The Minnesota Twins added a new arm to the bullpen on Tuesday, and Justin Lawrence is nothing if not intriguing.<\/p>\n
He has been wildly inconsistent in five major league seasons but is a side-armer with a unique arm slot and two great pitches, a sweeper and a sinker that touches 98 mph and has been clocked at better than 100 mph.<\/p>\n
Lawrence was nearly untouchable in 17 relief appearances for the Pirates last season \u2014 a 0.51 earned-run average and nine hits in 17 \u2154 innings after returning from elbow inflammation that put him on the 60-day injury list in April. And yet the Pirates traded him to the Twins for cash considerations on Monday.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because Lawrence, 31, was 0-2 with a 1.56 WHIP (22 hits, 12 walks) in 22 innings with Pittsburgh this spring. Twins manager Derek Shelton was his manager for the first half of that season and sees the potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the arm slot. It\u2019s a different look than we have in our bullpen,\u201d he said before Tuesday night\u2019s game against the White Sox at Target Field. \u201cIt\u2019s 97, 98 (mph) and the sweeper is a really, really good pitch. Metrically if you look at it, it has really good action.\u201d<\/p>\n
The issue is control, 130 walks in 232\u2154 major league innings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019m in a better place than what you see in the stat line \u2014 mentally, physically, health wise,\u201d Lawrence said from his new locker stall on Tuesday. \u201cI felt like I\u2019m in a really good spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his first full major league season, Lawrence had 11 saves and a 3.72 earned-run average in Colorado, with 78 strikeouts at 36 walks in 75 innings. But 2024 was rough \u2014 33 walks and a 6.49 ERA in 56 innings.<\/p>\n
\u201c(In) 2024, kind of struggled the entire year, but I felt like I\u2019m in a completely different head space,\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cMy stuff feels really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
To make room on the active roster, the Twins optioned left-hander Kody Funderburk to Class AAA St. Paul.<\/p>\n
Rookie Connor Prielipp made his eighth career start against the White Sox on Tuesday, and Taj Bradley was scheduled to pitch the series finale on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
But the Twins still didn\u2019t know who would start Thursday against Kansas City in the opener of a four-game series in Minneapolis. Starters Bailey Ober (elbow inflammation) and Kendry Rojas (triceps) are on the injured list, and Simeon Woods Richardson was designated for release on Sunday.<\/p>\n
It could be a spot starter or a bullpen game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s TBD,\u201d Shelton said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely TBD; not even close to an A. Sometimes I\u2019ll phony up an A for you. Today I\u2019m not. It is D.\u201d<\/p>\n
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