RADIO
Taj Bradley Reinstated From Injured List, Starting Against Boston
The Minnesota Twins announced on Saturday that they reinstated right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) from the 15-day injured list and designated right-handed reliever Luis Garcia for assignment in a corresponding move. Bradley will make his return and start on Saturday at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox after spending just over two weeks on the shelf with a pectoral injury. The 25-year-old former fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 was in the midst of a breakout campaign with Minnesota through his first eight starts before getting hurt, going 4-1 with a .287 ERA (3.48 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 17 walks across 47 innings pitched. Fantasy managers searching for a starting pitching upgrade should be looking at Bradley, who is rostered in 76% of Yahoo leagues. He threw only 42 pitches in a 1 2/3 innings with Triple-A St. Paul in his lone minor-league rehab start, though, so expect him to be limited from a pitch-count perspective in his return in Boston on Saturday.
Source: Minnesota Twins
Source: Minnesota Twins
Zebby Matthews Strikes Out Six in Wednesday's Loss, Worth Trusting Going Forward?
Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews took the loss on Tuesday against the visiting Houston Astros at Target Field, but he had another promising performance in his second start this year in the big leagues. The 25-year-old allowed two earned runs on five hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out six in six innings of work. In his two starts for the Twins, the former eighth-round selection out of Western Carolina in 2022 has a 1.38 ERA (2.65 FIP) and 0.77 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and only one walk in 13 innings pitched against the Astros and Miami Marlins. Matthews settled in nicely after allowing a two-run homer to Isaac Paredes in the first inning, and he threw 66 of his 100 pitches for strikes on the evening. He is scheduled for a two-start week next week, with his first matchup coming against the Chicago White Sox, so he should become more popular off the waiver wire going into Week 9 of the fantasy baseball season. Matthews is only rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues and deserves a look for his solid control and strikeout upside.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Taj Bradley to Return From IL to Start on Saturday?
Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) is throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday, so he may return from the 15-day injured list to make a start on Saturday in Boston against the Red Sox if everything goes well with his bullpen session, according to Matthew Leach of MLB.com. Bradley threw 65 pitches in a minor-league rehab outing with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday and could return to Minnesota's starting rotation this weekend. This is a reminder for fantasy managers to check their waiver wires to see if Bradley is available. If he is, he's certainly worth a pickup, especially with a potential matchup this weekend against the last-place Red Sox, who currently rank 27th in baseball with a .675 OPS. The 25-year-old Bradley was pitching very well before suffering from pectoral inflammation, going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA (3.50 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 47 innings across his eight starts. He's currently rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Matthew Leach
Source: MLB.com - Matthew Leach
Mick Abel Resumes Throwing, Worth Stashing Off the Waiver Wire?
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel (elbow, triceps) has been on the injured list since mid-April after first experiencing elbow inflammation and then feeling soreness in his triceps after a bullpen session. However, Abel has reportedly returned to playing catch and could once again be progressing towards a return to the Twins rotation. The 24-year-old got off to a strong start to 2026 before getting injured, pitching to a 3.98 ERA with 23 strikeouts across 20 1/3 innings (four starts). Abel was particularly impressive in his final two outings prior to going on the IL, recording 16 strikeouts over 13 scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. Abel will likely need at least a couple of rehab outings before returning to Minnesota, so he remains a ways away from stepping back on the big league mound. Still, the young right-hander offers significant upside when healthy and could be worth stashing off the waiver wire in deeper leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Mick Abel Resumes Playing Catch
Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel (elbow, triceps) resumed playing light catch last Wednesday after experiencing soreness in his right triceps muscle after a bullpen session, according to Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Abel was initially placed on the 15-day injured list on April 20 with right-elbow inflammation, but he is back to throwing now after receiving a cortisone injection in his triceps. The 24-year-old will now need to build his arm back up before potentially returning to the Twins' starting rotation in June. The next step for the former 15th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 will be to get back on the mound and resume throwing bullpen sessions. Abel will eventually need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, too, so he's at least several weeks away from returning from the IL. Before his injury, Abel had a 3.98 ERA (2.75 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 23 K's and 10 walks in 20 1/3 frames across his four outings (three starts). He's only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Taj Bradley Goes 1 2/3 Innings in Rehab Start on Sunday
Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) only went 1 2/3 innings in his minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A St. Paul, allowing an earned run on two hits while walking two and striking out three. Bradley threw 42 of his 65 pitches for strikes on the day and could be ready to return to the Twins' starting rotation soon after he was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 9 with inflammation in his right pectoral muscle. The Twins will re-evaluate Bradley on Monday before determining if they want him to make another rehab start in the minors before rejoining the big-league starting rotation. If Bradley doesn't require another tune-up game in the minors, he could be looking at making his next start for the Twins this weekend against the struggling Boston Red Sox. The 25-year-old former fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 has had a strong first full season in Minnesota before his injury, going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA (3.48 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 47 innings across his eight starts. Fantasy managers looking for rotation help need to look no further than Bradley, who is rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: Milb.com
Source: Milb.com
Bailey Ober Picks Up Second Straight Win, Worth a Look on Waivers
Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober wasn't nearly as good on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers as he was his last time out on May 12, when he threw a complete-game shutout with only two hits allowed and seven strikeouts against the Miami Marlins. Ober didn't even have a quality start on Sunday in the team's 5-4 win, but he did earn his fifth win of the year by limiting the Brewers to three earned runs on six hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out one. The damage that the 30-year-old allowed came on long balls to outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Christian Yelich. Ober doesn't throw hard and has limited long-term fantasy upside because of his lack of swing-and-miss stuff, but you can't ignore the fact that he's given up two runs or less in four of his last six appearances for the Twins. Overall, he's 5-2 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with just 40 punchouts in 57 innings across his 10 starts. Ober is worth a look on the waiver wire -- he's rostered in just under 50% of Yahoo leagues -- and will be a streaming option in his next outing against a Boston Red Sox team that ranks second-to-last in OPS (.666).
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Connor Prielipp's Fantasy Stock Rising Despite Weekend Loss
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp was handed the loss on Saturday, but he still looked like a fantasy star in the making. In his fifth MLB start, Prielipp went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned), three hits, two walks, and striking out eight. The rookie now has a 1-2 record with 29 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP. With starters Mick Abel (elbow/triceps) and Taj Bradley (pectoral) still on the injured list, Prielipp's spot in Minnesota's rotation is secure for the time being. The Twins are going to be careful with their fifth-ranked prospect, as the 25-year-old peaked at 82.2 IP in the minors last season, and his May 16 start was only the second time he has lasted six innings. Still, the youngster offers plenty of strikeout potential on a slider-fastball combo that generated a 13.0% swinging strike rate in Triple-A this season before his promotion.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Taj Bradley to Make a Rehab Start on Sunday
Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A St. Paul, according to Twins reporter Audra Martin. Bradley has already been cleared to begin a rehab assignment on the farm after landing on the 15-day injured list on May 9 with right-pectoral inflammation. The 25-year-old had a successful 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday. Barring a setback, he will likely be activated to rejoin the Twins' starting rotation in late May after a couple of rehab outings. The 25-year-old former fifth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 was having the best stretch of his young career across eight starts for Minnesota before his injury, going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA (3.48 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 52:17 K:BB in 47 innings pitched. Bradley's hot start is the reason why the former top prospect in Tampa's system is rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues right now. He's allowed more than two earned runs in just one of his eight starts so far this season and has had at least seven strikeouts in five of his outings.
Source: Audra Martin
Source: Audra Martin
Taj Bradley Throws Successful Bullpen Session
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley (pectoral) threw a successful 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday. This is the first time that Bradley has taken the mound since going down with right pectoral inflammation on May 6. The expectation is that he'll throw another bullpen session at some point next week. After that, Bradley should progress to facing live hitters. It doesn't sound liike he's too far away from being activated from the Injured List. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Bradley, with him possibly being able to return by the end of May.
