Twins claim former first-round pick Joey Wentz off waivers after tough Pablo López injury news
The Twins announced they transferred López to the 60-day Injured List and claimed left-handed reliever Joey Wentz, who was DFA’d by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, off waivers.
In 26 innings across 19 appearances with Pittsburgh this season, Wentz posted a 4.15 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 11 walks. His pitch arsenal includes a mid-to-low 90s fastball, a cutter and a curveball.
Wentz, selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, took López’s spot on the Twins’ 40-man roster. Minnesota still has to make a corresponding 26-man roster decision when the former Pirate joins the team tomorrow.
Wentz made his MLB debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2022, posting a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers in 192 ⅔ innings from 2022-24 before getting DFA’d and claimed by the Pirates in 2024. He began his MLB career as a starting pitcher but became a reliever last year. He had a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings for Pittsburgh last season.
Jorge Alcala likely to lose his roster spot after abysmal outing against the Texas Rangers
All signs point toward Alcala, who allowed five earned runs in 1 ⅔ innings in the Twins’ 16-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, being the most likely Twin to lose his 26-man roster spot as a corresponding move to the addition of Wentz. Alcala, who has an awful 8.88 ERA across 24 ⅓ innings this season, is out of options, meaning the Twins would have to DFA him, which would most likely lead to another team claiming him. It’s also possible that Alcala could agree to an IL stint.
Another possibility is the Twins demote Simeon Woods Richardson, who allowed six earned runs across 4 ⅔ innings against the Rangers on Tuesday, and hold onto an extra reliever in the bullpen until Woods Richardson’s old spot in the rotation arrives.
Twins aim to avoid series loss against the Rangers
Game 2 of the three-game series between the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday at Target Field. David Festa is expected to make the start on the mound for the Twins, with Jack Leiter slated to start for Texas.