Rocco Baldelli, manager of the Minnesota Twins, explained that Louie Varland’s rough outing on Thursday was not enough to change his mind about promoting the right-hander from Class AAA to the major leagues. Despite giving up six runs in three innings to Syracuse, Varland will start at Target Field against the Rockies on Tuesday. This move provides some rest for the Twins starting rotation during a busy stretch of 13 games in a row.
Baldelli emphasized that giving pitchers extra rest was important during this busy schedule. It also allowed the team to take another look at Varland, who had a strong showing in spring camp but struggled in regular season games. Varland lost all four of his starts with the Twins, posting a 9.18 ERA before being demoted to the Saints.
Despite his struggles, Varland has been working on improving his offspeed pitches and using them effectively. Baldelli emphasized that Varland needed to utilize all his pitches in order to find success at the major league level. To make room for Varland on the roster, the Twins optioned righthander Diego Castillo back to St. Paul. Castillo had a decent performance with the Twins, pitching seven innings and giving up two runs with seven walks and three strikeouts.
In conclusion, Louie Varland’s rough outing on Thursday did not change Baldelli’s mind about promoting him to the major leagues. The manager is confident that with extra rest and practice, Varland can find success at the next level. Meanwhile, Diego Castillo will continue his development in St. Paul as he awaits his return to Minnesota later this season or next year if he continues performing well there.
To summarize: Louie Varland is set for promotion despite struggling with six runs given up in three innings against Syracuse; Rocco Baldelli explained how giving pitchers extra rest is crucial during a busy stretch of games; Diego Castillo was optioned back to St Paul after decent performance with Twins
