Kaelen Culpepper was out of the Twins’ lineup Sunday after taking a 95.3 mph fastball off the back in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Cleveland, but the shortstop sounded relieved and upbeat the next morning.
Culpepper left the game early with a right shoulder contusion after getting hit by Guardians reliever Franco Aleman. The blow knocked the wind out of him, and he said the pain only became clearer once he tried to keep moving.
“I was wheezing a little bit,” Culpepper said. “Took my breath away a little bit.
It's just a tough spot to get hit. I mean, I tried to get out of the way, but it's just an unfortunate spot."
Twins manager Derek Shelton had already said after Saturday’s game that the club would handle the injury day to day. By Sunday, Culpepper was still sore, though Shelton said he was in better shape than he had been immediately after the hit.
“When he walked in, he said he was still sore, so I think we'll get him through some modalities and have him move around and see if he's available,” said Shelton. “He got stung pretty well. When he walked in today, he was in a much better spot than he was yesterday.”
Ryan Kreidler was set to start at shortstop Sunday while the Twins continued to check on Culpepper daily before deciding when he can return.
Culpepper said he wanted to stay in the game as long as he could, but once the adrenaline faded, the pain became too much to ignore. He eventually told Shelton and trainer Nick Paparesta that he needed to come out and get treated.
"I mean, I'm always going to try and stay in the game. I was in excruciating pain.
I mean, especially once I stood up and started walking. I felt like the adrenaline started wearing off a little bit, and I started feeling it,” Culpepper said.
There was at least some encouraging news: no fracture was a concern where he was hit. The bigger worry was whether the pitch caused any nerve damage.
Culpepper also shared a small personal note about Emmanuel Rodriguez, who he had spent time with at Triple-A St. Paul earlier this season. Culpepper had already been called up for his MLB debut by the time Rodriguez returned from the injured list with a UCL tear in his left thumb.
Culpepper homered in his second plate appearance in his Aug. 7 debut, and he said he figured Rodriguez could do the same. What he didn’t expect was for Rodriguez to top it with a homer in his first plate appearance.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Real Pre-Lockout Decision On Two Key Young Pieces
With the possibility of a lockout looming once the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1, the Twins have a timely front-office question sitting right in front of them. Any new labor rules could reshape how payroll flexibility works across the league, and Minnesota is among the clubs that may have to think carefully about how it allocates money if a salary floor eventually comes into play.
That is why the period before the freeze could matter so much for a team trying to balance present and future value. The Twins have two young pieces worth watching closely in Taj Bradley and Kaelen Culpepper, and the decision on whether to pursue long-term deals now is about more than just roster planning. It is also about locking in talent before the market, and the rules around it, potentially shift under their feet. [Read more 🡒]
Emmanuel Rodriguez Just Gave The Twins A Different Look
Emmanuel Rodriguez could not have asked for a louder introduction. In his first major-league at-bat, the young outfielder turned on a pitch and homered as part of a four-run third inning, giving the Twins the jolt they needed in a 4-3 win over the Guardians. It was the kind of debut moment that changes the feel of a night, especially with Rodriguezs family in the ballpark to see it unfold.
For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway was how the game kept opening new lanes for a club that has been looking for different ways to win. Rodriguez finished with a hit, a run, an RBI, a home run and an assist, while the bullpen did enough to protect the lead the offense had built. The debut was memorable on its own, but it also hinted at how quickly a new face can alter the look of a lineup when the Twins need one more spark. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Prospect Move Just Shifted The Roster Conversation
The Twins made a notable prospect move this week, sending Ben Ross to St. Paul and bringing up outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez as they continue to juggle the edges of the roster. It was the kind of transaction that says as much about timing as it does about talent, with Minnesota keeping one eye on the big league mix while still trying to stay connected to what is happening in the organizations upper levels.
Minnesota also moved on from right-handed pitcher Jesse Bergin, another reminder that the back end of a roster can change quickly when the club is looking for the right fit. Rodriguezs arrival gives the Twins another young name to watch, and with St. Paul and Frisco both offering recent snapshots of players performing in different spots, the organizations depth picture keeps shifting in ways that could matter soon. [Read more 🡒]