Ervin Santana yielded just one run over five innings in his first start at Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, allowing only five hits while striking out three before exiting after 88 pitches (53 strikes).
Eligible to return from his PED suspension on July 4, Santana will make two more starts before joining the Twins, who signed Santana in December to a four-year, $55 million deal. Just four months later, he received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic anabolic steroid.
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Last season with the Braves, Santana went 14-10 in with a 3.95 ERA in 196 innings. It was his first winning season since going 17-10 with the Angels in 2010.
Santana, 32, has proven capable of staying healthy, making no fewer than 23 starts in a season since breaking into the majors in 2005. He has pitched more than 200 innings in a season five times.