Stewart began a rehab start at Single-A Fort Myers on Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Stewart experienced a setback in his recovery from a left hamstring strain earlier this month, but he now seems to have bounced back and has the green light to test his hamstring in a competitive setting. The Twins haven't said how long they plan on keeping the 33-year-old reliever in the minors, though a return date may be set once he makes a few rehab outings.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Setback to hamstring injury
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Stewart recently felt tightness in his injured hamstring, and his timetable to return has been pushed back, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Stewart left a spring training appearance March 15 with a left hamstring strain and began the season on the injured list. He had hoped to begin a minor-league rehab assignment last week before the setback. A timetable for his return should come into focus later this week, according to Twins President Derek Falvey.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Will begin season on IL
Rotowire
Stewart (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list as he builds up to be ready for the regular season, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. He threw 20 pitches in a minor-league game Saturday.
Stewart departed his last Grapefruit League appearance March 15 with a left hamstring issue, but he's since returned to action, most recently throwing 20 pitches in a minor-league game Saturday. Due to the time he missed in camp, however, the Twins will proceed slowly with Stewart, who could be activated to make his 2025 debut at some point in the first half of April.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Stewart (hamstring) threw a successful bullpen session Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Stewart had to depart his last Grapefruit League appearance Saturday against Atlanta with a left hamstring issue. He plans to appear in a game Saturday, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. If so, he should have a good shot to avoid the injured list if he can avoid a setback.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Left outing with knee injury
Rotowire
Stewart exited Saturday's spring outing after two batters due to a "slight pull" behind his left knee, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports. He's set for further tests Sunday, but downplayed the severity of the injury.
The good news is that it isn't related to his arm as Stewart finished the 2024 season on the injured list after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in August. Given Stewart's lengthy injury history, it wouldn't be surprising for the Twins to play it safe with his return and have him begin the season on the injured list.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Exits with undisclosed injury
Rotowire
Stewart left Saturday's spring training outing against Atlanta after two batters due to an apparent injury. He was unable to continue pitching after retiring a batter and walked off with a trainer under his own power.
The specific injury wasn't immediately clear, but it's an ominous development given his lengthy injury history. Stewart finished the 2024 season on the injured list after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last August, but he was on track to be ready for Opening Day before this setback.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Making spring debut
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) is scheduled to appear in relief in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Stewart finished the 2024 season on the injured list after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last August, but he seems to be trending toward being ready for Opening Day. He'll make his spring debut Wednesday, and if all goes smoothly in his subsequent Grapefruit League appearances, he'll likely break camp as a member of the Minnesota bullpen. Stewart turned in a 5.17 ERA and 1.47 WHIP while striking out 20 batters over 15.2 innings across his 16 appearances last season before being shelved with the injury.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Status unclear for start of spring
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) started throwing in mid-November, but the Twins are unsure if he will be ready for the start of spring training, the Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Stewart underwent season-ending arthroscopic right shoulder surgery in August, and his initial recovery timeline was 5-to-6 months. He's been a lockdown reliever for Minnesota when healthy, collecting a 0.66 ERA and 56:17 K:BB through his first 41 innings with the Twins in 2023 and early 2024. However, he hurt his shoulder in May last year and wasn't the same pitcher thereafter, leaving his status for 2025 somewhat in question. If healthy and back to his prior form, he'd be a top setup option in the bullpen.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Reaches deal for 2025
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) and the Twins agreed to a one-year, $870,000 contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
The left-hander missed most of the second half after undergoing shoulder surgery in late July, but that won't prevent Minnesota from tendering him a contract for 2025. His initial recovery timeline was 5-6 months, so he should be ready to go early in spring training. Stewart had a 5.17 ERA in 16 appearances for the Twins in 2024 but was dominant the year before with just two earned runs allowed across 27.2 innings.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Needs shoulder surgery
Rotowire
The Twins transferred Stewart from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Stewart will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined for 5-to-6 months. He's been limited to just 16 appearances this season because of nagging shoulder problems. If there's a silver lining, it's that Stewart is undergoing a cleanup procedure and is expected to be healthy in time for spring training. That said, Stewart will turn 33 years old in October and has missed considerable time over the last several years with arm issues, so it's not a given that he'll be as effective upon his return. He holds a 2.28 ERA and 59:19 K:BB over 43.1 frames for the Twins since the beginning of the 2023 season.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Back to IL with shoulder strain
Rotowire
The Twins placed Stewart on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder strain, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Stewart just returned a week ago from a lengthy absence due to shoulder issues and is now headed back to the IL. The righty was roughed up for seven runs over 2.1 innings covering three appearances over the last week while showing diminished velocity. Stewart has often been a lockdown reliever for the Twins when healthy, but whether he'll be able to regain that form this season is a fair question.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Headed for injured list
Rotowire
Stewart (undisclosed) is expected to be placed on the injured list Wednesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The move isn't official yet and his injury isn't clear, but it's not surprising given his struggles since his return from shoulder tendinitis on July 24 -- he's given up seven runs and seven hits in 2.1 innings over three outings with a 3:2 K:BB in that span.
