CHICAGO – After Thursday's victory over the White Sox, the Twins revealed their starter for Saturday's game against Cleveland. It's righthander Jose Berrios, the organization's top starting pitching prospect.
"It seems like it's just time," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Berrios is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA for Class AAA Rochester, and the Twins have tried to dive deeper into his pitching than stats alone. They wanted to make sure he's spotting his fastball and mixing his pitches. They don't want him to have success doing things in the minors that won't work in the majors.
By many accounts, Berrios is doing that — and that increased his chances of a call-up.
He is the top International League pitcher, having allowed 25 hits, two home runs and eight runs (five earned) in 39⅔ innings. He has struck out 39 and walked eight. In his last start against Pawtucket on Sunday, he allowed six hits and one run in 6⅔ innings, striking out four with no walks in the 3-1 victory.
"He's strung together some starts," Molitor said. "We have been impressed with some of the things he has been doing in terms of progress in the areas that we needed to see."
The Twins will announce the corresponding roster move before Saturday's game.
Berrios was called up three separate times last season and spent time refining his mechanics as he went 3-7 with an 8.02 ERA in 14 starts. Ervin Santana and former pitcher Bert Blyleven joined in at some of his bullpen sessions late in the second, offering advice.
Berrios made his major league debut against Cleveland on April 27, 2016, giving up five runs over four innings.
New guy's wild ride
Lefthander Adam Wilk, back in Las Vegas after being designated for assignment on Monday, was headed for the golf course Wednesday with some friends when he received word that the Twins had claimed him off waivers from the New York Mets.
He told a couple of members of his group that he " 'can't do that anymore.' Got the flight info and left Vegas."
He's been deep into itineraries the past few days, as he's piled up the frequent flier miles — hopefully — to keep his career going.
He flew early Saturday with his Class AAA Las Vegas team to Albuquerque, N.M., through Denver, when he was told the Mets needed him to pitch on Sunday for Matt Harvey, who was being suspended. Wilk then flew from Albuquerque to Los Angeles to catch a red-eye to New York, landing around 8:30 a.m. He went straight to CitiField, where he lasted just 3 ⅔ innings against the Marlins.
"All in 24 hours," he said. "Pretty chaotic."
On Monday, he was designated for assignment by the Mets. He returned to his home in Las Vegas to wait for a call. The Twins made that call, and Wilk took off for Chicago to join his new team. He's a spot-hitting lefty who mixes in a slider and changeup with his high-80s fastball and cutter.
"I was pretty happy," he said. "Getting DFA'd in New York, you always want to be claimed by somebody. I got the call around 11 a.m. [Wednesday]."
The bouncing around has reflected his career. Wilk, 29, broke in with Detroit in 2011. After spending 2012 with the Tigers, he has been with six different organizations, including the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.
He's 0-4 with a 7.02 ERA in 10 major league games, including four starts. Last season ended with hip labrum surgery following a June 24 start.
Etc.
Second baseman Brian Dozier returned to the starting lineup Thursday after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. He stuck out in his first at-bat, then homered in the second inning.
