MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins knew it was a gamble last August when they traded for oft-injured starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, hoping he would shore up an uneven rotation and help them secure a playoff berth.
Well, that roll of the dice crapped out Thursday when manager Rocco Baldelli announced that Mahle would miss the rest of the 2023 season with an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery. He is scheduled to become a free agent when the season ends, meaning that the righthander's time in Minnesota may be over.
Mahle had been on the 60-day injured list with a flexor pronator strain and elbow impingement and was on the 60-day injured list. He finishes the season with just five starts and 25 innings pitched with a 3.16 ERA, 28 strikeouts and only five walks.
G.M. Derek Falvey traded minor league infielders Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer, and left-handed pitcher Steve Hajjar for Mahle, who had a reputation as a starter who would work deep into games - when he was healthy.
Posts on social media roasted the Twins for acquiring Mahle. "Tyler Mahle's arm falling off is SO PREDICTABLE," wrote one. "What a joke of a trade," opined another fan on Twitter. "He is about as healthy as Byron Buxton when he is in the outfield."
Another referred to the club as "damaged goods merchants," referring to the Twins' penchant for taking chances on players who are either hurt or coming back from a serious injury.
Mahle joins starter Kenta Maeda - coming back from elbow surgery himself - on the injured list. Baily Ober and Louie Varland have taken their spots in the rotation, joining Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan and Pablo López.
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