Twins option Funderburk, select Caleb Boushley
Minnesota Twins' Kody Funderburk throws to a Kansas City Royals batter during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
A day after the Minnesota Twins got a boost with the return of closer Jhoan Duran, the club has made another bullpen move.
The team optioned lefty Kody Funderburk to Triple-A St. Paul and selected righty Caleb Boushley.
The 31-year-old Boushley has gone 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA across 27 innings in five starts for the Saints this year, including 30 strikeouts compared to four walks.
If he makes it into a game with the Twins, it’d be just his second MLB appearance, as he pitched the final 2.1 innings and got a win for the Brewers of the Cubs on Sept. 29, 2023.
Funderburk appeared in 11 games for the Twins this season, going 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA across 13.1 innings while striking out 15 and walking five. That includes his two innings in Tuesday’s game in which he allowed two hits and two runs.
Boushley gives the club another arm out of the bullpen, which has been leaned on heavily of late, including for the final 5.2 innings of Tuesday’s game.
The Twins could also get reliever Justin Topa back soon to help further. Topa was part of the return in the trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle, but he has also missed the entire season thus far due to left patellar tendinitis that flared up in the spring.