The Twins made a minor move to address the bullpen on Tuesday afternoon, claiming reliever Jackson Kowar off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Kowar, ironically, had been designated for assignment just days earlier when the Twins traded catcher Jhonny Pereda, himself designated for assignment, to the Mariners for cash considerations.

The 29-year-old right-handed pitcher should compete for a spot in a bullpen that still has plenty of question marks after being picked apart at last year’s trade deadline. It hasn’t been an easy path for Kowar, who was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Kansas City Royals and was once considered a top-100 prospect.

He began his career as a starter but has been a reliever for most of his time in the majors. In parts of four major league seasons, he has an 8.21 earned-run average across 91 innings pitched. Kowar missed all of the 2024 season recovering from Tommy surgery, returning in May 2025. He also missed time last season with a shoulder injury, pitching in 15 games for the Mariners to a 4.24 ERA.

A graduate of Charlotte Christian High School in North Carolina, Kowar was a high school teammate of Twins starter Bailey Ober.

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