Veteran Depth Option Suffers "Significant" Tear in Minnesota Twins Camp

Veteran pitcher Erasmo Ramirez has suffered a "significant" tear in his shoulder at Minnesota Twins camp.

While there's no definitive timetable for his return, he will be sidelined for a while.

The following comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal, but links to the original report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Ramirez has a "significant tear" in his shoulder and will miss an extended amount of time, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

ANALYSIS
The Twins haven't provided an exact timeline for Ramirez's return, but it doesn't sound like he'll be back anytime soon. The 34-year-old righty signed a minor-league deal with Minnesota in the offseason, and once he's healthy he'll likely fill in as bullpen depth for Triple-A St. Paul.

It's unclear what role Ramirez could have or would have played for Minnesota, but he could have been a spot-starter or a multi-inning relief option.

A 13-year veteran of the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals, Ramirez has gone 43-45 in his career with a 4.37 ERA. He's made 96 starts, with most of them coming in the first half of his career. A reliable strike thrower and innings eater, he'd appeared in major league games every year his debut in 2012.

The Twins are coming off a season in which they finished fourth in the American League Central, narrowly missing the playoffs because of a late-season collapse.

The major league season opens here in the United States on March 27.