The Twins reassigned Dobnak to minor-league camp Wednesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Dobnak battled finger injuries for the majority of last season but still managed to pitch 20 innings at the Triple-A level, logging a 5.40 ERA and 1.70 WHIP while there. Luckily, his finger problems seem to have subsided over the offseason. He will return to Triple-A St. Paul to start the year and has a chance to return to the majors if he gets off to a strong start.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Throwing without finger pain
Rotowire
Dobnak's oft-injured finger has been pain-free all winter, and he's been throwing bullpen sessions without issue, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "I think we're way over the hump now. I've been down here for a month. I threw live Friday, that was probably my 10th bullpen," Dobnak said. "I've been slinging it fine."
Dobnak had ligaments called pulleys in his right middle finger rupture over the past two years, which has led him to appear in just 30 games during that span. Dobnak does not have great velocity, but he generated ground balls at a high rate before his injury. His success was largely due to his sinker, and the Star Tribune report says he's had to modify the pitch with more horizontal break due to the damaged finger. He'll need to re-establish himself at Triple-A before getting another shot at the majors, and his damaged finger raises serious doubts he can reclaim his prior form.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Assigned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Dobnak cleared waivers Friday and was assigned to Triple-A St. Paul, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Dobnak has spent all of this season on the 60-day injured list and found little success during his rehab assignment, recording a 9.35 ERA over 8.2 innings for St. Paul. Unless he can put together some form of consistent success in the minors and stay healthy, the 27-year-old might not regain a spot on the 40-man roster despite being under contract with the Twins through at least 2025.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Dropped from 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Twins reinstated Dobnak (finger) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday and placed him on outright waivers, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Dobnak, who has been on the 60-day injured list all season after experiencing multiple setbacks in his recovery from the right middle finger discomfort that plagued him in 2021, was nearing the end of the 30-day rehab window, and the Twins didn't have room for him on the big-league roster. He didn't help his cause by finding little success over his eight-appearance rehab assignment that included stops at three affiliates. Upon moving up to Triple-A St. Paul on Aug. 28, Dobnak was roughed up for nine earned runs on 11 hits and eight walks over 8.2 innings. Since he's still owed approximately $7 million on the five-year, $9.25 million contract extension he inked in March 2021, Dobnak will presumably accept the outright assignment and stick around at Triple-A rather than electing free agency.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Rehabbing at Triple-A
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) struck out two and allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks over two innings of relief in his rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A St. Paul.
Dobnak has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in his three appearances since shifting his rehab assignment to Triple-A on Aug. 28, so the Twins are seemingly preparing him to make his return from the 60-day injured list as a multi-inning reliever. The right-hander struggled to find the strike zone (six walks) over his first two outings at Triple-A, but he did well to limit the free passes Sunday.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Moves rehab to Single-A
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) surrendered one hit and no walks over two scoreless innings Tuesday in his rehab start for Single-A Fort Myers.
Dobnak was cleared to move up a rung on the minor-league ladder for his third rehab appearance after striking out four over three scoreless innings between his first two rehab outings in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The Twins are having Dobnak build up slowly while he's been sidelined all season due to multiple setbacks in his recovery from a right middle finger injury. Assuming he endures no snags during his subsequent rehab outings, Dobnak should be ready to rejoin the big club in September.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Rehab assignment on tap
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Dobnak has been sidelined since late in the 2021 season and his endured multiple setbacks in his recovery from lingering discomfort in his right middle finger. According to MLB.com, Dobnak ruptured two of the pulley tendons in his finger, and while a surgical fix is an option, the 27-year-old has been reluctant to go that route since there isn't any precedent for baseball players having such a procedure and resuming their careers. At least since he received a cortisone shot in the finger July 1, Dobnak seems to be progressing well, as he's been ramping up for nearly a month and reached an important milestone last Thursday, when he threw a live batting practice session. The Twins will likely have Dobnak get stretched out for a potential starting role during what could be a month-long rehab assignment, but it's more likely he pitches out of the bullpen if he rejoins the big club in September.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Receives cortisone shot
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) received a cortisone shot Saturday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Dobnak has been dealing with a right middle finger injury over the first few months of the 2022 season, and he's sustained several setbacks in his recovery process. He'll head back to the Twins' alternate spring training facility in the coming days and said that he hopes to avoid another surgery. However, it's not yet clear when the right-hander will return to game action.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Resumes bullpen sessions
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session at about 75 percent intensity Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Dobnak has yet to pitch this season while dealing with a right middle finger injury which dates back to late last year, and he also suffered a setback in late May. The right-hander is now progressing in his throwing program but appears unlikely to return from the injured list within the next few weeks.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Suffers setback
Rotowire
Dobnak suffered a setback with his finger over the last few weeks, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
He was dealing with a right middle finger injury, and that injury dates back to the end of last season. Dobnak should be considered out indefinitely.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Lands on 60-day injured list
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Dobnak had been shut down with what the Twins referred to as discomfort in his right middle finger, but it looks as though the issue may be worse than discomfort. He missed most of last season with a strain in the same finger, and he'll now be ineligible to return before early June.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Shut down with more finger soreness
Rotowire
Dobnak has been shut down from throwing due to continued discomfort in his right middle finger, MLB.com reports. "I think we're resetting right now in a way and allowing his finger to rest," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Dobnak struggled with a finger injury (a full tear of the A4 pulley in his right middle finger) for most of last season, so it's a real concern that he's having the same issue as spring training begins. He's likely out indefinitely.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Transferred to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Dobnak (right middle finger strain) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday.
