There were three new faces in the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday morning, but even more interesting was who was not there.
Come September 1, teams are allowed to expand their rosters from 26 players to 28. The Twins did that, while also optioning top pitching prospect Mick Abel to Triple-A, which is why they had three new players — Noah Davis, Travis Adams and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. — on the roster Monday instead of just two.
The decision to option Abel, whom the Twins acquired as part of the trade for Jhoan Duran in July, comes after he has made two appearances in the big leagues and has been hit hard in both of them, giving up 12 runs (11 earned) in four-plus innings as a Twin.
The Twins had six starters at the major league level — Abel, along with Taj Bradley, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews and Simeon Woods Richardson — with Pablo López’s return on the horizon. Abel, 24, made one start and the second time through, he came on in relief of Bradley. Optioning him to Triple-A will instead allow him to keep on schedule as a starter for the Saints.
“I’d say that’s probably the most important part of it,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Obviously as the manager and Pete (Maki) as the pitching coach, we would love to continue to watch Mick pitch at the big league level. But keeping him in a rotation, keeping him getting regular work, keeping his in-between start work consistent, sending him down and allowing him to do all those things and work on a few key areas of focus I think makes the most sense right now.”
The Twins want him to work on his sweeper while in Triple-A, a relatively new pitch for him. Baldelli also said they want him to get his two-strike plan and execution “more where he wants them to be.”
“He’s got great stuff,” Baldelli said. “I think he’s got a good mind. I think he has talked about pitching and his objectives really well. I think Pete was exceptionally happy with those conversations that he had with him, and we’re going to let him go keep starting.”
As for the new faces in the clubhouse, Adams is in his third stint with the Twins this season. The rookie has a 7.40 earned-run average across 24 1/3 innings and threw a scoreless inning on Monday.
Davis, acquired in a July trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched in two games for the Twins this summer, giving up five runs across three innings. And Keirsey has spent much of the season with the Twins, serving in a late-game pinch-running and outfield defense role.
“The September call ups … I really like it because it gives you a little extra depth. And it allows you, on the pitching side, being able to add an extra arm just really helps out,” Baldelli said. “It allows you to complete games a little bit differently.”
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