Jason Wheeler MiLB Profile

The Twins announced on Monday that they've selected the contract of former Lion, left-hander Jason Wheeler. Wheeler was an eighth-round pick by Minnesota in the 2011 draft. When Wheeler makes his MLB debut, he will be the first Lion since his older brother, Ryan, debuted for the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 20, 2012.

Wheeler, 26, has logged 44 innings with a 4.50 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 41.8 percent ground-ball rate so far this season with the Rochester Red Wings. He is expected to give the Twins some length in their bullpen on the heels of yesterday's 15-inning marathon, but there's also enough uncertainty at the back of the Minnesota rotation that Wheeler could conceivably be a candidate for a starting job.

Wheeler has made 140 professional appearances, and all but one of those outings has been a start. In six seasons of minor league baseball, Wheeler is 55-37 with a 3.70 ERA over 809.1 innings of work. The Torrance, Calif. native was named a mid-season All-Star in 2012 and 2016, and a Twins Organization All-Star in 2012 and 2014.

Prior to being drafted in 2011, Wheeler was LMU's Friday starter throughout his junior year, finishing the season with a 6-4 record and a 3.84 ERA over 14 starts and 103 innings of work. The 6'6" lefty dealt three complete games, including one complete-game shutout, to go along with 71 strikeouts.