Kenta Maeda got off to a rocky start due to injury. In his first start in 591 days, arm fatigue forced him to leave his first outing after recovering from Tommy John surgery. In his third start, Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox hit him with a line drive that had an exit velocity of 111 mph. Maeda had to be removed from the game after sustaining a shin injury.
In his following start, the New York Yankees scored ten runs in three blowout innings, leading the Twins to place him on the injured list. An MRI confirmed no structural damage, and the team treated the injury as a muscle strain. Despite this setback, Maeda was optimistic and eager to return to the mound when he physically could. As he enters the final stretch of his contract with Minnesota, the second half of the season is crucial for his future with the team.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Maeda in 2016 and traded him to the Twins in 2020. The Dodgers loaded his contract with incentives due to concerns about his elbow’s health. During his time in LA, Maeda was frequently shifted between rotation and bullpen. That was partially due to his elbow and partially due to the crowded depth of Los Angeles’ starting pitchers. It limited Maeda’s ability to meet his contract incentives, which led them to trade him to Minnesota.
A welcome addition to Minnesota’s starting rotation, Maeda’s inaugural season was remarkable, culminating in a runner-up finish for the AL Cy Young award after registering a 2.70 ERA with an MLB-best 0.75 WHIP. Regrettably, the next year proved challenging for him as elbow issues emerged, resulting in a 4.66 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. In August, the Twins ultimately decided to shut down Kenta, ending his 2021 season before he underwent Tommy John surgery in September of the same year. At the time, Maeda was viewed as a potential successor to José Berríos as the team’s ace after they traded Berríos to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021.
Since his comeback from a right triceps strain on June 23rd, the 35-year-old has been in excellent form, boasting a 2.38 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 11.23 K/9 over 49.2 innings pitched. However, he’s suffered some tough losses. As a result of Minnesota’s inability to produce runs after he has left the game, Maeda has taken a 3-7 record this year. Upon his return, he’s thrown his fastball consistently around 90 mph, which marks a significant improvement from earlier in the year.
If the Twins are going to have success in the postseason, Minnesota’s management will have to make some tough decisions about their rotation and game plan. Sonny Gray and Pablo López are making it difficult to decide who will start game one. When Joe Ryan returns to the starting lineup The Minnesota Twins will need a healthy and consistent Ryan for the last month of the regular season and as part of their playoff push should they decide to use the 3-man rotation. Bailey Ober is another great option for the final 3-man come the postseason should he continue to be consistent and not lose what’s left in the tank going down the stretch. My opinion, we see how Ryan does the remainder of the regular season. He’s earned the final spot in the 3-man rotation. He just needs to mature a little bit between now and the postseason.
Should the Twins utilize the 3-man rotation with Gray, López, Ryan, or Ober, it would then be necessary to consider placing a seasoned pitcher like Maeda in the bullpen. By doing this they ensure they have enough experience in the bullpen to break their 18-game playoff losing streak.
Given Maeda’s previous experience working out of the bullpen with the Dodgers during their postseason runs in 2018 and 2019, Maeda is undoubtedly a valuable asset for the Twins. By adding the experienced veteran to their bullpen, the Twins could breathe easy, especially since the bullpen has been marred by weakness and inconsistency all season, leaving them with few reliable players to finish the job consistently. While the starting rotation has been one of the best in baseball this year, moving Maeda wouldn’t necessarily hurt the rotation but ensure the scale is evenly weighted.
The question of whether Kenta Maeda should move to the bullpen is up for debate, but those who have followed his career know his potential. Kenta has a knack for striking out opponents, limiting walks, and avoiding home runs. However, he tends to not work deep into games. Utilizing him out of the bullpen after Gray or López could give the Twins the advantage they need to break their postseason streak and potentially win a series. If the regular season ended today, the Twins would host the Toronto Blue Jays in the playoffs, giving them a crucial home-field advantage. By limiting Kenta’s innings, the Twins can use him more frequently if they need to without jeopardizing his elbow by restricting his innings and making him available more often if required.
Depending on how the rest of the regular season goes, they could use Maeda as a starter in the postseason. Should that happen, the Twins can count on several relievers to throw multiple innings in the playoffs, such as Caleb Thielbar, Griffin Jax, and Emilio Pagán. Ultimately, Minnesota’s pitching has been good. They just need more from their lineup. With the regular season winding down and playoffs looming, the team’s undeniable potential for postseason success remains a work in progress.
More must-reads: