Spring Training is officially in the books, but the work is only getting started to the Minnesota Twins. After a barrage of injuries last week, the Twins need to figure out a way to replace some important arms in the bullpen with just a few days before Opening Day arrives.
Jhoan Duran and Caleb Thielbar hit the IL early last week, and both were joined by Justin Topa on Sunday. It's also unclear whether Josh Staumont will be healthy enough to start the season after his most recent throwing session, which means the Twins could have four spots in the bullpen to attend to before the season even starts.
Topa was the biggest loss, as he was a linchpin that made the temporary losses of Duran and Thielbar land a little softer. Without Topa, the Twins need to find help at every level of the bullpen, something the team seems to be slowing working out internally.
Twins add 3 relievers to Opening Day roster as injury replacements
On Tuesday the Twins informed three pitchers that they'd make the Opening Day roster. Jorge Alacá was already on track to be in the picture but the injuries last week opened up a path for Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk to make the roster as well.
Daniel Duarte is another name that Do-Hyoung Park tossed out for fans to keep an eye on. He's not on the 40-man roster, but the Twins are reportedly bringing him to Kansas City which implies he might get activated at some point over the first few games of the season.
Jorge Alcala, Kody Funderburk and Cole Sands have been told they’re making the team, Rocco says.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) March 26, 2024
As for the final bullpen spot, Josh Staumont didn’t come out of yesterday’s slip feeling great and Daniel Duarte is heading to KC with the Twins, though nothing is official yet.
Sands is the biggest addition to the roster because he had the longest shot to make it earlier this spring. That's not because he isn't talented enough, rather the Twins bullpen depth was so impressive that he wasn't even being discussed as a potential option for the Opening Day roster.
Alcalá is by far the most intriguing name, as he put together the type of spring that suggests he's ready to bounce back from a rough few seasons. He finished his time in Fort Myers with 6.23 ERA but just a week ago he was riding a 2.57 ERA in seven innings of work with seven strikeouts and a 1.000 WHIP. He ended up with 12 strikeouts in ten innings, and his velocity looked to be where the Twins need it to be.
We've seen him dissapoint before, so until he proves he can hang in the bullpen we need to approach with caution. Alcalá could be one of Minnesota's most important relievers if all goes wll, though, which is why he's someone to watch.