Injuries & Moves: Twins encouraged by Ryan's recovery
This page will be updated throughout the offseason with the latest injury and transaction news impacting the roster.
LATEST NEWS
Nov. 4: RHP Daniel Duarte, RHP Scott Blewett, RHP Josh Winder, RHP Randy Dobnak, INF Yunior Severino cleared waivers, outrighted off 40-man roster
The Twins' offseason roster cleanup began with some maintenance moves on Monday, when they outrighted five players off their 40-man roster as part of a shuffle that will include the start of Minor League free agency, players needing to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list and the like.
Duarte made the Opening Day roster but was injured for essentially the entire season, while Blewett, Winder and Dobnak were role players within the bullpen mix down the stretch. Dobnak remains under control on a guaranteed Major League contract through the end of the '25 season. Severino had been added to the 40-man last offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, but he did not enter the MLB picture at any point and has not wowed with his Triple-A performance.
Nov. 1: RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RF Max Kepler, 1B Carlos Santana, LHP Caleb Thielbar become free agents
The group of players with expiring contracts was headlined by Kepler, the longest-tenured player in the organization, who signed with the Twins as part of the 2009 international free agent class and played parts of 10 seasons with the Major League team.
The group also included Santana, who led the team in homers and was named an AL Gold Glove Award finalist at first base; DeSclafani, who arrived in an offseason trade but never pitched for the team; and Thielbar, whose second stint with the organization lasted five seasons from 2020-24 as one of Rocco Baldelli's most trusted relievers for the majority of that tenure.
Oct. 31: Twins decline options on INF Kyle Farmer, OF Manuel Margot
In a pair of widely expected moves, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that the Twins declined their $12 million option on Margot and their $6.25 million option on Farmer for the 2025 season, making both veterans free agents following largely unproductive seasons for both as right-handed hitting role players on the Minnesota roster.
Oct. 31: 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff announces retirement
Kirilloff announced his stunning decision to retire aged only 26 years following four consecutive offseasons of injury challenges, including wrist surgeries in '21 and '22, a shoulder surgery in '23, and, most recently, a recurring stress fracture and slipped disc in his lower back that sent him to the 60-day IL for good on June 13 and led to the end of his career, with this most recent back injury expected to require a rehab of six months to a year to get Kirilloff close to normal, a doctor told him.
Kirilloff, the No. 15 overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, was once ranked as high as the No. 9 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and finished his career with a .248/.309/.412 slash line in 249 games across four seasons. More >>
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Joe Ryan (right shoulder strain)
Expected return: 2025
Ryan continues to recover well from the injury that sidelined him toward the end of the season, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said in early November.
“Reports on him have been nothing but positive, kind of exactly what we expect for this to recover,” Falvey said. “So that's good news.”
Ryan was transferred to the 60-day IL on Aug. 27, which ruled him out for the rest of the regular season. A second opinion by Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed the initial diagnosis of a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right arm area, head trainer Nick Paparesta said on Aug. 16. (Last updated: Nov. 6)
OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (right thumb sprain -- Minor League IL, MIN No. 2 prospect, MLB No. 29)
Expected return: Spring Training 2025
Rodriguez's season came to an end when he was placed on the Minor League IL by Triple-A St. Paul following his exit from the Saints' Sept. 11 game. His early exit was due to another recurrence of the thumb sprain that limited him to 47 games this season. The initial injury led to an IL placement on June 7, and he also a flare-up as part of a rehab assignment in July.
President of baseball operations Derek Falvey said that as of Sept. 17, the Twins were still evaluating Rodriguez's thumb with specialists to see if it would require surgery -- but either way, the 21-year-old is expected to be ready for Spring Training 2025, as the expectation is that the procedures being discussed would carry recovery timelines of 4-6 weeks.
"[Surgery is] possible, I think, because of the unique nature of how that's become a little more chronic in nature with his thumb," Falvey said. "It's a bit of a weird one, because it's actually bottom hand, outside thumb, which is super rare." (Last updated: Sept. 17)
RHP Brock Stewart (right shoulder strain)
Expected return: 2025
Stewart underwent season-ending arthroscopic shoulder cleanup surgery on Aug. 13, performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek in Cincinnati. There's a five- to six-month recovery timeline that he hopes will put him on track to return for a full Spring Training next season.
“They went in and cleaned out the whole joint for him. Everything looked good in there, the rotator cuff and labrum,” head trainer Nick Paparesta said. “A lot of aggressive stretching for him moving forward, but Kremchek was really happy with what he saw on the inside as far as long-term health.” (Last updated: Aug. 16)