The Twins recalled Sands from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Sands made the Twins' Opening Day roster but got into just two games before being demoted in mid-April. He returns nearly a month later with Dereck Rodriguez optioned to Triple-A.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Optioned to Triple-A
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Sands was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday.
Sands has appeared in two games with the Twins so far in 2023, surrendering one run on six hits, including a homer, while striking out three batters over four innings. It seems likely that the 25-year-old will get another shot with Minnesota at some point this season, but for now Louie Varland was called up from Triple-A and will replace him on the major-league roster.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Looks set to make bullpen
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Sands looks set to make the Opening Day roster for the Twins as a long reliever, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Danny Coulombe and Bailey Ober were sent to Triple-A, which makes it almost certain Sands will begin the season in the majors. Manager Rocco Baldelli said he wants to keep a long reliever in the bullpen, so Sands will fill that role. Despite a 5.55 ERA at Triple-A last season, Sands was called up to the majors several times thanks to a strong strikeout rate (10.5 K/9).
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Twins' Cole Sands: Four-inning save
Rotowire
Sands picked up a four-inning save in Wednesday's 10-1 victory over the White Sox. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out one.
Sands entered the game with Minnesota up 10-0 in the sixth inning, and he pitched well, holding the White Sox to just one unearned run over four innings. The strong effort earned Sands the four-inning save, which was the first of his young career. Through 30.2 innings in the big leagues this season, Sands was 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA and 28 strikeouts.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Rejoins team for finale
Rotowire
The Twins recalled Sands from Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.
Sands will give the Twins a fresh arm out of the bullpen behind starter Louie Varland in Wednesday's season finale. Minnesota optioned Simeon Woods Richardson to Triple-A to clear room on the active roster for Sands.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Moves down to Triple-A
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The Twins optioned Sands to Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Minnesota will replace Sands in the bullpen with a fresh arm in Jharel Cotton, whose contract was selected from Triple-A in a corresponding move. Sands worked 3.1 innings in relief of Chris Archer (pectoral) -- who was placed on the injured list Sunday -- in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Guardians, giving up three earned runs on two hits and five walks.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Activated by Minnesota
Rotowire
Sands (elbow) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Sands spent the last two weeks on the injured list with an elbow issue but recently made a pair of rehab appearances at Triple-A St. Paul. The right-hander posted a 1.29 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in seven innings over four appearances for the Twins in August.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Starts up rehab assignment
Rotowire
Sands (elbow) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday and made his second appearance for the affiliate Sunday, covering 2.2 innings while allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two.
Sands wasn't quite as sharp Sunday as he was during his first appearance four days earlier, when he gave up one earned run on two hits and no walks over two innings. The right-hander will likely get at least two days to rest up before the Twins decide whether to have him make another rehab outing or make his return from the 15-day injured list. He'll work as a long reliever out of the bullpen whenever he's activated.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Hit by comebacker
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Sands exited Tuesday's loss to the Astros after being struck in the upper right arm by a comebacker, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The 24-year-old followed starter Aaron Sanchez and allowed a run on four hits with three strikeouts and zero walks over two innings before being hit by the comebacker. Sands threw 38 pitches and was likely to be unavailable for a day or two regardless of the injury due to the workload, and he should be considered day-to-day for now.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Headed back to minors
Rotowire
The Twins optioned Sands to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.
Minnesota is expected to get Joe Ryan (illness) back from the COVID-19-related injured list and Sonny Gray (pectoral) from the 15-day injured list this week, so the team had no need to keep Sands around as a No. 5 starter. Sands has made five appearances (three starts) with the big club this season, going 0-3 with an 8.82 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings. He should slot back into the Triple-A rotation upon his return to St. Paul.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Struggles again Sunday
Rotowire
Sands (0-3) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Rays.