The move clears a spot for Jovani Moran on the 40-man roster. Dobnak won't pitch again this season.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Out with finger injury
Rotowire
Dobnak will not make his scheduled start Thursday and will be placed on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger strain, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
It sounds like the same finger injury that sidelined Dobnak much of the season, and it could prevent him from taking the mound again this year. Andrew Albers will be called up from Triple-A, but it's not clear if he'll start Thursday.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Crushed in return
Rotowire
Dobnak (1-7) allowed five runs on six hits over seven innings Friday, striking out two without walking a batter and taking a loss against the Rays.
It was a very up-and-down outing for Dobnak, who made his first start since June 19 after missing time with a finger injury. The Rays tallied all five runs and six hits during the second and third innings but the 26-year-old righty retired the last 15 batters he faced. He actually lowered his ERA slightly to 7.64 alongside a 27:12 K:BB through 50.2 innings. Dobnak is lined up to take the mound in Cleveland next week.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Could be activated soon
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) will throw a bullpen session at Target Field on Sunday, MLB.com reports.
If Dobnak comes out of the throwing session feeling well, he could return from the 60-day injured list by the middle of the week and slot back into the Minnesota rotation. Dobnak made the second start of his rehab assignment Thursday for Triple-A St. Paul, tossing 4.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out two.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Preparing for second rehab outing
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) will make the second start of his rehab assignment Thursday for Triple-A St. Paul, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Dobnak hadn't seen any game action in more than two months due to a strained right middle finger before the Twins gave him the green light to begin a rehab assignment last weekend. While working against overmatched competition at Low-A Fort Myers, Dobnak struck out five over three perfect frames. He'll get a tougher test Thursday while presumably pushing up his pitch count in anticipation of slotting into the Minnesota rotation when he returns from the 60-day injured list. Depending on how he fares and how deep he goes into Thursday's game, Dobnak could be activated as soon as Aug. 31, though it's more likely Minnesota waits until after rosters expand Sept. 1 before bringing him back.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) will make a rehab start at Low-A Fort Myers on Saturday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.
Dobnak threw at least two bullpens earlier in August, but he'll now work on building up his workload during his rehab assignment. The right-hander has been sidelined since late June due to a right middle finger strain, and he'll likely require several rehab appearances before he's cleared to rejoin the Twins.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Transferred to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Twins transferred Dobnak (finger) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
An early-July setback delayed Dobnak's throwing program and he will now be eligible to return from his right middle finger strain no sooner than August 24. The move to the 60-day IL allowed the Twins to add bullpen arm Beau Burrows on Saturday. Updates regarding Dobnak's recovery and throwing progression should come in the next couple weeks.
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Twins' Randy Dobnak: Setback in recovery
Rotowire
Dobnak (finger) had a recent setback in his rehab as he continued to feel discomfort while attempting to throw, MLB.com reports.
Dobnak isn't expected to begin throwing again in the near future, so there's no clear timetable for his return. The right-hander's absence is likely to extend into August. It's bad timing as Minnesota's depth issues in the rotation would otherwise likely give him a regular spot as a starter.
