WTF is Going on With Brock Stewart?

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Brock Stewart, Minnesota Twins
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Seriously? Someone should attempt to contact the U.S. Marshals Service. I’m starting to wonder if Minnesota Twins flamethrowing relief pitcher Brock Stewart is in a federal witness protection program, because he seems to have disappeared off the team’s radar.

Brock Stewart is among the Minnesota Twins’ greatest come up stories over the past two seasons. Signed to a minor league deal in July 2022, the 32-year-old emerged as a legitimate late-inning reliever alongside Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax last season, a key piece to one of the best bullpens in the AL.

Where is Minnesota Twins’ relief pitcher, Brock Stewart?

As expected, Stewart began the 2024 season in a high leverage role and he didn’t miss a beat, either, racking up 16 strikeouts to go with a 0.68 ERA. 2.92 FIP and 1.0 WPA through 13.1 innings pitched in April. But then, on May 1… he disappeared.

Here’s what we know: On May 3, the Twins placed Stewart on the 15-day injured list on May 3, with “right shoulder tendinitis”. On May 8, Brock did an interview with Sirius MLB Radio, where he divulged quite a bit of information that hasn’t really been reported on.

He told the hosts that the “right shoulder tendinitis” is a problem in his rotator cuff. At the time of the interview, less than a week post IL designation, he said he was already feeling better and that he was hoping to start throwing again that same weekend. He does, however, sound a little worried that it could be something bigger.

“I felt something on a pitch last homestand against the White Sox. It was my second to last pitch, it was a back-to-back so I pitched two days in a row, felt a little something. I had two outings in Chicago and didn’t feel great warming up. Once I got out on the mound, it was ok, but warming up wasn’t fun.

I was honest with [the Twins coaches and trainers] right when it happened and then honest with them with how I felt in those next outings. When we got back home for the Boston series, playing catch wasn’t great. So I decided to go in the training room and tell them I needed to take a little break and take care of this rotator cuff issue now. Let it calm down, which it has already, it feels better.

So I just gotta let it calm down, get a little stronger. Then hopefully, in the next few days, pick up a plyo ball or pick up a baseball and start up with a throwing routine. Hopefully, it won’t be too long of a break but I do want to take care of this and not let it linger.”

Brock Stewart on May 8 regarding his rotator cuff injury (Sirius MLB Radio)

When will the Minnesota Twins get Brock Stewart back?

That’s the million dollar question — or rather $900,000 question, given Stewart’s 2024 salary. Since that interview, we’ve had very few updates on where Brock Stewart is at with this shoulder injury. All we know for sure is that his 15-day IL designation is now getting close to two months.

On May 13, Stewart’s shoulder was treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection. On June 11, he threw from 90 feet, then threw five pitches off the mound on June 12. Since then, it’s been radio silence. Here is the full update at MLB.com.

RHP Brock Stewart (right shoulder tendinitis)

Expected return: TBD

Stewart threw five pitches off a mound on June 12, his first time throwing off a mound since his injury. He had thrown from 90 feet on June 11, at which point he didn’t have a more substantial update — but he has noted that he doesn’t ask the Twins too many questions about his recovery due to how it impacted him when he had been looking too far ahead as part of his prolonged recovery last summer from another arm injury.

MLB.com

Although his teammate, Griffen Jax, has been among the best relievers in baseball, it seems as though Duran is still plagued by his oblique injury from spring training, which explains why his stuff is down across the board.

Related: Is Griffin Jax Taking Twins’ Top Reliever Role from Jhoan Duran?

The Minnesota Twins bullpen could certainly use another proven high leverage arm like Brock’s, given Duran’s struggles. And none of the lower-leverage arms have gained near enough trust to move into a more pressure-packed role. Hell, Rocco has been shuffling low leverage relief pitchers like deck chairs on the Titanic.

Brock Stewart’s career has been marred by a host of arm injuries, but a shoulder issue is among the most damaging for any pitcher, and it doesn’t appear that the Twins will have their hurler back any time soon.

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