ST. LOUIS — The Twins made their first round of spring training cuts on March 9, sending a group of nine players to minor league camp. Randy Dobnak was among them, sent over to the other side of the Twins’ Fort Myers, Fla., complex, to stretch out and build up innings as he prepared to pitch for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints.
It wasn’t until Saturday night that the idea of actually breaking camp with the Twins crept into his mind.
Dobnak got a text message from director of minor league pitching development Tommy Bergjans, letting him know that his minor league start that day, which was supposed to be five or six innings, would be significantly shorter than that.
At first, Dobnak wondered why they’d be taking three innings away from him. He quickly connected the dots, wondering if the Twins might need a long-man for their bullpen.
They did.
“First cut to the Opening Day roster was not on my bingo card,” Dobnak said.
It’s the first time Dobnak has broken camp with the Twins since 2021, and his inclusion on the Opening Day roster comes after the Twins informed Rule 5 selection Eiberson Castellano, who has since been returned to the Philadelphia Phillies, that he would not be making the 26-man major league roster.
The same goes for the last two non-roster invites remaining in camp, both of whom were out of options, meaning the Twins risked losing them in a couple of weeks when Brock Stewart is expected to return from the injured list. That’s not the case with Dobnak, whom the Twins have been able to pass through waivers successfully in recent years because of the contract extension he signed in 2021.
Dobnak had a strong spring, and for however long he’s in the majors, he’s looking to make the most of his chance. Being in this role means there’s no telling when he might pitch, but that’s something he said he’s more mentally prepared for now because he’s done it before.
“I’m just prepared to pitch every day,” he said. “Just do the same thing every day, and when my opportunity comes, just go out there and do it.”
Who’s on second?
The question of who would be playing second base for the Twins was one without an answer all winter. The Twins finally answered that question on Thursday. Expect to see plenty of Willi Castro there, as he’s the strongest defensive option the Twins have at the position currently.
Castro will still end up at third and in the outfield, too, manager Rocco Baldelli said, but right now, having him at second base is something “we’ll see a good amount of.”
“It does a really nice thing for our defense on most days where he and (shortstop) Carlos (Correa) work really well together,” Baldelli said. “They’ve been really crisp all spring, so getting a little bit of rapport with those two guys playing with each other will be good.”
Briefly
Four players made the Opening Day roster for the first time: pitchers Simeon Woods Richardson and Justin Topa, and rookies Mickey Gasper and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. … Harrison Bader received a round of applause from Cardinals fans as he was introduced pregame. Bader played for the Cardinals for parts of six seasons. … The Twins officially placed four players on the injured list: Royce Lewis (hamstring strain), Brooks Lee (Lumbar strain), Stewart (hamstring strain) and Michael Tonkin (shoulder strain).
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