Aaron Slegers, the first Class AAA pitcher to win 15 games as a Twins prospect since 2004, won't be able to make his start in the International League playoffs next week. He's got a different pennant race to pitch in.
The 6-10 righthander, who gave up two hits over 6⅓ innings vs. Cleveland in his major league debut last month, will start at Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
"He's done what he's needed to do," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Slegers' past two starts for the Rochester Red Wings: 14⅔ innings, six runs (3.68 ERA), 20 strikeouts and only one walk. "I like how he matches up against the [Tampa Bay] lineups a little bit, too."
Slegers, who turns 25 Monday, has pitched 154⅔ innings this year, roughly as many as in the previous two seasons, so a series of starts in September (or beyond) might be a big jump in his usage. But Molitor said it's too early to worry much about that.
"We don't feel it will be an issue at this time," and the team hasn't set an upper limit, Molitor said. "We'll have to monitor it as he gets to areas he hasn't gotten before."
The 2013 fifth-round pick will take the spot of Dillon Gee, the veteran righthander who, like Slegers, gave up only two hits in his first start for the Twins. Gee's past two starts amounted to nine runs in 6⅔ innings, though, and Molitor wants to return him to a long-relief role.
Castro activated
Jason Castro said he is completely healthy again. And his paperwork is in order, too.
The catcher passed the medical tests necessary to satisfy MLB's concussion rules Saturday, and by late Sunday morning, both MLB and the player's association had given their OK, too. The Twins took Castro off the disabled list, clearing him to play in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Royals, though he never did.
