September 12th : Festa tells that his i sue is related to a compre sed nerve and not typical thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms. He expects to be fine for spring training. September 10th : Twins right-hander has been on the injured list since late July due to shoulder inflammation. Head trainer Nick Paparesta tells that noted surgeon Dr. Keith Meister believes Festa has neurological thoracic outlet syndrome. Festa is going to see another doctor and a formal plan will be mapped out after that. Its a potentially ominous diagnosis as thoracic outlet syndrome can significantly alter the course of a pitchers career. Back in 2023, did a thorough examination of the condition, noting that there are two distinct varieties. One type is known as venous or vascular TOS. While this is a serious medical condition often involving life-threatening blood clots, it seems to have le s long-term impacts in terms of throwing a baseball. is the poster boy for recovering from this type of TOS surgery. Kelly went under the knife in 2020 but has since made 132 starts with a 3.59 earned run average. of the Phillies recently had a blood clot removed and was recommended for venous TOS surgery. The second type of TOS is neurogenic, which seems to have a larger impact on throwing ability. Paparesta used the word neurological to describe Festas TOS, but its po sible he meant neurogenic. , and are some of the most famous example of pitchers who were diagnosed with neurogenic TOS and never really seemed to be the same. Strasburg was one of the best pitchers over the previous decade. He capped things off with an excellent 2019 season. He gave the Nationals 209 innings that year with a 3.32 ERA Myles Turner Jersey . He then added another 36 1/3 innings in the postseason with a 1.98 ERA, leading the Nats to a World Series title, winning himself World Series MVP in the proce s. But nerve i sues popped up after that. He underwent TOS surgery in 2021. His repeated attempts to get back on the mound didnt work. He only made eight appearances after the 2019 season and eventually retired. Archer to sed 882 1/3 innings over the 2015 to 2019 seasons with a 4.05 ERA and 27.8% strikeout rate. He underwent TOS surgery in 2020. After that, he logged 122 innings with a 4.57 ERA and 20.2% strikeout rate. Harvey had a 2.53 ERA and 26.6% strikeout rate through his first 427 innings but then had TOS surgery in 2016. In the final 446 2/3 innings of his career, he had a 6.15 ERA and 17% strikeout rate. Festa entered 2024 as one of the top prospects in the league. He made his major league debut last year, to sing 64 1/3 innings for the Twins. His 4.90 ERA wasnt especially impre sive but he struck out 27.8% of batters faced with an 8.3% walk rate. This year, he has been shuttled back and forth between the majors and minors. He mi sed much of May, while on optional a signment, due to biceps inflammation. He was placed on the major league IL in July due to shoulder inflammation. Around those transactions and injuries, he has made 11 big league appearances with a 5.40 ERA but decent strikeout and walk rates of 23.1% and 8.3% respectively. He also posted a 2.59 ERA in seven Triple-A starts. It was earlier this month that Festa had a setback and would not be returning this year, with the next step being a visit to Dr. Meister. Further information on Festas status will undoubtedly be coming out in the future. He has not yet been moved to the 60-day IL as the Twins only have 37 guys on their 40-man roster. If they fill those spots in the remainder of the season, Festa could eventually be moved to the 60-day IL to open another. The Minnesota rotation has changed shape in recent months. The club fell in the standings and pivoted to sell mode. They sent out impending free agent but also brought in young, controllable guys like and , as well as prospect . Some have speculated that they will continue selling this winter, including making guys like or available. Time will tell whether thats a realistic po sibility or not. For now, the 2026 rotation mix includes those guys as well as , and . Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images Jeremy Lamb Jersey