Minnesota Twins Closer Glen Perkins Placed on DL
By Nick Fustor
A bad start to the season got even worse for the Minnesota Twins, who placed closer Glen Perkins on the DL today.
A woeful start to the Minnesota Twins‘ season (0-7) has gotten even worse, as closer Glen Perkins was placed in the disabled list today with a left shoulder strain, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com via MLB Trade Rumors. The Twins called up lefty Taylor Rogers to take his roster spot, but it’s unclear how long Perkins will be out.
Perkins last pitched on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals and blew a save after giving up two runs. MLB Trade Rumors noted that Perkins’ fastball velocity had dipped to an average of 91.3 MPH this season after managing a solid 93.7 MPH last year. Perkins is a three-time All-Star and has saved at least 32 games in each of the last three seasons.
Last season, Perkins posted a 3.32 ERA with a 8.53 K/9 in 57 innings of work. At 33, Perkins may soon start to see a decline, but with such a small sample size this season, his dip in velocity is not yet a definite.
In Perkins’ absence, the team will likely turn to Kevin Jepsen to take over the closer’s role. Acquired in July of 2015, Jepsen filled in admirably for an injured Perkins as he saved 15 games while posting a 2.56 ERA. In only 2 2/3 innings pitched this season, Jepsen has given up three runs and five hits. It’s likely he’ll turn things around quickly as he gets re-acclimated to the closer role.
If Jepsen struggles, though, the team could turn to hard-throwing right-hander Trevor May. May has an absurdly high 15.88 K/9 in just 5 2/3 innings this season, but his high velocity could make him the perfect candidate to close out games. At 26, the team could begin grooming May to take over the closer role going forward.
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Down in the minors, the team has the towering 6’9″ Alex Meyer available as another option to take a spot in the bullpen. Once viewed as a potential top of the rotation starter, the Twins moved him to the bullpen last season to best utilize his repertoire – and have seen positive results.