MINNEAPOLIS — A necessary discussion to rein in Marco Raya’s high-octane stuff occurred in late April.A month into the season, a Minnesota Twins prospect was struggling to command pitches at Triple-A St. Paul. Even though the organization placed a premium on strike-throwing and trusting his nasty pitch mix during big-league camp in spring training, Raya wasn’t making gains as everyone hoped.In fact, Raya was worse than ever.A pitcher who’d averaged four walks per nine innings for his career opened the 2026 season by increasing that total to 6 1/2.Sensing more direction was needed, the Twins suggested a few minor mechanical changes along with a major adjustment in pitch usage.A former starting pitcher who converted to the bullpen in August, Raya was still throwing six different pitch types when the season began. The Twins suggested he reduce the number of pitches he threw to three while still occasionally turning to a fourth.Two months later, Raya is throwing more strikes than ever. As a result, the 2020 fourth-round draft pick learned late Tuesday he was finally headed to the majors.“It’s the best stretch (he’s had) in terms of throwing strikes, ability to execute pitches,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “He’s been on the radar for the last week or so, in terms of giving him an opportunity. With this situation we’re in with our pitching right now, it seemed like the right time.”The timing of Raya’s promotion speaks to the depth of the challenge he and the Twins faced.Knowing there would be ample opportunity in the bullpen after last season’s trade deadline gutted the group, Raya was mentioned by Twins front office members as a potential relief option early in the offseason. It wasn’t hard to envision Raya’s 97 mph fastball and nasty off-speed pitches making an impact in the majors.