Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel made a rehab start for Triple-A St. Paul on the road against the Detroit Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, on Wednesday night. Believe it or not, Abel wasn't the most established pitcher to start in the Triple-A matchup, as future Hall of Fame right-hander Justin Verlander threw for Toledo. However, Abel had the best outing of the two right-handers, hurling three scoreless innings with five strikeouts while Verlander allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Verlander surrendered homers to Matt Wallner, Aaron Sabato, Kyler Fedko and Gabriel Gonzalez.
The Twins had planned for Abel to throw three innings or 50 pitches, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. The right-hander ended up throwing 47 pitches over his three innings of work, allowing just two hits and no walks. His four-seam fastball appeared sharp, averaging 96.3 mph and touching 97.9 mph.
Mick Abel looked really good in his rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 10, 2026
Three scoreless innings on 47 pitches, with five strikeouts, no walks, and two hits allowed.
Fastball averaged 96.3 mph and topped out at 97.9.
Very encouraging after nearly two months on the injured list. pic.twitter.com/Sm5fRmfbeU
Given how long Abel had been sidelined, it was encouraging to see him dominate in his rehab outing. On April 20, Abel, who threw 13 scoreless innings over his last two MLB starts, was placed on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation. He appeared to be on the verge of returning in early May, but his recovery was impeded after feeling soreness in his right triceps following a simulated bullpen session, which led to him receiving a cortisone shot.
Before his rehab appearance, Abel threw 37 pitches in a two-inning live batting practice at Target Field on Thursday afternoon, per Hayes. His fastball reached 97 mph during the session.
Twins' desperately need Abel back due to pitching injuries
It's not only reassuring to see Abel dominate because of how long he had been sidelined, but because the Twins desperately need him due to their abundance of pitching injuries and the loss of Simeon Woods Richardson. Right-hander Bailey Ober was placed on the IL with a right flexor strain on May 31 and is expected to be out for at least the rest of June. Additionally, left-hander Kendry Rojas has been on the IL since May 29. Luckily, Rojas appears on the verge of returning after throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to Hayes. However, Rojas has mainly been a bulk reliever for the Twins.
Due to Ober's injury, the Twins have had to go with two bullpen games this month, the second one occurring on Wednesday. The Twins' starting rotation currently consists of Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp. Minnesota desperately needs another healthy starter, which is why Abel's strong rehab outing was a big development for the club.
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