A large handful of Twins players had trouble getting back to Minnesota after the all-star break. They weren’t alone in their misery, as a software update to Microsoft devices last Thursday sent the airline industry into a tailspin of delayed and canceled flights.
Justin Topa at least made some hay while stuck in Florida.
After days of driving to and from airports, and waiting hours inside them, the Twins right-hander decided to wait it out and do some more rehab work in Fort Myers and on Tuesday night, made his first appearance in a game since May 5 at Class AAA St. Paul.
Topa, battling tendinitis in his right knee since spring training, threw a hitless inning Tuesday night for Class A Fort Myers and expects to pitch again in St. Paul on Friday. He walked one and fanned one Tuesday in his first pain-free appearance in months.
“It was good. Felt good. No issues,” Topa, 33, said. “Nice and humid down there. Hasn’t changed much.”
Topa, one of four players acquired in the deal that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle in January, was the key veteran in the deal after going 5-4 with a 2.61 earned-run average in 75 innings with the Mariners last season.
Getting that player for the stretch run would be a real boon to the Twins bullpen, especially with Brock Stewart finally back from a shoulder injury. Stewart, who pitched 12⅓ scoreless innings before going on the injured list, was activated before Wednesday’s series finale against the Phillies at Target Field and available for the first time since May 1.
“Can we get (Topa) out there soon? Let him go out there and get some outs, face a bunch of tough righties and get them out in big spots? That’s what I’m hoping for,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. . That’s what I’m waiting for and hoping for, and we just keep kind of pushing and moving these guys into places they can help us — get ’em healthy, get ’em throwing the ball. And then we get them out there.”
Tuesday was a big step for Topa, whose only appearances with the Twins so far have been in spring training games. He threw a pair of live bullpens before pitching in Tuesday’s game.
“I feel really optimistic after last night,” he said. “(The knee) wasn’t even in my mind; it was just focused on pitching. When it gets to that point, especially in the rehab process — as long and as tedious as it can be — once you can kind of eliminate that thought of, ‘Oh, are you going to feel something here on this pitch?’ Once you can eliminate that and focus on pitching, it’s a good thing.”
Stewart was on the 60-day IL. To make room for him on the 40- and 26-man rosters, the Twins designated infielder Diego A. Castillo for release or assignment.
Briefly
David Festa, the Twins’ top pitching prospect — and fifth overall, according to mlb.com — was called up to pitch the bulk of Wednesday’s rubber match against Philadelphia. Left-hander Steven Okert started and pitched to three batters — two of them lefties — before the right-handed Festa relieved. To make room on the active roster for Festa, the Twins reassigned reliever Henriquez to St. Paul.
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