We've been humming along, getting ready for the season to start, with optimism continuing to grow as the season approached. This is always the most dangerous time to be a Twins fan. When things are going well, those same things are about to immediately go not so well.
And then boom, all of a sudden you get a MLBTR alert for this. That's three members of the pitching staff starting the season on the shelf. One of them, Anthony DeSclafani looks like he will be out for the entire season. This is just another sign that we can't trust doctors in San Francisco (see: Sam Dyson, Carlos Correa).
Fortunately, this just puts the Twins back where they expected to be before the offseason began. Louie Varland will be the 5th starter, until depth is needed. At that point, Brett Headrick and Simeon Woods-Richardson will be called upon to round out the rotation. It isn't ideal, but it wasn't fully unanticipated.
There are also a couple of relievers on the shelf. Caleb Thielbar has been touch and go all spring, and the Twins added Steven Okert for left handed depth in the offseason. Kody Funderburk will likely break camp with the team as well, providing some more left handed depth.
All of this is obfuscating the big news, which is that Jhoan Duran was among the players to go on the IL Fortunately, Duran's injury also seems to be the most mild, and he should return some time in May. In the mean time, however, losing one of the best relievers in baseball is a tough situation.
It tinkers with the rhythm of the bullpen. For example, Griffin Jax may be asked to close games, instead of setting them up, while a middle reliever used to longer outings might be working shorter, higher leverage appearances. And then when Duran comes back, these changes are going to have to be shuffled back, with players not getting a chance to settle into their role.
This is where some of those losses are compounded, as well. Last season, Louie Varland stepped into a relief role late in the season and in the postseason, and was excellent. In a situation where the Twins might prefer another power arm in the bullpen, Varland would be a viable option were he not needed in the rotation.
Ultimately, the Twins will need to grind out these first couple of weeks. They might be fortunate, and the need for a closer will be limited, or the difference between Duran and Jax isn't felt deeply for the few times Jax might step into the role. Varland and DeSclafani likely weren't going to produce much differently anyway, though the injury impacts the depth of the rotation. If they do want to make a move, signing Michael Lorenzen, who is still on the market, would give the Twins a versatile pitcher that could bolster either part of the pitching staff if an injury strikes again. The season doesn't start for the Twins for a little more than a week, so don't rule anything out with this front office.
The Twins got their first taste of reality amid the overwhelming optimism, and really, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
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