Twins place starter Joe Ryan on COVID injured list; Devin Smeltzer called up

Ever since 2019, Devin Smeltzer has gone back and forth like a pendulum, swinging up from the farm system to the Twins and back down again. And no matter how well he plays, he can't escape the frequent promotions and demotions to finally establish himself at the MLB level.

He was hoping 2022 would finally end the cycle, after he didn't allow a run in spring training. But with the Twins' starting rotation full and the long reliever bullpen role going to Josh Winder, Smeltzer found himself starting in Class AAA.

After injuries and COVID absences hit the rotation hard, the 26-year-old came up for two spot starts May 14 and this past Friday. In his combined 10⅓ innings, he allowed only two runs, three walks and eight hits. But when Bailey Ober came off the injured list, Smeltzer went back to the Saints after his victory Friday.

Five days later, Smeltzer skipped his scheduled start Wednesday in St. Paul to rejoin the Twins. He will start Thursday to begin the home series against Kansas City in place of Joe Ryan, who went on the COVID injured list. Manager Rocco Baldelli wouldn't confirm if Ryan had tested positive or if the team was going through any contact tracing or further testing. Ryan is 5-2 this season with a 2.28 ERA.

Smeltzer admitted the yo-yoing is frustrating but also acknowledged that it's part of the business and something he ultimately can't control. But that doesn't mean it's become any easier to weather.

"It gets worse. You want to stay, the longer you've been around," Smeltzer said. "Your first year, you're kind of playing with house money. You go up and down, and you're just happy to be here. Once you start to feel more comfortable here, perform, then it gets harder and harder once you get sent back down."

Baldelli praised how the pitcher has handled the situation without letting it affect his performance.

"Smeltz, if he just worries about handling his job and doing the best job he can when he's out there on the mound, that's all he can do," the manager said.

Said Smeltzer: "You're always going to want to be in the majors, no matter what's going on, but the clubhouse this year is the best I've seen it since I've been up here. And the chemistry, the winning and the talent, I want to pitch with those guys behind me. That's the simple answer.

"It's much better to be here."

Jorge Polanco sat out the past two games, and Baldelli said the second baseman is dealing with some right ankle soreness. Polanco had surgeries to remove bone spurs on that ankle in the 2019 and 2020 offseasons.

His absence the past couple of days has been for rest, and he could sit Thursday's series opener against Kansas City as well.

"Nothing more than mild concern," Baldelli said. "This is something that he's been kind of playing through for a little while. Even when he's out there and playing really well, it's still something that I think he feels at times, but something that doesn't really hold him back. I'm not concerned about it right now. I think that we can kind of nip it and give him a few days here and get him back."