It was supposed to be one of the Twins’ better internal bets down the stretch: hand the shortstop job to Kaelen Culpepper and see if the rookie could steady the middle of the infield while Minnesota tried to hang around in the playoff picture.
Instead, that wager now looks finished.
After Culpepper injured his hamstring Tuesday against the New York Yankees, he was placed on the injured list this morning. Per Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the rookie’s season is likely over, though he could still return for the team’s final two games.
Culpepper’s injury is the latest hit in a stretch that has gone badly for Minnesota, and it comes after general manager Jeremy Zoll chose not to add to the lineup before the deadline. He did bring in pitchers to help the bullpen and rotation, but offensively he made his faith in the existing group clear. The Twins were also counting on Culpepper, whom they called up on August 7 to take over as their starting shortstop for the stretch run.
That move paid off early. In 109 big league at-bats, Culpepper hit .275 with a .737 OPS and a 107 OPS+, along with 3 homers, 5 doubles and 6 walks. His .404 slugging percentage wasn’t eye-popping, but his first 31 MLB games were strong overall.
He also gave Minnesota something it had been missing on the dirt. Culpepper wasn’t flawless, but he helped stabilize an infield problem area right away, finishing with just three errors and a .967 fielding percentage.
The offensive side, though, never matched that kind of lift. Minnesota’s lineup had been productive for much of the first half, averaging 4.9 runs per game with a .248 BA and .738 OPS. Since the break, that has fallen apart.
In 54 games, the Twins are 22-32 and have hit just .235 with a .689 OPS while scoring 4.0 runs per game.
In Other News...
Walker Jenkins Is Running Out Of Time To Break Through
Walker Jenkins first stretch in the majors has been a reminder that even elite prospects can hit a wall once the league gets its first look at them. The Twins top prospect has opened his career in a slump, going 0-for-16 over his last five games and managing only four hits in 53 plate appearances, a line that has tested the patience that usually comes with a young players arrival. Even so, Jenkins and the coaching staff have kept pointing back to the same themes: the process is sound, the approach is there and the mental makeup has held up under the early pressure.
The next decision, though, may tell the story of how the Twins want to handle him from here. They sat Jenkins against a left-handed pitcher, a sign they are being careful with matchups while he searches for rhythm, but there is still a chance he could get back in there against another lefty in the following game. For a team that believes in his future, the question is no longer whether he belongs in the conversation - it is how long the organization can afford to wait before the breakthrough starts showing up on the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suffer Another Rough Night As Rookie Infielder Exits Early
Max Fried finally snapped a long winless stretch, working seven innings and giving up one run as the Yankees beat the Twins 8-1 on another frustrating night for Minnesota. Cody Bellinger and Spencer Jones added home runs to back the effort, while New York kept pace in the AL East chase and stayed 3 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay.
Minnesotas bigger concern went beyond the score once rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper had to leave with left hamstring tightness. For a club already trying to piece together offense and stability, any early exit from a young infielder adds another layer to a rough night and leaves the Twins waiting to learn how much time, if any, they might have to manage without him. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Loss To Yankees Exposed A Problem Fans Know Too Well
A familiar frustration resurfaced at Target Field as the Twins ran into the Yankees again and came up short in another uneven showing. Bailey Ober gave Minnesota a solid enough start, working 5.1 innings and allowing three earned runs, but the lineup never found much rhythm behind him. The Twins managed just seven hits and one run, leaving too much pressure on a pitching staff already trying to keep the game within reach.
Taylor Rogers then had the kind of relief outing that can turn a close night sideways in a hurry, as four unearned runs crossed in his inning of work. By the time the Yankees pulled away to an 8-1 win, the larger concern was less about one bad inning than about a problem Twins fans know too well: the offense going quiet just when the margin for error disappears. [Read more 🡒]