Twins Activate Max Kepler From Injured List
The Twins announced they have activated outfielder Max Kepler from the 10-day injured list. As expected, the right fielder returns after the minimum time off due to a left adductor strain.
Kepler has taken a bit of a step back from his breakout 2019 effort. After hitting .252/.336/.519 (121 wRC+) with 36 home runs last year, he’s down to .220/.322/.431 over his first 143 plate appearances this season. That’s still productive, though, and Kepler’s .222 batting average on balls in play hints at a bit of forthcoming positive regression. Even if he settles in as more of an above-average regular than a true star, Kepler’s a plenty valuable piece of the Twins’ lethal lineup. At 29-18, Minnesota’s a lock for the postseason, but they’re jockeying with the White Sox and Indians in a three-way battle for the AL Central. Chicago currently leads Minnesota by one game.
Unsurprisingly, fellow outfielder Brent Rooker is hitting the injured list in a corresponding move. The former supplemental first-rounder was lost for the season yesterday after fracturing his forearm on a hit-by-pitch.
Twins’ Brent Rooker Suffers Fractured Forearm
Twins outfielder Brent Rooker suffered a fractured right forearm during tonight’s game, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters. Rooker suffered the injury after being hit by a pitch from Cleveland’s Zach Plesac during the fourth inning of Minnesota’s 8-4 victory over the Indians.
The forearm injury brings a painful end to Rooker’s first MLB season, but the 25-year-old at least made an impressive accounting of himself. Rooker hit .316/.381/.579 over 21 plate appearances since being called up to the big leagues on September 4. Rooker was promoted since Max Kepler went to the injured list with an adductor strain, and in an ironic twist, Kepler is expected back soon and could potentially be the one who replaces Rooker on the active roster.
The 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Rooker ranked 98th on Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list prior to the 2018 season, though evaluators in general have considered him to be a step below an elite level prospect due to questions about his defense and the amount of swing-and-miss in his approach at the plate. Rooker is a bit of a “three true outcomes” type, as his strikeouts come with a fair amount of walks and some plus power. Rooker hit .267/.357/.505 with 54 home runs over 1110 PA in Minnesota’s farm system.
Depending on how Rooker’s glovework develops, he could be the heir apparent to Eddie Rosario in the Twins’ corner outfield, or maybe a DH if time ever catches up to Nelson Cruz. With blue chip outfield prospects like Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach ahead of him on the minor league prospect rankings, it remains to be seen where Rooker fits into the Twins’ future, though the small sample size of his 2020 debut provided some indication he can handle big league pitching.
Twins Option Devin Smeltzer, Reinstate Cody Stashak
The Twins optioned southpaw Devin Smeltzer to their alternate training site while reinstating Cody Stashak from the injured list, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. The team has also announced the moves.
Smeltzer played a relatively important role on the 2019 Twins because of his ability to plug the gaps on the pitching staff, hurling 49 innings by way of 6 starts and 5 relief appearances with a 3.86 ERA. This season has been more of a grind for the New Jersey native. In 7 appearances including 1 start, Smeltzer has picked up a pair of wins with a 6.75 ERA. The bloated ERA might not be as bad as it seems: 8.4 K/9 to 2.8 BB/9 and a 4.02 FIP suggest a much better effort from the left-hander. He nonetheless heads back to the alternate training site a day after allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 1 1/3 innings to the Tigers.
Without Smeltzer, the Twins are down to Taylor Rogers and Caleb Thielbar as the only lefties in the pen. Rogers, of course, doesn’t function as a traditional lefty given his role as the team’s closer. Sergio Romo is also an effective weapon against lefties, as the veteran has held opposite-hand hitters to a .174/.231/.261 line this season. He’s been effective against lefties primarily by staying away with his frisbee slider and hammering the bottom corner of the zone with his sinker.
Stashak, 26, came into the season with a 3.24 ERA/3.01 FIP from 18 appearances covering 25 innings in 2019. This season he’s appeared in 6 game thus far, allowing 3 earned runs across 7 innings for a 3.86 ERA. Stashak brings a 92 mph heater about 50% of the time, backing it up with a slider away to righties and in on left-handers. He’ll give the Twins another option for the middle innings.
Twins Place Alex Avila On 10-Day Injured List
The Twins placed Alex Avila on the 10-day injured list earlier today, as the catcher is sidelined due to lower back tightness. Utilityman Willians Astudillo and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. were called up from Minnesota’s alternate training site to replace both Avila and righty Sean Poppen, who was optioned down to the alternate site.
Avila has hit .167/.352/.262 over 54 plate appearances this season, getting a more even share of playing time than expected since regular catcher Mitch Garver has himself been on the IL since August 20. With both Garver and Avila out, the Twins’ catching corps consists of rookie Ryan Jeffers and Astudillo, who has played every position except shortstop over his three MLB seasons but has spent the majority of his time behind the plate.
