Twins designate struggling pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment, recall John Klein

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Minnesota Twins designated struggling starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Woods Richardson is winless in 12 games (10 starts) this season for the last-place Twins. His seven losses and 41 earned runs allowed are tops in the majors.

A former second-round pick by the New York Mets in 2018, the right-hander bounced from New York to Toronto to Minnesota, breaking into the majors in 2022 and becoming a part of the Twins’ starting rotation in 2024.

Woods Richardson went 12-9 with a 4.11 ERA in 2024 and 2025 before bottoming out this season. The Twins briefly moved him to the bullpen earlier this month in hopes it would help him figure things out. While he had two scoreless outings in relief, his troubles returned when he made a start against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The White Sox tagged Woods Richardson for 5 runs in 2 2/3 innings of work.

The Twins recalled rookie right-handed pitcher John Klein from Triple-A St. Paul to fill Woods Richardson’s roster spot. Klein went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in 2 1/3 innings during his first stint in the majors earlier this season.

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