It’s been a trying year for many within the Twins’ clubhouse, but perhaps none more so than starter Bailey Ober who, after years of being the model of consistency, has encountered his toughest season.
Ober tweaked his hip during spring training and talked throughout the season about how his mechanics felt as if they were out of whack. Eventually, after a turbulent June, the right-hander was placed on the injured list for a month to let the hip heal.
But while the results have been somewhat better since then, the starter is looking forward to resetting over the offseason.
“I feel like I was a little bit off from the start of the year and battling through stuff all season,” Ober said. “Being able to go back to the drawing boards and put in a lot of work in the offseason, come back strong for next year; (I’m) looking forward to doing that, putting in the work.”
Ober plans to go back to his North Carolina gym where he trains and expects he will spend some time in Florida with his trainer “getting the body in a good spot” to be ready for spring training.
Regaining his velocity will be a focus after it dipped this season. His four-seam fastball, for example, which averaged 91.7 miles per hour last season, has dipped to 90.4 mph this year.
“I think I’ll be able to get back to my old self just being able to have a full ramp-up in the offseason, start fresh and get my patterns and how I’m moving on the mound back to the way I’m supposed to,” Ober said. “I think my mechanics should lead to my velo coming back to me.”
Ober, who has given up an American League-leading 30 home runs, currently has a 5.12 earned-run average after finishing below 4.00 in each of the past three seasons. In five starts in June, he gave up 30 earned runs in as many innings, and the toll of it was clearly taking an effect on him. Since his return, he has given up 23 runs in 43⅓ innings (4.78 ERA).
At one point last year, Ober threw 11 consecutive quality starts. This season, just seven of his 25 starts have been quality starts — at least six innings, three or fewer runs allowed — and the Twins are 10-15 in games he has started.
Although he still has a couple weeks left in the season, Ober said he was looking forward to making changes this offseason so he can get himself “back to being who I am.”
“He’s a guy that likes to have a plan to go and execute, whether that be during a game or whether that be in an offseason,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I wouldn’t doubt he shows back up and he looks, physically, throwing the ball more like Bailey of last year or the year before. I’d actually almost anticipate it.”
Briefly
Catchers Christian Vázquez (infection) and Ryan Jeffers (concussion) both took live batting practice Tuesday against rehabbing reliever Anthony Misiewicz. Vázquez is expected to join the Triple-A Saints on rehab on Thursday in Memphis, Tenn. … Taj Bradley is on tap to take the mound Wednesday in the series finale against the New York Yankees. He’ll face Luis Gil, whom the Twins traded to the Yankees for outfielder Jake Cave in 2018.
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