The Twins have designated right-hander Matt Canterino for assignment, reports Phil Miller of the Minnesota Star Tribune. That’s the corresponding move to open a 40-man spot for prospect Luke Keaschall, whose promotion was reported yesterday. Catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper has been optioned to Triple-A Saint Paul to open an active roster spot for Keaschall.
Canterino, 27, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery about a month ago. Injured players aren’t allowed to be placed on outright waivers. Unless some club out there wants to trade for Canterino, he’ll be on release waivers in the coming days.
That recent surgery is just the latest in a series of health issues that have derailed Canterino’s trajectory. Once upon a time, he was a very promising prospect. The Twins selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He then put up a 1.44 earned run average in his first 25 professional innings.
He hasn’t been able to pitch much more than that in the subsequent years. The 2020 minor league season was canceled by the pandemic. Canterino logged 23 innings in 2021 with a 0.78 ERA and 37 innings in 2022 with a 1.95 ERA, battling through ongoing elbow problems. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2022.
The talent was enough that the Twins didn’t want him to be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, so he got a 40-man roster spot in November of 2022. He then missed all of 2023 while recovering from his surgery. A return in 2024 seemed possible until shoulder problems set him back. As mentioned, those shoulder issues ultimately resulted in surgery about a month ago.
At this point, Canterino hasn’t pitched in any official game action since the summer of 2022 and he won’t be returning soon. The numbers have been good, including huge strikeout totals, but the health problems have been so considerable that the Twins would be forgiven for running out of hope about his future.
Sometimes, in these situations, a player will be released and then rejoin his club via a minor league deal. The Twins would likely have interest in that scenario, as they could keep Canterino around without giving him a roster spot. However, he would have the ability to speak with the 29 other teams before signing a new pact.
Photo courtesy of Chris Tilley, Imagn Images