Healthy or Not in 2025: Twins pitcher Matt Canterino

I'll answer the question simply: if Matt Canterino can get one out on the mound, it will be an improvement on the past two years. Canterino has dealt with injuries since being drafted in the second round in 2019.

Canterino was fantastic in college, recording 348 strikeouts over 289.1 innings pitched for the Owls of Rice University. Since being drafted, Canterino has dealt with injury after injury, but when he has been on the mound, he has shown why he was drafted in the second round coming up on six years ago.

Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Canterino is dealing with a shoulder strain after feeling it after warming up this past Saturday for a spring training game. Hopefully, this isn't a sign of how his 2025 will go and is just a small bump in the road, but his injury history is not super clean, so it would be understandable if you are not confident in him staying healthy.

Canterino last pitched in 2022, starting the year at Double-A Wichita. After injuring his elbow, he tried to make a comeback but ended up having Tommy John surgery in August of that year. This injury led him to miss the entire 2023 season.

Canterino has a 1.48 ERA when he has been on the mound throughout his minor league career.

In 2024, he dealt with a rotator cuff injury, which wiped out his entire season. Dealing with these injuries, Canterino's future appears to be in the bullpen.

Canterino told Dan Hayes of The Athletic: "I'm a realist. I just want to play baseball. I want to be able to help this team because I feel like the Twins have been very patient with me and I’m trying to be patient with myself. But at some point, it’s go time. I’m hoping this is the year."

Canterino is looking to make quick work and put himself in the bullpen picture going forward for Rocco Baldelli and the coaching staff. So far in camp, Canterino's stuff has been electric in his bullpen sessions and has folks talking in camp. He had his first Spring Training appearance, which was a first step in his road back.

Canterino has served as a starter in the past, but he will transition to being a reliever and the Twins hope that this not only helps him stay healthy, but that the tools that he has shown when healthy help him be successful out of the bullpen as well.

Even with dealing with injuries the past few years, Canterino ranked No. 32 in Aaron Gleeman, of the Athletic's annual Twins Top Prospects going into this year. This says a lot, especially not having pitched in a game in over 900 days before making his first appearance this spring.

While the buzz is good in Spring Training — or at least was before this setback — Canterino thought 2024 would be the year his health didn't betray him.

Before this setback, reports were that he felt good going into 2025. Canterino will be handled carefully going into the year. Still, hopefully, his health is steady, and he can emerge as an option out of the bullpen for the Twins when they inevitably need a fresh arm later in the year.