Smeltzer is slated to work out of the bullpen for this weekend's series versus Kansas City with the Twins listing Randy Dobnak, Jose Berrios and Martin Perez as their probable starters Friday through Sunday,
Smeltzer and fellow rookies Dobnak and Lewis Thorpe made three consecutive starts last weekend in Cleveland, but only Dobnak looks like he'll stick around in the rotation as a replacement for the suspended Michael Pineda. The Twins enter Friday's game four games ahead of the Indians for the division lead and don't have a realistic chance to surpass either the Astros or the Yankees for the top two spots in the American League, which could prompt manager Rocco Baldelli to build in some rest for his starters during the final week of the regular season. If that's the case, Smeltzer would be one of the prime candidates to step in for a spot start.