Devin Smeltzer makes his case for a roster spot with strong spring

FORT MYERS, FLA. – In Devin Smeltzer's likely final spring outing Saturday, he pitched four scoreless innings in an 8-2 Twins victory over Tampa Bay, concluding his camp with 11 run-free innings from four games and two starts.

That has the lefthander left with no regrets with his roster fate looming.

"I've controlled everything I can. I left it all out there," Smeltzer said. "My goal going into the spring was to make it so the decision was going to be difficult. I hopefully left them an easy choice to put me back on the roster.

"… The stats speak for themselves. I'm commanding the ball again. Velo is there. Stuff is there. Mentally, I've got the fire and rage back."

While the five-man rotation appears set, Smeltzer could fit in as a long reliever and spot starter, the same role righthander Josh Winder could also play. Manager Rocco Baldelli said he sees Smeltzer as a starter and wants him to stretch out accordingly.

"Anyone that we have at some point might be subject to that conversation of going into the bullpen," Baldelli said. "... He's a pretty versatile guy and a pretty mentally strong guy, and a guy that can handle really anything that we challenge him with."

The 26-year-old appeared in only one game last season but knew something was wrong in those 4⅔ innings.

Smeltzer said his arm wasn't quite right in 2021's spring training, even though he rehabbed it and earned clearance to play. In that April 24 game, he threw a fastball as hard as he could, only to look up and see it was 84 mph. Imaging after that, though, came back clear. So he rehabbed again in Minnesota before going on a rehab assignment in rookie ball in Florida in late June.

"I was in my second-to-last start before rejoining the team and ended up having a herniated disc in my neck. In a pregame pen," Smeltzer said. "It took me to my knees. [Neck] collar, ambulance, everything. It was scary, but after I calmed down emotionally a few days later, it was a sigh of relief, knowing that I wasn't crazy. There was something wrong.

"It was causing all the nerve issues. I had no feeling in my last three fingers, no command."

Smeltzer, who is a childhood cancer survivor, also had to deal with some side effects with his hormones as a result of undergoing radiation and chemo in his past. So it made for a long couple months.

To heal his herniated disc, doctors recommended four weeks of no activity, to the point where some of the Twins' minor league staff chastised him for trying to walk on the treadmill. To pass the time, he bought a 1972 Chevrolet Nova and rebuilt the interior with carpets, new seats and the like. Eventually, he was able to do pool exercise and body-weight workouts. He then started tossing a ball 60 feet and made it back to pitching by late October in time for a full offseason.

After not having any contact with the Twins since the lockout began in December, he gained clearance to join minor league camp when it started on time, giving him about three extra weeks of work before the lockout ended.

Roster decisions

The Twins currently have 36 players in camp and must cut that to 28 by noon Thursday, before the season opener. Baldelli said while he will continue to make roster decisions in the next day or two, he is not ruling out taking an extra player or two back to Target Field to finalize the roster there.

The starting rotation and everyday position players seems pretty set, but there are a few questions left, including a fourth outfielder or a possible third catcher. For the outfield, Baldelli said one of the factors will be team balance, which translates to a right-hitting outfielder. But he also values versatility in players able to play utility roles. There's also specifically centerfield to consider, since the Twins learned all too well last season how there can never be enough depth there.

Baldelli threw out names like Nick Gordon and Jake Cave who could play center. Brent Rooker and Kyle Garlick are righthanded-hitting outfielders.

"With a 28-man roster, there's so many more directions you can go in with all the spots," Baldelli said. "… We still have several more players than we have spots on a given day, or multiple more players, who are going to play regularly for us, that are not going to be guys that are out there maybe once or twice a week, but guys that are going to be playing regularly. … So it kind of alters the way you look at things. You're not really just looking at it as a bench-type role."

Extended stay

While the Twins will be heading up to Minnesota in time for Wednesday's workout at Target Field, some will stay behind for a bit longer.

Baldelli said pitchers Kenta Maeda and Randy Dobnak will be among those remaining in Florida as they rehab injuries. Maeda had Tommy John elbow ligament surgery late last season. Dobnak is dealing with a ruptured pulley in his right middle finger.

"Would you like to have them up North with us? Yes. But we would like to take our entire medical staff with us on the road if we don't have any active players who do go on the IL where we wouldn't have someone back permanently," Baldelli said. "We have resources down here in Fort Myers to take care of Kenta and also look after our other guys, like Dobnak, who will be down here, and eventually others, too."

Dobnak has been resting his finger most of this spring, while Maeda has started playing catch. But Baldelli said there's not necessarily a date set for Maeda to start pitching again.

"Just building up. There's a fairly lengthy process," Baldelli said. "Ultimately, you're just building up arm strength, you're building your body back. You're getting your arm feeling right again before you're ever going to take the mound."