Gant (groin) signed a contract Tuesday with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, Sung Min Kim of The Athletic reports.
Gant elected free agency after being outrighted by the Twins in early November, and he'll continue his career overseas with MLB players currently locked out. The 29-year-old appeared in 39 games (21 starts) between Minnesota and St. Louis in 2021 and posted a 4.09 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 92:71 K:BB across 110 innings.
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John Gant: Exploring free agency
Rotowire
Gant (groin) cleared outright waivers Monday and has elected free agency, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Gant finished the season on the Twins' 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain, but he should be back to full health well in advance of spring training. The 29-year-old opened 2021 as a member of the St. Louis rotation and was sitting on a sub-2.00 ERA through early June, but poor underlying ratios hinted that a reckoning was coming. Over his 29 appearances (11 starts) between St. Louis and Minnesota spanning 59.1 innings, Gant went 1-8 with a 6.22 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 6.0 K-BB%. His decent track record prior to 2021 could be enough for Gant to earn a major-league deal this winter, but any team that signs him would likely envision him serving as a swingman or reliever rather than as a mainstay of the rotation.
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Twins' John Gant: Lands on 10-day IL
Rotowire
Gant was placed on the 10-day injured list with a mild right groin strain Saturday.
Gant made his final start of the regular season Friday and allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three in four innings to take the loss against the Royals. Although he'll finish the year on the injured list, he'll likely be ready for the start of spring training in 2022.
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Twins' John Gant: Hammered for six runs
Rotowire
Gant (5-11) allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks over four innings Friday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Royals.
The Royals jumped on Gant early, plating a pair of runs in the first inning followed by two more in the third. He then coughed up a two-run double to Andrew Benintendi in the fourth. The 29-year-old righty finishes his 2021 season with a 4.09 ERA and a 92:71 K:BB through 110 innings. Gant went 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA over his last seven appearances.
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Twins' John Gant: Draws another start
Rotowire
Gant is scheduled to start Friday's game in Kansas City.
Gant will get a second straight turn through the rotation after he last took the mound Sept. 25 against Toronto in his return from the 10-day injured list. He was capped at three innings in the outing and gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out one. Gant should have a slightly longer leash in what will be his final appearance of 2021.
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Twins' John Gant: Lasts three innings in return
Rotowire
Gant (5-10) took the loss Saturday versus Minnesota. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with a strikeout in three innings.
The right-hander missed just one day over the minimum while on the injured list with an abdominal strain. He was solid Saturday, throwing 32 of 47 pitches for strikes, and Teoscar Hernandez's solo shot in the second inning accounted for the only earned run on Gant's line. Through 106 innings, Gant owns a 3.74 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 89:69 K:BB. He's projected for one more start this season, tentatively set as a road date in Kansas City during next weekend's three-game series.
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Twins' John Gant: Slated to return Saturday
Rotowire
Gant (abdomen) will be reinstated from the 10-day injured list to start Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Gant was placed on the injured list with an abdominal strain last week, but he'll return to the mound after spending just over the minimum 10 days on the injured list. The right-hander posted a 1.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 10.2 innings across the three appearances prior to his absence.
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Twins' John Gant: Reinstated ahead of start vs. Jays
Rotowire
Gant (abdomen) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Blue Jays.
He will end up missing 11 days with the abdominal injury. Gant has a 1.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 10.2 innings over his last three appearances, but he faces a tough test against a loaded Toronto lineup.
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Twins' John Gant: Hits injured list
Rotowire
Gant landed on the injured list as expected Tuesday with an abdominal strain, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The injury forced Gant to exit his start Monday against the Yankees and will cost him at least one turn in the rotation. With less than three weeks remaining in the season, he doesn't have much time to get back on the mound, but the Twins haven't yet ruled him out for the year.
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Twins' John Gant: Bound for injured list
Rotowire
Gant (abdomen) is expected to land on the injured list Tuesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Gant exited his start Monday against the Yankees after facing just three batters. He'll wind up missing at least one start, as he's expected to be removed from the roster as the Twins add players ahead of Tuesday's doubleheader against Cleveland.
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Twins' John Gant: Dealing with abdomen issue
Rotowire
Gant was removed from Monday's game against the Yankees due to a lower abdomen strain, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Gant faced just three hitters before exiting Monday's contest in the top of the first inning. It's not yet clear whether the injury will force him to miss additional time, but he tentatively lines up to start on the road against Toronto on Sunday if he's deemed healthy enough to pitch.
