The Minnesota Twins will place pitcher Justin Topa on the 15-day injured list due to left knee tendinitis, adding to their bullpen’s injury struggles. Topa injured his knee while backing up home plate in a Spring Training game. He has begun a 7-10 day shutdown period, after which the team will assess his readiness to return.
There is no set timeline for Topa’s return, but the team is cautious due to his willingness to pitch through discomfort. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey emphasized the importance of addressing tendinitis early to avoid lingering issues.
This setback prolongs Topa’s wait for his official debut with the Twins, as injuries have plagued his career. Two Tommy John surgeries and a flexor tendon strain limited him to just 18 1/3 innings in the majors from 2020-2022. However, he impressed with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, posting a 2.61 ERA over 69 innings.
Topa was acquired by the Twins in the Jorge Polanco trade and was expected to bolster their bullpen. His injury adds to the Twins’ bullpen woes, with closer Jhoan Duran and Caleb Thielbar also on the injured list. Despite these setbacks, the team is evaluating internal options and potential external additions to maintain bullpen depth.
Falvey mentioned monitoring available pitchers and having conversations to bolster the bullpen. The Twins are committed to building depth and are exploring all avenues to strengthen their pitching staff.
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