Oft-injured right-handed pitcher Matt Canterino will be in big-league camp with the Twins this spring. However, he won't be pitching during Spring Training as he is still recovering from shoulder surgery, according to SKOR North's Declan Goff .
The Twins released Canterino after he underwent his surgery last March, then re-signed him to a two-year minor league deal shortly after . The reason they released him is that he was holding a valuable spot on the 40-man roster, and placing him on the major league IL would have cost Minnesota upwards of $760,000.
Canterino, whom the Twins selected from Rice University in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, has a 1.48 ERA with 135 strikeouts over 85 career minor league innings. Because of excessive injuries, Canterino hasn't had a chance to make an impact at the major league level quite yet. He received Tommy John surgery in 2022, which kept him sidelined for the 2023 season. He missed the 2024 season due to a right rotator cuff strain.
Once one of the Twins' most highly regarded prospects, Canterino throws a mid-90s fastball, plus slider and reliable curveball.
If the former prized pitching prospect can finally get his shot at a big league roster, it will probably be out of the bullpen. He has started and pitched in relief in the minors, but it would make sense for the Twins to keep him as a reliever to reduce the risk of more injuries. Unfortunately, the odds of him reaching the big leagues keep getting slimmer. The recent update regarding his injury status is a bad sign for the 28-year-old righty, who has yet to make it past Double-A.
Sure, if he stays healthy upon returning from his shoulder injury, Canterino will reach the majors and has the potential to be one of the best relievers in the league. But there's no reason to believe that he will remain healthy. And, who knows how being shelved since 2022 will affect his ability on the mound.
Canterino did appear in Spring Training with the Twins in each of the last two seasons, allowing one earned run over three innings in 2024 and hurling a scoreless inning in 2025. Given the fact that he suffered season-ending injuries after his limited action during the last two springs, it's probably for the best that he isn't being rushed after his shoulder surgery. But if he doesn't return to the mound soon, reaching the majors will be an even tougher task for the righty.
This article was originally published on www.puckettspond.com as Twins may have to pull plug on former top prospect after rough injury update .