Source: Aaron Gleeman
Source: Aaron Gleeman
Zebby Matthews Generates Waiver Interest After Strong First Start on Thursday
Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews should generate some waiver-wire interest after he impressed in his first start of the 2026 season in a win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday in the series finale. Matthews threw seven shutout innings with four hits allowed, one walk, and five strikeouts. The 25-year-old was called up so that the Twins could push left-handed pitching prospect Connor Prielipp back to manage his innings. If the Twins decide to keep Matthews around, he should be considered off the waiver wire in deeper leagues. The former eighth-round pick in 2022 out of Western Carolina threw 56 of his 83 pitches for strikes in his first big-league outing of the year. In his first two seasons with the Twins, Matthews really struggled, posting a 5.92 ERA (4.41 FIP) and 1.54 WHIP with 131 strikeouts, 35 walks, and 23 home runs allowed in 117 innings across his 25 starts. Despite his unsavory results in the big leagues before this season, there is intrigue with Matthews because of his strong control, high strikeout rates in the minors, and high-end velocity. He's rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Zebby Matthews Promoted From Triple-A, Worth an Add Ahead of Thursday's Start?
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews will get the call for the Twins on Thursday afternoon in their series finale against the Marlins. The 25-year-old righty went 5-6 with a 5.56 ERA last year in 16 starts, but his 3.79 FIP and 10.0 K/9 indicate he has the potential for even more fantasy production going forward. In seven starts in Triple-A this year, Matthews had a 4.72 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He remains an intriguing talent with high strikeout potential, but his results have been very inconsistent in the majors last year and at Triple-A this year. He's a high-risk waiver pickup in standard-sized leagues, but he does have the potential to produce. As part of Thursday's roster moves, the Twins also optioned struggling lefty Matt Wallner, who posted a .167/.259/.292 slash line with a 39 percent strikeout rate. The slugger could return later in the summer if he gets going, but he can be dropped in most leagues for now. Mathews holds intriguing streaming potential in deeper 12+ team leagues given his strikeout potential.
Source: Audra Martin
Source: Audra Martin
Connor Prielipp Being Pushed Back, Twins Managing his Innings
The Minnesota Twins will push back left-handed pitching prospect Connor Prielipp's next start a day or two to help manage his innings, according to Bobby Nightengale of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Zebby Matthews will be called up from the minors to start Thursday's series finale against the Miami Marlins. The 25-year-old Prielipp has looked good in his first four major-league starts, posting a 3.32 ERA (4.38 FIP) and 1.00 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and seven walks in 19 innings pitched, but since he has not thrown more than 83 2/3 innings in a single season as a professional, the Twins will handle him with kid gloves in 2026. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has also had Tommy John surgery twice in his career. Prielipp is currently rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues, and his innings cap this year will certainly keep his fantasy ceiling low in his first year in the big leagues with the Twins. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw's stuff is real with a high-90s heater that gets plenty of swing and miss. Prielipp also generates elite-level spin on his slider and features a changeup that also draws plenty of whiffs.
Source: The Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Source: The Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Bailey Ober Bounces Back With Complete-Game Shutout Over Marlins
Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober went the distance in a marvelous performance on Tuesday night in a 3-0 shutout win over the visiting Miami Marlins. Ober went all nine innings to win his fourth game of the season, allowing only two hits, walking none, and striking out seven batters. It was quite the bounce-back performance from the soft-tossing right-hander after he gave up a season-high five earned runs in five innings in a loss to the Washington Nationals his last time on the bump. His efficient and dominant outing on Tuesday now has the 30-year-old at 4-2 on the year with a 3.46 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 52 innings of work over his nine starts. Ober needed just 89 pitches to finish off the complete-game shutout, and he retired the last 16 batters he faced against a Miami squad that was overly aggressive, leading to lots of quick innings. It was Ober's third complete game of his career. So far, Ober has done a fine job of reinventing himself in 2026 with a drop in velocity.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
