Trevor Larnach’s time with the Twins may be winding down after Minnesota put the outfielder on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Sept. 15, with a left wrist sprain. The club filled the roster spot by recalling Alan Roden from Triple-A St. Paul.
Larnach’s season is probably finished. He is technically eligible to return for the final series against the Texas Rangers at Target Field, but there’s little reason for him to push it and risk making the wrist worse in games that don’t affect Minnesota’s season.
The bigger question is whether this is the end of Larnach’s run in a Twins uniform altogether. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2027 season, and while he has put together a strong year - 2.2 fWAR and a 123 wRC+ - the fit for him on next year’s roster looks shaky.
If everyone is healthy, Minnesota will want regular playing time for Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins, which would squeeze Larnach out. Gabriel Gonzalez and Hendry Mendez are also in the mix as top outfield prospects, with Gonzalez already in the majors and Mendez close to his debut.
Roden is part of that crowd, too.
That leaves Minnesota with a decision this offseason: trade Larnach or non-tender him. Keeping him around as depth is possible, but moving him while he’s coming off a career year and on an expiring deal would make the most sense for the Twins.
For Roden, the promotion gives him another shot in the majors with nine regular-season games left. He spent roughly a month and a half with the big-league club earlier this season and hit .254/.333/.313 in 79 plate appearances before Minnesota sent him back to the Saints late last month to make room for Jenkins.
His big-league line this year has been uneven, but the underlying numbers have stayed encouraging. Roden’s .294 wOBA was rough, yet his expected wOBA sat at .343. He also posted a 40.7% hard-hit rate, a 30.9% squared-up rate and a .279 expected batting average, while continuing to show a strong approach with limited strikeouts and plenty of walks.
Even if there may not be a clear lane for Roden in next year’s outfield picture, he has done enough to show he deserves more regular major league at-bats. The Twins could keep him as depth, especially if they move Larnach, but they could also shop him this offseason.
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Rod Carew Just Gave These Twins Players Something Few Ever Get
Rod Carew made a familiar sight feel special again before the Twins opened their series against the Angels, showing up in uniform and spending time around batting practice and pregame meetings. For a clubhouse that has leaned on veteran voices all season, having a Hall of Famer like Carew in the room carried a different kind of weight, one rooted in the standards and history that still hang around the franchise.
Manager Derek Shelton and players such as Taylor Rogers and Ryan Jeffers welcomed the chance to be around him and pick up whatever they could from his experience. Carew means something on both sides of this matchup, with his number retired by the Twins and the Angels, and his presence offered a reminder that some baseball lessons go beyond the box score, even if the full impact of the visit is still more felt than measured. [Read more 🡒]