When the Minnesota Twins announced that Jorge Alcala was being optioned to Triple-A on Wedensday, the surprise came with who they were calling up to replace him.
Josh Staumont was recalled from St. Paul to replace Alcala in the bullpen, which begged the question of why Justin Topa wasn't the one getting the call. Topa was acquired from the Seattle Mariners as what ended up being the key piece of the Jorge Polanco trade, but he has yet to make his debut with the Twins.
Now we know why.
Topa started the season on the IL with knee soreness after suffering an injury in the last week of Spring Training. He reportedly suffered a setback while rehabbing with the Saints this week, something that will require an MRI and might end up taking him out of action even longer.
Justin Topa might miss even more time after suffering setback during rehab assignment
Bobby Nightengale from the Star Tribune was the one who brought Twins fans the bad news.
Justin Topa felt more soreness in his knee after his last AAA rehab outing. He threw a bullpen session today, but he’s awaiting results from an MRI to determine his next steps.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) May 8, 2024
This is less than ideal for a few reasons, not the least of which is it deprives the bullpen of a key arm.
Tuesday night was a key example of why Minnesota needs some fresh arms, as the lack of availability of top-tier relievers led to an implosion late against the Mariners.
We've yet to see Topa make his debut with the Twins, which is also annoying due to the fact that none of the pieces Minnesota got back for Polanco have made an impact. Anthony DeSclafani is already out for the season and Gabriel Gonzalez is playing Double-A ball.
Topa was hyped as the centerpiece of the Polanco trade, which was a tough pill to swallow at the time but was also overlooking how key he could be to the bullpen. When healthy he posted a 2.61 ERA in 69 innings of work for Seattle in 2023, and his 1.145 WHIP and 61 strikeouts are things the Twins would love to add to the bullpen's arsenal.
Instead, the same old story is playing out with Topa as it has with other players the Twins have traded for. Injuries always seem to throw a wrench in things, and the fact that Topa now might miss even more time is truly a bummer.