Twins call up former All-Star righty Aaron Sanchez

The Twins announced Monday that they selected the contract of right-hander Aaron Sanchez from Triple-A St. Paul and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by designating catcher Jose Godoy for assignment. Minnesota also optioned righty Yennier Cano to St. Paul and recalled outfielder Mark Contreras. Lastly, Gio Urshela was reinstated from the paternity list, while outfielder Gilberto Celestino was placed on the paternity list in his place.

Sanchez, 30, was a top prospect and eventual All-Star with the Blue Jays earlier in his career, finishing seventh in 2016 Cy Young voting on the strength of a flat 3.00 ERA through 192 innings. Unfortunately, a series of shoulder injuries, plus some nagging blister issues, have combined to derail that once-promising career. Sanchez appeared in just 64 games over a period of five years from 2017-21 and has yet to regain that 2016 form.

Minnesota will be Sanchez’s second stop in 2022, as he began the year in the Nationals organization but struggled mightily. He pitched well in Triple-A for the Nats (3.60 ERA) but was tattooed for an 8.33 ERA in 31 1/3 frames for Washington’s big league club.

Since being cut loose by the Nats, Sanchez has latched on with the Twins and again held his own pitching in Triple-A. He has a 4.26 ERA in eight starts/38 innings for the Twins this year, bringing his overall Triple-A numbers to a 4.08 ERA with a 16% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and a 45.8% grounder rate.

It’s unlikely the Twins expect Sanchez to hold down a rotation spot for the remainder of the season, though with a strong enough showing early on, he could potentially pitch his way into consideration for a roster spot the rest of the way. The Twins need some immediate help on the pitching staff and, like the majority of teams around the league, have yet to line up on a meaningful trade acquisition to augment the staff. Minnesota is rumored to be in the market for rotation and bullpen upgrades alike, and it’d be a genuine surprise if they don’t come away from Tuesday’s trade deadline with at least one new starter and one new reliever.

As for Godoy, he’s a 27-year-old who spent the bulk of his career in the Cardinals’ system but has begun to bounce around a bit on waivers, going to the Mariners and then the Twins in recent months. He’s batted just .197/.272/.299 in Triple-A this season but is a well-regarded defensive catcher with minor league options remaining. The Twins can trade him up until Tuesday’s deadline and can otherwise attempt to pass him through outright waivers at any point in the next week.