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With Jake Odorizzi scheduled to start tonight’s tilt with Cleveland, the Twins had to make a roster move to activate him from the Injured List. According to MLB.com Twins beat writer Do-Hyoung Park, that move comes at the expense of Adalberto Mejia.
The #MNTwins have designated Adalberto Mejia for assignment to create a roster spot for Jake Odorizzi, who is coming off the IL today.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) July 13, 2019
The Twins have made the move official.
Mejía was acquired from the Giants in 2016 in exchange for All-Star shortstop Eduardo Nunez (still a fun phrase to type) and appeared in 40 games for Minnesota over the next three years, posting a 4.63 ERA, 4.71 FIP, and 1.551 WHIP in a Twins uniform. However, his 2019 season was easily the worst of his career; in 13 games, Mejía recorded an 8.80 ERA, 6.13 FIP, and 1.826 WHIP, good for a -0.8 bWAR and -1.01 WPA. His final appearance of the season came on July 7, in which he surrendered a game-deciding three-run home run in the 11th inning of a loss to Texas.
One of the Twins’ two initial 2019 All-Star selections, Odorizzi returns to the mound after a blister kept him off the field and out of the Midsummer Classic. However, just four days after the game, he still gets to pitch in Cleveland.