Ervin Santana is getting set to return to the Twins. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
MILWAUKEE — Ervin Santana’s return is getting closer by the day, but Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor still isn’t sure exactly where the right-hander will fit into his starting rotation.
“I think about it a lot, but I’m not going to make [the decision] before I have to,” Molitor said Sunday morning before his team faced the Brewers at Miller Park.. “No one stands out; it’s not a no-brainer as far as what the solution would be.”
Santana signed a four-year, $55 million contract – the richest in franchise history – and slated to open the year as Minnesota’s No. 2 starter but he was slapped with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for stanozolol days before the season opener.
He was allowed to begin a minor league rehab assignment and has made two starts for Triple-A Rochester, winning both, while allowing four earned runs in 12 2/3 innings of work.
He’ll be joining a rotation that’s doing well of late; the Twins’ starters entered play Sunday with a combined 2.77 ERA over their last 10 games and are fourth in the American League this season with a 3.87 ERA.
Despite that, Molitor said he’s not likely to follow the New York Mets’ lead and employ a six-man rotation.
“I think that some teams are showing that it can potentially be effective,” Molitor said. “I think that’s pretty unlikely that we’ll go that direction, but it hasn’t been totally eliminated.”
