Twins designate Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment after 7.74 ERA

What happened

The Minnesota Twins announced the designation for assignment of right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, with Triple-A right-hander John Klein called up in the corresponding 26-man roster move. Because Klein was already on the 40-man roster, the move leaves Minnesota with 38 players on their 40-man — two open slots that could matter as the club navigates a rotation that has been reshuffled more than once in recent weeks.

Why it matters

The DFA closes a difficult chapter for Woods Richardson in Minnesota's rotation, and it does so with some urgency baked in. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Woods Richardson is out of minor league options, which means the Twins could not simply send him to Triple-A to sort things out. Once a player is out of options, a club must either keep him on the active roster or expose him to waivers — and Minnesota, per the announcement, chose the latter path. Under general league rules, a player designated for assignment must be traded, released, or placed on waivers within seven days, and outright waivers run 48 hours. The clock is now running.

The timing is also worth noting. Per MLB Trade Rumors, the Twins had removed Woods Richardson from the rotation two weeks ago, a signal that the organization had already lost confidence in him as a starter. He was pressed back into that role last Thursday only because Kendry Rojas was scratched with an elbow problem — a circumstance that, by any reading, was not a vote of confidence. What followed did not help his case.

The numbers

Woods Richardson's season line tells the story plainly. Per MLB Trade Rumors, he posted a 7.74 ERA across 47 2/3 innings, with 26 strikeouts against 25 walks — a ratio that is, as the outlet put it, almost even. A pitcher who cannot reliably separate strikeouts from walks is operating without a margin for error, and a 7.74 ERA is what happens when that margin disappears entirely.

His two relief appearances offered a sliver of something: three scoreless innings combined, per the report. But MLB Trade Rumors noted that he allowed a walk and a hit in both outings, and the Twins apparently did not find that profile convincing enough to retain him in a bullpen role. The final start — the one that came about only because of Rojas's elbow issue — ended with five runs allowed over 2 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to the White Sox. That was the last entry on the ledger.

Where the club stands

The Twins carry a record of 77-85 (.475), sitting third in the AL Central, 8 games back in the division, and ranked seventh in the Wild Card picture at 7.0 games relative to the cut line. The club has been eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, and enters the weekend on a one-game winning streak. The rotation decisions being made now are as much about next year as this one — which gives the Woods Richardson DFA a different kind of weight than it might carry in July.

The upcoming schedule offers a useful lens on what the pitching staff faces next. On Saturday, May 30, Bailey Ober takes the ball against Mitch Keller when Minnesota visits PNC Park to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Sunday, May 31, Zebby Matthews is the probable starter against Braxton Ashcraft in the series finale. The club then returns home to Target Field on Monday, June 1, where Joe Ryan is lined up against David Sandlin and the Chicago White Sox — the same team that handed Minnesota that 6-2 loss in Woods Richardson's final start. That particular scheduling detail has a certain symmetry to it.

What we don't know yet

### What happens to Woods Richardson within the seven-day window?

Per the report, the DFA has been announced, but what comes next — a trade, a release, or an outright assignment through waivers — has not been reported. Given that he is out of options, any outright assignment to the minors would require him to clear waivers first. Whether another club claims him, whether he clears and accepts an outright, or whether he is released remains unresolved as of the announcement.

The status of Kendry Rojas is also an open thread. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Rojas was scratched due to an elbow problem — the scratch that created the opening for Woods Richardson's final start. The report does not include a diagnosis, a timetable, or any further detail about Rojas's condition. That situation bears watching, because the rotation vacancy that briefly fell to Woods Richardson has not been addressed in any permanent sense.

It is also worth noting that John Klein, the right-hander called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, was already on the 40-man roster. The report does not include details about what role Klein is expected to fill, or how the Twins plan to deploy the two open 40-man spots that now exist.

What to watch

The seven-day DFA clock is the most immediate item. Any transaction involving Woods Richardson — a trade, a waiver claim, or a release — would need to happen within that window, and any development there would clarify both his next destination and what the Twins received, if anything, in return.

Rojas's elbow situation is the longer-running question for Minnesota's rotation. MLB Trade Rumors flags the elbow problem as the reason for his scratch but offers nothing further. If Rojas is unavailable for an extended stretch, the Twins will need to find innings somewhere — and with Woods Richardson now designated, the pool of available arms looks a little different than it did a week ago.

How Klein is used, and how the Twins deploy those two open 40-man slots as the season continues, will be worth tracking as Minnesota plays out a schedule that, standings-wise, has already reached its conclusion.