It appears right-handed starting pitcher Mick Abel, who has been on the injured list since April 20, will return to the rotation against the Arizona Diamondbacks this series. Minnesota's starter for Sunday is currently listed as TBA, and Abel has joined the club in Arizona after two strong rehab starts with Triple-A St. Paul.
One Twins player will lose their roster spot when Abel returns from the IL. While many may assume right-hander Mike Paredes, who has filled the void left in the rotation by Bailey Ober's injury from late last month, will be the one to lose his spot on the big-league team, it would make more sense for Minnesota to cut ties with right-hander Justin Lawrence, even though Paredes has minor-league options remaining while Lawrence doesn't.
Paredes hasn't been outstanding in his short tenure with the Twins, but he helped the team win in his last two outings; the 25-year-old rookie allowed just one run in three innings against the Detroit Tigers on June 10, then surrendered two runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Texas Rangers on Monday. The Twins won both games.
Paredes deserves Twins roster spot over Lawrence when Abel returns
Despite being a lesser-known prospect with below-average velocity, Paredes has proved he can provide more value to the club than Lawrence. With Paredes, the Twins have someone who can throw multiple innings out of the bullpen and make spot starts when needed. Meanwhile, Lawrence has struggled significantly since becoming a Twin.
The Twins acquired Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash on June 2 after he had been designated for assignment a few days before. Since becoming a Twin, Lawrence has allowed seven earned runs on eight hits (four home runs), five walks and two hit batters in 5 1/3 innings across six appearances. On a positive note, Lawrence has collected 10 strikeouts in his 5 1/3 innings with Minnesota, but his lack of control has made his Twins tenure a complete disaster thus far. It's time for Minnesota to say goodbye to the former Pirate.
With a high strikeout rate and a sinker that can reach the high 90s, Lawrence looks like a pitcher who could be much better with improved control. Unfortunately, since Lawrence is already 31 and hasn't established himself as a reliever teams can consistently count on, it appears he won't develop into the reliever the Twins hoped he could be upon acquiring him earlier in the month. If he were younger, then it would be understandable if Minnesota held onto him longer. But given his age, it's time for the Twins to cut bait.
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