Former Twins reliever Ronny Henriquez to miss entire 2026 campaign after breakout year with Marlins
Former Twins righty reliever Ronny Henriquez, who is now a Miami Marlin, will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing right elbow UCL reconstruction with an associated internal brace, the Marlins announced via social media. He is expected to be ready for spring training in 2027.
It's a real tough break for Henriquez, as the former Twin just had a breakout season with the Marlins, posting 2.3 bWAR and a 2.22 ERA with 98 strikeouts and 27 walks in 73 innings. He ranked in the 98th percentile in expected batting average (.184), chase rate (35.3%) and breaking run value (14), 97th percentile in whiff rate (36%), 94th percentile in strikeout rate (32.3%) and 85th percentile in pitching run value (13). Limiting free passes was his biggest issue last season, but he was overall excellent for the Marlins.
Henriquez, 25, made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2022, allowing four runs (three earned) with nine strikeouts and three walks over 11 2/3 innings.
Henriquez pitched solely in the minors in 2023, in part due to injuries. The Twins utilized him in 2024, as the righty posted a 3.26 with 15 strikeouts and five walks in 19 1/3 innings. Then, on February 7, 2025, the Twins designated Henriquez for assignment, and the Marlins claimed him off waivers.
The Texas Rangers signed Henriquez to a minor league contract out of the Dominican Republic on July 3, 2017. He stayed with the Rangers organization until he was traded to the Twins along with utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa (whom the Twins traded to the Yankees in the same offseason) in exchange for catcher Mitch Garver on March 12, 2022.
In parts of six seasons in the minors, Henriquez has a 4.43 ERA with 501 strikeouts and 149 walks across 444 2/3 innings. The former Twin relies on five pitches. He throws a mid-90s four-seamer (29.7%) and sinker (2.1%), mid-90s sweeper (28.3%), high-80s slider (23.3%) and low-90s changeup (16.6%).
Even though Henriquez is missing the entire 2026 season, the Twins likely wish they had held onto the righty, especially after trading five relievers last summer.