MINNEAPOLIS -- It¡¯s unclear when David Festa's next opportunity to start a Major League game will come. But the second-year right-hander made a strong case Friday night for the answer being ¡°soon.¡±
Making a one-off start in the roster spot -- if not the rotation slot -- of the injured Pablo L¨®pez, Festa pitched 4 2/3 impressive innings in a 7-6 loss to the Tigers. An unearned run was the only blemish on his box score line, and likely the only reason he didn¡¯t last five full innings. He may be headed right back to Triple-A, but his outing won¡¯t be forgotten.
¡°I was pleased with what we got from him,¡± said manager Rocco Baldelli. ¡°I think it was a good outing for him. I think he threw the ball well. I think his stuff was good. I think he had a good fastball. I think he threw some really good changeups and sliders. Overall, it was a very solid outing from him.
Baldelli explained earlier in the week that even if L¨®pez had not suffered an injury, the team was thinking about giving Festa a start so as to provide an extra day of rest for the other starters. The injury made that an easier call, and Festa made it look like a good move.
¡°He did it last year,¡± said catcher Christian V¨¢zquez. ¡°He has great stuff. He¡¯s learning and likes to compete. He¡¯s going to help this team a lot this year and all the years to come.¡±
There¡¯s never been any doubt about Festa¡¯s stuff, and the Twins regard him as a high-ceiling pitcher in the long run. A year ago, he scuffled in his first two big league starts, then was very impressive for the remainder of the year. He¡¯s since added a sinker (though he threw it only twice on Friday) and he continues to develop as far as approach and maturity.
One particularly encouraging sign was that Festa did not let innings get away from him. He has sometimes seen games spiral, but that never happened on Friday. Festa¡¯s fastball averaged 95.2 miles per hour, a hair up from his average in the Majors in 2024, and he effectively mixed in his slider, changeup and sinker as well. He struck out four against one walk.
¡°I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m a little better [than last year],¡± Festa said. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of mechanical work. And then the sinker, I think, has helped me a lot in the few starts I¡¯ve made this year. ¡ I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m always improving, or at least that¡¯s the goal. Hopefully, this is a stepping stone today.¡±
It is most likely that Festa¡¯s next start will come in Triple-A. Zebby Matthews appears to be in line to start Monday in what would be L¨®pez¡¯s turn in the rotation. The way the schedule works out, Matthews is better positioned to make a second start during L¨®pez¡¯s absence than Festa, as long as he acquits himself reasonably well in his first opportunity.
The greater intrigue is a little further down the line. Chris Paddack has struggled in two starts, though he has a chance to right the ship Saturday. Simeon Woods Richardson has been solid but unspectacular in his two starts, and at the start of spring, he was officially considered to be in a competition for his spot with Festa and Matthews.
There are plenty of areas where the Twins could look to shake things up as they look for a spark in the midst of a 4-10 start. But it¡¯s not far-fetched to think that Festa -- and/or Matthews -- could intrigue the organization enough to get a look even in the absence of further pitching injuries.
If that is the case, Festa made his first statement on Friday.