Following his designation for assignment by the Mets last week, right-hander Michael Tonkin was acquired by the Twins, it was reported. Due to a right knee contusion, outfielder Max Kepler was placed on the 10-day injured list; Tonkin now has a position on the active roster. Due to a right shoulder strain, right-hander Zack Weiss was placed on the 60-day injured list, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster.
The 34-year-old Tonkin is back with the team that selected him in the 30th round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Since initially leaving the Twins, he has pitched for the D-backs, Brewers, Braves, and Mets organizations. He has also played in the independent Atlantic League, the Mexican League, and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
Tonkin spent the whole 2023 season in the Braves bullpen, pitching to a 4.28 ERA with a strong 23.1% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate in 80 innings of relief, while only pitching four innings with the Mets. It was his first time visiting the MLB since 2017. Tonkin has participated in portions of seven major league seasons overall. With strikeout and walk numbers that almost exactly match his 2023 levels in Atlanta, he has a career 4.38 ERA.
Originally, Tonkin and the Mets settled on a divided one-year deal with only a $1 million base salary. His minor league salary will differ from the Twins’ debt to him for any time he plays on the major league roster if he is designated for assignment by Minnesota, cleared via waivers, and sent outright to Triple-A St. Paul. All of his minor league options have been exhausted, so sending him down would need to go through the waiver process first.
Several relievers for the Twins are out with injuries, including Justin Topa, Caleb Thielbar, and Jhoan Duran. Although none of those injuries are anticipated to require extended absences, Tonkin will give a seasoned player to a group that has already seen more testing than the front management could have imagined. He can theoretically be controlled through arbitration through the 2026 campaign if he can get back on track and establish himself in the Twins bullpen.
Recently, Kepler fouled a ball into his leg, resulting in the bruise that is preventing him from moving. The 31-year-old is only 1-for-20 with six strikeouts and a walk so far this season at the plate. During the 2023 campaign, Kepler too experienced a protracted slump. He struggled mightily in May and for the majority of June until exploding toward the end of the month. After 326 plate appearances, he hit.297/.368/.545 to end the season, with 17 home runs. Any uncertainty that might have been about his $10 million club option for the 2024 season was dispelled by that incredible run.
The Twins can use left-handed swingers Matt Wallner and Alex Kirilloff in the outfield corners while Kepler is sidelined, with Wallner likely starting in right field. In addition to Austin Martin and Willi Castro, the Twins may also include Manuel Margot, a right-handed hitter, in the lineup against left-handed starts.