Minnesota Twins: Can Glen Perkins Return to Form in 2017?
By Wayne Cavadi
Glen Perkins, one of the keys to the Minnesota Twins’ success, pitched all but two innings last season. Coming off shoulder surgery, can the soon-to-be 34-year-old return to his All-Star form?
The Minnesota Twins did not have a lot to be happy about in 2016, and 2017 is already off on the wrong foot.
Glen Perkins has felt familiar catch behind his left shoulder & won't throw off mound on Friday as his recovery plan had targeted.
— Patrick Reusse (@Patrick_Reusse) February 9, 2017
Best I can tell, catch behind shoulder for Perkins was something he felt in springs past -- before the torn labrum. Might be unrelated.
— Patrick Reusse (@Patrick_Reusse) February 9, 2017
The Twins enter 2017 as owners of the worst record in baseball last season. They won a mere 59 games. And they did it without their All-Star closer.
While his Twitter feed suggests he feels good, skipping a mound session coming off shoulder surgery is something worth keeping an eye on. It is quite possible that Perkins simply wanted to reel in the reins (or rod as his Twitter feed shows) and slow his recovery plan. That would be the best case scenario.
Simply put, the Twins need a healthy Perkins.
Glen Perkins has been a Minnesota Twins staple since he was a first-round draft pick in 2004. The southpaw shifted from starter to reliever and finally settled in as closer in 2012. Perkins saved 102 out of 116 games (an 88 percent success rate) in his three full years in the role. That earned him three consecutive trips to the Midsummer Classic.
He pitched two innings last season before being shut down with shoulder issues. Reconstructive surgery on a torn labrum ensued. Perkins released the following apology last year, further embedding himself into the hearts of Twins fans.
— Glen Perkins (@glenperkins) June 22, 2016
Perkins is weeks away from his 34th birthday. While it seems that Friday’s missed session may have been voluntary, it is still worrisome. It is not unthinkable to portend that this may be the end of the road. Healthy shoulders are rather important to pitchers.
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Brandon Kintzler took over as closer last season. He performed admirably but by no means seems like the answer. Kintzler, in turn, enjoyed his finest season in his seven-year career. The then 31-year-old righty went 0-2, converting 17 of 20 save opportunities while posting a 3.15 ERA. His strikeout rate was nothing to get excited about (5.8 per nine) but he showed impressive control behind 1.3 walks per nine. Despite being hittable (9.8 hits per nine) he posted a 3.61 FIP, suggesting his performance was for real.
Kintzler has an above average sinker, which helps lead to his 61.9 percent ground ball rate. It is go-to pitch, as he threw it 82 percent of the time last season. He needs to sustain that number to be effective, lacking the typical strikeout numbers akin to closers.
There isn’t much left to choose from, either. Ryan Pressly simply didn’t look comfortable as a late-inning guy, blowing five of six save opportunities. 26-year-old lefty Taylor Rogers had an impressive (and somewhat surprising) big league debut. He throws a 94 mile-per-hour fastball, and an average breaking ball and change up right at hitters, posting a 3.57 FIP and 9.39 strikeouts per nine.
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Hopefully for the Twins’ sake, this is all precautionary and Perkins returns to the mound when pitchers and catchers report in just a few days.