Jorge Luis Alcala (pronounced AL-cah-lah)...Instagram: @jorge\_luis\_alcala28...hobbies include playing dominoes and going to the beach.
2024
Made Twins Opening Day roster for fourth time in career and fourth time consecutively...Earned win in relief in Game 1 of the April 13 doubleheader at Detroit, pitching two innings in an 11-5 victory...first major league win since July 31, 2021 at St. Louis...Did not allow an earned run in six appearances (8.1 IP) to begin season from March 30-April 13 but was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on April 14 (Caleb Thielbar returned from IL)...Appeared in three games for the Saints from April 17-30 and was recalled by Minnesota on May 3 (Byron Buxton IL)...Appeared in two games for the Twins from May 4-7 and optioned again to St. Paul on May 8...Made four appearances for the Saints from May 11-21 and was recalled by Minnesota on May 24...Appeared in 100th career Major League game on May 28 vs. Kansas City, pitching one scoreless inning with two strikeouts and earning a hold...Did not allow an earned run in 14 of first 15 appearances for Twins from March 30-June 9, posting a 1.89 ERA (19.0 IP, 4 ER) in that span...Used in more high leverage situations beginning in June, accumulating 11 holds over 25 appearances from June 16-Aug. 17...Did not allow a home run in first 32 appearances from March 30-July 20 vs. Milwaukee, until a Jackson Chourio homer on July 21 vs. Milwaukee, a span of 142 batters faced to start season...Held opponents scoreless in season-long 10-straight appearances from June 28-July 20, allowing three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in nine innings over that span...second-longest scoreless streak of career...Allowed career-high five runs in 0.2 innings pitched on Aug. 18 at Texas...entered the game with a 4-0 lead and exited down 5-4, allowing a two-run game-tying homer to Adolis García and a go-ahead homer to Josh Jung...Allowed 10 earned runs on 14 hits (5 HR) in 8.2 innings pitched in nine appearances from Aug. 18-Sept. 15...was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Sept. 16...Stayed in St. Paul after conclusion of Saints' season and continued workouts to be ready for Major League club in final week of Twins' season...Recalled on Sept. 25 and appeared in three games for Twins to end season...Set career high in holds (15)...Held right-handed hitters to a .193 average with a .624 OPS with Minnesota, compared to .188 with a .618 OPS vs. left-handers...Ranked in 97th percentile in baseball in average fastball velocity (97.9 mph), 93rd percentile in xBA (.196) and 91st in hard-hit percentage (32.7%)...Opponents hit .080 (2-for-25) against his changeup, .125 (2-for-16) against his sinker, .204 (19-for-93) against his slider and .224 (17- for-76) against his four-seam fastball...had run value of three on sinker, his highest of any pitch...Set career highs in average fastball velocity (97.9 mph), off-speed velocity (91.0 mph) and breaking ball velocity (89.9 mph).
2023
Made Twins Opening Day roster for third time in career and third time consecutively...Did not allow an earned run in first four appearances (5.2 IP) from April 1-12...Optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on April 21 (Simeon Woods Richardson recalled)...Appeared in four games for Saints from April 23-May 3 and was recalled by Minnesota on May 6...Appeared in four more games for Twins, allowing six runs in 5.1 innings pitched (10.13 ERA) and was placed on 15-day injured list on May 16 with a right forearm strain...Transferred to 60-day IL on June 18...Pitched in two games with Triple-A St. Paul on rehab assignment; reinstated on Oct. 1...Appeared on Oct. 1 at Colorado, allowing one run on one hit in 2.0 innings pitched, with two walks and four strikeouts...Hit a max pitch velocity of 99.1 mph twice, during at-bats to Brenton Doyle and Elehuris Montero (both balls)...Continued to throw live batting practice to Twins hitters during Postseason play to stay sharp...Held opponents to a .133 (2-for-15) average when throwing his changeup (threw 68 times).
2022
Made Twins Opening Day roster for second time in career and second consecutive season...Made two scoreless appearances on April 8 and 10 vs. Seattle, during the Twins' first series, pitching 2.1 innings (2 BB, 2 K)...Placed on 10-day Injured List on April 12 with right elbow inflammation...underwent surgery on right elbow...transferred to 60-day IL on April 23....Made one rehab appearance on June 1 with Low-A Fort Myers but had a setback and was shut down for rest of season.
