It's been a rocky season for the Minnesota Twins, a team that has proven to be one of the streakiest in baseball. Capable of winning 12 games in a row while losing five or more at a time, the Twins are somehow just 3.5 games out of a first place and a playoff bye with under a month left in the season.
Perhaps that's why having Louie Varland back in the mix is a perfect encapsulation of how this season has gone.
Just like the Twins as a whole, things have been all over the map for Varland who went from a potential breakout candidate to a guy clinging to a roster spot in the minors in less than a month. Even with his early struggles Varland hasn't given up, and just like the Twins, he's ready to prove he belongs.
Twins recall Louie Varland to make a start on Wednesday
While no official starter has been announced, it's widely believed that Varland will take the mound in Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
There is a Louie Varland locker and a Louie Varland present in the Twins’ clubhouse, as expected, ahead of their TBD starting pitcher slot for tomorrow’s game.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) September 3, 2024
Update: Ronny Henriquez is slated to make the start on Wednesday, but Louie Varland is expected to come in after him.
Ronny Henriquez will start tomorrow for the Twins. Louie Varland is here and is expected to come in after.
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) September 4, 2024
This will mark the third time Varland has been recalled by the Twins since getting sent down back in late April. He started the season in the rotation as a replacement for Anthony DeSclafani but that seems like ancient history at this point.
Varland had a fantastic spring, but was instantly knocked down once the regular season started. When the Twins demoted him after a 6-1 loss to the Tigers, Varland owned a 9.18 ERA in just over 16 innings of work.
It was an abysmal fall from potential grace, but he's started to put the pieces back together. Varland was called up in June and pitched five scoreless innings before helping the Twins to a win in his next start. He was again called up in August for a pair of starts and has managed a 3.60 ERA since that initial demotion five months ago.
He still has some work to do, as he got rocked a bit in his last outing against the Royals, but Varland has stablized much quicker than he did last season when he ran into simliar problems. The Twins need him to have another great start, as the pitching rotation has been ransacked by the injury bug.
Joe Ryan is out for the remainder of the season and Chris Paddack was transferred to the 60-day IL. Varland might not factor into a playoff rotation, but if he can continue to build his confidence back, and earn the trust of the coaching staff, then he could get a valuable postseason bullpen role.
Above all, Varland has seemingly bounced back from an absolutely brutal start to the season. It's hard to sink much lower than he did, although other Twins pitchers have tried, and to see him start to rebound is a sight for sore eyes.
More Minnesota Twins news and rumors