Only one week into the 2024 MLB regular season, and the Minnesota Twins’ injury issues have already begun. The Twins won their Opening Day game against the AL Central’s Kansas City Royals 4-1, but it came at the expense of right fielder Max Kepler’s health, as he was forced to leave the game in the top of the eighth inning after hitting a pitch foul off his knee.
While the good news is that Kepler did not fracture his knee, which would have kept him out for months, the Twins right fielder’s future does not appear promising. Even though Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey stated that Kepler was “in the clear from a medical standpoint,” he has unable to overcome the pain to the point where he feels comfortable running, according to MLB.com.
To that end, it appears that the Twins may have to place Max Kepler on the Injured List if he is still unable to play after their off-day today.
Given how early in the season it is, the Twins should not rush Kepler back if he need additional healing time. The baseball season is the definition of a marathon, and there’s no point in running early and risks falling behind later in the race.
Max Kepler: an unappreciated (possible) loss.
The Twins could place Max Kepler on the 10-day injured list. After all, running is one of the most fundamental aspects of baseball, and if Kepler cannot run, he has no reason to be on the field.
It’s not like the Twins don’t have some solid options to try to replace Kepler’s output if he has to miss any additional time. Kepler’s steadiness, however, has kept him in the Minnesota lineup for many years.
Kepler has always had a strong pop, making him a force at the plate, especially when he’s on a roll. Kepler’s slugging has kept him from posting a (non-COVID-shortened) season with a WAR of less than 2.0.
Twins’ right-field outlook
Twins third baseman Royce Lewis, 23, celebrates hitting a single home run with right fielder Max Kepler, 26 (1200×800)
With Max Kepler missing for the past two games, the Twins had to reorganize the lineup, shifting Alex Kiriloff to left field and Matt Wallner to right. Kiriloff isn’t exactly a standout on the field, so Byron Buxton may have to work extra hard to grab some fly balls in the outfield.
In the wake of Kepler’s impending absence, Wallner appears to wield a very capable bat. Wallner, 26, has only played 97 big-league games in his career, but his 76 games in the majors last season were a huge success. He blasted 14 home runs and drove in 41 runs last season, batting.249/.370/.507 for a 1.9 WAR in 254 plate appearances, according to Fangraphs.
Willi Castro was a reliable outfielder for the Twins last season, putting up 2.5 WAR in 409 plate appearances (125 games) while also contributing on the bases and on the field. Given the choices for the three outfield positions, there is no reason for them to put any pressure on Kepler while he recovers from a knee injury.
Leave a Reply