Twins’ big trade deadline acquisition leaves game early after troubling signs

The Minnesota Twins acquired Tyler Mahle at the trade deadline, but in just his third start, he was forced to leave the game early. 

The Minnesota Twins acquired Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline, but they will have to wait a bit longer to utilize him. After just three games with the Twins, Mahle left the game against the Kansas City Royals early with right shoulder fatigue.

Luckily, Mahle’s irritation seems to be just “general soreness” rather than acute pain. The Twins will do further testing, but there’s a chance he’ll avoid the injured list.

Over 14.1 innings pitched with the Twins, Mahle gave up four runs, four walks and struck out 12. Over this season, he’s produced an ERA of 4.17, batting average against of .224 and WHIP of 1.20. He hasn’t produced the best results, but he’s one of the best starting pitchers on the team.

Minnesota has a decent rotation, but Mahle’s absence would be noticeable.

The Twins have good replacements for Mahle, but his absence will be noticeable

Minnesota needs overall work in their rotation. They have the 12th-worst ERA (3.97), 14th-best opponent batting average (.239) and 12th-best WHIP (1.24).

He’s the second-best starting pitcher on the team behind Joe Ryan. This season, Ryan has produced an ERA of 3.92, BAA of .229 and WHIP of 1.15. Each starting pitcher beyond the two doesn’t range too far from one another as far as talent.

The Twins are potential playoff contenders as well. According to FanGraphs, there’s a 49.6 percent chance of them making it and a 16.6 percent chance at a Wild Card spot. Because Mahle is one of the top starting pitchers, his absence could hold them back from postseason success.