The resilient Twins find themselves back in the AL playoff picture. Minnesota is just 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot as of Aug. 9.
Their pitching has still been a crapshoot, but the organization’s top pitching prospect, Stephen Gonsalves, is now just a call away from the big leagues.
Who is this Gonsalves guy?
Gonsalves will make his Triple-A debut on Thursday for the Rochester Red Wings.
The left-handed pitcher has dominated the minor leagues since being drafted by the Twins in 2013. He owns a career ERA of 2.23 in 455 innings and he snuck into Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list before the start of the 2017 season.
He missed the beginning of the year with a shoulder injury but he’s been healthy since May. In 15 Double-A starts this season, Gonsalves sports an ERA of 2.89 with 96 strikeouts in 87 innings.
Double-A typically is the toughest level of the minor leagues – so he probably won’t spend too much time in Triple-A before the Twins come calling.
When will he make his Twins debut?
Twins fans should expect to see Gonsalves at Target Field by September at the latest. He’ll have to be added to the 40-man roster by then, but that shouldn’t be an issue with the way he’s been throwing.
The Twins just placed starting pitcher Adalberto Mejia on the disabled list on Wednesday. Dillion Gee, who’d been in the bullpen, has presumably taken his spot in the rotation – but he’s probably not a long-term answer.
If the Twins still find themselves in the playoff hunt a month from now, the 23-year-old could provide a boost in Minnesota’s rotation, which is starved for strikeouts.
