The Twins made a move to strengthen their bullpen depth by bringing up right-hander Jay Jackson ahead of their series finale against the Colorado Rockies. In a corresponding move, the Twins sent starter Louie Varland back to St. Paul. To make room for Jackson on the roster, right-handed reliever Diego Castillo was designated for assignment after appearing in five games with the team.
Jackson, 36, signed with the Twins this offseason and started the year in the majors. After struggling in 17 appearances, he was designated for assignment on May 19 and went to St. Paul, where he made three appearances with a 3.00 ERA across three innings. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that they liked what they saw from Jackson in St. Paul and that he will be relied upon to pitch in various situations out of the bullpen.
Varland was called up to start Tuesday’s game against the Rockies and pitched well, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out three in five innings of work. Baldelli was pleased with Varland’s performance and expects him to be ready when needed again this season. Castillo, who signed a minor league contract during spring training, was pitching well in Triple-A before being called up on May 28. He made five appearances for the Twins, posting a 2.57 ERA across seven innings but issued seven walks
