3 days ago
Twins' rotation takes another hit as Zebby Matthews joins Pablo López on injured list
MINNEAPOLIS — There's no such thing as too much rotation depth.
For the second time in less than a week, the Minnesota Twins lost a starting pitcher to a strained right shoulder, placing Zebby Matthews on the injured list before Sunday's 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He joins Pablo López, who went on the IL after leaving Tuesday's start against the Athletics.
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No timeline for Matthews' return has been provided by the Twins' training staff. However, whereas López is expected to be out for eight to 12 weeks with a moderate teres major strain, team sources indicate Matthews' strain is in a different area of the shoulder and considered less severe in nature.
Matthews said he initially felt soreness during a bullpen session in Tampa Bay at the beginning of the recent 10-game road trip, but he was cleared to take his next two turns in the rotation and pitched pretty effectively against the Seattle Mariners and Athletics, allowing five runs in 12 innings.
'I was able to throw through it in Seattle and Sacramento,' Matthews said. 'But ultimately now, I'm feeling it a little more. I'll have to take a little time off, but hopefully it's not too long. … It's not something we're too concerned with. It seems to be something we can respond to, hopefully, pretty quick.'
Matthews underwent an MRI exam Saturday and will be shut down from throwing, likely for at least two weeks, after which the Twins will reassess the 25-year-old right-hander's status. As the Twins' reigning minor league pitcher of the year, there's reason to be cautious with his recovery.
Zebby Matthews, 2Ks in the 1st.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 24, 2025
No rotation replacement has been named by the Twins yet, but here's a large hint: Simeon Woods Richardson was a healthy scratch from his scheduled start Sunday for Triple-A St. Paul and 'it's very likely' he'll be the fill-in choice, according to Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
Woods Richardson began this season as the Twins' fifth starter, but the 24-year-old right-hander was demoted to the minors after posting a 5.02 ERA in 37 2/3 innings, with Matthews replacing him in mid-May. Now, after four Matthews starts, Woods Richardson will get another chance in the majors.
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'We're going to have to just keep moving, bringing guys up and challenging guys in the way we have,' Baldelli said. 'We're going to continue to operate like that. If we have to get creative with the rotation or the way we're filling up some of these innings and winning games, then we will.'
Starting pitching has been the Twins' biggest strength through the 65-game mark. Their rotation sits fifth in the American League with a collective 3.64 ERA while leading the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio and ranking fourth in Win Probability Added. But now the starter depth is being put to the test.
Chris Paddack has turned his season around in a big way after an ugly first start, and the Twins will need to count on the oft-injured right-hander more than ever with López and Matthews injured and Bailey Ober's mechanical issues leading to diminished velocity.
Paddack missed the entire second half of last season with a forearm strain and then got knocked around for nine runs by the lowly Chicago White Sox in his 2025 debut. But in 12 starts since, Paddack has a 2.51 ERA in 68 innings, holding opponents to a .211 batting average and just six homers.
And yet the Twins have a 3-9 record in Paddack's past 12 starts because the lineup has scored only 2.7 runs per game and the bullpen has combined for a 6.62 ERA after he exits, allowing 26 earned runs in 35 1/3 innings. Oddly, the Twins' hitters and relievers have been terrible in Paddack's starts.
Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays was a prime example. Paddack did his part by throwing six innings of two-run ball, but the Twins' lineup failed to get a hit with runners in scoring position and high-leverage relief duo Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran allowed three runs late in a 5-4 defeat.
It was the opposite story last season. Paddack mostly struggled, posting a 4.99 ERA in 17 starts before being shut down with an injury at the All-Star break, yet the Twins went 11-6 in those games thanks to the lineup scoring an average of 5.8 runs and the bullpen producing far less flammable work.
Funny game, baseball.
Chris Paddack, Filthy 85mph Changeup. 👌
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 1, 2025
Paddack has totaled just 50 strikeouts in 68 innings over this 12-start span, including three or fewer in half of the games, which is reason for lingering skepticism. But he's kept his fastball velocity in the 93 to 95 mph range more regularly than last season and has issued more than two walks in a game only once.
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Paddack is attacking hitters in the strike zone with a fastball that has more consistent juice two years removed from his second Tommy John surgery. And his changeup, which lost effectiveness for several seasons after being the go-to weapon early in his career, has generated more whiffs of late.
Durability will always be a massive question with Paddack, and it's not realistic to expect him to post a sub-3.00 ERA because starters at that level usually miss way more bats. But the further he gets from surgery, the more plausible it is for him to pick up some of the slack created by other injuries.
After an offseason filled with Paddack trade speculation, the Twins opting to hang on to the 29-year-old impending free agent — and not shed his $7.5 million salary despite a payroll crunch — is proving to be a smart and increasingly crucial decision by the front office.
Out since mid-May with a strained forearm, reliever Danny Coulombe was activated from the injured list Sunday, replacing Matthews on the roster.
Coulombe made one rehab appearance, Friday with Triple-A St. Paul, and the 35-year-old left-hander threw a scoreless inning while retiring all three batters he faced on nine pitches. He rejoins a Twins bullpen that was briefly without a lefty after the team optioned Kody Funderburk to the minors on Friday.
Back for his second stint with the Twins on a one-year, $3 million contract, Coulombe was fantastic before the injury, making a big impact in a middle-innings role. He posted a 0.00 ERA in 16 2/3 innings and also stranded 10 of 12 inherited runners, rescuing other pitchers by escaping their jams.
(Photo of Zebby Matthews: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
