Twins' Kenta Maeda: Improves in final spring outing
Rotowire
Maeda gave up two runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in Friday's spring training win over the Yankees. He lowered his spring ERA to 4.91 and has a 14:10 K:BB in 14.2 innings.
Maeda improved from his previous spring outing where he gave up five runs and two home runs in four innings. Walks continue to be an issue for Maeda this spring, however. He is working his way back from August 2021 Tommy John surgery and pitching in his first games this spring. His high walk totals this spring could be a sign his command isn't sharp yet after undergoing surgery. It could also just be a byproduct of a veteran in spring training working on pitches without too much regard to the results. Monitor his performance early in the season, but he's set to begin the year in the Minnesota rotation.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Control issues this spring
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Maeda (elbow) threw a live bullpen session Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. He gave up five earned runs and two home runs in his last spring outing March 19 and has a 6.23 ERA this spring with a 8:7 K:BB ratio in 8.2 innings.
Maeda hadn't thrown a competitive pitch before this spring since August of 2021 when he underwent Tommy John surgery. By all accounts he's healthy and ready for the start of the regular season, though e's struggled with his control this spring, which could be just the result of a veteran getting in his work and not as worried about results. However, it could also be a sign his command isn't sharp in his initial return from the procedure. Watch his final spring outing and performance early in the season, but he looks set to begin the year in the Minnesota rotation, and there hasn't ye been talk of a six-man rotation to ease him into action.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Scoress inning in spring debut
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Maeda (elbow) threw 13 pitches in a scoreless inning with a hit allowed and strikeout in his spring debut Saturday. He reached 90.3 mph with his fastball. "Just a relief to be able to come back scoreless," Maeda told MLB.com.
Maeda hadn't thrown a competitive pitch since August of 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He hopes to reach 92-93 mph with his fastball, but velocity hasn't been a big part of his arsenal (90.5 mph in 2021). The Twins will slowly ramp him back up this spring, but the larger question is if the Twins will use a six-man rotation in April to ease Maeda back into action once the regular season begins.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Set for spring debut Saturday
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Maeda (elbow) will make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday versus the Rays, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Maeda hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since August of 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, but that won't keep the Twins from handing him the ball in their first game of the spring. The right-hander will be ready to roll for Opening Day but figures to have his workload watched carefully given his long layoff.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Throws first bullpen of spring
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Maeda (elbow) threw about 40 pitches Thursday in his first bullpen session of the spring, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Park notes that Maeda only topped out at around 89 mph, but that is to be expected at this point for a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery. The 34-year-old right-hander is now more than 16 months removed from that procedure and is expected to have a spot near the back of the Twins' season-opening rotation. There's certainly some intriguing bounceback upside in Maeda's outlook for 2023.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: No restrictions for spring
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Maeda (elbow) will have no restrictions during spring training, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Maeda missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of 2021. The right-hander struggled to a 4.66 ERA in 21 appearances before the injury that season, but he has been an effective option in previous seasons. He's someone to monitor in the Grapefruit League, as a return to prior form could pay dividends for fantasy managers in 2023.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Unlikely to pitch in regular season
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Maeda (elbow) is making progress in his recovery but isn't expected to pitch down the stretch of the regular season, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2021 and was hopeful to return in September of 2022, but the team has since announced that he'll need more time before being activated. However, the right-hander would still be eligible for the playoff roster should the Twins advance to the postseason. Maeda is expected to advance to a live bullpen session within the next few days.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Should face hitters next week
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Maeda (elbow) is expected to face hitters in live batting practice sessions beginning next Monday, MLB.com reports.
Maeda has been throwing bullpen sessions for the past few weeks, with his fastball typically sitting around 87-to-90 miles per hour in those workouts. He's also incorporating his other pitches into those sessions and looks like he'll be ready to take the next step forward in his throwing progression early next week. Maeda underwent a Tommy John surgery Sept. 1 of last year that involved the insertion of an internal brace to his elbow, a modification that he believes will reduce the recovery timeline typically associated with the procedure. If he's able to make it back in September as he hopes, Maeda will likely be used out of the bullpen.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Throws bullpen session
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Maeda (elbow) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Friday and will throw another bullpen Monday, MLB.com reports.
