FORT MYERS, Fla. — The first cuts of the spring came Wednesday morning, with four Twins pitchers and two catchers reassigned to minor-league camp.
First cuts of spring: Twins send 4 pitchers, 2 catchers to minor leagues
The four pitchers who were sent down could become the heart of the pitching rotation for Class AAA Rochester later this season.
March 7, 2018 at 2:10PM
Left-handers Dietrich Enns and Lewis Thorpe, righthanders Zack LIttell and Felix Jorge, and catchers Brian Navarreto and Wynston Sawyer will work with the major league team on Wednesday, then move across the complex to the Twins' minor-league side on Thursday.
None of the cuts were a surprise — of the half-dozen first cuts, only Enns and Jorge have any major-league experience, having pitched in two games apiece for the Twins last season. None had pitched more than three innings during the first two weeks of Grapefruit League play, and with minor- eague camp opening Tuesday, the Twins chose to give them more regular work. That foursome may eventually form the heart of the starting rotation at Class AAA Rochester this season, though some could open the season at Class AA Chattanooga.
The moves reduce the Twins' roster to 53 players with three weeks left before Opening Day, 26 of whom are pitchers.
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, has died. He was 65.