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Twins' John Gant: Start ends early due to injury
Rotowire
Gant faced three hitters and recorded two outs before departing in the top of the first inning with an apparent injury, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Staked to a 4-0 lead when he took the mound in the bottom of the first, Gant threw only five of 12 pitches for strikes before he motioned to the dugout for the trainer. After a brief checkup, the right-hander was immediately removed from the contest, with Luke Farrell coming on from the bullpen to replace him. The Twins are expected to provide an update on the nature of Gant's injury later Monday.
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Twins' John Gant: Throws five scoreless frames
Rotowire
Gant (5-9) earned the win Tuesday after blanking Cleveland across five innings. He allowed three hits and four walks while striking out seven.
Gant turned in one of his best starts of the season, collecting a season-high seven strikeouts in the process. His four walks allowed didn't help him stretch things out, but nonetheless he picked up his first win since being traded from the Cardinals. The right-hander has compiled a 4.85 ERA and 1.15 WHIP since then to go with 88 strikeouts overall, bringing him within reach of surpassing his career-high of 95 punchouts set during the 2018 campaign. Gant tentatively lines up for a road start Monday against the Yankees.
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Twins' John Gant: Takes loss to Cubs
Rotowire
Gant (4-9) allowed two earned runs on three hits while striking out five across five innings, taking the loss to the Cubs on Tuesday.
Gant allowed a solo home run to Frank Schwindel in the first inning. In addition, he allowed two hits in the second that led to another run scoring. He posted three scoreless innings before being relieved after the fifth, but it wasn't enough to earn the win. Since being traded to the Twins, the 28-year-old has a 6.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 25 punchouts in 21 innings.
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Twins' John Gant: Struggles in loss
Rotowire
Gant (4-8) was charged with the loss against the Red Sox on Thursday after surrendering four runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three across four innings.
The right-hander has now given up eight runs across 7.1 innings over two starts for Minnesota. Fortunately for Gant, his rotation security should be in tact for the time being since the Twins currently have four starters on the injured list (Michael Pineda, Kenta Maeda, Lewis Thorpe and Randy Dobnak). The 29-year-old tentatively lines up for a Tuesday matchup against the Cubs.
Gant is scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Red Sox in Boston.
He'll be making a second turn through the Minnesota rotation after he was charged with four earned runs over 3.1 innings in his first start with the Twins on Aug. 19 versus the Yankees. A matchup versus the Red Sox at Fenway Park isn't exactly a great bounce-back opportunity for Gant, but a poor outing won't necessarily cost him a spot in the rotation heading into next week. The Twins currently have four starters on the injured list (Michael Pineda, Kenta Maeda, Lewis Thorpe and Randy Dobnak), and all but Dobnak have murky return timelines.
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Twins' John Gant: Loses in first start with Twins
Rotowire
Gant (4-7) allowed four earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out four across 3.1 innings, taking the loss to the Yankees on Thursday.
Gant struggled in his first start with the Twins, surrendering four runs in the third inning on three extra-base hits. He was relieved with one out in the fourth frame, which is the longest he's pitched in an outing since June 17. The 28-year-old has a 3.77 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 73 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. If he receives another start, it is projected to come Wednesday in Boston.
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Twins' John Gant: Tabbed to start Thursday
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Gant will start Thursday's game against the Yankees, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Gant has seven appearances out of the bullpen since being acquired by the Twins at the trade deadline, and he'll now make his first start for his new team. The right-hander started 14 games for the Cardinals prior to being traded and posted a 3.76 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 50:48 K:BB across 64.2 innings. He has a much-improved 13:2 K:BB during his brief time with Minnesota, and he could be a solid starting piece if he sticks in the rotation and is able to keep the walks down. Gant threw 17 pitches during a scoreless frame Monday and shouldn't be expected to cover more than three innings Thursday.
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Twins' John Gant: Traded to Minnesota
Rotowire
Gant and Evan Sisk were traded from the Cardinals to the Twins on Friday in exchange for J.A. Happ, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Gant shifted between the rotation and bullpen for the Cardinals with 14 starts in 25 appearances this season, and he posted a 3.42 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 56:56 K:BB across 76.1 innings. Walks have always been an issue for the right-hander, but it's been especially problematic in 2021 with a 6.6 BB/9. Gant could receive a look in the rotation for the non-contending Twins, but he'd need to ramp up to a starter's workload given he hasn't thrown more than 36 pitches in an outing since June 23.
