CLEVELAND \u2014 The Minnesota Twins\u2019 tailspin got a little harder to navigate Saturday after starting pitcher Taj Bradley was placed on the 15-day injured list with a chest injury.<\/p>\n
Already losers in 16 of their last 21 games, the Twins\u2019 best starter this season was scratched from Sunday\u2019s game against the Cleveland Guardians because he\u2019s dealing with right pectoral muscle inflammation.<\/p>\n
Bradley is 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 47 innings this season.<\/p>\n
After informing the team he felt soreness on Thursday, Bradley returned to Minneapolis for an MRI, which was clean. Bradley will receive a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, after which the Twins will determine the next course of action.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just wanted to be aware of it and get it looked at,\u201d Twins manager Derek Shelton said. \u201cAny time we get an MRI that comes back that\u2019s clean, that\u2019s best-case scenario. Once we get through the second opinion, then we can start a course of action to get back to whatever our performance team feels is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Twins promoted right-handed pitcher Travis Adams to replace Bradley. Adams has allowed six earned runs in eight minor-league innings while striking out 10 since returning from a right triceps strain.<\/p>\n
The injury news arrives hours ahead of Saturday\u2019s game in Cleveland, which will be started by Joe Ryan, who is coming off an injury scare of his own.<\/p>\n
Ryan is a full go despite exiting his start last Sunday with right elbow soreness after only nine pitches. The team cleared Ryan after an MRI showed no structural damage, and he participated in a bullpen session Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Twins\u2019 rotation has been hit hard with injuries for nearly three months now. Pablo L\u00f3pez underwent Tommy John surgery in February<\/a> and is out for the season.<\/p>\n Promising rookie Mick Abel\u2019s season has been slowed, first by right elbow inflammation and now triceps soreness. He received a cortisone shot for the triceps pain earlier this week, and the team said it would re-evaluate Abel on Tuesday to determine when he\u2019ll throw again.<\/p>\n