Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster projection after Justin Topa injury

Te hits just keep on coming for the Minnesota Twins. Last week started with some rough injury news and fans had to deal with some more before the weekend was over.

Justin Topa, who was a centerpiece of the Jorge Polanco trade, is going to start the season on the IL. He’s the fourth Twins pitcher who won’t be healthy when the season starts, as he joins Jhoan Duran and Caleb Thielbar as injured relievers.

Anthony DeSclafani, who was also acquired from the Mariners in the Polanco deal, is feared to have suffered a season-ending injury. It’s a total mess for Minnesota and Opening Day is still on the horizon, although it grows closer with each passing day.

When it arrives, what will the 26-man roster look like after the barrage of injuries the team has been forced to deal with?

Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster projection after Justin Topa injury

Projected Minnesota Twins Opening Day Starting Rotation

Injuries have already hit the starting rotation, with Anthony DeSclafani likely needing season-ending surgery. We’ll see if that ends up happening, but even if a worst case scenario is avoided he’s going to start the season on the IL and need to be replaced.

That’s where Louie Varland comes into play in a big way. He had a tremendous spring, aside from one bad start against Detroit, which sets him up for a huge opportunity. Varland will begin the season as Minnesota’s fifth starter, but he’s in a position to potentially pitch his way into a permanent spot in the rotation.

If he can channel the zero runs allowed, 0.640 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts he posted before his bad start against the Tigers then there’s a good chance he takes the sort of step forward the Twins need him to.

Projected Minnesota Twins Opening Day Bullpen

Losing Topa is a blow not only because it takes a key arm out of the mix but it takes away the crutch we were all leaning on while coping with other injuries.

Both Caleb Thielbar and Jhoan Duran will start the season on the IL, but knowing that Topa would be there helped soothe the pain. Without all three, the Twins top-rated bullpen is going to have its depth tested right away.

Kody Funderburk was in line to get a 26-man roster spot after the Twins lost Thielbar and Duran, but now the team needs to dip even deeper into Triple-A to find more arms. Cole Sands is the likeliest name to get called, unless the Twins decide to look for outside help — something that appeared to be happening with Jesse Chavez until reports of a deal were retracted.

Minnesota had a top-rated bullpen just a week ago, but now the unit is going to be put to the test while being stretched incredibly thin right out of the gate.