The Minnesota Twins find themselves in the thick of a race for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. But things have hit the wall after a 4-10 start to begin August. There are many things that have contributed to the Twins’ most recent slide, but the biggest is a lack of starting pitching that forced them to buy aggressively at this year’s trade deadline.
It’s clear the Twins need help and there’s another name they could be monitoring after Michael Lorenzen was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Lorenzen’s 2026 has been rock bottom for the 34-year-old this season, going 3-11 with a 7.08 ERA. But for a Twins team turning over every stone, he could be a player Minnesota looks for to add another major league arm to their rotation.
It’s notable that the Twins turned down two chances to acquire Lorenzen in the past, first in the winter of 2024 and again ahead of that season's trade deadline. But it’s also notable that the Twins need help and Lorenzen could be a desperate move to bring in reinforcements.
Michael Lorenzen could be the Twins’ next low-risk flier
While he has struggled in 2026, Lorenzen has been a solid pitcher throughout his 12 seasons in the majors with a record of 57-66 and a 4.40 ERA. He was also extremely effective two years ago when he went 7-6 with a 3.31 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals.
Those numbers suggest there’s something to tap into. But his numbers from this season have bigger cause for concern. In his last eight starts, Lorenzen has averaged 6.09 walks per nine innings. He also was tagged for six runs in 3.2 innings in his last start against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 15, effectively ending his time in Colorado.
Although there is something to say for Coors Field being a hitter’s ballpark, Lorenzen’s lack of control, which has resulted in an 8.7 percent walk rate and just a 24.4 percent chase rate according to Baseball Savant, seems like no team can fix them. But with the state of the Twins rotation, he may at least be worth a look.
The Twins are running out of answers for their starting rotation
The Twins' starting rotation has been an issue for most of this season, posting a 4.60 ERA in 655.1 innings entering Monday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves. The entire team has also struggled since returning from the All-Star break, ranking 27th with a 4.84 ERA in 27 games.
Part of this is poor performance, but injuries have also sent the rotation into chaos. The Twins are currently without Pablo López and Mick Abel due to season-ending injuries and current ace Joe Ryan remains on the injured list with a glute strain. Bailey Ober got tagged for five runs in a 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 11 and Connor Prelipp has been inconsistent while also soaring to a career-high in innings pitched.
While Taj Bradley has been a bright spot, the rest of the Twins rotation is in shambles and it makes even considering Lorenzen more of a possibility.
If anything, this is another sign of a sinking ship. With the Twins struggling in August, their idea of making a dark horse playoff run are going down the gutter. And even if they think they can fix Lorenzen in a similar way to Dean Kremer, it’s unlikely to be a stable addition judging by his performance this season.
With that, the Twins could still say “No thanks.” But it’s another way the Twins rotation has burst into flames heading into the final stretch of the season.
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