Michael Pineda is headed to a familiar place.
The Twins put the right-hander on the 10-day injured list due to right knee tendinitis on Tuesday. Pineda, the one-time very hyped Yankees starter, missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Minnesota over the winter.
Pineda started the Twins’ Monday night 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up three runs and striking out six in six innings. He didn’t figure in the decision.
On the season, the 30-year-old Pineda has a 4-3 record with a 5.34 ERA. He returned to The Stadium in early May to face his former team, giving up three runs and a home run in a 4-1 loss to the Yankees. Injuries and inconsistencies had derailed Pineda’s four-year stint in The Bronx.
In a corresponding move, the Twins called up left-hander Devin Smeltzer from Triple-A Rochester.
Smeltzer, 23, started the season with Double-A Pensacola. He has nine combined starts for the two teams, posting a 3-2 record to go with a 1.15 ERA. He has 48 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings.
The Twins have a 10-game lead over Cleveland in the American League Central standings.
— With Field Level Media