Jorge Alcala threw 57 pitches during the Twins' four-game series in Houston, pitching one inning in each of their three victories. The 57th pitch landed him on the injured list.
Twins' effective reliever Jorge Alcala now headed for injured list
The righthander, instrumental in three victories against the Astros over the weekend, is dealing with tendonitis.
August 10, 2021 at 1:51AM
Alcala "felt a little something in his triceps after his last pitch, literally as he was coming off" the field, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Monday, shortly after the 26-year-old righthander was placed on the 10-day injured list because of tendinitis. "He's pitched a lot lately and he's pitched well. He was going to be down a few days anyway because of his workload."
Edgar Garcia, claimed off waivers from the Reds 10 days earlier, was called up from Class AAA St. Paul and made his debut with the Twins — his fourth major league team after stints with the Phillies, Rays and Reds over the past three seasons — in the third inning Monday. Garcia pitched 2⅓ innings, allowing one earned run and one hit.
"He has a good sinker [and] a good slider that he relies on a fair amount," Baldelli said of the 24-year-old righthander. "He's got a live arm, mid-90s [mph] fastball."
Alcala had made a specialty of the eighth inning lately, with each of his outings in Houston coming in that role. Who inherits the job of protecting late leads?
"The bullpen is going to have to step up," Baldelli said. "I don't think it's going to be one particular person. We're going to call on different guys to get outs in the seventh and eighth innings."
Others get healthier
A few other injury updates:
- Byron Buxton took batting practice with his teammates, and "we're getting to the point where we can really start ramping up," Baldelli said of the center fielder, out since mid-June because of a fractured left hand. The Twins set up a meeting with Buxton and their hand specialists to plan his rehab schedule, and a return later this month is possible.
- Righthander Randy Dobnak threw a 25-pitch bullpen session and "it felt fine. Normal," he said of his sprained middle finger. Dobnak has been cleared to begin building his arm strength again, with some rehab starts at St. Paul a likelihood soon.
- Righthander Jhoan Duran, one of the Twins' top pitching prospects who has been out since June because of an elbow strain, could return to action this season at St. Paul. "I'm hopeful," said Derek Falvey, the Twins' president of baseball operations. "Our hope is that we would build him back up normally. Our view is that he's a long-term starter. That's our goal and hope, so we don't want to shorten anything up on that."
- Righthander Josh Winder's shoulder fatigue, which forced the team to shut down the Class AAA pitching prospect, appears to be a minor condition, "really just some level of inflammation and tendinitis," Falvey said. "We'll give him a little bit of time, [then] re-build him back up."
Masks recommended
The Twins have not changed their stance on COVID precautions for fans at Target Field — they "strongly recommend" wearing masks, team President Dave St. Peter said, but do not require it — but the team has instituted new rules for employees during this 10-day homestand.
"Our staff will be required to wear masks, particularly in indoor locations, all the indoor clubs," St. Peter said. "We continue to have a lot of ongoing dialogue with the [Minnesota] Department of Health. We're also continually comparing notes with the other professional sports venues in town, and we're prepared to make adjustments as things change."
Still plugging away
Falvey said he is impressed by the work of Baldelli and the Twins coaching staff in keeping the team focused on improvement despite its last-place standing.
"The measure of our staff and our culture is how we show up every day," Falvey said, citing the extra work being undertaken before each day's game. "Everyone has goals they're working toward. If that were to all of a sudden disappear, and we say, 'Hey, we're struggling, let's just pack it in' — that would be far more concerning from an overall baseball leadership standpoint. We're not doing that. Everyone is showing up every day with the right kind of mind-set, geared toward getting our players better so that in 2022 we can hit the ground running and hopefully continue to compete."
Molitor in the booth
Former Twins manager Paul Molitor will become a broadcaster this weekend, when he fills in for radio analyst Dan Gladden for two games against the Rays. Gladden has been excused for the weekend in order to take part in the team's 30th anniversary celebration of its 1991 World Series championship.
Here’s a list: They're prioritizing trades over free agency. They’re seeking a first baseman and a righthanded-hitting outfielder. And Derek Falvey sees a prospect likely to make an impact.
