About an hour before the Minnesota Twins' Tuesday night game against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field, The Athletic's Dan Hayes reported that Minnesota selected the contract of right-handed reliever Luis García and placed right-handed reliever Garrett Acton on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. To make room for Garcia on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated right-handed reliever Zak Kent for assignment.
García, 39, brings a veteran presence to a Twins bullpen that has struggled significantly this season. Minnesota's relievers rank 23rd in MLB in ERA (4.83), strikeouts per nine innings (8.03) and 21st in walks per nine innings (4.56).
García hoping for career resurgence with Twins after rough stint with Mets
If García performs well in a few outings with Minnesota, he'll likely stick around in the big leagues. The veteran righty posted a poor 7.11 ERA in 6 1/3 innings with the New York Mets this season before being DFA'd and then signed by Minnesota. He allowed one run in two innings across two outings with Triple-A St. Paul after joining the Twins organization.
García's sinker has dropped from 96.9 mph in 2025 to 94 mph in 2026. His changeup and splitter have also dropped in velocity. If García can regain his velocity or figure out how to improve with his lowered velocity, he would be a much-needed addition for Minnesota's struggling bullpen. García had a solid 3.42 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels last season. From 2021-25, he had a 3.86 ERA with a 22.3% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 53% ground-ball rate.
As for Acton, the righty has a solid 2.70 ERA with nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings across four appearances with Minnesota this season. It's unknown how serious his injury is. Assuming he can return to the mound within a month or two, Acton should rejoin the Twins' 26-man roster later in the season.
Meanwhile, the Twins have as long as five days to explore trade interest for Kent, who allowed five runs (two earned) in 3 2/3 innings with the Twins this year before being demoted to Triple-A. They could also place him on waivers immediately if they choose. In seven appearances with the Saints this season, Kent surrendered three earned runs on 10 hits and six walks over 9 2/3 innings.
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