The Minnesota Twins are right at the .500 mark entering Tuesday and are very much alive in the muddled American League Central division. Unfortunately, the Twins got some bad news on emerging reliever Brock Stewart, who is headed to the 15-day IL due to right elbow soreness, due to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

‘Brock Stewart is headed to the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness. ‘

In a corresponding move, the Twins are bringing up Oliver Ortega. So far this season, Stewart has gone 2-0 with a 0.70 ERA in 25 appearances. The 31-year-old right-hander has bounced around the majors quite a bit but has become an important part of the Twins bullpen this season.

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Stewart also has seven holds and a save this season, so being without him for the next couple of weeks will be a tough loss for the Twins. After some early-season control issues, he has gone 12 straight outings without surrendering a walk.

Since Stewart has been in the majors, this is by far the most productive season he has gone through. He has already posted career highs in games, holds, and strikeouts and we aren't even at the All-Star break.

Despite a .500 mark, the Twins are in first place in the division and have a 1.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians entering Tuesday. At this rate, they should be the favorites to win the division, and they could make a few moves at the MLB Trade Deadline to bolster the roster and make a push. Hopefully, Stewart can make his return in a couple of weeks.