DETROIT -- The Twins placed Simeon Woods Richardson on the injured list on Monday as the right-hander continues to battle an illness.
Woods Richardson was initially slated to pitch Sunday in Cleveland, then pushed back three days. On Monday, the Twins formally sidelined him, and he did not join the team in Detroit.
“Sim has been dealing with a stomach issue,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “It’s something that had him getting looked at by the docs numerous times over the last week. He’s been struggling, and pushing him to the point where he’s not able to get his baseball activity done. It’s been a tough one. It’s been a challenging one.
"I’m not going to go into all the details, obviously, but we have to get him leveled off, get him to the point where he’s going more than a day or two without having an issue with his stomach.”
It’s unclear how long Woods Richardson has been dealing with the illness.
“There’s been a ton of discussion about him,” Baldelli said. “We don’t have all the answers right now. We’re trying to continue to gather as much info as we can, figure out exactly what’s going on, and get him back into some sort of rhythm to be able to throw and work out. I don’t think he’s been able to do anywhere near where he needs to be.”
The Twins have not named a Wednesday starter in place of Woods Richardson. They have the option of starting Joe Ryan on regular rest, but Baldelli downplayed the likelihood of that. Instead, they will most likely go with a bullpen game, perhaps with Pierson Ohl as the bulk pitcher.
Adams deals
Rookie right-hander Travis Adams enjoyed by far the best start of his young career on Monday, pitching a career-high five innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and striking out seven without a walk during the Twins' 6-3 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. He struck out five consecutive batters between the first and second innings and kept the Tigers off the board until the fifth, when Wenceel Pérez went down, got a slider below the strike zone and hit it out of the ballpark.
“Everything went pretty much according to plan,” said Adams, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Twins' No. 26 prospect. “About as best as you can hope for the first two innings to go. The first guy, I don’t even remember what he did, but then five straight punchouts. That’s a first for me. Everything was working. Locating things great. Obviously, the work I put in from my last outing to now, it all paid off.”
Adams had not pitched more than 4 1/3 innings or struck out more than six batters in any previous appearance this season, in the Majors or the Minors. He was put on a hybrid system this year, throwing approximately four innings per appearance on an every-fourth-day cadence. But with Adams looking extremely sharp and pitching on seven days' rest, Baldelli did not hesitate to ask him for a fifth inning.
“It’s a big step and a big game for him,” Baldelli said. “Proving what he can do.”
Hatch claimed
Potentially related to Woods Richardson’s situation, the Twins announced that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Thomas Hatch off waivers from the Royals. Hatch, 30, has appeared in parts of five Major League seasons with the Blue Jays, Pirates and Kansas City, pitching one inning in one appearance for the Royals this season.
Hatch made 18 starts for the Royals’ Triple-A Omaha affiliate, posting a 4.22 ERA in 91 2/3 innings, but he does not figure to work as a starter with Minnesota. Instead, he is more likely to slot in as a long reliever.
Keaschall arrives
Luke Keaschall joined the Twins, having finished his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A St. Paul. Keaschall has been out since April 26 after he sustained a broken bone in his right forearm.
Keaschall will likely be activated on Tuesday. When he rejoins the active roster, he is expected to do so in a prominent role, probably getting the bulk of the at-bats at second base.
“I’m excited to be back here,” Keaschall said. “Felt like a long time, but at least I got to do most of my rehab up here with these guys anyway, so it’s nice to see all my friends again, all that stuff.”