The Twins got a cautiously upbeat update on Mick Abel after the right-hander had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, but there’s still no clear timetable for when he might return.
Abel has been sidelined since mid-April with the elbow issue. He had gotten close to coming back for a June start against the D-backs, but the discomfort flared up again, sending him back to a Minor League assignment and into another evaluation.
That led to the decision for surgery, which was handled by Dr. Keith Meister.
“Everything was cleaned out,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We'll have a timeline afterward when he has his follow-up of where he's at. Overall, the initial response was very positive.”
Before the injury, Abel was trending toward what looked like a breakout season, which is why the Twins are so eager to have him back in the rotation once he’s ready.
There was also progress on the injury front for catcher Ryan Jeffers, who has been out since mid-May with a broken hamate bone in his left hand. This week marked another step forward: he took batting practice three straight days, the first time he’s done that since getting hurt.
On Wednesday, Jeffers worked out on the field at CHS Park, where the Twins’ Triple-A St. Paul affiliate plays, and the session included “some curveballs and some velocity,” according to Shelton. He still hasn’t advanced to live pitching, but that’s more than just regular batting practice at this point.
Jeffers has continued to catch as many bullpen sessions as possible, and he doesn’t seem especially worried about how his hand and wrist will handle the demands of receiving. The real test is at the plate, and how he feels on Thursday after those three straight days will matter.
“The biggest thing for the hamate is just going to be the percussion or vibration of the bat,” Shelton said.
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