Minnesota Twins Latest Injury Updates On Joe Ryan, Brock Stewart, And Luke Keaschall Calls For Concern

The Twins will be without their best starter for “weeks to months,” according to Rocco Baldelli. While troublesome in the short term, the injury shouldn’t be of concern in the long term.

The teres major is a relatively small muscle that runs from the shoulder blade to the front of the arm. It’s actively involved in throwing as it pulls the arm into extension and internal rotation, two of the primary motions of the arm during pitching. The latissimus dorsi (i.e., last) perform the same motions but are significantly larger and more powerful.

Teres major strains aren’t among the most common pitching injuries but aren’t rare. A recent study identified 159 professional pitchers who suffered either teres major or lat strains, with long-term return-to-play rates hovering around 100%.

However, what is more important, particularly for the Twins, is short-term return to play.

Grade 2 injuries fall on the moderate to severe end of the muscle strain spectrum. They generally don’t require surgical intervention, but they do take a while to recover from. Moderate muscle strains usually heal within 4-8 weeks, not including a full ramp-up period. With seven weeks remaining in the regular season, it’s possible Ryan won’t be able to make another start until the playoffs (assuming the Twins make the playoffs).

Unfortunately, Ryan’s injury was far from the only one to strike the Twins in recent days.

Reliever Brock Stewart will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The recovery is expected to take 5-6 months, which is fairly standard for the procedure. Arthroscopy generally involves “cleaning up” damaged and/or floating tissue in the joint. According to Stewart, imaging did not find major structural damage, which keeps the expected recovery time from approaching 12 months or more.

Finally, top prospect Luke Keaschall will be undergoing Tommy John surgery. Luckily, he is a position player and right-handed batter, so he should be a full go by the time Spring Training rolls around. Keaschall joins Matt Wallner and Miguel Sanó among Twins position player prospects to have the procedure done.