The Minnesota Twins made a bold move last July by trading away their five best relievers, committing to a youth movement in the bullpen for this season. A month into the 2025 campaign, that gamble hasn't paid off as expected—the Twins now boast one of the worst relief corps in Major League Baseball. And the rebuild just hit another snag.
On Saturday morning, the Twins placed veteran right-hander Cole Sands on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain. Sands, 28, had emerged as a reliable late-inning option for Minnesota, even before the trade deadline fire sale. Through 72 innings last season, he posted 64 strikeouts against just 19 walks, earning trust in high-leverage situations.
"He's one of our leverage guys," manager Derek Shelton said, underscoring the loss.
The timing couldn't be worse. Entering Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field, Twins relievers ranked 27th out of 30 MLB teams with a combined 5.03 ERA. They've surrendered 114 hits and 70 runs in just 111 innings—a recipe for late-game heartbreak.
Sands said he felt something unusual while warming up during a 7-4 win over Toronto earlier this week. Imaging on Friday confirmed the forearm strain. His last outing came on April 26, when he allowed two earned runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning during a 7-1 loss to Seattle.
"It was probably some of the better news you could have got out of the (imaging)," Sands said. "So, (I'll) just try and get back, try and get stronger out of it and bounce back from it and be ready to go the last couple months of the season."
To fill Sands' roster spot, the Twins called up 24-year-old John Klein from Triple-A St. Paul. A Brooklyn Park native and Osseo High School graduate, Klein is set to make his major league debut—a quick turnaround from pitching for the Saints at CHS Field this week. He's made seven appearances for St. Paul (six starts) and will serve as a long reliever. Over five seasons in the Twins' system, Klein has struck out 306 batters in 288⅔ innings.
Shelton noted that Klein's addition could shift prospect Andrew Morris from a long-relief role to a shorter one. Morris, 24, has struggled in his first five MLB appearances, allowing eight earned runs on 15 hits in just over 11 innings.
With the bullpen already under pressure, the Twins will need their young arms to step up—and fast—if they hope to turn the season around.