Stewart (shoulder) is expected to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Right shoulder tendinitis sent Stewart to the injured list May 3, and he's allowed one earned run in four innings during a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul. The 32-year-old has been phenomenal since joining the Twins in 2023, posting a minuscule 0.66 ERA and 1.07 WHIP alongside a 56:17 K:BB through 41 total innings. He'll provide a significant boost to Minnesota's bullpen once he returns, though Jhoan Duran remains locked in as the Twins' primary closer.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Throws live bullpen session
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) threw 20 pitches to live hitters before Friday night's game, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The right-hander has been on the shelf with shoulder tendinitis since early May. He's had several bullpen sessions in the past few weeks, and the advancement to live hitters could be an indication he's ready for a rehab assignment. However, no schedule for the next step of his comeback has been announced.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Twins transferred Stewart (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
The right-hander has been on the shelf with shoulder tendinitis since early May, so the move to the 60-day IL won't affect his return timeline. Stewart has progressed to facing live batters this week and could soon begin a rehab assignment.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Sunday and is scheduled to throw again Wednesday and Saturday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The right-hander landed on the injured list with shoulder tendinitis in early May and received a PRP injection a few weeks later. If all goes well, Stewart could progress to a simulated game early next week. It's possible he could return in early July before the All-Star break, but his recovery has moved at a slow pace.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Throws off mound
Rotowire
Stewart (shoulder) threw five pitches off the mound Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Stewart threw off the bump for the first time since he went down with right shoulder tendinitis more than a month ago. He'll need to continue going through a ramp-up progression and will likely require at least a rehab appearance or two before returning from the 15-day injured list and slotting back into a setup role for the Twins.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Gets PRP injection for shoulder
Rotowire
Twins athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said Tuesday that Stewart didn't resume throwing this past weekend as anticipated and has since received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his right shoulder, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. "We have to get his arm strength where it needs to be," Paparesta said of Stewart. "We have to get his range of motion where it needs to be ... But we hope to see him throwing here in the short term."
Paparesta admitted that he might have initially been overzealous with his prediction that Stewart would start throwing again last weekend, but the right-hander doesn't seem to have suffered any major setback in his recovery from tendinitis. Once the injection takes full effect within the next few days, Stewart could start playing catch before gradually advancing to throwing off a mound and facing hitters. When he returns from the 15-day injured list, Stewart will be a key part of the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Scoreless streak continues
Rotowire
Stewart allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Thursday's 6-3 victory over the White Sox.
The right-hander has thrown 11.1 scoreless innings to begin the season with a 15:6 K:BB ratio. He hasn't finished any games or had any save chances with Jhoan Duran (oblique) sidelined, as Stewart has been used primarily in the eighth inning. However, he's amassed six holds.
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Twins' Brock Stewart: Could get closing chances early on
Rotowire
Stewart and Griffin Jax are viewed as the most likely candidates to handle save situations for the Twins in the first few weeks of the season after president of baseball operations Derek Falvey announced Monday that Jhoan Duran (oblique) will begin the campaign on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Falvey didn't comment specifically on the Twins' plans at closer sans Duran, but Stewart and Jax represent the team's top-performing bullpen arms from 2023 that were retained heading into 2024. Though he spent considerable time on the shelf while tending to a sore elbow, Stewart was dominant when he was available last season, pitching to an 0.65 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 39:11 K:BB in 27.2 innings. Jax's numbers (3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 68:19 K:BB in 65.1 innings) weren't quite as impressive in comparison, but he has multiple seasons under his belt as a reliable relief arm for Minnesota in addition to possessing a much stronger track record on the health front. That might be enough to give Jax the early edge on save chances over Stewart, who still profiles as a decent late-round dart in mixed leagues and AL-only leagues in any case.
