Jul. 7—The Twins were happy to get right-hander Michael Pineda back into their pitching rotation and equally pleased with his effort, if not the outcome, in a 6-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday at Target Field.
Pineda (3-5) was tagged for five earned runs on 12 hits in 5.1 innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. He had missed 19 games because of inflammation in his elbow.
He was hit on the forearm by a comebacker on April 30 and was pulled early from his next start and missed another. But he didn’t go on the injured list until June 14.
“I feel normal. I feel normal,” he said after throwing 82 pitches Wednesday. “I have to be better with my slider, be better with locating my slider.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the team is comfortable that Pineda is healthy.
“I think in general terms, on a structural level and things like that, I think Mike is fine. I think he’s feeling alright,” the manager said. “If anything changes on that, that’s going to come from him and communicating that to us. Obviously, we’ll check on him, and the trainers will spend a lot of time with him this week like they do with all of our starters. But like I said, in general terms I think he is healthy.
“But being at your best when you’re out there on the mound and being healthy sometimes are two different things.”
FOR SALE?
With the Twins (35-50) falling 15.5 games in back of the White Sox, and only four games until next week’s All-Star Game break, it appears more and more that Minnesota will be a seller at the July 31 trade deadline.
Pineda, who started the day with a 3.70 earned-run average, could be an attractive target for a contender in need of a starter. Before Wednesday, he was 16-9 with a 3.86 ERA since first pitching for the Twins in 2019 and making $10 million in the last year of his contract.
“I’ve been around the league for a little bit. I know the situation, but I’m not thinking about it,” Pineda said. “I don’t have control of that. I’m never thinking (about that). I’m here. I’m a Minnesota Twins player. I want to focus on doing my job and helping my team to win games.”
BULLPEN TROUBLE
The Twins got a decent game from its bullpen on Wednesday, 3.2 innings of one-run relief from Derek Law (2.2) and Caleb Thielbar (1). Together, they gave up three hits, one walk and fanned four. Generally, however, the bullpen has been an issue.
The Twins’ bullpen didn’t absorb a blown save or even a loss on Tuesday but played a major role in a 4-1 loss to Chicago. With the team clinging to a 2-1 lead after seven one-hit, 10-strikeout innings from starter Jose Berrios, manager Baldelli called on Alexander Colome to keep the Twins in it; he immediately gave up Chicago’s second hit of the night, a double by catcher Zack Collins.
A single, an error on shortstop Andrelton Simmons and a sacrifice fly by Jose Abreu quickly put the White Sox up 4-1, which was the final score.
When it comes to the Twins’ bullpen, collectively, Baldelli and pitching coach Wes Johnson have few good options. Before Wednesday, it had a combined ERA of 5.00, 27th of the majors’ 30 teams, and ranked No. 1 in losses (21).
Left-hander Taylor Rogers has seven saves with a bullpen-leading 2.56 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 34 innings. Tyler Duffey had the other sub-4.00 ERA (3.69), and lefty Thielbar (2-0) has the only winning record. Colome, signed to be a closing option, is 2-4 with three blown saves and a 4.99 ERA.
That can make choosing relievers difficult. It’s a decision, Baldelli said, born of several factors: matchups, rest, recent appearances and a player’s overall history among them.
“It hasn’t changed much,” he said. “We’re looking at things every day and trying to figure out the best way to do them. Is it different every year with different groups of bullpen arms? Absolutely.This year is definitely different and has played out differently than the way we anticipated. But we’re still out there trying to go out there and compete and go win.”
BRIEFLY
Josh Donaldson was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game because of hamstring tightness. Baldelli said he would be available to hit off the bench but he was never called on. Miguel Sano pinch hit with one out in the ninth and struck out looking.