The decision to option Thielbar was expected, as he's replaced by a fellow lefty reliever in Duensing, but the Milone decision was more of a surprise. The Twins had announced on Thursday that Milone would be heading to long relief with Nolasco taking his spot in the rotation, but he never had a chance to pitch out of the bullpen before being optioned.
Milone started the season with 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox on April 10, but saw a dip in his performance after that, posting a 7.20 ERA in his next three starts. He was 2-1 with a 4.