Twins have Maeda back

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

The start of a new season for the Minnesota Twins begins in Fort Myers with the rebirth of Kenta Maeda Sidelined since 2021 from Tommy John surgery, the 2020 runner-up in the American League Cy Young Award voting has been back throwing off the mound at Hammond Stadium and giving the team confidence in its once unhittable pitcher

“That’s the slider and the splitter we remember,” Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli said after watching Maeda throw batting practice Sunday

M a e d a w a s t h r o w i n g t o n e w c a t c h e r C h r i s t i a n Vazquez, a two-time World Series champion with the Red Sox “Woah,” Vazquez yelled out, elated with Maeda’s stuff

Pitch clocks were up in the bullpen and around batting practice, a sign of the changing times as new rules will limit the amount of time pitchers have to throw

Maeda has been showing good life on his fastball along with his sharp, off-speed arsenal that enabled him to post the second-lowest WHIP (walks and hits allowed per inning) mark for qualified starters in the covid-shortened 2020 season

“We’re very excited to see him coming back,”

Vazquez said Vazquez had Tommy John surgery himself in 2015 so knows what it’s like “It’s a long process to come back from,” Vazquez said Vazquez said Maeda is a tough pitcher to face because “he throws a lot of strikes All his pitches are good He throws a lot of sliders, a sinker, a four-seam fastball ”

Baldelli said Vazquez is a leader and “gives me a lot of confidence,” calling him “hands-down, one of the best catchers in the game ”

Maeda said he felt much better than he did last year while working on his recovery Maeda had Tommy John surgery in 2021 Maeda said he worked on his pitching in the offseason in Japan and Los Angeles Maeda said he threw every other day in December and every day in January

“The body feels good, the body movement’s good, the ball had some carry to it,” Maeda said through a translator “There needs to be some work for the splitter ”

Maeda said the new pitch clock that has been implemented this season for pitchers was going faster than he expected “I was definitely aware of it and being conscious of the time,” Maeda said threw the translator “I don't think the adjustments are going to be too tough as long as I have good communication with the catchers ”

Maeda said it will be important for him and his catcher to be on the same page so he doesn't have to shake off too many pitches The Twins will have a new catcher this season in two-time World Series champion Christian Vazquez, who joins the team from the Boston Red Sox Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training on Thursday in Fort Myers at Hammond Stadium at the Lee

Tw i n s p i t c h e r K e n t a M a e d a threw a bullpen session on the f i r s t d a y o f s p r i n g t r a i n i n g camp to new Twins catcher Christian Vazquez

C o u n t y S p o r t s C o m p l e x i n F o r t Myers for the first time in February since 2020 before covid delayed the start of the season Full-squad workouts began Monday. Also back is shortstop Carlos Correa, who almost left the team for the Giants and Mets before returning after those teams didn’t like his physical

The team lost American League b a t t i n g c h a m p i o n L u i s A r r a e z , whom they traded to the Miami Marlins for pitcher Pablo Lopez

The team now has an overload of p i t c h e r s w i t h L o p e z a n d M a e d a joined by Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack and Joe Ryan

Ober, the towering 6’9 right-hander, will be fighting for a rotation spot this spring He finished last season strong after returning from a groin injury that sidelined him in the summer Ober posted a 3 21 ERA last year overall including a 2 01 ERA and microscopic 0 716 WHIP in his last four games in September and October In his final four games, hitters batted just 152 off Ober Ober said he is working on getting his velocity up and working on the shapes of his pitches this spring While he typically registers 92 mph on his fastball, his height and reach make that fastball play even sharper. Ober said his last four starts “I just attacked guys and got ahead and I was able to execute a two-strike pitch and put them away and not tinker with them and have long at-bats ”

Ober said he isn’t too worried about the pitch clock as he works fast

Pitchers will have to deal with other rules changes this season, including limits on how many times they can throw to first base for pickoffs New regulations on how infielders can shift will also benefit hitters as will larger bases

Baldelli said the rules changes will be of benefit to a lot of hitters.

Baldelli said the pitch clock will probably affect the game the most “It’s hard not to acknowledge that as what is going to probably change the game the as we know it the most or what we perceive as the most I think the feel of the game will change because of the pitch clock,” Baldelli said “It will feel different because of that ”