Joe Smith joins Twins bullpen with goal of pitching in 1,000 career games

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After 15 years, Joe Smith is 168 games away from his goal.

When the reliever was growing up, the dream was always to make it to the big leagues. So when he did that in 2007, he decided he needed to set a new aim for himself. Pitching in 1,000 career games seemed as good of a focus as any.

"I prided myself on this: Whenever I'm available, I try to take the ball," Smith said Sunday. "I can't believe I'm going to be 38 in two days, and I'm still throwing a ball. It's a lot of fun. I love it."

With only 162 games in a season, Smith won't reach that milestone this season after signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract. But it's still remarkable that the Cincinnati native is close, especially since he sat out the 2020 season to care for his late mother as she battled Huntington's disease.

While Smith had dealt with not playing baseball before, like when he tore an Achilles' in the 2018-19 offseason, 2020 was different because he completely tuned out from the game. When he returned ahead of 2021, he said he felt physically fine. But mentally, it was hard to keep pace in a game.

"When you're playing against the best in the world … and if you're not in it and engaged mentally where you need to be, it's hard, really hard, to be successful," Smith said, adding a forearm injury set him back even more.

Houston, where he had played since 2018, ended up trading him to Seattle, and his ERA went from 7.48 through 27 games to 2.00 through 23 outings.

"When you get traded from a World Series contender, it's not fun. It kind of lights a little fire," Smith said. "… It was just a good situation. I knew it was coming. I knew I could still pitch. But stepping away from that for a whole year was a lot harder than I ever expected it to be."

To make room for the side-armer on the 40-man roster, the Twins officially placed starter Kenta Maeda on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery this past September.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said pitcher Randy Dobnak does not look likely to make the Opening Day roster as he continues to deal with a finger injury that has plagued him since last season.

Dobnak battled injuries to his right throwing hand all season, appearing in only 14 games. He hadn't played since mid-June, though he made a brief one-game return in September, only to then sit out the rest of the season with a torn A4 pulley in his right middle finger.

He came to spring training and was throwing, but the team has since shut him down from pitching.

"We're resetting right now in a way and allowing his finger to rest," Baldelli said. "… We're going to give him some time off."

Dobnak appeared as a starter and in the bullpen last season.

Royce Lewis got in some very important practice during the lockout. But this preparation didn't require a ball, glove or bat.

And it wasn't a coach or trainer running the drills, but two little girls.

"I gave him the analogy the other day … 'You know the demo games for "Call of Duty" and whatnot?' He's like, 'Yeah.' I was like 'This is demoing having children,'" Alex Kirilloff said. "'So take notes, and this is what it's like. So just keep that in mind.'"

Kirilloff and his wife, Jordan, have 2-year-old Penelope and 3-month-old Priscilla. Kirilloff and Lewis have been good pals as top prospects coming up through the Twins system. So Lewis has benefited from some hands-on experience with the toddlers.

But it hasn't scared the 22-year-old off at all.

"The trial's been great. I love his kids. I love all kids, that's the thing," Lewis said. "I can't wait. I've been saying that for how long? A few years. I was like, 'I can't wait to have my own kids, man.' But obviously I can't. … So this is a happy medium."