MINNEAPOLIS -- David Festa understands what you probably thought when you first heard the words “thoracic outlet syndrome” connected to his name. His family and friends thought it too.
But Festa explained that while technically what he’s dealing with falls under the category of TOS, it seems his condition may be on the milder end, and he still hopes to have a normal spring in 2026. Festa has been out since late July due to persistent shoulder discomfort.
“I think initially when there was TOS mentioned, a lot of my family and friends were nervous because they thought maybe it was bad news,” he said.
“It seemed like bad news. I knew it was good news regardless. Any answer is good news for me right now. Especially with how mild we think it could be. But why it’s causing achiness in the front area, we’ll see. I’m remaining optimistic. If it is just a nerve compression, it doesn’t really change my timeline too much.”
Festa visited Dr. Keith Meister in Texas earlier this week, and that’s when TOS was mentioned. The term refers to a wide range of nerve-related conditions, and in its more severe forms, it can be very bad news for a pitcher. But the hope is that Festa is dealing with a milder condition that can be treated with an injection.
He will revisit Meister later this month when the Twins play the Rangers in Arlington.
“When doc does do these injections, they’re almost immediate,” he said. “So the plan would be, if everything lines up with the nerve compression, to see the doc, get the injection and honestly try to throw the next day. Obviously, nothing crazy, but I should feel some relief in the area, whether I throw at Meister’s place or at the field that day.”
Mixed results for Ober
There was a lot to like from Bailey Ober in Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. He lasted six innings, struck out a season-high nine, and induced 18 swinging strikes to equal a season high. His average four-seam fastball velocity was slightly higher than in some recent starts, at 90.4 miles per hour and he mixed his offspeed pitches effectively.
He also suffered one brief, tough sequence that spoiled the final result. A hit batter, a double and a three-run homer to James McCann proved costly as Ober finished with four runs on four hits over those six innings.
There was progress, as Ober continues to seem more comfortable with his sweeper and changeup, but he was left frustrated with the pitch to McCann.
“I think just the wrong pitch to McCann for the home run,” Ober said. “He’s pretty aggressive at the plate, so I just left that one over the middle too much, knowing that he was going to swing. Try to get him to chase a little bit, but I threw it for a strike and he put some damage on it.”
Vázquez nearing return
Christian Vázquez is expected to join Triple-A St. Paul during its final road trip of the season. The Saints play their last six games of 2025 at Memphis, and Vázquez is expected to join them during the series for a rehabilitation assignment as he recovers from an infection in his right shoulder. He is then expected to join the Twins for their season-ending road trip to Texas and Philadelphia.
Setting the rotation
Though it wasn’t the original plan, the Twins are sticking with a six-man starting rotation for a bit longer. For the upcoming home series against the Yankees, Minnesota will start Simeon Woods Richardson on Monday, Zebby Matthews Tuesday and Taj Bradley Wednesday.
“It’s nothing that I think is going to be too difficult for us to get through at this point, but the plan right now is just to stick with the six-man for now and go from there,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Minor matters
Walker Jenkins, the Twins' No. 1 prospect (No. 14 overall), hit his second Triple-A homer on Sunday. Jenkins has a .246/.333/.420 line since being promoted to St. Paul. Single-A Cedar Rapids lost the first game of its playoff series, 5-3, to West Michigan. The series is best-of-three, so the Kernels must win Game 2 on Tuesday to extend their season. Double-A Wichita lost its season finale, 8-5, to Corpus Christi on Sunday, eliminating the Wind Surge from playoff contention.