Maeda is not scheduled for another start this season, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Maeda last pitched Sept. 19, when he struck out eight over five scoreless innings in Cincinnati. He projects to be used as a reliever in the postseason, and the Twins look to be shifting him to that role now. Maeda figures to see some bullpen work this weekend in Colorado so he doesn't go into the playoffs following such a long layoff. A scheduled bullpen game Saturday would seem to be a prime opportunity.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Shuts down Cincinnati
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Maeda (6-7) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Reds. He struck out eight.
Maeda was masterful Tuesday, setting down the first 11 batters in order and finishing with his second consecutive eight-strikeout performance. Despite allowing just two baserunners and throwing only 83 pitches, he was removed after five frames, which isn't all that surprising considering he tossed a season-high 105 pitches in his last outing. The veteran righty has earned a win in three straight starts, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB across 17.1 innings during that stretch. Maeda currently lines up for a favorable matchup with Oakland, which is tentatively scheduled for early next week at home.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Punches out eight in victory
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Maeda (5-7) earned the win over the White Sox on Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over seven innings.
Maeda rattled off six scoreless frames before Andrew Vaughn tagged him for a two-run homer in the seventh. The veteran hurler nonetheless finished off that inning and exited with his first quality start since Aug. 10. Maeda was impressive with 14 whiffs and eight strikeouts, with the latter mark tying for his second-highest total of the campaign. Though the right-hander has just five wins over 19 starts on the season, he's now notched consecutive victories for the first time in 2023.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Settles in for fourth win
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Maeda (4-7) earned the win Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against the Mets while striking out two.
Maeda got off to a rough start, surrendering a leadoff home run to Brandon Nimmo in the first at-bat of the game followed by an RBI single to Daniel Vogelbach four batters later. The veteran right-hander settled in after that, however, allowing just two more singles over the next four frames to earn his fourth win of the season and first since Aug. 5. Maeda had allowed at least three runs in four consecutive starts coming in, and he's now given up at least one homer in 10 straight outings.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Allows three runs in five innings
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Maeda did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings against the Rangers. He struck out three.
Maeda was working around trouble throughout his outing, but a three-run homer in the first by Mitch Garver was the only damage to his final line. Sunday marked the fourth consecutive start by Maeda in which he failed to go deeper than five innings, and he's allowed 15 runs in 18 innings over that time frame. He'll look to rebound in his next start, likely to take place next weekend at home against the Mets.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Tagged with six runs
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Maeda allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk over four innings in Monday's win against Cleveland. He struck out three and did not factor in the decision.
Most of the damage against Maeda came during Cleveland's four-run second inning, but Minnesota's offense prevented him from taking a loss. He had allowed three or fewer runs in 11 straight outings prior to Monday's hiccup. During that stretch, he posted a 2.91 ERA but now owns a 4.69 ERA on the year. Maeda is currently lined up to start in Texas this weekend.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Allows two homers in no-decision
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Maeda did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over four innings against the Tigers. He struck out six.
Maeda struck out four batters over the first two innings and appeared to be on track for his third quality start in a row. However, the right-hander ran into trouble in the top of the third after allowing a leadoff single to Akil Baddoo, which would be followed by home runs from Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson in two of the next three at-bats. Maeda had gone at least five innings in each of his previous five starts coming in, and the seven hits allowed Wednesday were the most he's given up since April 26. Despite the poor outing, he still holds a 2.81 ERA to go along with a healthy 17:2 K:BB through three starts this month.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Takes tough-luck loss
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Maeda (3-7) took the loss Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over six innings in a 3-0 loss to the Tigers. He struck out four.
The veteran righty induced just eight swinging strikes on 89 pitches, but he was able to keep Detroit off the board until Riley Greene obliterated a hanging slider in the sixth inning, sending it 453 feet to right field for a solo home run. That bomb proved to be the difference, as Minnesota's offense was shut out for the second time in three days. After a brutal start to the season, Maeda has been steady in his nine outings since returning from injury June 23, posting a 2.38 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 11.23 K/9 across 49.2 innings during that stretch. He is projected to face the Tigers again next week.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Breezes to victory Saturday
Rotowire
Maeda (3-6) earned the win over Arizona on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.
Maeda fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, but the Twins responded with an offensive outburst to go ahead 10-1 by the end of the sixth. The veteran hurler kept the Diamondbacks from countering, as he retired the final 14 batters he faced. Maeda struggled in his first start following the All-Star break, giving up three runs in three innings against Oakland. Since then, he's allowed two or fewer runs in each of his subsequent four outings, posting a 2.28 ERA and 31:4 over 23.2 frames during that span.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Receives little support in loss
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Maeda (2-6) was hit with the loss Sunday against the Royals after allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven in five innings.
Maeda put together another solid outing and has now registered at least seven strikeouts in four of his last five starts. He wound up with the loss after the Twins managed just one run and let in runs of his own on a homer in the second and a pair of hits in the third. Maeda has had the fortune of facing some of the league's weaker offenses over the last month, but he's certainly provided mixed-league value and will look to get back in the win column (he hasn't won since July 4) in a home start against the Diamondbacks next weekend.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Strikes out eight in quality start
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Maeda pitched 6.1 innings against Seattle on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out eight batters in a no-decision.
