Minnesota Twins Reportedly Set to Call up Pair of Former Top Prospects For Starts

As the Minnesota Twins deal with an injury to Pablo Lopez, it looks like both David Festa and Zebby Matthews are headed to the big leagues.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Zebby Matthews (52) pitching in the first inning of their game with the Atlanta Braves at Lee Health Sports Complex on Feb. 22. | Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins are reportedly set to call up former top prospects David Festa and Zebby Matthews for looming starts.

Per Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune:

David Festa is expected to pitch in Friday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers. The Twins announced Chris Paddack and Simeon Woods Richardson were pushed back one day, and Festa was already scheduled to start at Class AAA St. Paul on Friday.

The Twins still need to fill Pablo López’s spot in the rotation once he is placed on the 15-day injured list with a grade 1 right hamstring strain, and Zebby Matthews appears lined up to pitch for the Twins on Monday. The Twins traditionally prefer to give their starters an extra day between starts during long stretches without off days.

Festa was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the organization in 2024 while Matthews was No. 20.

Festa, 25, made his major league debut in 2024, going 2-6 with a 4.90 ERA. He made 13 starts in 14 appearances and struck out 77 in 64.1 innings. He is a former 13th-round pick of the Twins back in the 2021 draft. He played his college ball at Seton Hall.

Matthews, 24, also made his debut in 2024, tossing in nine games. He went just 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA. He struck out 43 batters in 37.2 innings.

The Twins are finishing out a series on Thursday with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. They entered play at 4-8 overall, a disappointing start for a team with playoff aspirations.

Minnesota will kick off a weekend series with the Detroit Tigers on Friday at 8:10 p.m. ET.

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