Minnesota placed Topa on the 15-day injured list Thursday with left patellar tendinitis.

With closer Jhoan Duran also opening the season on the IL with an oblique strain that will likely keep him sidelined for most of April, Topa might have been in position to cover some high-leverage innings out of the bullpen early in the season, but his own knee issue will foil those plans. Topa and Duran are joined on the shelf by four other relievers, leaving Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart as the most likely options to factor into the mix for saves in the first few weeks of the season.

The Twins placed Thielbar (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Thielbar is one of six Twins relievers that will begin the season on the injured list. He's eligible for activation April 9, but since he didn't pitch in any Grapefruit League games while recovering from the left hamstring strain, Thielbar may need more than the minimum 15 days to complete his recovery before being ready to join Minnesota.

The Twins placed Staumont on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left calf strain.

Staumont was on track to make the Twins' Opening Day roster, but his bid was derailed when he slipped in the bullpen earlier this week and apparently suffered the calf strain in the process. The transaction is retroactive to Monday, so Staumont will be eligible to return from the IL as soon as April 9.

The Twins placed Duran (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Duran suffered a moderate right oblique strain nearly two weeks ago and is likely to miss most, if not all, of April with the injury. Manager Rocco Baldelli hasn't committed to a closer while Duran is out, but Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart are the top candidates.

The Twins selected Duarte's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday.

Duarte netted a spot in Minnesota's bullpen after collecting a 2.92 ERA and a 12:0 K:BB in 12.1 innings during Grapefruit League play. The 27-year-old will likely be utilized in a middle-relief role.

The Astros placed Abreu on the restricted list Thursday.

Abreu has to serve a two-game suspension to begin the season after MLB ruled that he intentionally threw at the Rangers' Adolis Garcia in Game 5 of the ALCS. The setup man will be activated ahead of the third game of the four-game set versus the Yankees.

The Athletics optioned Jackson to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Jackson missed out on a bullpen spot after allowing seven runs (six earned) over 8.1 innings this spring. The 29-year-old could still eventually fill a leverage role in an unsettled Oakland bullpen.

The Rangers optioned Anderson to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Anderson lost out to Yerry Rodriguez and Jacob Latz for the final two available spots in the Rangers' Opening Day bullpen. The 26-year-old right-hander made 26 relief appearances for Texas as a rookie in 2023, logging a 5.05 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 30:14 K:BB across 35.2 innings.

The Angels placed Bachman (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Bachman is still working his way back from an October cleanup procedure on his right shoulder and is believed to be limited to playing catch off flat ground at this stage in his rehab program, so it's not overly surprising that the Angels are preparing for him to miss at least the first two months of the season. By moving Bachman to the 60-day injured list, the Angels were able to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Miguel Sano, whose contract was selected ahead of Thursday's season opener in Baltimore.

Walter will begin the season on the injured list due to a strained left shoulder, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Walter will remain in Fort Myers for extended spring training as he works his way back from his injury. The 27-year-old southpaw will head to Triple-A Worcester once he's healthy and could contribute out of the Red Sox's bullpen at some point in 2024.