Maeda got through four scoreless frames before Sean Murphy hit a solo shot off him in the fifth. That was the only run the right-hander allowed, and he departed in line for the win with one out in the sixth only to see Minnesota's bullpen give up the lead in the ninth. Maeda finished with his third quality start over his past four outings, and he's now allowed three or fewer runs in each of his six starts since returning from the injured list June 23. During that span, the veteran hurler has posted very solid numbers, including a 2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 44:11 K:BB over 32.2 innings.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Possible waiver wire pickups
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It's true that Maeda missed some time earlier this year with a triceps injury, but it's becoming more and more clear that his overall state of health is much better than during his 2021 campaign, which ultimately ended with Tommy John surgery. "This is 2020 Kenta," said catcher Ryan Jeffers after Wednesday's game, referring to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in which Maeda placed second in AL Cy Young voting with a 2.70 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 10.8 K/9. Wednesday's outing saw Maeda strike out nine while allowing two runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings, and he turned in a similar effort two starts ago. If you take away the 10-run disaster that immediately preceded his IL stint, he has a 3.20 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 11.0 K/9.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Fans nine in no-decision
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Maeda allowed two runs on three hits and struck out nine over 6.1 innings while taking a no-decision in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mariners.
Maeda allowed just one hit, erased by a double play, over his first five innings. Tom Murphy got to him with a solo home run in the sixth inning, and Maeda was charged with another run in the seventh. This was still one of his best outings of the season, and just his second quality start in nine appearances. Maeda owns a 5.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB through 42.1 innings overall. He's projected for a rematch with the Mariners at home next week.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Struggles in no-decision
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Maeda did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks over three innings against the Athletics. He struck out six.
Maeda has been wildly inconsistent in limited action this year. The right-hander was coming off a seven-inning, one-run performance July 4, his third start back from a triceps injury. His 5.50 ERA and 1.39 WHIP on the season are unsightly, though 10 of his 22 earned runs on the season came in one brutal outing April 26 before he hit the injured list. Maeda's next start is tentatively scheduled to be Wednesday against the Mariners.
Maeda comes in well below Manoah or Skubal on the priority list for pitchers to add, but I'm starting to get kind of excited about him again. After he had 12 strikeouts in 10 innings in his first two starts back from a biceps injury, he put together a vintage performance Tuesday, limiting the Royals to one earned run over seven innings of work. The Royals have been awful against righties, so it's not terribly surprising that Maeda succeeded, but I'm not going to scoff at nine strikeouts and one walk against any lineup. Maeda got 15 swings and misses on 87 pitches in this one, including 12 on his splitter and slider. Those have always been his best pitches, and they've been working for him since his return. At the very least, Maeda can still take advantage of good matchups.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Fans nine in Tuesday's win
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Maeda (2-5) picked up the win in Tuesday's 9-3 victory over the Royals, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out nine.
The veteran right-hander produced his best start of the year, generating 31 called or swinging strikes over 87 pitches en route to his first quality start and a season high in strikeouts. Maeda also topped out at 92.2 mph with his fastball, a marked improvement on his velocity from April, when he made his initial return from Tommy John surgery. Since rejoining the rotation in late June after recovering from a triceps strain, he has a 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB in 17 innings over three starts.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Allows two runs in loss
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Maeda (1-5) took the loss Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings against Atlanta. He struck out four.
Maeda began his start by issuing a walk to Ronald Acuna, who would then come around to score on a Matt Olson double after stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch. The right-hander would allow the leadoff man to reach again in the third, which would cost him as Atlanta took a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly. Maeda gave up only two runs on the afternoon after shutting out the Tigers over five innings in his return from the injured list last week, but he was still tagged with the loss for the fifth time in his last six starts. He'll look for his second win when the Twins take on the Royals at home next week.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Fans eight in return
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Maeda (1-4) earned the win Friday, allowing three hits and two walks over five scoreless innings against the Tigers. He struck out eight.
Making his return after nearly eight weeks on the shelf with a triceps strain, Maeda shined across five scoreless en route to his first win of the season. He got 14 called strikes and 11 swinging strikes on 83 total pitches. The veteran had an ugly 9.00 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across his first four starts prior to landing on the injured list, and he tentatively lines up for a tough matchup in Atlanta next week, but a healthy Maeda can still be useful in fantasy when deployed judiciously.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Activated ahead of start
Rotowire
Maeda (triceps) was activated from the 15-day injured list prior to his start Friday against the Tigers.
Maeda logged a 2.03 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB in 13.1 innings across four rehab appearances after missing a little over a month with a triceps strain. He takes Louie Varland's spot in the Twins rotation.
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Twins' Kenta Maeda: Will start Friday
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Maeda (triceps) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Friday against the Tigers, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Maeda has been on the injured list since the end of April due to a right triceps strain. He began a rehab assignment May 30 and has surrendered just three earned runs across 8.1 frames during his four starts. The 35-year-old's 9.00 ERA is heavily inflated by his 10-run, three-inning appearance that he endured in his last start, but Maeda certainly could turn things around Friday against a Tigers offense that ranks 29th in team OPS.
