Ober K's 5 over 5 innings in second - and possibly final - rehab start

Twins right-hander Bailey Ober allowed four runs and struck out five batters over five innings for Triple-A St. Paul in his second -- and possibly final -- rehab start Saturday at CHS Field.

Ober, who has been on the injured list since May 31 due to right elbow inflammation, threw 50 of his 76 pitches for strikes and did not issue a walk. He induced only five whiffs on 39 swings (12.8%) while his fastball averaged 88.0 mph.

Ober was expected to throw 75 pitches in the outing, and it looked like that limit would still be high enough for him to get through six innings considering how much he cruised through the early frames. After allowing two singles and a run to Buffalo in the second inning, Ober retired seven batters in a row.

He entered the fifth inning with just 48 pitches thrown, but he faltered in the frame, permitting three runs on three singles and a double. He allowed a lot of hard contact in the inning and saw a sacrifice fly to straightaway center field fall about five feet shy of being a three-run homer.

Speaking of homers, Ober’s battery mate for the game, Ryan Jeffers, went 2-for-3 with a solo dinger and a double. It was the first game of Jeffers’ rehab assignment as he makes his way back from a fractured left hamate bone.

On June 28, Ober threw 57 pitches across 3 1/3 innings in his first rehab start for High-A Cedar Rapids. Twins manager Derek Shelton described it as “perfect” because Ober threw strikes and came out of it feeling healthy. If Saturday’s outing was the 30-year-old’s last hurdle before rejoining the big league club, he could take the mound next weekend against the Angels at Target Field.

Possessing a 4.59 ERA through 12 starts and 66 2/3 innings this season, Ober’s return to the rotation would be a big boost for the Twins. The club has turned to rookie right-hander Mike Paredes in his stead, and he has pitched to a 4.60 ERA and has not thrown more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his five starts. Minnesota is also proceeding very cautiously with rookie Connor Prielipp, who has limited professional experience due to his injury history.