MILWAUKEE (AP) — Minnesota Twins left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, who hasn’t allowed a run all season, has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm extensor strain.
The move was announced Sunday but is retroactive to Thursday. In other moves, the Twins called up right-handed pitcher Zebby Matthews to start Sunday’s game at Milwaukee and selected the contract of outfielder Carson McCusker from Triple-A St. Paul.
Coulombe, 35, had struck out 19 batters while allowing only two walks and eight hits in 16 2/3 scoreless innings this season. He had last pitched on Wednesday.
“It’s obviously not good, but I’m not overly concerned,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Danny hasn’t been available now since the last time he pitched. We’ve been working around him, trying to see if we could give him a little time and get him where he needs to be. He’s shown good improvement, but he’s not ready to pitch quite yet. He’s going to need a little bit more. I’m not going to put a timeline on it. I’m not going to say it’s the minimum, but I’m optimistic that it won’t be too long.”
Coulombe becomes the third Twins player to go on the injured list during this weekend series, though Minnesota has weathered the situation well enough to carry a 13-game winning streak into Sunday’s game. Shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton both went on the 7-day concussion injured list after they collided while chasing a shallow fly ball Thursday in Baltimore.
Matthews, who turns 25 on Thursday, has gone 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in seven starts for St. Paul this season. He pitched nine games with Minnesota last year and went 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. Matthews also was selected as the Twins’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2024.
McCusker, who turns 27 on Thursday, had hit .350 with a .412 on-base percentage, 10 homers and 36 RBIs in 38 games with St. Paul. The Twins made room for McCusker on their 40-man roster by transferring outfielder Luke Keaschall to the 60-day injured list as he recovers from a fractured right forearm.
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