Ober allowed seven earned runs in his Saturday start.
The Minnesota Twins’ pitching has kept them afloat over the course of the young season. But on Sunday, it has taken yet another hit, as their depth is suddenly being tested.
The Twins announced they have placed starter Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. They selected the contract of right-hander Mike Paredes as the corresponding move. Minnesota also recalled reliever Travis Adams from Triple-A, while optioning RHP John Klein after making one appearance after being recalled early Saturday.
It is no secret that an elbow injury always raises room for concern. Ober’s injury comes as a big blow for the Twins, a team that already has a handful of pitching talent on the injured list.
Ober had taken a leap in being a consistent arm in the Twins’ rotation. The right-hander had posted a 3.92 ERA and a 4.48 FIP through his first 11 starts, but a poor start on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates raised his season ERA to 4.59 over the course of 66 ⅔ innings.
In that start, Ober allowed seven runs and 12 innings, unable to complete five innings — but the elbow may have been the root of the unfamiliar outing. Despite throwing with consistently low velocity, his excellent pitch run value and command led him to a strong start in 2026.
Unfortunately for the Twins, they don’t have many immediate starting pitching options at the moment. Minnesota designated Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment yesterday after he had struggled mightily this season.
In the rotation, the Twins have seen injury hits sideline Pablo López, David Festa and Mick Abel. Promising left-hander Kendry Rojas had also been put on the injured list in the recent days with an adjacent injury.
Upon making his first appearance, Paredes will be making his major league debut after five full seasons in the minor leagues. Though the upside isn’t expected to be colossal, the Twins hope the 25-year-old can continue his consistent production, as he posted a 3.38 ERA in Triple-A this year.
Klein threw 39 pitches in a two-inning outing against the Pirates yesterday, essentially making himself unavailable out of the bullpen for the next couple of games. Adams takes his spot in the bullpen after being optioned on Friday. The Twins have already used three minor-league options on Adams this season, who has recorded a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings this season for Minnesota.
