Twins add another lefty reliever, Austin Davis, for final weeks of season

The Twins, who survived much of August with Caleb Thielbar the lone lefthander in their bullpen, figure to have three lefties available when the season resumes Friday.

Austin Davis, a five-year MLB veteran who has spent time with the Phillies, Pirates and Red Sox, was claimed off waivers by the Twins on Wednesday, and will join the team in Chicago. The team made no announcement of any corresponding move to open a roster spot, but that might not be needed. MLB rosters expand by two players on Thursday, to a new limit of 28, so Davis figures simply to slot into one of them.

The lefthander, designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Monday, was drafted as a starting pitcher by the Phillies in 2014, but he was converted to the bullpen two years later, and reached the majors in 2018. Traded to Boston in 2021, he allowed only one run over 22⅓ innings from mid-April to mid-June this season. But he has given up 32 runs (29 earned) in 29⅔ innings since then, leading to Boston to cut ties with him.

Adding Davis, who joins a bullpen that now includes Thielbar and Jovani Moran from the left side, will bring the Twins to the September limit of 14 pitchers on the 28-man roster, so if there is no other move, the 28th man must be a position player. The Twins also plan to activate righthander Tyler Mahle on Saturday to start the second game of the White Sox series.

The Twins packed up and flew to Chicago after Wednesday's game, even though their next game isn't until Friday night. That sort of schedule has become routine under manager Rocco Baldelli, who believes off days should remain as wide open as possible.

"One thing I've always thought is when you're going on the road, you get out after the [previous] game and you get to wherever you're going, and you settle in there," Baldelli explained. "It allows some guys to rest a little bit and sleep in a cold, dark hotel room and veg out a little bit."

The flight to Chicago takes less than an hour, but the Twins — like several other teams — have adopted a similar travel schedule even for longer distances.

It's probably not a popular schedule with players' wives, but Baldelli said his players are free to opt out and make their own commercial travel plans, as long as they are at Guaranteed Rate Field by Friday afternoon. A few have done just that this week, he said, and will arrive Thursday night.

The rest will be free to fill their time however they like in Chicago on Thursday; they could even attend the White Sox-Royals getaway game if they choose. That game means the ballpark is unavailable to pitchers who might need to throw bullpen sessions in order to stay on schedule for their next start.

"Sometimes those guys just go to a city park near the hotel and play catch," Baldelli said.