 ERA over 21 1/3 innings this month.
At this point, Prielipp's struggles are becoming a major concern. He is now 3-7 with a 5.57 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 93 2/3 innings this season. He has shown flashes of brilliance on the mound throughout the year, but his inconsistency is becoming impossible to ignore.
Prielipp's slider and curveball have been very effective this year. His four-seamer, sinker and changeup are the pitches that have been getting him in trouble.
It's worth noting that Prielipp has thrown a career-high 112 1/3 innings between the Twins and Triple-A St. Paul this year. Because of injuries, he threw just 112 2/3 innings in the minors before this season. With Alabama, he recorded just 21 innings his freshman season (2020). Because he underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021, Prielipp threw just seven innings in 2021 and missed the entire 2022 season before being drafted by the Twins. Prielipp may be dealing with fatigue he has never experienced before this year.
Twins LHP Connor Prielipp could be optioned with Joe Ryan returns
When Joe Ryan is reinstated from the IL, the Twins may seriously consider optioning Prielipp as a corresponding move. Last time the Twins needed to make room in the rotation, the team optioned right-hander Zebby Matthews. While Matthews seems like the obvious option to be optioned again when Ryan returns, Prielipp's recent struggles also make him a demotion candidate.
If the Twins make the playoffs, it'll be interesting to see how they line up their rotation. For the AL Wild Card and Divisional rounds, teams appear to need just three starting pitchers. The obvious 1-2 punch for the Twins would be Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley. At this point, the third starter will probably be Dean Kremer. Minnesota could also consider Bailey Ober for the third starter role, but Kremer has looked sharp since being acquired by Minnesota, posting a 3.12 ERA over 17 1/3 innings. If the Twins surprisingly make it all the way to the ALCS, they will likely go with a four-man rotation of Ryan, Bradley, Kremer and Ober.
Prielipp, the Twins' former No. 1 pitching prospect, still has plenty of upside. He is just a rookie, after all. But for the postseason, he will likely be out of the rotation. However, the Twins could consider using him out of the bullpen for the playoffs.
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