Taj Bradley's Pectoral Injury Knocks the Twins' Hottest Starter Out of the Rotation
The Minnesota Twins just lost one of their best arms. Right-hander Taj Bradley hit the 15-day injured list Saturday with inflammation in his right pectoral muscle, a move that's retroactive to Wednesday. That's the day after Bradley absolutely dominated against Washington, striking out eight batters over six innings and picking up the win in an 11-3 blowout.
This is a real blow for Minnesota's rotation. Bradley, 25, came into this week on fire. He was sitting at 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA through eight starts, the kind of early season form that gets fans thinking about October. Through those eight games, he'd struck out 52 batters while walking just 17 across 47 innings. That's the kind of control mixed with strikeout stuff that actually wins you games in April.
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Bradley's got real history in the majors too. The Twins acquired him from Tampa Bay at the 2025 trade deadline, sending right-hander Griffin Jax to the Rays. Before landing in Minnesota, he had gone 23-28 with a 4.64 ERA in 83 career games (81 starts) with Tampa Bay from 2023 to 2025. The Twins clearly believed in him as a reclamation project with upside, and early this season, that move was paying off.
Who Steps In Now?
To fill the gap on the 26-man roster, Minnesota recalled right-hander Travis Adams from Triple-A St. Paul. Adams, 26, is still finding his footing in the minors this season. He's 3-0 with a 9.00 ERA through five relief appearances at St. Paul. Not exactly the kind of numbers that scream "this guy's ready," but that's who the Twins are banking on to hold things down while Bradley gets healthy.
The question now is how long Bradley stays sidelined and whether he can pick up where he left off once he returns. For a Twins team trying to stay competitive early in the season, losing your hottest pitcher is never the move you want to make.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.