Twins option trade deadline acquisition Mick Abel to Triple-A St. Paul after rough outings
The Twins have demoted right-handed pitcher Mick Abel to Triple-A St. Paul, according to The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. With MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, the Twins will be adding three players to their big-league roster before their next game.
The Phillies sent Abel to the Twins on July 30 along with catching prospect Eduardo Tait in exchange for star closer Jhoan Durán. The Twins view Tait, 19, as the most promising piece of the Durán deal, but Abel, 24, has the potential to make an immediate impact, while Tait likely won't be in the major leagues for at least a couple more years.
Despite the Twins likely viewing Abel as part of the starting rotation in the future, Minnesota immediately had him make starts for Triple-A St. Paul upon trading for him. In three starts for the Saints, Abel was absolutely dominant, posting a 1.76 ERA with 23 strikeouts and six walks in 15 1/3 innings. After his successful three starts, the Twins decided to call him up to start against the White Sox on Aug. 23 at Rate Field in Chicago.
Abel's first appearance as a Twin was a disaster, as he surrendered six earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two batters in three innings. Like Abel, recently acquired starting pitcher Taj Bradley also struggled in his Twins debut against the White Sox, which was one day after Abel's start against Chicago.
Bradley managed to bounce back in his next outing, allowing just one run in five innings against the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Target Field. However, Abel did not have the same experience as Bradley in his second Twins outing; the former Phillie relieved Bradley in the sixth inning on Saturday and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk in one inning.
Hopefully, Abel has a future in the Twins' starting rotation. However, given the number of promising starting pitchers the Twins have at the major-league level and in the upper minor leagues, Abel's future as a Twin may be as a reliever. But considering Abel's recent minor-league success (2.22 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings this season), the Twins certainly will continue to develop him as a starter for now.