Twins relief pitcher Samuel Deduno was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros, MLB.com reports, meaning his time in Minnesota is over.
The right-handed Deduno, 31, pitched mostly in long relief for the Twins this season, making eight starts and 22 relief appearances. He was 2-5 with a 4.60 earned-run average this season.
Over the past three seasons, Deduno started 41 games before being put in a long-relief role in June, when Yohan Pino joined the club, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Deduno has had problems with control throughout his career, according to the Star Tribune. In his last six outings, Deduno had a 7.50 ERA over 12 innings.
“He was sad to leave Minnesota,” said manager Ron Gardenhire, according to the Star Tribune.
Deduno, a native of the Dominican Republic, joined the Twins as a Minor League free agent before the 2011 season.
To replace him on the roster, the Twins are calling up lefthander Aaron Thompson from Triple-A Rochester, the Star Tribune notes. Thompson, 27, has been in the Twins organization since 2012. He will meet up with the team on Sunday.
Minnesota plays the Orioles in Baltimore Saturday night, with Kyle Gibson starting for the Twins.
