Twins send Ober, Coulombe, Sanchez and Garlick to minors

© Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune/Star Tribune/TNS Bailey Ober will start the season with the St. Paul Saints.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — At least Bailey Ober doesn't have to wonder if he would still be on the Twins' roster if he hadn't allowed his first runs of the spring on Saturday. Danny Coulombe didn't allow a run all spring, and he didn't make the team, either.

Ober, Coulombe, and Aaron Sanchez were all reassigned to the Twins' minor-league camp on Sunday, leaving 13 healthy pitchers on the roster — essentially, the team's Opening Day pitching staff. Cole Sands, a starter throughout his minor-league career, is one of them, taking on a bullpen assignment that will give manager Rocco Baldelli a multi-inning option in relief of the five-man starting staff.

In addition to the three pitchers, the Twins also reassigned outfielder Kyle Garlick to their minor-league camp. Garlick, who has hit 14 home runs in 102 games for Minnesota over the past two seasons, has batted only .207 with no walks and 12 strikeouts this spring.

It's a huge disappointment for Ober, who hadn't allowed a hit this spring until Saturday's 9-4 loss to Atlanta, but it's one he said he was prepared for. The 27-year-old righthander lost his rotation spot when the Twins traded for Opening Day starter Pablo Lopez, giving Baldelli five established, veteran starters for the rotation.

Coulombe, too, was a revelation this spring, returning from a labrum tear in his hip to pitch nine scoreless innings in relief. But the lefthander was also a victim of numbers; the Twins' bullpen already includes a pair of left-handers, Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran.

Sanchez, an eight-year veteran and former All-Star while with Toronto in 2016, was much less effective this spring, allowing 15 runs in 8 2/3 innings. The righthander made three starts for the Twins last season, and likely will pitch at Class AAA St. Paul until he's needed again.

The reassignments leave the Twins with this pitching staff: Lopez, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Joe Ryan and Tyler Mahle in the rotation, all right-handers, and Sands, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Emilio Pagan, Jorge Alcala and Jorge Lopez joining left-handers Thielbar and Moran.

Pitchers Chris Paddack (elbow surgery), Josh Winder (shoulder) and Ronny Henriquez (elbow) will open the season on the injured list.

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