There's adversity, and then there's what Minnesota Twins starting pitcher David Festa went through this past season. The 25-year-old only made 11 appearances due to thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulder, but he was optimistic about it in September, via MLB.com's Matthew Leach.

“I think initially when there was TOS mentioned, a lot of my family and friends were nervous because they thought maybe it was bad news,” he said.

“It seemed like bad news. I knew it was good news regardless," he continued. "Any answer is good news for me right now. Especially with how mild we think it could be. But why it’s causing achiness in the front area, we’ll see. I’m remaining optimistic. If it is just a nerve compression, it doesn’t really change my timeline too much.”

Festa didn't pitch after July due to the ailment, but he avoided a more damaging version of the condition and is on track to return for the beginning of next season. Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said in November that he expects the hurler back for spring training, per The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman.

Assuming Festa has no setbacks, he'll be able to focus on improving his on-field production. The right-hander went 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA over 11 games (10 starts) in 2025 and 2-6 with a 4.90 ERA across 14 games (13 starts) in 2024. That's not what Minnesota envisioned when it drafted him in 2021.

Health-permitting, Festa must improve in 2026 to establish himself as a core piece of the Twins' pitching staff moving forward.

Will David Festa Start for Twins?

Festa could make a leap as a starter next season, but he hasn't earned the role based on his production thus far. However, Minnesota's lack of depth at starting pitcher outside of Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Simeon Woods Richardson could give him an opportunity.

Right-handers Bailey Ober (5.10 ERA in 2025), Taj Bradley (5.05 ERA), and Mick Abel (6.23 ERA) are the team's other main back-end options right now, so Festa isn't up against Cy Young winners. If he has a strong spring training, then he'll be one of the better candidates to fill the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation.

If not, Festa may be relegated to the bullpen to begin 2026. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if it's a better fit for him, as part of being a young player is figuring out their role. 

Regardless, 2026 will be a critical season for Festa as he looks to put together his first full big-league season.