Twins catcher Mitch Garver exited last night’s game after taking a foul tip from the bat of Trey Mancini to the groin, and while the initial diagnosis was only a contusion, additional tests provided a more concerning outlook. Garver announced on his Instagram story that he underwent surgery after undergoing ultrasound imaging at the emergency room. Thankfully, Garver adds that he is “recovering well,” but the mere fact that surgery was required likely points to an absence of some note.
The Twins have yet to make a formal announcement on the injury or provide a timeline for the 30-year-old Garver’s return, but the injury comes at a poor time given the catcher’s red-hot bat of late. While Garver got out to a very slow start in 2021, he’d righted the ship with a huge .286/.430/.651 showing over his past 24 games (19 starts). In 79 plate appearances during that stretch, he’d connected on six home runs and five doubles with nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (20).
With Garver presumably sidelined for a bit, the Twins have some options behind the plate. They were already carrying three catchers, with Ben Rortvedt and utilityman Willians Astudillo both on the roster. Minnesota could run with that tandem, but the Twins also have one of baseball’s top catching prospects, Ryan Jeffers, with their Triple-A club in St. Paul.
Jeffers, 23, came up in 2020 after a Garver injury and debuted with a .273/.355/.436 slash in 62 plate appearances. He started poorly in 2021 and was optioned to St. Paul for everyday at-bats once the Triple-A season began. He’s hitting for a low average with the Saints (perhaps due in part to an ugly .235 BABIP), but Jeffers is drawing walks and hitting for power as well. Overall, he’s at .217/.340/.446 with five homers and four doubles in 103 plate appearances since being sent down. He’s regarded as a potential everyday option behind the dish, while Rortvedt is more of a glove-first backup and Astudillo is a more of utility option and part-time catcher.
It remains to be seen just what route the team will take, but the injury is a notable blow to a Twins team that really can’t afford further injury woes. His recent hot streak was a small sample, but Garver looked to be trending back toward the offensive levels he put forth in 2019 when he batted .273/.365/.630 with 31 homers in just 359 plate appearances. Subtracting that bat from an already flailing Twins roster does nothing to improve a bleak outlook for the 22-31 surprising AL Central cellar dwellers.
Hope all is well
I saw this last night and yeah I could see the pain but I didn’t realize surgery would be involved
# speedy recovery
And seemingly “emergency surgery” at that. You wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Especially when you also see the word groin
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
I’m reticent to watch it.
Surgery on his groin is a difficult sentence to read. Far too many gruesome images for this early in the day.
Absolutely hoping he recovers fully & quickly from this, man.
Ouch.
I cringed reading the first sentence of this article. I’m definitely not going to watch the replay on that one. It’s one of those where I say “I’ll just take your word for it.”
Mike Piazza experienced the same injury in 2003. Even reading about it in general terms was gruesome.
Nuts.
OUCH!! Brings a whole new meaning to busting a nut. wishing a Quick recovery.
What’s with guys named Mitch and getting hit in the balls?
It’s an homage. Wild Thing lives.
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Do catchers no longer wear cups? I’m guessing he had a Mitch Haniger injury (ruptured testicle) but you would think catchers would wear some sort of protection down there regardless of how uncomfortable it is, right?
Of course they do. Only so much can be done with a 95 mph projectile if it hits in the wrong place.
Ouch…
I hope he doesn’t suffer any lasting damage. Didn’t John Kruk get testicular cancer after getting hit in the groin? Some other player had one of his testicles removed due to this as well, and his wife ended up leaving him.
I couldn’t find anything on a player’s wife leaving them due to a rupture testicle. Did you just make that part up?
& Kruk had testicular cancer.
Which I don’t even like to type. Let alone contemplate. It was discovered *after* (not due to) Williams hit him with a FB in his nether regions.
It was an increase of estrogen due to the lack of testosterone with only half his manhood, so it’s unfortunate, but that’s what ballplayers get for not wearing a damn cup. She’s sleeping with somebody else now and he’s probably selling insurance.
BALLS!!! What a nutty conversation. But I’d bet the family jewels the surgery will be effective.
Best Wishes Mitch…
I’d wager he’ll be out for 3 weeks. Had a friend with the same injury many years ago. It’s a simple enough procedure, but it takes time for everything to heal up completely. It should be a faster recovery than surgery for cancer as he won’t have the radiation or chemo followups.
Garver spent years toiling away as minor league roster filler as the Twins mishandled his development. It sure must be a bummer for him to lose so much time to injuries now that he’s made it to MLB, especially freak injuries.
Talk about scar tissue ..
A person has to be some kind of crazy to want to play catcher.
At least they’re not fair game for collisions at the plate anymore.
I feel bad for garver. Dude can rake but he hasn’t been healthy much. I’d love to see what he could do for 140 150 games . Playing a litte first and DH on non catching days
He fell off a cliff