Joe Ryan got through his bullpen session in Chicago without a problem, and Derek Shelton all but said the next time he pitches it will count.
Derek Shelton stopped short of naming his Monday starter in Detroit, but he did not sound like a manager with much doubt about it.
Joe Ryan threw a bullpen of 25 to 30 pitches on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field before the Minnesota Twins played the White Sox, and he said afterward it felt good and that he was throwing as hard as he had in his rehab game.
Shelton said the club would wait and see where Ryan is at, then added that there is "a good chance that his next start would be in the big leagues."
What the Bullpen Told the Twins
Ryan has been on the 15-day injured list with a left glute strain since Aug. 7, three days after his last start in Kansas City.
He pitched three innings for Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, giving up one run on a home run over 42 pitches, and he said the work this week was mostly about keeping his delivery in a spot that would not reaggravate anything.
Ryan is 6-8 with a 3.65 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 125.2 innings over 23 starts this season, but he was 6-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 20 starts before the All-Star break, and the three starts after it produced 16 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings.
The slide began with the eight-run outing in Cleveland in July, and a healthy version of the first-half pitcher changes how this rotation looks in a hurry.
Why Monday Makes Sense
No day has been announced, but the Twins usually have a starter throw a bullpen two days before he pitches, and Monday also would have been Connor Prielipp's turn.
The club is working hard to manage the rookie's workload, and Ryan in that slot lets them push Prielipp back a day or more.
The left-hander is 4-7 with a 5.28 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 104 innings in his first season, and outings like the six earned runs in San Diego last month are why the Twins want to protect him.
Detroit has Troy Melton, Drew Anderson and Keider Montero lined up for the three games at Comerica Park starting Monday afternoon, and the Twins now list Dean Kremer for Tuesday and Zebby Matthews for Wednesday with Monday still blank.
Taj Bradley started Saturday's 6-4 win and Bailey Ober gets Sunday, so Ryan would rejoin a full group.
The Stakes in September
The Twins are 68-74, six games behind the White Sox in the AL Central and four games out of the last wild card spot, and the St. Paul Pioneer Press put their playoff odds at 4% by Saturday.
Byron Buxton is still on the 10-day injured list with a right hip impingement, and the lineup went quiet against Erick Fedde on Friday.
Ryan said he wants to come back and make a push and that the layoff ran longer than he expected.
The push is a long shot with 20 games left, but the Twins have an off day Thursday after Detroit and then the Guardians at Target Field on Friday, and a rotation with Ryan at the front of it is the best thing they can bring into whatever this month becomes.
