As the Minnesota Twins close in on the American League Central crown, they could get some help in the form of pitcher Chris Paddack, who has been sidelined for most of the last two years.
Paddack pitched well in a rehab outing at Double-A this week and will move to Triple-A.
The following update comes from MLB.com on Paddack's plan:
Paddack threw 58 pitches in a four-inning start for Double-A Wichita on Sept. 12 in a continuation of a rehab assignment that began with Class A Fort Myers on Sept. 5. He will throw a bullpen session with Wichita before making a relief appearance for Triple-A St. Paul next week. Paddack hopes to be ready for action on Sept. 22, if there's a bullpen role for him in the Majors. He said on Aug. 29 that he'd already discussed what that role could look like, but he wasn't ready to announce it.
"I’m super excited," Paddack said. "I feel outstanding, I feel healthy, I feel strong, I feel explosive. I’ve learned, compared to the first go-around, this one is way better. All the I's are dotted and T's are crossed, and I’ve just got to continue to stay in stride. Everything has been going great."
Paddack likely won't be an option to start for the Twins but could serve in a multi-inning relief role which would take some toll off the bullpen before the playoffs.
The 27-year-old has great stuff and was acquired from the San Diego Padres in a trade in April of 2022.
He made his major league debut in 2019 and is 21-21 lifetime with a 4.20 ERA. His best year was his rookie year (2019), when he went 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA for the Padres.
He'll be a free agent after the 2025 season so the Twins are looking at least two full years of his contributions.
The Twins are taking on the White Sox on Friday at 7:40 p.m. ET.
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