Cody Laweryson was enjoying a pregame workout Thursday before his manager with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints beckoned him to the clubhouse to deliver some life-altering news.
The relief pitcher from the small Maine town of Moscow was going to the big leagues, after the Minnesota Twins promoted him from St. Paul.
“(Toby Gardenhire) announced it in front of the whole team,” said Laweryson, a Valley High School and University of Maine graduate. “It was a pretty wild moment. I was pretty shocked. I had thrown 30-35 pitches (on Wednesday), and it was probably one of the last things that I was expecting. It threw me off guard, but I’m ready to go.”
Laweryson’s promotion was first reported by Saints and Twins beat writer Theodore Tollefson of Zone Coverage on Thursday night.
The Minnesota Twins, who are out of playoff contention, are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. Laweryson is trying to become the first Maine native to make his major league debut since Portland’ native’s Ryan Reid pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013.
Laweryson would become just the seventh Mainer to appear in the majors in the last 25 years, joining Reid (2013), Ryan Flaherty (2012-19), Charlie Furbush (2011-15), Matt Kinney (2000-05), Mark Rogers (2010-12) and Tim Stauffer (2005-15).
“It’s been a whirlwind the last 12-15 hours, whenever it was that they told me I’m going to the big leagues,” Laweryson said Friday before heading to Target Field, the Twins’ home stadium. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it and probably won’t completely have it together until I get to the field or get to the bullpen. I just want to soak everything in and try to keep the emotions down throughout this whole process. Obviously, that’s going to be tough. It’s a pretty crazy feeling.”
Its been a long journey to the big leagues for the 27-year-old Laweryson, who has persevered through struggles and injuries. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander was selected by the Twins in the 14th round (419th overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft.
In 34 appearances this season between the Saints and the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge, Laweryson is 2-4 with six saves and a 2.86 ERA. He has 45 strikeouts in 44 innings.
The timing of his call-up couldn’t have been better, since he is in a contract year. How he performs with the Twins in the final weeks of the season could impact his future, be it with Minnesota or another organization.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Laweryson said. “I think this is more of a two- to three-week audition, to see what I can really provide. I’ve met a lot of the goals that they’ve wanted from me. There’s been some bumps in the road, some injuries. But this year, I feel like I’ve finally put everything together that they’ve asked me to do. I think they appreciate that, and obviously I appreciate them for the opportunity. There’s not many minor leaguers left from that 2019 draft class. I think I’m ready to go out there and compete.”
Laweryson missed a year of development in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, he suffered an oblique injury that cost him two months. In 27 games, Laweryson was 2-2 with a 6.82 ERA, the highest of his pro career.
Laweryson also dealt with a right forearm strain this season, which sideline him for a month. He was activated on Aug. 20 and has allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings in September.
“(The injury) wasn’t anything serious,” he said. “(The rest) actually helped my entire body. We were right in the middle of the season, near the All-Star break. You’re 100 games into the season and begin to think about other things, maybe get your mind off track. You never want to land on the IL, but when I came back, I felt physically and mentally fresh. I’ve been in a pretty good spot since coming off the IL.”
Several family members and friends were on their way from Maine to Minneapolis on Friday afternoon, including Laweryson’s parents, Scott and Jolene. Scott Laweryson — Cody’s baseball coach at Valley — was emotional when talking about his son’s baseball journey.
“I’m completely beside myself,” he said. “It’s been 20 years coming. He worked really hard for this and the family has supported him the entire way through this. It’s a dream come true.
“You just want everything to go right for him. But I never doubted him, that drive and desire. This is something he’s always wanted and put all his focus into it. I’ve told everybody, this has been the greatest ride of my life.”
Former Skowhegan football and basketball standout Marcus Christopher, a friend of Laweryson’s, is also making the trip. The pair have a basketball-driven podcast called “Mainely Hoops” that Laweryson participates in during the offseason.
“We’re all thrilled, it’s been a long road for him,” Christopher said. “Obviously, this has been the goal for him for quite some time. He’s had plenty of setbacks along the way, but in the back of his mind, the goal is always to get there. To be from a small town of about 600 people and make it to MLB (is great).”
