Twins activate Kendry Rojas, designate Justin Lawrence for assignment

What happened

The Minnesota Twins announced that right-hander Justin Lawrence has been designated for assignment, with the corresponding move bringing left-hander Kendry Rojas back from the 15-day injured list. Rojas missed approximately a month with triceps inflammation and is now back on the active roster — and, per the probable pitchers listed for the upcoming series, is already slotted to start Tuesday's home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lawrence's designation opens the 26-man roster spot that Rojas now occupies. Under general league rules, a player who has been designated for assignment must be traded, released, or placed on waivers within seven days.

Why it matters

Rojas's return matters because the Twins' rotation has been quietly coming apart at multiple seams. The activation landed on the same day the club was absorbing yesterday's news that Mick Abel — who had himself been set to come off the 15-day IL today — will instead undergo an MRI on Monday after feeling elbow soreness following a bullpen session on Friday. Abel has already been on the injured list for over two months due to inflammation in his throwing elbow, and per MLB Trade Rumors, the Twins could shift him to the 60-day IL. That would remove him from the 40-man roster count entirely, a meaningful administrative distinction when a club is already cycling arms to keep a functional pitching staff assembled.

Into that gap steps Rojas — not a finished product, but a left-handed arm with a brief major-league track record that is, at minimum, interesting. MLB Trade Rumors noted he is expected to slot into at least a long relief role initially, with the possibility of more starting assignments down the road once his arm is fully built up for that workload. Tuesday's probable listing suggests the Twins are willing to test that timeline sooner rather than later.

The numbers

Rojas's pre-injury line was striking in both directions. He posted a 1.26 ERA across his first 14 1/3 innings in the majors — the kind of number that earns a pitcher a nickname before he has thrown 15 innings. The complication, also noted by MLB Trade Rumors, was a 16.4% walk rate sitting alongside that ERA like a footnote written in a different font. A 1.26 ERA is a dream; a 16.4% walk rate is a reminder that the dream has some fine print.

The Twins carry a 77-85 record, third in the AL Central, 8 games back in the division. They are eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, sitting 7.0 games relative to the Wild Card cut line and ranked 7th in that chase. They enter this stretch on a one-game winning streak.

Where the club stands

Minnesota is 77-85, third in the AL Central, and eliminated from both the division and Wild Card races. That context shapes how the Twins are likely to think about Rojas's workload: with no postseason math left to protect, there is at least an argument for letting a young arm stretch out and accumulate innings, even if the results are occasionally bumpy.

The upcoming schedule is not gentle. Sunday's game is on the road at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Mike Paredes listed as the probable against Jose Cabrera. Then the Dodgers come to Target Field for back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday — Zebby Matthews is the probable for Monday against Will Klein, and Rojas is listed against Justin Wrobleski on Tuesday. Hosting a Dodgers club of that caliber is not the softest possible re-entry point for a pitcher returning from a month away with triceps inflammation, but the rotation apparently needs the start, and Rojas is apparently the answer Minnesota has available.

What we don't know yet

### What happens to Justin Lawrence?

Lawrence's immediate future is unresolved. The designation opens a seven-day window in which the Twins must trade him, release him, or place him on waivers. No further detail about the club's intentions was included in the announcement.

The Abel situation is similarly unresolved. The MRI is scheduled for Monday, and until those results are known, the full picture of Minnesota's rotation depth remains incomplete. MLB Trade Rumors flagged the possibility of a 60-day IL transfer, but that has not been announced. A move to the 60-day IL would remove Abel from the 40-man roster count, which could matter if the club needs to make additional moves — though no such moves have been reported.

How much Rojas can handle as a starter is also still an open question. MLB Trade Rumors was careful to frame his expected role as beginning in long relief, with starting duty contingent on his arm being fully built up. Tuesday's probable listing suggests the club is moving in that direction, but the pace of that progression has not been formally outlined.

What to watch

The Abel MRI on Monday is the most immediate thing to track. Clean results would clarify the rotation picture somewhat; anything else pushes the Twins toward additional roster decisions, and the 60-day IL possibility flagged by MLB Trade Rumors becomes more operationally relevant.

Rojas's Tuesday start against the Dodgers will be the first real read on where he is after the month away. The 1.26 ERA from his first 14 1/3 innings was genuinely impressive; the 16.4% walk rate was genuinely not. Which version shows up after a triceps inflammation layoff — and whether the Twins treat Tuesday as a true start or manage his pitch count carefully — will say a great deal about how they are thinking about his role going forward.

Lawrence's seven-day clock is also worth monitoring. Whether he clears waivers, draws trade interest, or is released will close out one chapter of a roster move that looks, on its surface, like a straightforward swap — but lands in the middle of a rotation situation that is anything but.