DETROIT — Twins reliever Sam Dyson had surgery on his shoulder, ending the right-hander’s season and potentially putting 2020 in jeopardy as well.
Dyson had the capsule repair operation Tuesday in California. Manager Rocco Baldelli said the timeline isn’t firm, but it could be a year before Dyson can pitch in a game again.
“There can be instances where guys come back sooner, some later,” Baldelli said. “It’s something that you can certainly come back from, but that’s kind of what we’re looking at right now.”
The Twins acquired Dyson from San Francisco at the trade deadline this year, sending three minor leaguers to the Giants. He has one more club-controllable year before he can become a free agent.
Dyson went on the injured list less than a week after being acquired and has made only 12 appearances since the trade.
“It’s disappointing, certainly, I would say, with respect to what he was feeling when he was pitching here in that first couple weeks for us — and probably something he was feeling for a while,” said Derek Falvey, the Twins’ chief baseball officer. “It’s difficult, that process, in terms of acquisition of players, it’s not a complete process always.”
Falvey said acquiring a player in the hectic hours before the trade deadline is different than bringing in a free agent in the offseason.
“The reality of it, someone’s flying across country to join a new team, and there’s really no physical process beforehand,” Falvey said. “We do a review process, have our trainers and docs review everything — and felt good about it at that time.”
Minnesota can clinch the AL Central title Wednesday with a victory at Detroit and a Cleveland loss to the White Sox.
“I’m disappointed for us. I’m more disappointed for him than anybody else. This is his baseball career,” Baldelli said. “To see anyone have to go through this, it’s not pleasant.”