The twins announced that the defensive player Max Kepler And the first base man Miguel Sano She was placed on the list of the wounded for 10 days. Kepler has a broken toe, while Sano has inflammation in his left knee. In the corresponding moves, the defensive player Mark Contreras Summoned from Triple-A and the Twin picked the player contract Tim Beckham From Triple-A, while Billy Uber He was transferred to the IL program for 60 days to create a roster of 40 players for Beckham.
Kepler hasn’t played since he hit the field on July 24, and his placement in IL is retroactive to day 27. Although he hasn’t been on the field, Kepler has been involved in limited baseball activities and even doing rehearsals, so it’s possible he could only miss 10 days If he continues to show good progress (or if the fracture doesn’t occur, it doesn’t continue to limit his ability to run).
It’s been an intriguing year for Kepler, who has .244/.344/.390 over 337 board appearances, which is good for the 113 wRC+ average. However, between excellent fortune statcast Benchmarks and .361 xwOBA, Kepler actually underperforms compared to what it “should” beat based on its advanced numbers. For the third consecutive season, opponents spawn bouts against Kepler nearly every time he steps onto the board, largely neutralizing much of Kepler’s tough friction.
However, Kepler was a very productive player overall, between his strong hitting numbers and an excellent right-court glove. His absence will further damage the already reduced Minnesota Field Byron BuxtonStuck knee issues, as Buxton was getting plenty of DH time instead of his usual center-of-field spot. Left-handed Contreras will fill Kepler’s role somewhat, as the twins will now hit Buxton, Nick GordonAnd the Alex Kirillov Contreras maintains, Gilberto CelestinoAnd the Kyle Garlick About the three external sites.
Sano just activated from 60 days of IL earlier this week, which made it irritating that he was sidelined again due to issues with his surgically repaired knee. His most recent injury actually happened when Sano was on a minor rehab job in the league, as the Twins manager Rocco Baldeley For reporters (including Do Hyung Park at MLB.com) that Sano injured his knee while slipping in his last rehab match. An MRI is scheduled for Sano on Monday.
Sano underwent surgery in early May, and has played in just 20 games this season, scoring 0.345 times over 71 times. There was some belief that the twins might move on from Sano altogether since he now looks like the odd guy on the list, however this last placement in IL will stop any decisions on that front. If Monday’s MRI reveals bad news, it could mark the end of Sano’s 2022 season, and it’s entirely possible that the Minnesota tenure — the twins (for $2.75 million) are very likely to buy Sano’s $14 million option for the 2023 season.
Beckham signed a minor league deal with the twins in February, and he may now be in line for his first taste of MLB action since 2019. The previous first-year pick didn’t play anywhere during the canceled 2020 minor league season, and it all worked out. for 2021 in the White Sox with its subsidiary Triple-A. Beckham has played all over the field and has also seen some time as a left-footed player in his career, so he will provide the Twins with some useful depth off the bench.