MN Twins Send One Pitcher to IL; Call Up Another for MLB Debut
Depth was what the Minnesota Twins were hanging their hat on when it came to pitching heading into the 2026 season. Unfortunately they didn’t supplement what they had internally by making any needle-moving additions .
Once Pablo Lopez went down for the season (Tommy John surgery) and David Festa started on the injured list (right shoulder impingement) things got off to a rocky start. The bullpen has also needed additional arms to step in, and things are looking bleak early.
The open opportunities have created paths for some young arms to step up , and the latest is Minnesota native John Klein.
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John Klein joins Minnesota Twins to replace Cole Sands
Cole Sands entered the season as arguably the highest leverage arm for new manager Derek Shelton. He hasn’t been used exclusively as closer for the 14-19 MN Twins , but now will head to the injured list. John Klein, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason , is up to make his major league debut.
The forearm strain isn’t a positive development for Sands. That can often be indicative of a larger problem for pitchers. He has a 4.63 ERA (4.51. FIP) in 11 2/3 innings , and Minnesota is definitely hoping he misses just the minimum.
Klein joins the MN Twins as a straightforward addition because he is both on the 40-man roster, and healthy. That is a pretty low bar for prerequisites, but it’s reflective of the current state of the franchise.
Minnesota has used Klein on the farm as both a starter and long man in relief. He’ll be expected to eat innings for the Twins. Across 21 2/3 innings for St. Paul this season, he owns a 7.48 ERA with a 24/6 K/BB. Home runs have been a serious bugaboo as he has allowed 10 of them already.
Undrafted out of Iowa Central Community College, Klein is a native of Brooklyn Park, MN and is just 24 years old. He made his affiliated debut in 2022, and has quickly risen the ranks through the Minnesota Twins system.
MN Twins bullpen continues to reflect offseason decisions
Last summer the Minnesota Twins tore down the entire roster and completely gutted the bullpen. This offseason the front office did nothing to rebuild the group, and ownership invested nothing in that aspect of the roster.
It has played out as one would expect. The Twins are 27th in bullpen ERA and have the worst batting average against in the big leagues. When you have a collection of washed up veterans and miscast arms entirely compiling a group, that should be the expectation.
Klein is a young player that has a future with Minnesota, but he joins multiple other starters forced into relief. Andrew Morris is still in the bullpen, and Kendry Rojas made an appearance before heading back to Triple-A. Both may ultimately wind up in relief, but they are only there now because the Twins have no ideal bullpen options.
Roster construction has been a mess that the Minnesota Twins opted into for months now, and it gets worse when adversity hits.
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