Righthander Kyle Gibson represents a gamble the Twins took that paid off. And it sets a precedent for how they might operate in this year's amateur draft, which begins Monday.
In 2009, Gibson came out of the University of Missouri with concerns about his elbow. He was eventually diagnosed with a forearm strain. The Twins looked at his medical records and decided to take him with the 22nd overall pick.
Gibson ended up having Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2011, but he bounced back to make his major league debut two years later and might be the most talented pitcher on the Twins staff right now.
As the draft nears, the Twins are eyeing another pitcher with health issues.
Kolby Allard, a lefthander from San Clemente (Calif.) High School, has been sidelined since March because of a stress reaction in his back. It's not an arm issue, but he was considered one of the top prospects in the draft before the injury and has slipped some since.
But the Twins, who have the No. 6 overall pick, might not let him slip past them.
The Twins do extensive research on draft-eligible players. Dr. John Steubs, the Twins director of medical services, and assistant trainer Lanning Tucker review hundreds of reports on prospects and make recommendations to scouting director Deron Johnson and his staff.
And the Twins went into the weekend with Allard still on their list of possible players to take in the first round.