Kyle Gibson To Start For Triple-A Rochester This Weekend

Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson underwent Tommy John surgery last September, and on Saturday he will make the next step in his recovery process as he is scheduled to make the jump to Triple-A Rochester where he will start for the Red Wings. Over at Twinkie Town, they are busy breaking down the details of the restrictions in Gibson's start and discussing what really matters going forward:

He'll be limited to 60-65 pitches, which should be enough to get him through four innings and possibly five if he's efficient and effective. While it's impossible to read too much into the numbers he's put up in the 21.2 innings he's pitched this season, at the very least it's good to see that the lower levels haven't beaten him up. He's been very effective, which is what you want to see.

Can he be effective with Rochester at the end of the season? Possibly, possibly not. But it really doesn't matter. The only thing that's important right now is getting and keeping him on the hill, and getting some innings under his belt so that when next spring rolls around that level of competition is still fresh for him.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Minnesota. For more comprehensive coverage of this series, visit Twins blog Twinkie Town, and for more news, notes and analysis from around baseball be sure to check out Baseball Nation.