The Twins reinstated Topa (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Topa has been on the injured list all season while working his way back from a torn patellar tendon he suffered during spring training and an elbow issue that appeared during a rehab assignment in August. He surrendered three earned runs over two innings after restarting his minor-league assignment Friday, and he's now been given the green light to return to Minnesota's bullpen for the team's final playoff push. Given the amount of time he's missed, the 33-year-old righty will likely be limited to middle relief. Cole Irvin was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Feels ready to return
Rotowire
Topa (knee/elbow) said Tuesday that he feels ready to return after making two rehab appearances with Triple-A St. Paul, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Topa allowed three runs in the first of those outings before bouncing back with two strikeouts in a scoreless frame in the second appearance. He's been out all season, first while recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and more recently due to right elbow inflammation. While Topa appears healthy now, it's unclear how eager the Twins would be to throw him into action during the final week of the season when they're pushing for a playoff spot.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Throwing bullpen sessions
Rotowire
Topa (knee/elbow) threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports. It was his third bullpen session in the past week.
Topa hopes to face live hitters in a few days and then try to pitch in a rehab game with Triple-A St. Paul in late September. Topa still hopes to pitch in the majors this season, but he still has several more steps to go. Topa has resided on the injured list all season, first while recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee before being pulled off a rehab assignment in August due to right elbow inflammation.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Resumes playing catch
Rotowire
Topa (knee) has resumed playing catch, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Topa missed the first four months of the season due to a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee. He began a rehab assignment July 23 but was shut down Aug. 10 due to right elbow inflammation. Topa remains optimistic that he can return this season, but he still likely has several weeks of building up his throwing before he could start a rehab assignment.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Setback while playing catch
Rotowire
Topa (elbow) had a setback when he experienced soreness while playing catch, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa missed the first four months of the season due to a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee. He began a rehab assignment July 23 but was shut down Aug. 10 due to right elbow inflammation. It seems unlikely that he'll be able to return from the injured list before the regular season ends. although the Twins haven't officially ruled it out.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: MRI shows elbow inflammation
Rotowire
An MRI on Topa's right elbow showed inflammation, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Topa had his minor league rehab assignment shut down Saturday after experiencing tightness in his right arm. The right-hander has been on assignment since July 23 as part of his recovery from a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee. He's yet to make his 2024 major league debut. Topa says he shouldn't be out too long, but it's not clear he'll even be able to return this season.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Pulled from rehab stint
Rotowire
Topa (knee) was returned from his minor-league rehab assignment Saturday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Topa has shown decreased velocity recently, and it's been revealed that he's been battling arm fatigue. The right-hander has been on assignment since July 23 as part of his recovery from a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee. He's yet to make his 2024 debut. While it's unclear how far the arm fatigue will set him back, Topa shouldn't be expected back any time soon.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Not ready to return from IL
Rotowire
Topa (knee) has thrown six scoreless innings at Triple-A St. Paul during his current rehab assignment, but the Twins aren't yet to activate him from the injured list while he's shown decreased velocity in the minors, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
It's telling that the Twins have not activated Topa from the IL despite several injuries on the pitching staff in the past week. Topa hasn't pitched in the majors this season due to a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee, which required a platelet-rich plasma injection in mid-May. He started a rehab assignment July 23. It's not clear how much longer he'll need at Triple-A, or what kind of progress he'll need to show to be activated.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Sent on assignment
Rotowire
Topa (knee) will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Fort Myers on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Topa hasn't played in 2024 due to a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee, but he'll see his first in-game action since being returned from a rehab assignment in early May. The reliever will likely need several rehab appearances before being activated, and it's likely he won't be back in action until August.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Topa (knee) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and is expected to throw again Saturday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa has been out all season with a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee and had a platelet-rich plasma injection in mid-May. He still will likely need to throw several more bullpen sessions before he can go out on a rehab assignment.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Throwing bullpen sessions
Rotowire
Topa (knee) will throw two bullpen sessions this week, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa has been out all season with a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee, but he seems to be inching closer to a return. The reliever will need to face hitters and make a handful of rehab appearances before a clear return date can come into focus.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Set to throw bullpen session
Rotowire
Topa (left patellar tear) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session next week, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The right-hander was diagnosed with a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee in mid-May. It's his first sign of progress since the injury and he likely has several more weeks of throwing before he can begin a rehab assignment. He could return in late July if all goes well.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Twins transferred Topa from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday with left patellar tendinitis.
The right-hander was diagnosed with a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee in mid-May and isn't expected to resume throwing for another month, so a move to the 60-day IL isn't much of a surprise. Topa was a key bullpen piece for Seattle last season with a 2.61 ERA and 24 holds in 75 appearances, but he's been sidelined by knee issues since late in spring training and won't be debuting for Minnesota until midseason, at least.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Dealing with small tear in knee
Rotowire
Topa underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a 25 percent tear in his left patellar tendon, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. He'll be immobilized for the next week and isn't expected to resume throwing for another six weeks.
After getting a second opinion on the knee injury, Topa will forgo surgery, but he's still need considerable rest and rehab before being ready to make his season debut. He's currently using crutches and will spent the next week recovering from a platelet-rich plasma injection before he kicks off his ramp-up program. Topa appeared to be on the cusp of rejoining the Twins, but felt discomfort in his knee following the fourth appearance of his rehab assignment May 5 with Triple-A St. Paul and now appears unlikely to be ready for activation until sometime in July.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Undergoes MRI on knee
Rotowire
Topa underwent an MRI on his left knee after feeling soreness following his last rehab appearance with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa was able to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, so his setback would appear to be a minor one. However, the reliever is still awaiting results of the MRI before the next steps are determined. Topa had been poised to be activated from the 15-day injured list soon before hitting a snag in his recovery.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Set for another rehab outing
Rotowire
Topa (knee) reached 94 mph during a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A St. Paul and will make another appearance May 5, MLB.com reports. He's given up two runs in three innings with five strikeouts and no walks in three rehab outings.
Topa began the season on the shelf with left patellar tendinitis and it's taken him longer than initially expected to return. He had lower-than-usual velocity in his first two outings, so he may finally be ready to be activated from the injured list in a few days.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Starting rehab assignment
Rotowire
Topa (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Topa opened the season on the shelf with left patellar tendinitis but has been cleared to test himself in a game setting. The reliever presumably will need multiple rehab appearances before returning from the 15-day injured list and slotting back into the Minnesota bullpen.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Closing in on rehab assignment
Rotowire
Topa (knee) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Tuesday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Everything seemed to go as hoped, which means Topa should be able to begin a rehab assignment any day now. He's been out since late March with left patellar tendinitis and figures to require a handful of rehab appearances before being activated.
... See More... See Less
Twins' Justin Topa: Slated to throw live BP
Rotowire
Topa (knee) will throw live batting practice Tuesday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
If Topa is able to get through BP without any issues, it's possible the Twins send him out on a rehab assignment. He's been on the injured list since the beginning of the season due to left patellar tendinitis, so he would likely require multiple appearances in the minors, but it appears the 33-year-old righty isn't too far away from rejoining the Twins' bullpen.
