How about a September call-up for Class AAA Rochester righthander Alex Meyer? That's a topic being kicked around.
"I don't know yet," General Manager Terry Ryan said. "I'm going to go see him."
Meyer is 6-6 with a 3.43 ERA. In 123⅓ innings, Meyer has given up 107 hits while walking 60 and striking out 149. He projects to be a front-end rotation starter, possible staff ace.
But the Twins have been careful with Meyer because shoulder problems limited him to 104⅓ innings between the minors and Arizona Fall League last season. During one stretch this season, Meyer went 11 consecutive starts without throwing more than 88 pitches.
"We had a plan with him and it has worked as far as keeping him active," Ryan said. "We got him out of there in a particular time in a game where, in a normal setting, you don't like to do that. You'd like to see him pitch through some of those innings. Now we can get him through the year and he should be fine to go."
Meyer should get two more starts and finish with 130-135 innings pitched. That's around a 30 percent jump from last season, which might make the Twins shut him down. Or he could come up and work out of the bullpen.
"It's important that when you bring a guy up, you want to make sure he's prepared to pitch at this level," Ryan said. "So we will see how prepared he looks."
LA VELLE E. NEAL III
