Are top arms Mick Abel and Taj Bradley about to make their Twins debuts?

Abel has dominated in three starts at Triple-A St. Paul, while Bradley, who has had MLB success, has struggled in two of three starts with the Saints.

Jul 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mick Abel (40) catches a ball before throwing a pitch during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After being swept at home by the lowly A's, the Minnesota Twins are tied for the second-worst record in the American League and reasons for fans to keep watching are fading fast.

Two reasons to pay attention could be pitching this weekend. According to Bobby Nightengal Jr. of the Minnesota Star Tribune, right-handers Taj Bradley and Mick Abel could toe the rubber at Target Field on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Abel tied a single-game record with the St. Paul Saints when he struck out 11 batters in his last start. The right-hander, who was acquired by the Twins in the trade that sent Jhoan Duran to the Phillies, has a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 innings with St. Paul.

Bradley, dealt to Minnesota from Tampa Bay in the Griffin Jax trade, has been awful in two of three starts with St. Paul. The 24-year-old righty allowed one run in six innings in his Saints debut, only to get shelled for 11 combined runs in his next two outings. Overall, he has a 7.53 ERA in three starts with the Saints, having allowed 12 runs in 14 1/3 innings while serving up four homers.

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Abel and Bradley figure to be fixtures in the Twins' rotation for years to come. If both blossom into trustworthy MLB starters and the Twins don't trade Pablo Lopez and/or Joe Ryan this winter, Minnesota could have the makings of a strong starting rotation. Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa could also figure into Minnesota's 2026 rotation plans.

Entering play Friday, the Twins are 58-69 — 9.5 games out of a playoff spot and tied with the A's and Braves for the fifth-worst record in Major League Baseball. Securing a top-five pick in the 2026 MLB Draft wasn't on anyone's mind when the season began, much less six weeks ago, but here we are ahead of a weekend series against the AL-worst Chicago White Sox when the Twins might be ready to call up a couple of arms from Triple-A St. Paul.