The Twins placed rookie right-hander Mick Abel on the 15-day injured list Thursday with inflammation in his right elbow, a setback that could keep him out until at least May 2 if the issue proves to be only minor.
Simeon Woods Richardson was moved up to start in Abel’s place Wednesday, while Kendry Rojas was reported to be joining the major league roster the next day. Connor Prielipp was also added to the major league taxi squad.
Abel’s move came after a fast rise in Minnesota that started with a dominant spring and carried into the regular season. He won a rotation job after throwing 22 Grapefruit League innings with a 2.05 ERA, a 32.9% strikeout rate and a 4.9% walk rate. He had entered camp without a guaranteed spot, but earned one anyway.
The 2020 first-rounder, selected by Philadelphia with the No. 15 overall pick, was traded to Minnesota with top catching prospect Eduardo Tait at last year’s deadline in the deal that sent Jhoan Duran back to Philadelphia. Abel made his major league debut in Philadelphia in 2025 and has been trying to turn that start into something more stable ever since.
His numbers this season show both the promise and the volatility that made the injury news meaningful. In 20 1/3 innings, Abel has a 3.98 ERA with a 24.7% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate. His FIP is 2.79 and his SIERA is 3.93, and he recovered from a rough first two appearances with Minnesota by throwing 13 shutout innings in his next two starts.
The Twins now list Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober and Woods Richardson as their locked-in starters after Abel’s trip to the injured list. Zebby Matthews had a 7.71 ERA in his first four turns through the Triple-A rotation, and Andrew Morris was recently recalled and placed in the major league bullpen, leaving Minnesota with less margin than it had a week ago.
The club has not formally announced every related roster move yet, but the immediate picture is clear: Abel is out, Woods Richardson is up, and the rotation has thinned just as the rookie who had seized a job in spring training runs into his first real interruption.
