Alex Meyer will join the Twins' rotation, starting Tuesday against the Astros.

Meyer will join the Twins' rotation, starting Tuesday against the Astros.

Analysis:

This comes as a bit of a surprise, but it makes a lot of sense, given where the Twins are as a franchise, and with the knowledge that Tommy Milone does not fit into the team's long-term plans. He has been up with the big club as a bullpen arm, but has not made an appearance yet. His last game action was on April 20 when he pitched seven innings for Triple-A Rochester, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven. With this in mind, there should be no major pitch count restrictions Tuesday. Meyer has always had a lot of upside, but control issues have been led many to believe his future is in the bullpen. If he makes the most of this opportunity, he could force the Twins to make a difficult decision once Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson return from their DL stints in May.