MINNEAPOLIS - The Twins’ lineup is a little battered with two weeks left in the season, and Trevor Larnach appears to be the biggest concern of the bunch.
Larnach was sent for an MRI on his left wrist Monday afternoon after dealing with soreness for a few days, manager Derek Shelton said. The issue lingered enough that the Twins kept him out of the lineup for Monday night’s series opener against the Yankees, and it sounds like there’s a real chance he could miss more than just a day or two.
“He’s dealing with some left wrist soreness,” Shelton said, “so we sent him for an MRI. He has felt it for a few days, and then he felt it sliding yesterday.
And then when he came in today, tried to go through his routine and just didn’t go kind of the way he wanted it to. So we’re just going to get it looked at.”
With Larnach unavailable, Emmanuel Rodriguez started in left field. If Larnach ends up sidelined for a stretch, Rodriguez would likely be the main player to pick up extra at-bats and innings there.
It would be a notable loss. Larnach, 29, has put together one of the strongest seasons of his career, hitting .269/.352/.436 while getting regular run in left field.
There was better news on Kaelen Culpepper, who took a pitch off his right shoulder Saturday. Culpepper was in good spirits in the clubhouse, and Shelton said he’s likely available off the bench. He was set to go through a full pregame workout, and if that went well, he would seem likely to be in position to start Tuesday.
Royce Lewis sits between those two injury updates. He came out of Sunday’s game with a sore left shoulder, and Shelton said he likely would not have been available Monday. Even so, the Twins do not appear to be bracing for a lengthy absence.
“Conversation I had with him is, he feels significantly better,” Shelton said. “He’s still a little bit sore. The extent of what he’s going to do today, I think we’ll find out once he goes through his treatment.”
In Other News...
Twins Could Be Nearing The End With Three Familiar Veterans
The Twins are headed into their final series against the Texas Rangers with more than just a seasons finish line in view. The clubhouse could also be approaching the end of the road with three familiar veterans: catcher Ryan Jeffers, first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell and pitcher Tyler Rogers, all of whom are set to hit free agency this offseason.
Jeffers and Bell both appear unlikely to be back, which gives Minnesota a chance to start sorting through what the next version of the roster might look like. Rogers is the more interesting case, since there is at least a path for him to remain in the organization on a minor-league deal, but for now the larger question is how many of these familiar pieces the Twins will actually carry into next year. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Prospect Ricky Castro Is Starting To Answer A Bigger Question
Ricky Castros move to Triple-A this season has come with more than just a new level of competition. The Twins prospect has also been working to sharpen his pitching mechanics, with a particular focus on keeping base runners from getting an edge, and the early returns have been encouraging as he has settled into different roles on the mound.
What makes Castros stretch worth watching is less the immediate stat line than the way he is handling the adjustment. He has been limiting runs and hits in recent outings while the organization asks for the same thing every developing pitcher needs to show: consistency. For a pitcher still finding his footing in Triple-A, thats the bigger test now. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Got Linked To A Buy-Low Bat With An Awkward Fit
The Mets latest disappointment has already started to ripple into the trade market, and one name worth watching is Mark Vientos. With New York eliminated from postseason contention for the second straight year, attention has turned to a possible reshaping of the infield, especially at first base, where the club is expected to look for upgrades.
For the Twins, the fit is more complicated than it looks at first glance. Analyst Jake Elman floated Vientos as a buy-low option for a rebuilding team, and Minnesota was mentioned as a possible landing spot, but there have been no official trade offers reported. It is the kind of speculative link that makes sense on paper for a club looking to find value, even if the roster questions around where Vientos would slot in make it an awkward one to project just yet. [Read more 🡒]