Twins To Promote Kendry Rojas, Connor Prielipp Added To Taxi Squad

The Twins will promote left-hander Kendry Rojas from Triple-A to the lively roster previous to Tuesday’s sport with the Mets, in keeping with Declan Goff and Darren Wolfson of SKOR North.  Rojas was already added to the 40-man roster final November prematurely of the Rule 5 Draft, and Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune writes that the corresponding 26-man roster transfer is Kody Funderburk‘s placement on the paternity record.

As well as, left-hander Connor Prielipp will even be becoming a member of the Twins for the beginning of their collection with the Mets, as per The Athletic’s Dan Hayes.  It isn’t an official call-up but, as Prielipp is simply a part of the taxi squad.  Prielipp joined Rojas as two of the six 40-man additions Minnesota made again in November, so the Twins would simply should make one other 26-man roster transfer if Prielipp is formally promoted.

Each Rojas and Prielipp can be making their Main League debuts at any time when they seem in a sport.  In Rojas’ case, this would possibly simply be a cup of espresso whereas Funderburk is absent, although the Twins’ aid corps has struggled sufficient that including a uncooked however gifted younger arm may assist spark the pen.  Funderburk, Taylor Rogers, and Anthony Banda are the bullpen’s present trio of left-handers, and Banda specifically has gotten off to a tough begin in 2026.

Tuesday’s sport in New York begins a stretch of 13 video games in 13 days for the Twins, so it’s doable Rojas or Prielipp would possibly obtain a spot begin as a way to assist protect the rotation.  The membership may look to make use of both southpaw as a conventional starter or as an extended reliever, or maybe Minnesota may deploy a piggyback with Rojas and Prielipp paired with one other starter.

Rojas missed time resulting from a hamstring harm this 12 months and has solely pitched 7 1/3 whole innings, although the 23-year-old has but to permit a run in that small pattern measurement.  (Six innings have been with Triple-A St. Paul, and 1 1/3 IP have been with A-ball Fort Myers on a rehab project.)  In these 7 1/3 frames, Rojas has posted seven strikeouts, but in addition 4 walks.  Over 38 1/3 profession innings on the Triple-A degree, Rojas has a 14.06% stroll charge, together with a 20.31% strikeout charge and a 6.10 ERA.

How effectively Rojas can harness his management seems to the chief query dealing with the lefty’s future as a viable huge league arm.  Baseball America ranks Rojas because the eighth-best prospect within the Twins’ farm system and MLB Pipeline has him tenth, with each retailers noting that he initiatives as a back-end rotation arm if he stays a beginning pitcher.  As per BA, Rojas “has a balanced arsenal with all his pitches projecting as a minimum of common,” although he doesn’t have a real plus pitch.  His fastball is perhaps his prime providing, because the pitch often sits round 95mph and Nightengale writes that Rojas hit the 99mph threshold throughout his time in St. Paul.

The Blue Jays landed Rojas as a global signing in 2020, and his time in Toronto’s farm system was hampered by lat, shoulder, and stomach accidents.  Previous to final summer season’s commerce deadline, the Jays shipped Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden to the Twins in maybe probably the most shocking transfer of Minnesota’s deadline hearth sale, as controllable reliever Louis Varland and Ty France went the opposite approach.  Varland instantly turned a important piece of Toronto’s pen, however Rojas and Roden match the Twins’ commerce mannequin of acquiring gamers that have been at or near huge league readiness.

Prielipp is a homegrown product, chosen by the Twins within the second spherical of the 2022 draft.  BA ranked him because the 96th-best prospect in baseball previous to the 2026 season and slotted him fourth on their record of Twins prospects, whereas Pipeline put Prielipp fifth.  Each retailers give 60-grades to the southpaw’s changeup and slider, and Prielipp generates a ton of spin on the latter pitch.  Prielipp additionally has a mid-90s fastball that may hit 98mph.

After reaching Triple-A ball for the primary time final season, Prielipp had some struggles however has now appeared sharper over 15 2/3 innings for St. Paul in 2026.  Over 36 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball, Prielipp has a 3.93 ERA, a 30.13% strikeout charge, and a 13.46% stroll charge, so management can also be a priority on his finish.  Staying wholesome has been Prielipp’s largest subject, as he underwent a Tommy John surgical procedure in school at Alabama after which an inside brace surgical procedure that sidelined him for large chunks of the 2023-24 seasons.  Prielipp has thrown solely 128 1/3 whole innings of minor league ball.