There had been no official move for Castillo ahead of the club’s series opener against the Royals on Monday due to a weather-delayed arrival to the Twin Cities from upstate New York, where Castillo was located because of a road trip with Triple-A St. Paul.
The big right-hander was formally added to the roster on Tuesday after Funderburk, who had a 5.18 ERA in 19 games, was optioned to open the roster spot. Castillo spent parts of six MLB seasons with Tampa Bay and Seattle, and has improved previously shaky control while with St. Paul — logging 22 strikeouts and six walks in 18 innings with a 2.50 ERA.
Castillo said there weren’t necessarily any mechanical changes that helped him find his control after he’d posted 57 strikeouts and 42 walks combined between Triple-A Tacoma and Seattle last season. The Twins, he said, helped him find better mental cues for locating his pitches as they worked together in bullpen sessions.
“More controlling the ball,” Castillo said. “Throw the ball by thinking about the spots where I’m going to throw the ball. Yeah, they helped me a lot.”
May 27: RHP Josh Winder (right scapular stress fracture) reinstated from 60-day IL; optioned to Triple-A St. Paul
Winder will gear up to impact the Twins’ bullpen in a flexible role after a slow recovery this spring from a stress fracture in his right shoulder that slowed his offseason work and his buildup into the season. He had started a lengthy rehab assignment with both Single-A Fort Myers and St. Paul on April 30, and will remain on the St. Paul roster.
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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
3B Royce Lewis (severe right quad strain)
Expected return: End of May or early June
Lewis began a rehab assignment on May 25 with Triple-A St. Paul, starting as the designated hitter and going 1-for-4 with a single and a stolen base. He followed that with a 2-for-5 performance on May 26, including a double and single, and played third base for the first time on May 28. Lewis was finally cleared to commence game activity after full-speed baserunning drills at Target Field on May 24.
Bench coach Jayce Tingler indicated that Lewis would likely need time to rebuild his stamina after the extended period of downtime due to the quad strain. Lewis was expected to need at least a month of pure recovery following what was described as a “severe” right quad strain sustained while running the bases in the Twins’ Opening Day victory over the Royals on March 28. (Last updated: May 28)
INF Brooks Lee (back strain, No. 2 on Twins Top Prospects list)
Expected return: Possibly June
Lee began a rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League on May 20 after he sustained a herniated disk in his back ahead of a Spring Training game on March 21, and moved up to Single-A Fort Myers on May 28.
With the Twins following an established program for a return-to-play protocol from disk herniation, the initial expectation was that Lee could perhaps miss somewhere around two months.
“With this, you’ve just got to kind of get it taken care of on the front end and then make sure when you’re building him up you’re building him up pretty slowly,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. (Last updated: May 28)
RHP Brock Stewart (right shoulder tendinitis)
Expected return: TBD
Stewart did some plyo throws on May 21 as somewhat of a throwing activity, according to head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta. He is scheduled to continue the exercise for a few more days before beginning his full throwing progression.
He received a platelet-rich plasma injection on May 13 after feeling a pinch in his shoulder, which he began to experience during his April 25 outing against the White Sox. He was moved to the IL just before the first pitch of the Twins’ May 3 game.
“I think that’s always the next step before we get into throwing a real direction, so he’s heading on the right path at this point,” Paparesta said. (Last updated: May 21)
OF Walker Jenkins (left hamstring strain, No. 1 on Twins Top Prospects list)
Expected return: TBD
Jenkins started a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on May 20 after not having played since he exited the season opener for Single-A Fort Myers with the hamstring strain on April 5 following a collision with the outfield wall while making a catch. (Last updated: May 20)
OF Gabriel Gonzalez (lower back strain, *No. 4 on Twins Top Prospects list)*
Expected return: TBD
Gonzalez hasn’t played for High-A Cedar Rapids since May 1 due to the lower back strain that ultimately sent him to the Minor League IL on May 8. The most significant piece of the return in the offseason Jorge Polanco trade with Seattle, Gonzalez “does not appear too close to returning,” as reported by The Gazette in Cedar Rapids on May 15. (Last updated: May 15)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis)
Expected return: TBD
Another MRI exam of Topa’s left knee revealed a 25 percent torn left patellar tendon after soreness flared up during his fourth rehab outing with Triple-A St. Paul on May 5. He said he’d felt as good as he had in a long time during his May 3 outing, but did not see that continue with another appearance.
As of May 14, he was a week into a two-week immobilization of the knee — stabilized in a brace — and on crutches, after which he won’t be throwing for six weeks, leading to his movement to the 60-day IL on May 28. After a second opinion from a doctor, Topa received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the knee, with the hope it’ll allow him to avoid surgery.
“The injection was the best option to get back as fast as possible,” Topa said. “That’s been my goal from day one, is to get this done and over with and pitch this year and make an impact this year. Unfortunately, there’s a sense of a waste of six weeks after the first go-round. This time we’re on the right track.”
Topa began the season on the IL due to soreness and inflammation related to left knee tendinitis that had lingered throughout 2023. It flared up during Spring Training. (Last updated: May 28)
RHP Zack Weiss (right teres major strain)
Expected return: No sooner than June
Weiss will progress to throwing up to 105 feet but is still a few weeks away from going through a mound progression, said head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta.
Weiss was moved to the 60-day IL on April 9. He suffered a strain to the teres major in the right rotator cuff in late February and did not appear in any Spring Training games. (Last updated: May 21)
RHP Daniel Duarte (right elbow strain)
Expected return: Not this season
Duarte will undergo right elbow surgery on May 8, performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas. He had Tommy John surgery on his right arm 10 years ago. This surgery will either be a total replacement of the graft in his elbow or the installation of a brace to support the current structure.
According to head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta, Meister said he wouldn’t know which until he began the procedure. Either way, Duarte is facing a long recovery. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 22. (Last updated: April 22)
RHP Anthony DeSclafani (right elbow strain)
Expected return: Not this season
DeSclafani underwent season-ending flexor tendon repair surgery with Dr. Keith Meister on March 29. He attempted two ramp-ups in Spring Training but had both halted by elbow soreness, at which point he and the Twins sought a consultation with Meister.
There was no UCL involvement, meaning DeSclafani did not need Tommy John surgery, but the flexor tendon surgery also involves a 13-month recovery timeline. (Last updated: March 30)
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