Duran is a candidate to win a spot on the pitching staff to begin the season, MLB.com reports. "I wouldn't put him in a box, saying he's going down soon and that's the end of it," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We're going to keep letting him pitch and let him show us what he is right now. I think he's getting to that point in his career where he's right on the brink of helping a big league team win a lot of games."
Duran is one of Minnesota's top pitching prospects, but he threw just 16 innings last season due to elbow issues. He threw two scoreless innings in his spring debut and touched 100.4 mph with his fastball. It sounds like he's being considered for the bullpen, but the Twins do have an opening in the rotation as well.