Berrios 'a bit sad' that his season ends Saturday

While he had made it a goal to pitch for the Minnesota Twins this season, Jose Berrios was definitively told on Wednesday afternoon that it won't happen.

The Twins have decided that their prized 21-year-old right-hander will make one more start for the Rochester Red Wings — an abbreviated one at that — and then he won't pitch again until next season.

Berrios was informed of the orders to shut it down early before the Wings' took batting practice before Wednesday's home finale, an 8-1 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Twins GM Terry Ryan announced it a little later in the Twin Cities.

"Honestly, when they tell me, I feel a little bit sad," Berrios said. "Then I think think about the situation and I respect the decision by Terry. I've got a lot of innings."

Berrios has thrown 161 1/3 innings in Double-A and Triple-A, and his start Saturday at Lehigh Valley will end after five innings. That also will end his season.

"They care a lot about me," Berrios said of the organization. "Sometimes when you are a player, you want to play every day. But sometimes you have to look ahead. I'm fine with what they decide."

Berrios is the top pitching prospect in the Twins system and was deemed by many as a possible component to their playoff push in September.

But because he will end up near 170 innings for the season, and because he has only been a full-time pitcher since January of his draft year of 2012, the Twins don't want to put unnecessary strain on his right arm.

They'd rather have him healthy and still pitching in their rotation six years from now, not in the sixth month of the 2015 season.

Berrios has been terrific for the Wings of late. He allowed just two earned runs in his previous three starts, striking out 27 in 20 innings. Since his July 1 promotion from Chattanooga, he has a 5-2 record, 2.67 ERA, 0.98 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and 78 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings. He walked only 13 and opposing batters were hitting just .215.