Twins OF Matt Wallner (oblique) out for rest of regular season; RHP Justin Topa activated

League: MLB


Posted on: 25 Sep, 2024 at 11:18 PM

Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins placed outfielder Matt Wallner on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday because of a left oblique strain, ending his regular season, and activated right-hander Justin Topa, who hasn't pitched all season because of left patellar tendinitis, from the 60-day IL.

In other moves, the Twins recalled right-hander Jorge Alcala and rookie utility player Austin Martin from Triple-A St. Paul, optioned left-hander Brent Headrick to St. Paul and designated lefty Cole Irvin for assignment.

Wallner exited Minnesota's 4-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday after experiencing left oblique tightness during a strikeout as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.

Wallner, 26, hit .259 with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in 75 games this season.

Selected 39th overall by the Twins in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Southern Mississippi, Wallner is a career .251 hitter with 29 homers and 88 RBIs in 169 games since making his major league debut in September 2022.

Minnesota had acquired Topa and three other players from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for infielder Jorge Polanco in January.

Topa, 33, was 5-4 in his lone season with Seattle in 2023, with three saves, a 2.61 ERA, 18 walks and 61 strikeouts in 69 innings over 75 relief appearances.

He played parts of three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2020-22), and is a career 5-5 with three saves, a 3.81 ERA, 23 walks and 78 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings over 92 relief appearances.

The Twins selected Irvin, 30, off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 16.

Irvin was 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA, four walks and two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings over four relief appearances with Minnesota. He was 6-5 with a 4.86 ERA in 107 1/3 innings over 25 games (16 starts) for the Orioles.

Irvin is a career 28-40 with two saves, a 4.54 ERA, 142 walks and 434 strikeouts in 593 innings over 134 games (93 starts) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2019-20), Oakland Athletics (2021-22), Orioles and Twins.

Martin, 25, is batting .252 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 89 games for the Twins since making his major league debut in March.

Headrick, 26, has appeared in one game this season for Minnesota, allowing one run on a home run in three innings for a 3.00 ERA. He has yielded two hits and two walks with five strikeouts in Sunday's 8-1 loss to the host Boston Red Sox.

Alcala, 29, is 4-3 with a 3.46 ERA, 19 walks and 52 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings over 51 relief appearances for the Twins. In five seasons with Minnesota, he is a career 9-11 with one save, a 3.72 ERA, 53 walks and 159 strikeouts in 159 2/3 innings over 141 relief appearances.

--Field Level Media