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Reinforcements will soon be on the way ahead of the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline as contenders -- the Twins included -- look to shore up their rosters ahead of the stretch run. The bullpen is the area of most obvious need in Minnesota, but there are possible holes to fill elsewhere on the roster, too, in the starting rotation and maybe even at backup catcher.

Some help will come from the outside -- but the group already in Minneapolis will also need to step up in various ways for this team to get back on track and hold off the White Sox and Guardians. Who could factor in?

Sonny Gray
Gray was sidelined for chunks of the first half due to hamstring and pectoral strains, but when he was on the field, he was the Twins’ most effective starting pitcher for the first three months of the season. That made it all the more concerning when Gray slumped into the All-Star break, with 14 earned runs allowed in 13 1/3 innings (a 9.45 ERA) in three July starts, capped by an outing in which he allowed six earned runs to the White Sox in 3 2/3 frames.

“There’s no doubt, I’ll figure it out,” Gray said after that start.

The Twins need him to. Though Joe Ryan has performed well, the Twins’ bullpen is simply too thin for the rotation not to have stability from Gray, too. And even if the Twins do add an impact starting pitcher at the Trade Deadline, they’ll very much need Gray to return to form to solidify their standing in the division -- and perhaps, in the playoffs. He’ll be as important of a piece as any in that stretch run.

Jovani Moran
Perhaps one factor in the needed step forward from the bullpen is already here. Moran, the 25-year-old lefty, posted a 0.96 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in the first half thanks to his wicked changeup, and even as his slider continues to improve, the fastball-changeup combination by itself already gives him the stuff to be not only a viable big league reliever, but an effective one.

But the Twins have been very reluctant to place Moran in leverage situations, because they still need him to cut down on the walks, with control issues having been a factor in his game throughout his rise through the professional ranks. Bullpen-wide struggles have left Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax as seemingly the only reliable back-end options at the moment, and while the Twins are expected to add relief help, they can’t fill out the entire bullpen from the outside. A step forward from a youngster like Moran could help a lot.

Miguel Sanó
It won’t be long before we learn Sanó’s fate -- whether he’ll return to the Twins, and, if so, in what capacity. Saturday marks the 20th day of his rehab assignment in the Minors as he recovers from meniscus surgery. Barring any injury setback, that’s the limit for position players. By Sunday, he’ll need to take the next step.

Though Sanó has often been a very slow starter at the plate following periods of inactivity, he’s performed more than admirably on this rehab assignment, slashing .278/.366/.694 while going 10-for-36 with four homers and three doubles in 11 games as of Saturday afternoon. Can he translate that to the Majors and perhaps serve as the impact bat the Twins’ inconsistent offense could use down the stretch?

He’s been that for them before, and manager Rocco Baldelli knows firsthand how Sanó can carry a team when he’s hot. But whose roster spot would he take -- perhaps Gilberto Celestino or Kyle Garlick, who both have meaningful roles on the Twins’ current bench? Where would he find consistent playing time, with Jose Miranda, Luis Arraez and Alex Kirilloff performing well in a platoon at first base? Will he be around for us to find out?