Twins right-hander Cole Sands is headed for surgery to remove loose bodies and bone spurs from his right elbow, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season. Sands will also get a platelet-rich plasma injection as part of the procedure.
It’s been a tough sequence of events for Sands. He had been sidelined since early May with a right forearm strain. The righty finally returned on Sunday against the A’s and was hammered for five earned runs. He recorded just one out. After the lone appearance, Sands went right back on the IL with a right elbow strain.
The 29-year-old Sands opened the season in Minnesota’s high-leverage mix. He picked up the club’s first save of the year. Sands earned holds in three of his next four appearances. He continued to pitch in the later innings up until the forearm injury. With Sands sidelined, Yoendrys Gomez emerged as the top option for Minnesota in the ninth inning. He picked up his 13th save of the season over the weekend.
Sands had added velocity in each of his first three years in the big leagues, peaking at 95.7 mph on his four-seamer in 2024. He sat at 95 mph last season. Sands’ heater slipped to 93.1 mph this year. The velocity was down on all of his pitches compared to 2025. With the diminished arsenal, Sands permitted a hefty 56.4% hard-hit rate and a double-digit barrel rate.
The loss of Sands won’t change Minnesota’s trade deadline plans. The club needed relief help even if Sands was healthy and contributing in the majors. The Twins’ bullpen ranks 27th in SIERA and 28th in xFIP. Only the Royals’ relievers have a higher WHIP. Minnesota entered Thursday one game back of Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot.
