The Minnesota Twins have a new plan for left-handed pitching prospect Kendry Rojas, whom the Twins acquired along with Alan Roden from the Toronto Blue Jays last summer in exchange for right-handed reliever Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France.
Per The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman, Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said Rojas, who made his first Triple-A appearance of the season on Sunday after returning from a rehab assignment for a hamstring injury, will pitch every four days for the Saints, at least for now. The plan suggests the Twins want to use the lefty as a long reliever in the future. Otherwise, he'd be making "normal" starts for the Saints. I suppose it's possible the plan could be a way to slowly build Rojas back to starting regularly after his injury. But since it was a hamstring and not an arm injury, it seems more likely that Minnesota is getting him ready to join the big-league bullpen.
The Twins' plan for Rojas means the lefty cannot pitch as much as a regular starting pitcher during his outings. By pitching every four days, Rojas' pitch count will be limited since starting pitchers typically throw every five days. Rojas will likely be the starter for some of his appearances and pitch in relief for others.
Rojas made the start on the mound for the Saints in his 2026 Triple-A debut on Sunday, allowing no runs, one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. His fastball sat at 98 mph and reached 99 mph.
Are the Twins making a mistake with the new Kendry Rojas plan?
It's difficult to imagine that the Twins didn't view Rojas as a starter when they acquired him and Roden for France and Varland, a high-leverage bullpen arm. The Varland trade was widely unpopular among Twins Territory, but Rojas' electric stuff made the deal worth it in the eyes of the Twins' brass.
Granted, Derek Falvey, who made the Varland trade, is no longer in charge of the Twins' baseball operations department. It's unknown whether Zoll would've made the trade if he were the head of baseball operations at the time.
Honestly, it seems premature to move Rojas to the bullpen already. But if the Twins really believe they can be competitive this year, they desperately need to improve their bullpen, which held a 5.15 ERA through April 12. Rojas could give the Twins the heat they need out of the 'pen, which lacks relievers with high velocity.
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