Sands got through the Rays' order once without trouble, but he struggled after that. While this was his longest appearance of the year, he didn't enjoy any additional success, as he's now allowed at least four runs in all three of his starts this year. The 24-year-old has an 8.82 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings in five appearances overall. With Joe Ryan (illness) and Sonny Gray (pectoral) due back this week, Sands is likely to slip out of the rotation, and he could head back to Triple-A St. Paul or end up in the bullpen again.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Poised for another start
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Manager Rocco Baldelli said Wednesday that Sands is likely to receive another turn through the starting rotation, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The 24-year-old has allowed eight runs in 7.2 innings over his past two starts but is set for another turn through Minnesota's rotation since Joe Ryan (illness) and Josh Winder (shoulder) aren't quite ready to return from the injured list. Assuming Sands remains on a five-day pitching schedule, he lines up to take the mound Sunday against Tampa Bay.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Struggles in loss
Rotowire
Sands (0-2) took the loss Tuesday, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks over 3.2 innings against the Yankees. He struck out three.
Sands struggled in his second start of the season, allowing four runs and throwing 89 pitches in just 3.2 innings to take a second straight loss. In four appearances this season, Sands has now generated an unwieldy 8.49.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Picking up spot start Tuesday
Rotowire
The Twins will call up Sands from Triple-A St. Paul to start Tuesday's game against the Yankees in Minnesota, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Sands is most likely just making a spot start for the Twins, who could have either Joe Ryan (illness) or Josh Winder (shoulder) ready to return from the COVID-19-related injured list and 15-day injured list, respectively, by the weekend. The 24-year-old Sands has previously made three appearances (one start) for Minnesota this season, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out 10 over eight innings.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Returns to minors
Rotowire
Sands was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.
The Twins returned Sands to the minors after he was designated as the 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Tigers. He started the second game of the twin bill and was handed a loss after striking out four over four innings while allowing four earned runs on five hits and four free passes.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Stuck with first loss Tuesday
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Sands (0-1) took the loss in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, giving up four runs on five hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out four.
Making his first career start in the majors, Sands labored to find the plate and threw only 54 of 91 pitches for strikes before getting the hook. The Twins could get Sonny Gray (pectoral) or Joe Ryan (COVID-19) back shortly, so Sands will likely return to the bullpen in a long-relief role or get sent back to Triple-A St. Paul.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Called up for spot start
Rotowire
The Twins recalled Sands from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of his scheduled start in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Tigers.
Though Minnesota's rotation is in flux with Sonny Gray (pectoral) considered day-to-day and at risk of landing on the injured list, Sands is unlikely to stick around with the big club beyond Tuesday's start. Even if Gray is forced to the IL, the Twins should get Joe Ryan (illness) back from the COVID-19-related IL in the coming days to fill a spot in the rotation. That being said, Sands could make for a decent streaming option Tuesday while facing off against a weak Tigers offense that will be without two of its better everyday hitters in Robbie Grossman (neck) and Austin Meadows (vertigo), who are both on the 10-day injured list. Between his six appearances (five starts) at Triple-A and two relief outings with the big club this season, Sands has struck out 27 and issued only six walks over 22.2 innings.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Starting Tuesday's nightcap
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Sands will start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Sands missed nearly two weeks with a left groin strain earlier in May, but he returned to action May 24 and tossed three scoreless innings at Triple-A St. Paul. Both of the right-hander's appearances with the Twins have come out of the bullpen, but he'll make his first major-league start during Tuesday's nightcap.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Sent down Saturday
Rotowire
Sands was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Sands was called up Friday, but he didn't appear in the team's win over the Athletics. He'll head back to the minors since Sonny Gray (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list prior to Saturday's start.
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Twins' Cole Sands: Promoted to majors
Rotowire
Sands was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Sands is one of the Twins' top pitching prospects, but this will likely be an opportunity to work out of the big-league bullpen. He has struggled this year at Triple-A, logging a 7.82 ERA in 12.2 innings through four appearances, but he had a 2.46 ERA in 80.1 innings last year at Double-A.
