Twins recall team's No. 21 prospect, demote lefty reliever in latest roster shuffle

The Twins recalled one of their top prospects.
Minnesota Twins v Athletics
Minnesota Twins v Athletics | Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

Twins recall right-handed pitcher Travis Adams, demote lefty reliever Kody Funderburk

Adams, 25, returns to the Twins’ roster for the second time this season. Cole Sands is making the start on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at Target Field, but Adams is expected to enter the game at some point.

Adams previously earned the call to the majors in early June but did not appear in a game before being demoted back to Triple-A St. Paul. In 19 appearances (five starts) with the Saints this season, Adams holds a 3.68 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 20 walks across 63 ⅔ innings. Although Adams isn’t starting the game Saturday, he will likely pitch a large chunk of the game.

Minnesota called Funderburk up to the majors after placing Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with left hip impingement. It was clear upon Funderburk’s promotion that he would be back in the minors soon, and was just up to give Minnesota some added bullpen depth for the time being. Funderburk made one appearance in his recent stint in the big leagues, throwing a scoreless inning with one hit allowed against the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

Bailey Ober placed on IL after rough June

After a disastrous first outing of the season, Ober had a strong 11-start stretch where he posted a 2.43 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 11 walks in 59 ⅓ innings. But once June came around, Ober started to run into issues on the mound.

In five June starts, Ober allowed 30 earned runs on 38 hits and eight walks while surrendering 14 home runs in 30 innings. Minnesota lost all five of those starts.

While Ober is healing from his hip injury, he is also working through mechanical issues, according to the Pioneer Press’ Betsy Helfand.

Twins and Rays set to play Game 2 of three-game series

Game 2 of the three-game set between the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. CT on Saturday at Target Field. Sands will be the opener for the Twins, while Taj Bradley is expected to make the start on the mound for the Rays.

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