2021
Made Twins Opening Day roster for first time in career...Nine of first 12 appearances were scoreless from April 4-May 5, posting a 2.92 ERA(12.1 IP, 4 ER) and .150 (6-for-40) opponent batting average with two walks and 12 strikeouts in that span...Posted opponent batting averages of .147 (5-for-34) with 11 strikeouts in nine April games and .194 (6-for-31) with six strikeouts in 11 May games...Placed on 10-day Injured List on Aug. 9 with right triceps tendinitis; reinstated Aug. 27...Struck out at least one batter in 19-consecutive appearances (27 total K) from July 27-end of season, the longest run by a Twins reliever on the season...16 of his final 19 appearances were scoreless, from July 27-end of season...went 1-2, 0.82 ER-(22.0 IP, 2 ER) with one save, seven holds, three walks, 27 strikeouts, a .153 (11-for-72) opponent batting average and -0.64 WHIP in that span...Went 1-3, 3.23 ERA (30.2 IP, 11 ER) with an opponent average of .173 (18-for-104) in 30 away games, compared to 2-3, 4.66 ERA (29.0 IP, 15 ER) with an opponent average of .255 (27-for-106) in 29 home games...Held right-handed hitters to a .214 batting average (27-for-126) with a .580 OPS and lefties hit .214 (18-for-84) with a .740 OPS against him...Struck out at least one batter in 44 of 59 appearances and multiple batters in 13 appearances...fanned -season-high five batters on April 25 vs. Pittsburgh...Threw the only pitches for the Twins that registered 100 mph-or-faster on the season, reaching triple digits 14 times...the fastest was 100.9 mph on Aug. 8 at Houston to Jason Castro (ball)...Set career highs in appearances (59) and strikeouts (61), while stranding 15 of 21 inherited runners (71.4%)...Ranked tied for third on the club in appearances, including 43 without allowing an earned run (4th on club).
2020
Began season on Minnesota Taxi Squad...recalled by Twins on Aug. 1... Made season-debut Aug. 3 vs. Pittsburgh, allowing one unearned run on two hits in 2.0 innings pitched with two strikeouts... Recorded first major league win Aug. 18 vs. Milwaukee, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings in a 4-3, 12-inning Twins victory... Set season and career-high with six strikeouts August 21 at Kansas City (3.0 IP)... Held opponents scoreless in 11 of 16 appearances... Struck out at least one batter in 11 of 16 appearances and multiple batters in nine games... Threw 17 pitches at 99.0 mph-plus, the most on the team and 20th in baseball...topped out at 100.7 in an at-bat vs. Tim Anderson (foul ball) Sept. 2 vs. Chicago-AL... Held right-handed batters to a .170 (9-for-53) average with one home run (James McCann, Sept. 15 at CWS), while left-handers hit .364 (12-for-33)... Appeared in just one game for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League (1.0 IP).
2019
Began the season in Double-A Pensacola where he amassed a 5-7 record with a 5.87 ERA (102.2 IP, 67 ER) and a 105/37 SO/BB ratio...Appeared in 26 games for the Blue Wahoos, 16 as a starter, throwing at least 5.0 innings in 12 of those games, and once in relief...Was named the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week, for the week ending May 5...pitched 5.0 shutout innings with five hits allowed, no walks and eight strikeouts on May 2 vs. Biloxi...Allowed two earned runs over 8.2 innings in August before being promoted to Triple-A Rochester, where he'd finish the season by throwing 7.2 scoreless innings of relief, scattering four hits with 11 strikeouts (.154 BAA)...During his brief stint with the Red Wings, right-handed hitters went 1-for-10 off him (.100) and lefties went 3-for-16 (.188)...Had his contract selected by the Twins on September 14 prior to a doubleheader in Cleveland...Made Major League debut September 21 vs. Kansas City, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings with one hit and one walk.
2018
Named Texas League Pitcher of the Week while pitching for Double-A Corpus Christi (HOU) for the week of June 4-10, making two appearances (1 start), allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out seven in 9.0 innings...traded from Houston to Minnesota on July 28 with OF Gilberto Celestino in exchange for RHP Ryan Pressly...was on the 7-day Injured List from July 29-August 6 with a right trapezius strain...named No. 11 prospect in Twins system by MLB.com...made stops in Single-A Advanced Buies Creek (1-4, 3.03 ERA in 38.2 IP), Double-A Corpus Christi (2-3,3.54 ERA in 40.2 IP) and Double-A Chattanooga (0-4, 5.85 ERA in 20.0 IP).
2017
Went 7-6 with a 3.05 ERA (109.1 IP, 37 ER) over two stops in Single-A Quad Cities and Single-A Advanced Buies Creek...held batters to a .155 BAA in Quad Cities over six games (4 starts) before the promotion to Buies Creek, where he went 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 78.2 IP...entered the season the 18th best prospect in Astros system by MLB.com.
2016
Made three stops in the Minors, first with the Gulf Coast League affiliate, where he pitched in six games (3 starts), throwing to a 1.21 ERA (22.1 IP, 3 ER) with 35/6 SO/BB...was promoted to Rookie-level Greenville, where he pitched in another six games (4 starts), amassing a 2-1 record with a 1.80 ERA (20.0 IP, 4 ER) and .174 BAA...finished the year with Tri-City (Single-A), where he went 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA (13.2 IP, 8 ER) in three starts...was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 21 with Greenville, making one start and throwing 5.0 no-hit innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
2015
Began his professional career with the Dominican Summer League Astros Blue, going 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA (32.1 IP, 11 ER) and an opponents' batting average of .227.
