Jeff Hoffman to IL with forearm inflammation

Yoendrys Gómez got a win today after recording five outs between the sixth and seventh innings, and A.J. Minter notched a hold with a scoreless eighth. Morris’s save was his first since Aug. 24, when he got one out in relief of an ineffective Gómez, and second of the second half. Jeff Hoffman, who got a save last night, is probably the best bet in the Twins pen for saves this weekend.

Hoffman was summoned to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead over the Giants. He walked the leadoff man, then hit the next batter before a sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position. The Giants would bring one run across on a force out before Hoffman struck out the final batter to secure the win with his sixth save of the season.

Gómez retired only one of the five batters he faced before being replaced by Kody Funderburk, who saved Gómez’s ERA by inducing a double play. It left with the Twins with a one-run lead entering the ninth, but that was blown by A.J. Minter in what turned into an 11-inning loss. Gómez was back in action tonight following one day off after pitching three days in a row, and the Twins are simply asking for too much from him at the moment. He’s been a great surprise for the team this year, but he’s still an average reliever at best. One imagines that Jeff Hoffman, who pitched a scoreless seventh tonight, will get a chance to take over as the Twins’ closer next year. It should have happened after he was acquired last month.

Aaron Gleeman reports that the Jays are covering $3.77 million of the approximately $14.2 million that Hoffman is owed through the end of next year. The 33-year-old Hoffman figures to go back to closing in Minnesota after losing his job in Toronto to ex-Twin Louis Varland. He has a 3.94 ERA this season, but that comes with a 75/18 K/BB and only four homers allowed in 48 innings. He’s allowed three earned runs in 22 1/3 innings since the beginning of June. The acquisition of Hoffman probably makes Yoendrys Gómez droppable in mixed leagues.

Hoffman was instrumental in Toronto’s playoff success last year, but found himself out of the closer role with the emergence of Louis Varland, who ironically came over from the Twins at last year’s deadline. The 33-year-old should bolster Minnesota’s relief corps as they attempt to make a playoff push in the final two months.

Brought into a 3-3 game, Morris gave up a leadoff double to Randy Arozarena in the ninth. After Dominic Canzone flied out and advanced Arozarena to third, Julio Rodríguez was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Morris might have gotten it, too. However, novice first baseman Royce Lewis stepped on first after fielding Cal Raleigh’s grounder and then was too late in trying to throw home to retire Arozarena. It was quite the disappointing end, especially since Lewis should have had the out at home had he gone there right away or probably could have pulled off a 3-6-3 double play had he instead gone that route.

This makes plenty of sense. The Phillies need another starter for the rotation and potentially another outfield bat as well. The Blue Jays could send any combination of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, George Springer, and Daulton Varsho. The Phillies may also be interested in Jeff Hoffman for the bullpen. Would the Blue Jays want to take a chance that they can “fix” Andrew Painter? There is still time to go here and nothing imminent, but it seems like a pairing that makes sense.

The rally started with a soft liner that Ernie Clement could do nothing with and included a couple of more singles, a couple of steals and a long go-ahead sac fly that would have been a homer in 15 ballparks. The earned runs were the first allowed by Hoffman since June 6. He had since allowed one unearned run in 13 innings. He’s still throwing well enough to resume closing, but it seems highly unlikely that the Jays will give him that chance as long as Louis Varland remains healthy.

If was Hoffman’s error, but it might have been Kazuma Okamoto’s mistake. After Joey Loperfido tripled in the eighth, Hoffman tried a pickoff play, but Okamoto wasn’t aware of it and the throw sailed past him into right field. If it was something Hoffman did on his own, it’s his fault. But it might have been called from the dugout. Hoffman went on to strike out Yainer Diaz and retire Cam Smith on a flyout, so if not for the miscue, he might have escaped the jam. As it, is turned into his fifth loss of the year.

It’s the first save for Morris since May 20th. The righty took the mound in Friday’s back-and-forth affair to secure the win for the Twins after manager Derek Shelton opted to go with Anthony Banda in the eighth inning in hopes of limiting further damage after the Cardinals took an 8-7 lead on an RBI single by José Fermín. Morris needed only nine pitches to get through the inning and induced a ground ball out to all three batters he faced.