After three rough post-All-Star break starts, Minnesota Twins right-handed starting pitcher Joe Ryan returned to Minnesota to be evaluated for lower back and glute issues, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. Ryan will be looked at by team physician Christopher Camp.
If Ryan lands on the injured list, Minnesota will likely recall right-hander Zebby Mathews, whom the Twins optioned to Triple-A St. Paul earlier this month to make room in the rotation for trade acquisition Dean Kremer, who allowed just one run over five innings in his Twins debut against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night.
Even though Matthews is sitting in Triple-A, the Twins may want to add another starting pitcher if Ryan lands on the IL. The Washington Nationals just designated former Twins right-hander Zack Littell, but Minnesota should avoid reuniting with the nine-year MLB veteran.
Littell, 30, is 7-8 with a 4.97 ERA in 112 1/3 innings across 23 appearances (14 starts) this season. He has a decent 3.98 ERA since the beginning of May, but his career-low 14.6% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate suggest Minnesota should seek pitching reinforcements elsewhere.
Twins should avoid reuniting with Zack Littell
Littell's Baseball Savant page isn't pretty. The right-hander has an expected ERA of 6.07 (third percentile), expected batting average of .289 (fourth percentile), average exit velocity of 91.5 mph (second percentile) and whiff rate of 16.6% (first percentile).
Also, the Nationals are a very similar team to the Twins. Both clubs have strong offenses, as Washington leads the National League in runs (620) and Minnesota is second in the American League (535). While both clubs have formidable offenses, both also struggle on the pitching side. Among all 30 MLB teams, the Twins rank 26th in ERA (4.63) and the Nationals rank 27th (4.75).
The fact that the Nationals designated Littell for assignment even though they have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball shows how MLB teams view the right-hander. Washington likely tried to trade him before Monday's deadline, but no teams were interested.
The Nationals signed Littell to a one-year, $7 million contract this past offseason. He is being paid $3 million this year, and he has a $4 million buyout for his mutual option next year. Mutual options are rarely exercised, meaning Littell will almost certainly hit free agency next year. Due to his struggles, Littell will likely clear waivers, giving teams the chance to sign him for the rest of the year on a league-minimum salary. Even if Minnesota can get him on an affordable deal, the club would likely be better off not reuniting with the right-hander.
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