MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed starting pitcher Joe Ryan on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a significantly strained muscle in his throwing shoulder, an ill-timed setback entering a critical homestand against two division rivals and primary competitors for postseason spots.
Ryan has a Grade 2 strain of the teres major, a thick, flat muscle that runs from the shoulder blade to the upper arm, the Twins announced before beginning a four-game series against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Ryan would be sidelined for “weeks to months” but stopped short of declaring him done for the season.
The right-hander, who is 7-7 with a 3.60 ERA, 23 walks and 147 strikeouts in 135 innings over 23 starts, was removed from his most recent turn on Wednesday when he felt discomfort after throwing a pitch in the third inning.
“Yeah, it is a punch in the gut,” Baldelli said. “It’s going to need time to heal up, and he’ll do everything he can to get himself right and get back, but this is going to be a little while.”
Ryan will seek a second opinion before the Twins reveal a timetable for his recovery, but with a little more than seven weeks in the regular season the window is tight.
Starting pitcher Chris Paddack has been out for three weeks with a strained forearm, and his return is “not right around the corner,” Baldelli said, though president of baseball operations Derek Falvey added later that the right-hander was close to beginning a throwing program with the goal of returning for more regular season action.
The Twins, who ultimately passed on the high prices for starting pitching before the trade deadline last month, now have two rookies in their rotation indefinitely with David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson trying to do their part behind Pablo López and Bailey Ober.
“When you get to a deadline and things don’t work out the way you want, you know you’re going to have to lean on your internal guys,” Falvey said. “We believe a lot of our internal group is capable of stepping into these roles and can play a role for us down the stretch.”
Louie Varland was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to start the second game of the doubleheader on Friday against the Guardians, who took a 3½-game lead on the Twins in the division race into the series.
“You’re never going to be like, ‘We’re going to make a trade because someone is going to go down,’ or, ‘We’re not going to make a trade because everyone is going to stay healthy,’” López said. “Obviously, hindsight is easier than foresight. It definitely makes it a little tougher. Teams that get people at the deadline and go through this, they’re able to hold off a little longer.”
The Twins also placed rookie infielder Brooks Lee on the 10-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis. Infielder Kyle Farmer, who has missed 18 games with a strained right shoulder, was activated early from his rehab assignment to replace Lee.
Reliever Scott Blewett was promoted from Triple-A St. Paul, and reliever Brock Stewart was transferred to the 60-day injured list after the diagnosis that he needs arthroscopic shoulder surgery that will end his injury-ruined season.
The Twins got center fielder Byron Buxton back in the lineup on Friday from a three-game absence due to a back injury stemming from a catch he made while colliding with the wall. But All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, whose absence because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot is approaching one month, remained sidelined with no rehab assignment yet on the schedule.
“I don’t know that we’re going to get to a place where he’s going to feel 100%, but you’re at a stage of the season where I’m not sure how many guys out there are actually 100%,” Falvey said. “I think Carlos is going to figure out the right time for him. We just trust him so much around how he feels, what he can play through, what he can navigate through.”
Correa said he’s begun sprinting without significant pain, but he’s waiting to see how the foot reacts in the coming days to determine if he’s ready for the next step.
“We were hoping I would come back earlier than it’s taken,” Correa said. “At the same time, we’re doing what we can control and we’re working as hard as possible every single day to get back on the field. There is nothing I want more to be out there with the guys again. I’m looking forward to that day.”
The Twins will get no sympathy over the state of their rotation from the Guardians, who placed starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hip on Friday. He’ll rest for three or four days before resuming throwing, manager Stephen Vogt said.
Staff ace Shane Bieber is out for the season following elbow surgery. Tanner Bibee, who avoided the injured list after having his last start pushed back due to shoulder tightness, was cleared to start the series finale in Minnesota on Sunday.
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