3:57pm: In excellent news for the Twins, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey revealed to reporters (including Dan Hayes of the Athletic) that the CT scan revealed no fracture in Correa’s hand. He has been diagnosed with a bruise and is day-to-day. Falvey suggested Correa might even avoid the injured list altogether (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com), although he’s dealing with continued soreness and inflammation.
The team is still promoting former first overall pick Royce Lewis to make his major league debut, Falvey said (via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Minnesota was planning to promote Lewis in anticipation of an IL stint for Correa. They’ll follow through on the call-up even as Correa remains on the active roster for now.
8:47am: Preliminary X-rays reveal what appears to be a non-displaced fracture in Carlos Correa’s right middle finger, the Twins announced following the team’s 5-3 loss to the Orioles on Thursday. The star shortstop, who the Twins signed to a shock 3-year, $105.3MM contract this offseason, will undergo a CT scan today to confirm the nature of the injury.
Correa appears to have sustained the injury in the seventh inning while attempting to check his swing against a Bryan Baker change-up. He had also been hit by a pitch in his previous plate appearance (a Spenser Watkins fastball glanced off his left wrist), but the pitch that appears to have caused the injury actually resulted in a ground-out after trickling into fair territory.
If the CT scan confirms the initial diagnosis, Correa shouldn’t require surgery, though it isn’t yet clear how much time he’ll miss. Utility-man Nick Gordon took over for Correa following the injury, but manager Rocco Baldelli (or, while Baldelli is away from the team after testing positive for COVID, bench coach Jayce Tingler) could also turn to Jorge Polanco, which would likely place Luis Arraez in an everyday role at second base. Third baseman Gio Urshela has also logged some time at short in his big-league career, though it’s unlikely he’d be considered more than a short-term option.
Should Correa miss any significant time, the Twins could also turn to top prospect (and top overall pick in the 2017 draft) Royce Lewis, who’s off to a blistering .310/.427/.560 start at Triple-A St. Paul across 103 plate appearances to open the season. The club may not wish to rush Lewis, though, particularly given that until April he hadn’t seen game action — or played above Double-A — since 2019 after tearing his ACL ahead of the 2021 season.
While the Twins will obviously hope to have Correa back as quickly as possible, he has gotten off to something of a slow start in his new uniform. Even after roaring out of the gate in May (1.036 OPS in a four-game sample), Correa’s 2022 .264/.323/.385 batting line falls well short of his career triple-slash of .276/.355/.478, particularly in the power department. Given the likelihood that he’ll opt out of the final two years of his deal at the end of the season (even after signaling that he’s open to a long-term deal in the Twin Cities), the first-place Twins will hope to see him return to the field — and revert to form — sooner than later.
That must be why he completely booted a ball……. Lol.
I like the mention that Urshela would be considered a short term piece. Does this mean the others could be replacing Correa for the rest of the year? Why would any of the options be other than a short term solution. Its just a finger fracture.
With Correa and Buxton in the line-up the Twins have been playing some of the best baseball in MLB. They can win the ALC if those guys stay relatively healthy.
However, yesterday Correa had the above problem and Buxton pulled up favoring his leg after sprinting to 1B to avoid a DP.
Seems like it’s always something.
These types of players are just so frustrating because you keep thinking they can’t possibly keep getting hurt, but they do.
Check-swings & massages – Carlos’ natural enemies.
“What about me?!?!” – Joe Kelly
Arraez is being placed on COVID today, so that option discussed in the article is not an immediate solution.
Dear Thad,
I am formally exercising my option for the 2023 season.
Sincerely,
Carlos Correa
The funniest thing I heard/saw was the broadcaster comparing Correa to Willie Mays in one inning because he made an over-the-shoulder catch (which made me gag), and then a couple innings later watching him completely tank a relatively routine play… it was justice, pure justice.
Quite an overreach comparing Correa to Mays, but from following Correa throughout his career, he’s an elite defender
One is inner-circle HOF. The other has a long ways to go to be IN the HOF.
