Stewart (shoulder) and the Twins agreed to a one-year, $870,000 contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
The left-hander missed most of the second half after undergoing shoulder surgery in late July, but that won't prevent Minnesota from tendering him a contract for 2025. The initial recovery timeline was 5-to-6 months, so he should be ready to go early in spring training. Stewart had a 5.17 ERA in 16 appearances for the Twins this year but was dominant in 2024 with just two earned runs allowed across 27.2 innings.
The Twins transferred Stewart from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Stewart will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for 5-to-6 months. He's been limited to just 16 appearances this season because of nagging shoulder problems. If there's a silver lining, it's that Stewart is undergoing a cleanup procedure and is expected to be healthy in time for spring training. That said, Stewart will turn 33 years old in October and has missed considerable time over the last several years with arm issues, so it's not a given that he'll be as effective upon his return. He holds a 2.28 ERA and 59:19 K:BB over 43.1 frames for the Twins since the beginning of the 2023 season.
