Twins' deadline acquisition Dyson hits IL days after joining team

Sam Dyson's Minnesota Twins career is not off to a great start.

Dyson, one of the Twins' biggest trade acquisitions prior to Wednesday's deadline, was placed on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis after just two outings with his new team.

Left-hander Devin Smeltzer was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move and will start Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals.

Minnesota traded three prospects to the San Francisco Giants for Dyson in the hopes he'd add to what's been an excellent bullpen. Instead, he owns an 81.00 ERA through his first two games as a Twin and failed to record an out while surrendering a three-run lead in his debut with the team on Thursday.

The two poor outings inflated both his 2019 ERA and WHIP from 2.47 and 0.90 to 3.48 and 1.05, respectively.

Twins executive vice president and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey noted that Dyson had been pitching effectively in San Francisco right up to Wednesday's trade, and said no red flags about his health were found.

"He didn't have any open injuries, and from our medical review and otherwise, we felt good about where he was," Falvey told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Minnesota was expected to be active in the July trade market during what's been a surprising season. Instead, the AL Central leaders were relatively quiet, adding only Dyson and fellow reliever Sergio Romo.

The Cleveland Indians have cut Minnesota's once large lead atop the division to just three games entering play Sunday.