The Minnesota Twins have surprisingly fought their way into the American League playoff picture this season and they seem to have done it in spite of their bullpen. A group that had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.45 entering Monday has been one reason the Twins haven’t graduated to serious contention and it got worse when The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported Anthony Banda has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain.
The Twins will call up Cody Lawyerson as part of the move, but it may not help as Banda was one of the few reliable relievers in the bullpen. With an important stretch coming, the Twins have to find another way to get the most out of their bullpen and find a way to stay afloat in the playoff race.
Twins lost Anthony Banda at the worst possible time
Banda got off to a rough start with the Twins but had settled into a groove, posting a 2.22 ERA with 23 strikeouts over his last 28 appearances (28 games). While his 12 walks in 24.1 innings and a 4.25 FIP (fielding independent pitching) were a problem, it cleared the low bar of being the Twins most dominant left-hander on the roster.
Taylor Rogers was brought in as a veteran presence last winter, but his second tour with the Twins has been disappointing, with a 6.16 ERA over 36 appearances. Kody Funderburk has a 4.87 ERA in 23 games while bouncing between the Twins and Triple-A St. Paul and unless they want to move Connor Prielipp to manage his workload, Minnesota could be scrambling to cover for Banda’s absence.
This also could not come at a worse time. The Twins are facing an important month of July that could decide whether they will buy or sell at the trade deadline. But this week could be extremely important as they have a three-game series with the Astros, who rank ninth with a .718 OPS against left-handers and a three-game series with the New York Yankees, who rank third with a .760 OPS against southpaws.
Upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs (fifth with an OPS of .755 vs. lefties) and the Athletics (eighth with a .738 OPS vs. lefties) may have to be played without Banda, leaving the Twins at a severe disadvantage going into their most important stretch of the season.
Perhaps this could be the avenue for the significant move fans have been waiting for under chairman Tom Pohlad. But it also could be the development that knocks the Twins out of the playoff race.
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