It's possible Maeda could return in September to pitch out of the bullpen, but he'll need to show steady progress the next few bullpen sessions before going out on a rehab assignment. Maeda is in the penultimate season of a eight-year, $25 million contract and will likely want to finish the 2022 campaign on the field so that he can enter spring training healthy and ready to compete for a spot in the Minnesota rotation.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Plans to face hitters in August
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Maeda (elbow) said Wednesday that he's hopeful to resume facing hitters in August and added that he will "most likely" work out of the bullpen if he's reinstated from the 60-day injured list this season, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Maeda provided a loose outline for his rehab program one day after he threw the 10th bullpen session of his rehab program for the alternative Tommy John procedure he underwent Sept. 1 of last year. The right-hander threw all fastballs during his 30-pitch workout Tuesday, so he'll first need to incorporate all of his pitches into his side sessions before the Twins clear him to face hitters in live batting practice. Once he's deemed ready for game action, Maeda will likely need most of the 30-day minor-league rehab window to get ramped up and sharpen his command and control following the year-long layoff. Maeda is in the penultimate season of a eight-year, $25 million contract and will likely want to finish the 2022 campaign on the field so that he can enter spring training healthy and ready to compete for a spot in the Minnesota rotation.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Throwing bullpen sessions
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Maeda (elbow) threw his 10th bullpen session Tuesday, tossing 30 fastballs, Megan Ryan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Maeda underwent a modified Tommy John surgery Sept. 1, 2021, with his procedure involving the insertion of an internal brace into his right elbow. The procedure was expected to reduce Maeda's recovery timeline to 9-to-12 months rather than the typical 12-to-16 months. He's been working his way back this summer and has been making steady progress. He said he hopes to return to the majors before the end of the season, but that timetable remains uncertain.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Approaching mound work
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Maeda (elbow) said Wednesday that he hopes to resume mound work in 2-to-3 weeks, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Maeda is currently with the Twins and has been throwing off flat ground for over a month. While the right-hander now has a timetable to resume mound work, he said Wednesday he isn't yet sure whether he'll return from the injured list prior to the end of the season.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Throwing from 90 feet
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Maeda (elbow) is throwing from 90 feet, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
He has been eyeing a return to game action in September, so he can't afford any setbacks if he hopes to make it back from Tommy John surgery this season. Maeda is with the Twins after spending the last month rehabbing in Fort Myers.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Begins light throwing
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Maeda (elbow) said Sunday that he began a throwing program earlier this month and is currently playing catch off flat ground from 30 feet, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
In the early stages of his rehab program from the modified Tommy John surgery he underwent Sept. 1, Maeda has thus far avoided any setbacks, but the right-hander acknowledged that he's unsure if he'll be able to pitch for the Twins at any point this season. Ultimately, whether Maeda toes the rubber in the big leagues in 2022 will be dictated by how he progresses in the months to come, and the Twins' place in the standings in the second half of the season should factor into the equation as well. Even if Maeda is able to advance through his rehab quickly and make a 12-month turnaround from the elbow procedure, he won't be worth stashing in any redraft leagues until several months down the road.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Eyeing September return
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Maeda (elbow) told The Tokyo Mainichi on Jan. 7 that he's realistically targeting a return to action in the final month of the 2022 season. "Even if I can return, it will be around September. It's not a zero percent chance," Maeda said.
Maeda underwent a modified Tommy John surgery Sept. 1, 2021, with his procedure involving the insertion of an internal brace into his right elbow. The innovative procedure was expected to reduce Maeda's recovery timeline to 9-to-12 months rather than the typical 12-to-16, but the 33-year-old still looks as though he plans on requiring a full year to complete his rehab. With the pitcher himself ruling out a midseason return, Maeda doesn't look to be an appealing fantasy investment, even as a final-round selection in AL-only leagues or best-ball drafts. On a more positive note, Maeda seems to have avoided any setbacks since having the procedure, as he said that he plans to resume playing catch at some point during spring training.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Undergoes Tommy John surgery
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Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, with his procedure involving the insertion of an internal brace that could help him return in 9-to-12 months, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Maeda will miss the rest of the 2021 season and likely most of the 2022 season. The inclusion of a brace could speed up his recovery from a typical 12-to-16 month timeframe, but it may be well into next year before there's a clearer timetable for his return. After dazzling during an 11-start sample in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Maeda took a big step back in 2021 before suffering the season-ending injury in August. Over 106.1 innings, Maeda went 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 113:32 K:BB.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Heads to 60-day IL
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The Twins transferred Maeda (forearm) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Maeda's move to the 60-day IL was merely a formality after the Twins announced last week that he would require a season-ending surgery for his right forearm. The Twins haven't provided details on the nature of the procedure, making it unknown if Maeda will have a realistic shot at being healthy for the start of spring training in 2022. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Joe Ryan, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of his first MLB start Wednesday against the Cubs.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Slated for season-ending surgery
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Maeda (forearm) will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Maeda was evaluating several options after he sustained a forearm injury Saturday, but he'll ultimately opt for surgery. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday that he isn't yet sure what procedure the right-hander will undergo, but Tommy John surgery is on the table. Regardless of the type of procedure, Maeda won't pitch again until at least 2022.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Getting second opinion
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Maeda was sent for a second opinion on his forearm injury Tuesday, with the Twins concerned about potential UCL issues, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Maeda hit the injured list Monday, but he's so far not been diagnosed with anything worse than forearm tightness. That could change following the second opinion, however. Any mention of UCL issues raises the specter of Tommy John surgery, though the Twins have yet to indicate that's on the table. Anything from a return within a few weeks to a return at the start of the 2023 season appears in play for Maeda at the moment.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Lands on injured list
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Maeda was placed on the injured list with right forearm tightness Monday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Maeda left his start Saturday against the Yankees with the injury, which was evidently serious enough to cost him at least one start. He's yet to be diagnosed with anything more serious than tightness, but it's unclear how much time the Twins expect him to miss.
