Fresh off back-to-back thrilling wins over the Boston Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins got more good news Friday morning with starting pitcher Kenta Maeda being reinstated from the injured list.
Maeda was placed on the injured list in late April due to arm soreness. An MRI revealed no structural damage so the team treated the injury like a muscle strain. After nearly two months, he's scheduled to take the mound Friday when the Twins open a weekend series against the Tigers in Detroit.
Maeda has made four starts for the Twins this season. He left his first start on April 4, which was his first big league game in 591 days after recovering from Tommy John surgery, due to a tired arm. And then in his third start this season he was hit in the shin by a line drive that left the bat of Boston's Jarren Duran at 111 mph.
He then gave up 10 runs in three innings to the Yankees before the Twins decided to put him on the injured list.
Maeda finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2020. If the Twins get anything close to that version of Maeda, he'll further bolster what has been one of the league's top starting rotations this season.
Entering play Friday, Twins starters have a 3.70 ERA, which ranks fourth in the majors.
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