Randy Dobnak Pulls Michael Jordan Move for Minnesota Twins, “I’m Back”

Back in 2017 Randy Dobnak was an Uber driver playing baseball and looking to make it. Fast forward to 2019 and he was pitching for the Minnesota Twins in the postseason. So much has happened since then, but the important thing to note is that he’s back.

Randy Dobnak promoted by Minnesota Twins

1,061 days after he last pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Randy Dobnak has been recalled. Dobnak has pitched just under 100 innings at Triple-A St. Paul this year, and owns a 3.61 ERA. He has a 2.26 ERA across his last ten starts, and has allowed just a .645 OPS against. As one of the best pitchers for the Saints, Dobnak has been knocking on the door of a promotion for a while.

pic.twitter.com/5rYEvi39sf

— Randy Dobnak (@Dobnak_) July 30, 2024

After a pair of strong minor league seasons, the Minnesota Twins purchased the contract of Randy Dobnak in 2019. He appeared in nine games as a rookie and made five starts. The biggest moment of his life came in a postseason game in New York against the Yankees. Dobnak made ten starts during the 2020 pandemic season, and then things went downhill in 2021.

Dobnak dealt with a ruptured tendon in his finger, twice. He pitched only 25 innings in 2022, and tried to navigate 2023 while learning new ways to be effective. This spring he came in with a new changeup and a clean bill of health. After a moderate start to the year, he has been nothing short of lights out since.

Randy Dobnak with the longest outing of his career since 2021 in the @StPaulSaints win💥

7 IP / 7 H / 1 R / 0 BB / 5 K

Over his last 8 starts, he has a 1.70 ERA with a 57.1 GB%

On the season, he has a 60.1 GB%, which is the 2nd highest ground ball rate in @MiLB‼️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/oJPqiSBLuQ

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 26, 2024

Related: Minnesota Twins Headed Back to Comcast

There is poetic justice for Dobnak in his return. Pitching in the same city he made that postseason appearance, the expectation is that he’ll be used out of the bullpen. After the Twins 15-2 drubbing on Monday night, having insurance behind starter David Festa makes some sense. It remains to be seen how long Dobnak will be up, but his promotion puts him back on the 40-man roster. Paid $9.25 million through the 2025 season, Dobnak could carve out opportunity if he can stick once again.