Abel undergoes successful surgery on right elbow, timetable unknown

HOUSTON – Right-hander Mick Abel underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, and the Twins sounded cautiously encouraged by how the procedure went.

Abel has been on the injured list since mid-April with an elbow issue. He came very close to being activated for a start against the D-backs in June, but a recurrence of the discomfort in the joint led him to be shut down from his Minor League assignment and re-evaluated.

Surgery was recommended, and Dr. Keith Meister performed the procedure. No timetable is currently available for Abel.

“Everything was cleaned out,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We'll have a timeline afterward when he has his follow-up of where he's at. Overall, the initial response was very positive.”

Abel was showing signs of a breakout year before he was hurt, and the Twins are eager to get him back into their rotation.

Jeffers ramping up activity
Catcher Ryan Jeffers, who has been out since mid-May with a broken hamate bone in his left hand, has taken another step forward this week. He took batting practice for three consecutive days, the first time he has done that since the injury.

On Wednesday, he swung on the field at CHS Park, the home of the Twins’ Triple-A St. Paul affiliate, with a BP session that included “some curveballs and some velocity,” according to Shelton. He has not yet progressed to facing live pitching, but that’s a step forward from regular batting practice.

Jeffers has been catching as many bullpen sessions as possible and expressed little concern about how his hand and wrist will hold up to receiving. Hitting remains the biggest question, and how he feels on Thursday following the three straight days will be telling.

“The biggest thing for the hamate is just going to be the percussion or vibration of the bat,” Shelton said.

Twins tidbits
Bailey Ober’s next rehabilitation start will likely come on Saturday at home for St. Paul. … Mike Paredes will start Friday night in New York, followed by Zebby Matthews and Joe Ryan, allowing the Twins to push Connor Prielipp back until the next homestand. The Twins are taking every possible opportunity to give Prielipp extra days between starts as they attempt to manage his workload … Byron Buxton is showing “improvement every day” as he attempts to return from a right hip impingement, according to Shelton.