Injuries in the shoulder area continue to haunt Twins pitcher David Festa. The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher missed significant time in 2025 due to thoracic outlet syndrome, losing out on the final two-plus months of the regular season. Festa avoided surgery and had fans hopeful of a comeback in 2026.
Festa was reaching the lower 90s on his fastball in a slow ramp-up this spring. The organization was being cautious with him, but it was still not enough to avoid an injury. Feeling pain in a different part of his shoulder, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Festa is headed to the injured list, where he will likely remain by the time Opening Day rolls around in a month.
Though this injury is bad news, this opens the door for several pitchers looking to crack a spot in the starting rotation.
David Festa's latest shoulder injury gives other pitchers a better chance to make Twins' starting rotation
Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, and Taj Bradley are all fighting for two spots, most likely. With Pablo Lopez done for the year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Festa's injury gives these arms another shot at making the rotation.
Festa was also being considered for the bullpen, but no confirmed decision had been made yet. Considering another shoulder issue has been added, he may never see the starting rotation again out of caution for his health.
Mick Abel was electric in his first spring game this season, registering a 26 percent swing-and-miss rate. He's making waves early on to force the Twins to put him in the rotation.
Bradley was not as good as Abel in his first spring outing, allowing one run in three innings, but struck out five batters. His advantage is that he backed out of the World Baseball Classic to prioritize building relationships with Twins catchers and coaching staff ahead of the regular season.
And there is Matthews, who struggled down the stretch in 2025, but still has the best odds of earning starting pitching status. Though he will probably take a spot, we can at least feel better that Abel and Bradley will battle for a spot that is definitely available.
We wish Festa well in his recovery. Hopefully he comes back as a strong relief option with Abel and Bradley ready to rock in a starting role.