Minnesota Twins reliever Cole Sands out for season after elbow surgery

Right‑hander Cole Sands, 29, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies and bone spurs, and received a platelet‑rich plasma injection. The procedure ends his 2026 season with the Minnesota Twins. Sands had been sidelined since early May with a forearm strain, returned for a single appearance against the Oakland Athletics in which he surrendered five runs, and then returned to the injured list with the elbow injury. He finished the year with an 8.25 ERA over 13 games, recording one save and 11 strikeouts.

Despite the loss, the Twins said the move will not alter their approach to the upcoming trade deadline. General manager Jeremy Zoll emphasized that the focus remains on augmenting a bullpen that ranks near the bottom in several pitching metrics, and the team will explore various options to improve the relief corps.