23 July 2024
David Festa, the Twins’ top pitching prospect, is expected to be recalled from Class AAA St. Paul on Wednesday to start the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies at Target Field.
First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.
The right-hander made his major league debut on June 27, earning the win in a 13-6 victory at Arizona but in two starts for the Twins gave up 12 earned runs on 16 hits in 10⅓ innings while walking one and striking out eight. He is the fifth-ranked prospect in the organization according to mlb.com.
Festa, 24, is filling the rotation spot of Chris Paddack, who went on the 15-day injured list Saturday for the second time this season with a muscle strain in his right forearm.
Before Tuesday night’s game against Philadelphia at Target Field, manager Rocco Baldelli said he couldn’t announce Wednesday’s starting pitcher, “Because I don’t know,” adding that the team would “figure it out” by the time Tuesday’s game ends. But with Louie Varland set to pitch for the Saints on Tuesday, Festa was the only available starter on the Twins’ 40-man roster.
After the Twins returned Festa to St. Paul on July 5, Baldelli said the numbers didn’t tell the entire story of the rookie’s first two MLB starts.
“The simple things we ask guys to do, that normally lead to a lot of success, he did all those things well,” the manager said. “He kind of stayed within himself the way we wanted him to, he stayed calm and just kept pitching. He’s gonna be fine, and I liked a lot of what I saw from him.”
In 15 starts with St. Paul this season, Festa, 24, is 3-3 with a 4.03 earned-run average. He has struck out 89 and walked 26 in 60⅓ innings. The Twins will have to make a corresponding move to put Festa on the active roster.
Stewart ‘ready’
Reliever Brock Stewart, who just completed a four-appearance rehab assignment with the Saints, was in the Twins’ clubhouse on Tuesday and appears ready to be activated for Wednesday’s game.
On Monday, Stewart told reporters, “I think I’m ready to go.”
Since making the team as a minor league free agent last season, Stewart has been the Twins’ best right-handed reliever — when healthy. He’s 2-0 with an 0.66 ERA with 56 strikeouts against 27 hits in 40⅓ innings. He started this season with 12⅓ scoreless innings before going down with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
Stewart is on the 60-day injured list, so the Twins will need to make room on the 26- and 40-man rosters for him. So, they’ll have to either DFA someone on the 40-man or move a player to the 60-day IL. Alex Kirilloff, out since July 11 with a mild back strain, is a candidate for the latter.
Briefly
After a successful workout before Tuesday’s game, Jose Miranda (back) was cleared to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday in St. Paul.