Never understood when players get compared defensively to other players from a different defensive position. Just because Correa made an over-the-shoulder catch =/= Willie Mays. Happy 91st birthday to Willie Mays BTW.
Exactly! Not to mention Mays just may be the best baseball player of all time… Certainly has to be considered top-3, without question. 91, sheesh, God bless you, Willie Mays.
Got to think it will be tempting to call up Lewis. If the prognosis is correct you’re talking at least 4-6 weeks w/o Correa. No one on the roster now is an ideal everyday SS. Not like Gordon is indispensable if Lewis plays well and sticks around
Curious to see how Lewis will do. He has had a tough road so wish him the best.
Bux and Correa are the MLB version of Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady, wth man there’s so many what if’s u have to appreciate the what happened’s in sports!
And Houston has had two of the four players you mentioned. TMac was a joy to watch. Him and Yao would have dominated, had it not been for injuries.
Can Carlos still sign that extension with his left hand?
This is sort of burying the headline of Royce Lewis getting called up. He’s still a very highly regarded prospect, and pre-covid was a unanimous top-10.
There are some teams in baseball that are thankful they didn’t give this guy top money to play SS for them.
This is why those teams avoided him. His injuries are usually a matter of bad luck, but he still has a knack for missing games. He played tough last year, but you have to remember, it was his contract year. Armed with a three year contract, he can go soft again.
Not to mention he’s literally out for a bruised finger – a bruised finger! Pete Alonso got hit in the face with a pitch, players play injured all the time. This dummy goes out for a bruised finger?
Vlad Jr had his finger ripped open by a cleat in the Yankee game a couple weeks ago – he stayed in the game & hit 3 home runs….
Correa is the definition of weak.
Speaking of Astros, is it me or does Urquidy look like someone stuck Jose Altuve’s arms on Aaron Judge’s body? It’s like a scene from Deadpool, watching him pitch. I almost have to cover the kids’ eyes and stuff.
Everyone keeps acting like opting out is a given. If he continues to fail to produce I don’t see it. He ain’t worth the money.
Go Stros
Lot of haters out there today, and Yankee fans. Coincidence?
Maybe they need a good massage or something? I’m sure Carlos can refer them to an accomplished massage therapist that makes house calls?
Pitcher that hit Correa should be disqualified from play for a period of time equal to the time missed by Correa due to his injury. It is high time that the team that caused this type of injury also suffer some type of player loss penalty as well, As it is, Twinkies are paying what they owe of the 35MM to Correa for him to sit on the IL and recover while neither the team or player that caused the injury incurs ANY penalty. And don’t give me that “it’s part of the game” BS. Players in MLB are supposedly the TOP individuals in their profession (even those just starting out in the majors) and pull down more money in ONE year than many “regular” employees earn in a lifetime. There is NO EXCUSE for hitting and injuring a defenseless batter.
It’s part of the game
Correa was hit by a pitch to the chest the plate appearance before that.
Who put the voodoo whammy on the Twins this week?
The funny thing is that if Correa misses significant time, and Lewis plays really well, neither the Astros nor the Twins will have any need for Correa’s services. So many people were guessing that the Astros would circle back to Correa in the coming off-season, realizing how much they miss him. But Peña is the real deal.
You’re either injury prone or you are not. Stephen Strasburg, Fernando Tatis Jr and Carlos Correa for example are all injury prone. Therefore you do not sign them to huge long term contracts. Correa’s 3 year contract will likely not be opted out of.
I’d say Tatis Jr is more – I’m going to pursue whatever physically dangerous and demonstrably injurious activities I want to – prone.
While also being – to hell with any of those injury consequences, because I’ve already got my $340MM guarantee – prone.
Goddamned trash cans followed him to Minneapolis.
Imagine spending that large of a percentage of your budget on a single positional player.
Well good for the Twins. It’s only a bruise.