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Talented Twins Pitcher Already Shelved for Spring Training
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- Talented Twins Pitcher Already Shelved for Spring Training
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers officially report to Spring Training on February 12. The reality is that virtually all of them are already present and chomping at the bit for Grapefruit League action to open .
If Derek Shelton's team is going to turn the page on a 70-92 season that got Rocco Baldelli fired , it will likely be due to the prowess of their starting pitching. The bullpen remains a massive question mark , and there are a plethora of possibilities to step in.
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Among the most intriguing arms over recent years has been Matt Canterino . Unfortunately it's almost been entirely in theory. That will remain the case for this spring as well.
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Matt Canterino not an option for Minnesota Twins
Last season Matt Canterino came into Spring Training looking to break through. He pitched just one inning and found himself injured again. This year, an inning won't even be on the docket in Florida.
FYI, Canterino is still not healthy enough to pitch, and the Twins don't envision him throwing at spring training as he recovers from last year's shoulder surgery, per Jeremy Zoll. #MNTwins https://t.co/tio2JlGZxe
— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) February 10, 2026
The Minnesota Twins did announce Canterino as a non-roster invitee , but his health status won't allow him to participate. Canterino underwent shoulder surgery last April , and then re-signed with the Twins with an eye on rehab.
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He pitched three innings during Spring Training in 2024, but he hasn't pitched in real game action since 2022 . A second round pick in 2019 out of Rice, Canterino has appeared in just 26 games (85.0 IP) across six professional seasons.
Minnesota had nothing to lose by bringing Canterino back last spring, and they are exercising the utmost caution with the oft-injured prospect. At this point he's a 28-year-old, and the only path forward is through relief. If they can get him back built up though, and working at Triple-A sometime this summer, maybe the long road finally pays off.
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