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Twins manager Paul Molitor seemed to acknowledge the possibility that Santana (finger) might be shut down for the season, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "I don't know when the next time he's going to pitch will be," Molitor said of the right-hander, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday.
Santana was shut down after experiencing renewed pain in the middle finger on his right hand, which required surgery in February. The procedure delayed Santana's season debut until after the All-Star break, with the 35-year-old delivering a dismal 8.03 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 24.2 innings. Santana has notably suffered from a loss in velocity as a result of the procedure, with his four-seam fastball averaging 89.4 miles per hour over his five starts, per Brooks Baseball, a decline of four miles per hour from his 2017 average. With the Twins likely to exercise the $1 million buyout in Santana's contract this winter rather than picking up his $14 million for 2019, there isn't much incentive for the team to bring him back in September and hand him starts at the expense of younger rotation options that are under team control beyond this season. In any case, the Twins should have an idea whether Santana can even realistically pitch again in 2018 once he's evaluated by a hand specialist Tuesday, according to Berardino.
