Twins manager Ron Gardenhire explained to MLB Network Radio Tuesday why the team chose to demote Kyle Gibson, who dropped to 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA following Monday's loss against the Mets.

"It comes down to command. He knew it," Gardenhire said. "He has good stuff, but has to get the command down. He was erratic."

Gardenhire added part of the reason for the demotion was to protect Gibson since he's a big part of the team's future.

"He was frustrated up here, and we don't want him to go through that," Gardenhire said. "He'll be a big part of our rotation next year."