It appears that the Twins’ gamble on starter Anthony DeSclafani won’t pay off.
The Twins acquired DeSclafani in January despite his lengthy injury history. While he appeared to be in a good spot after rehab, now it seems the Twins could be without DeSclafani for the entirety of the 2024 season.
He’ll at least begin the season on the injured list.
DeSclafani is dealing with forearm and elbow injuries, according to multiple reports, issues that have plagued him since last season. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters on Monday that DeSclafani will see a specialist to determine next steps. The Star Tribune reported that could include elbow surgery.
That means the Twins’ pitching depth will be put to the test right away. DeSclafani was brought in to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation with North St. Paul's Louie Varland, who had stints with the big league club as a starter and reliever last season but spent most of his time in Triple-A.
Varland, 26, made appearances in 17 games last season, including 10 starts, and finished the year with a 4-3 record, posting a 4.63 earned-run average and 71 strikeouts while allowing 66 hits and 35 runs across 68 innings pitched.
While Varland may have secured the fifth spot in the rotation — and figured to see an increased role this season either way — DeSclafani is listed ahead of him on the Twins' depth chart. And without DeSclafani, the Twins' pitching depth is a little suspect.
The Twins have Brent Headrick, who will likely start the year at Triple-A, as the seventh starting pitcher listed on their depth chart.
Headrick, 26, the No. 269 overall pick in the 2019 draft, made 14 appearances for the Twins out of the bullpen last season, posting a 3-0 record with a 6.31 ERA. He struck out 30 while allowing 27 hits and 18 runs in 25.2 innings pitched.
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