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Twins starter Anthony DeSclafani ‘feeling good’ as he tests elbow

betsy helfand, pioneer press
·3 min read

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The chances of St. Paul’s Louie Varland making the Twins’ Opening Day major league roster rest largely on the health of Anthony DeSclafani’s right elbow.

That elbow, DeSclafani said just minutes after finishing a 35-pitch bullpen session on Friday at Hammond Stadium, is once again feeling good.

Varland, who is unlikely to break camp with the Twins unless there is an injury among Minnesota’s projected starting five in the rotation, started and pitched three scoreless innings in the Twins’ 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Meanwhile, about 100 miles south at the team’s complex, DeSclafani was back testing out his elbow.

The veteran DeSclafani was briefly shutdown after experiencing some soreness in his elbow following a live batting practice session earlier this spring. Friday marked his second bullpen and third time off the slope — he threw a 10-pitch touch-and-feel session — and he walked away pleased by how he felt.

“The training staff has done a good job of just helping me get back to feeling good,” he said.

The Twins will map out a plan for DeSclafani soon and assess how he’s feeling on Saturday as they plot his path forward. Saturday is particularly important considering the first time he felt soreness wasn’t during the live batting practice but the day after, he said.

“It was more of that night/the next day soreness that was kind of what put everything on hold,” DeSclafani said. “I was like ‘Alright, I need a couple days.’ I think that’s always — that’s how it’s going to be when you’re coming back from injuries or stuff like that.”

As for how much time he thinks he needs to get ready for the reason — the season begins on March 28 but he wouldn’t be needed until early April — the right-hander said he still thinks he has plenty of time to build up and get into game action.

“First and foremost, it’s going to be health over ramping up too quickly,” he said. “I’m putting my health first. … I still think I have plenty of time to ramp up to be ready for whenever they need me.”

Prospect game on tap

The Twins’ stars of tomorrow will be on display next week, with most of the organization’s top prospects set to participate in MLB’s first Spring Breakout.

The prospect showcase, which will be available for fans to stream for free on MLB’s website, will take place on March 16 with the Twins’ top young players facing off against the top prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays’ system.

Minnesota’s Walker Jenkins, Brooks Lee Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez — acquired in the Jorge Polanco deal — and pitcher David Festa are among those on the roster announced by the Twins on Thursday. Nine of the Twins’ top-10 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, are set to play in the game.

Briefly

Second baseman Edouard Julien left Friday’s game early after being hit by a pitch. … Jose Miranda played the field on Friday in Bradenton for the first time since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. He had served as the team’s designated hitter in his previous spring training games. Miranda, who is likely to begin the season at Triple-A, is expected to see most of his action in the field at first base.

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