MINNEAPOLIS – Bailey Ober threw a bullpen session prior to the Twins’ 3-1 win over the Guardians on Tuesday night, and his next step could very well be starting a Major League game.
Ober has been out since the end of May due to right elbow inflammation. He has made two Minor League rehabilitation starts, most recently on Saturday at Triple-A St. Paul, where he struck out five in five innings while allowing four runs.
“I talked to him yesterday, saw him yesterday and everything was good coming out of that outing,” manager Derek Shelton said on Tuesday afternoon. “He threw a bullpen today. I think after the bullpen, we’ll make the assessment on what the next step is, but everything is trending towards him being close to rejoining us.”
Ober, 30, is 6-3 with a 4.59 ERA in 12 starts for the Twins this year. He had a rough last start in Pittsburgh before being placed on the IL. From April 8-May 12, he posted a 2.86 ERA in seven starts, averaging over six innings per start.
Jeffers, Sands getting closer
While Ober is likely done pitching for St. Paul, two of his teammates joined the Saints on their road trip to Iowa this week. Catcher Ryan Jeffers, who is recuperating from a fractured left hamate bone, and reliever Cole Sands, who is attempting to come back from a right forearm strain, are both scheduled to appear for St. Paul on the trip.
Sands, who started a rehab assignment last month before suffering a setback, is slated to throw one inning on Tuesday and likely will require multiple appearances before being activated. Jeffers is building up his tolerance both to hitting and catching, and he likely will not play in Major League games before at least this weekend’s series against the Angels. It would not be shocking if he does not return before the All-Star break, but the club is not setting any official timetable on him.
“I would very much guess he’s going to be with them for at least the next three or four days,” Shelton said. “And then we’ll make an assessment off that. He’s caught five innings. I think tonight he’s catching seven [innings] and then he’ll catch seven again in two days. We just have to build him back up. Part of the buildup is making sure his legs are in shape, along with the percussion of his hand, and we can’t replicate that without game reps. But everything so far has been encouraging.”
Minor League injury updates
One of the club’s top prospects is going back on the injured list, while another continues to progress toward a return.
Infielder Kaelen Culpepper (Minnesota's No. 2 prospect, No. 32 overall in MLB) is headed for a second IL stint due to a glute issue. He previously missed time due to the injury before returning, then was sidelined after being hit by a pitch. He did not suffer a fracture due to the HBP, but the glute injury remains troublesome.
“Unfortunately, not in a spot where he’s going to be ready to go,” said general manager Jeremy Zoll. “So he’ll be back on the IL as of today and we’ll go from there. Still hopeful that it’s certainly more on the minor side than not, but we’ll get a better sense in the days to come of an exact timeline.”
Meanwhile outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (Minnesota's No. 4 prospect, No. 57 overall in MLB), who has not played since May 1 due to a left thumb injury, is throwing from 105 feet as well as hitting off a tee and taking soft toss. He remains on track for a mid-August return, Zoll said.
Twins add Go
Minnesota activated right-handed reliever Woo-Suk Go on Tuesday and optioned righty Cody Laweryson to St. Paul. Go was acquired from the Tigers on Sunday and had to be added to the roster due to an assignment clause, but he has three years of Minor League options going forward.
He closed for the LG Twins in Korea, posting three seasons with at least 30 saves, and had a 1.96 ERA in 27 appearances at two Minor League levels in the Detroit organization this year.