Juan Graterol, Tomas Telis, and Caleb Hamilton are the other catchers at Minnesota’s alternate training site, leaving the club without much catching experience as it fights the White Sox, Indians, and even the surprising Tigers for first place in the AL Central. It isn’t yet known when Garver could return, though manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other media that Avila wasn’t expected to miss much or any time beyond the minimum 10 days.
Cubs Claim Ildemaro Vargas, Release Jharel Cotton
The Cubs have claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Twins, the team announced. In another move, the Cubs also announced that right-hander Jharel Cotton has been released.
Vargas was designated for assignment three days ago, as Minnesota looked to clear roster space for Josh Donaldson‘s activation from the injured list. Vargas is now on the move for the second time in a month, as the Twins only just acquired him a trade from the Diamondbacks (after another DFA) in early August.
Vargas has 45 combined plate appearances with the D’Backs and Twins this season, and has hit .255/.284/.385 over 289 career PA at the big league level, all but 24 of them in an Arizona uniform. The switch-hitting Vargas has primarily worked as a second baseman in the minors and at the big league level, but he has experience at multiple other positions (mostly shortstop and third base) and thus offers some value as a utility piece.
Since Vargas is out of options, the Cubs will have to carry him on their Major League roster lest they risk designating him again and losing him to another team’s waiver claim. Vargas will join Nico Hoerner and David Bote as Chicago’s primary backup infielders, with Jason Kipnis increasingly getting the lion’s share of regular second base playing time.
Cotton was acquired from the Athletics in an offseason trade, and the righty will now look for a new team to get his career back on track. Once a top-100 ranked prospect during his time in Oakland’s farm system, Cotton hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2017 due to Tommy John surgery. His brief big league resume consists of a 4.95 ERA over 158 1/3 innings in 2016-17, though Cotton has a solid 3.85 ERA, 3.84 K/BB rate, and 10.2 K/9 over 496 career innings at the minor league level.
Twins Place Max Kepler On Injured List, Promote Brent Rooker
11:32am: Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli tells reporters that Kepler is only expected to be sidelined for the minimum 10 days (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park). Kepler might’ve avoided an IL stint entirely had the team been at full strength, but with several players also banged up, they needed to get a fresh body onto the roster.
11:15am: The Twins have placed right fielder Max Kepler on the 10-day injured list due to a left adductor strain and selected the contract of outfielder Brent Rooker from their alternate training site in St. Paul, per a team announcement. The club also added Willians Astudillo as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader and announced that righty Juan Minaya cleared waivers and has been outrighted back to St. Paul.
Minnesota only just got Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton back from the injured list, but they’ll now see a third key piece of their lineup sidelined for the foreseeable future. An expected timeline for Kepler’s return has not been provided.
Kepler, 27, has slashed .220/.322/.431 with seven homers, five doubles and three steals through 143 plate appearances to begin the 2020 season. He’s played strong defense along the way, checking with a +2.5 Ultimate Zone Rating and +1 Defensive Runs Saved in 259 innings in right. It’s a notable loss for the Twins, as Kepler is batting .246/.333/.502 dating back to Opening Day 2019 and is tied for fifth among all MLB right fielders with 15 Defensive Runs Saved over the past three seasons.
Rooker, 25, will get his first call to the Major League level. The No. 35 overall pick in the 2017 draft has been a steady source of power in the minors, slashing a combined .267/.357/.505 in 1110 professional plate appearances, including a .281/.398/.535 line in 274 Triple-A plate appearances a year ago.
There are questions about Rooker’s defense, as some feel he’s best suited in a first base/designated hitter role. The Twins, though, have played him in left field for much of his minor league career and seemingly hope that he can at least play passable defense there at the game’s top level. Defensive concerns notwithstanding, Rooker is considered one of the Twins’ better prospects, ranking 12th at MLB.com, 14th at Baseball America and 17th at FanGraphs due to his largely to his plus raw power and his consistently strong performances at each minor league stop.
With Kepler sidelined, the Twins can rotate Rooker, Eddie Rosario and Jake Cave through the corners. On the surface, adding Rooker’s right-handed bat would seemingly be a plus for a Twins club that has unexpectedly floundered against left-handed pitching in 2020, but Rooker has actually handled righties better than lefties over the past couple of minor league seasons.
Turning to Minaya, he had his contract selected last week but didn’t make it into a game before being designated for assignment. The 29-year-old has spent the past four seasons with the division-rival White Sox, where he’s pitched to a combined 3.93 ERA with 10.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9 and a 36.8 percent grounder rate in 128 1/3 frames.
Twins Outright Danny Coulombe
The Twins have assigned left-hander Danny Coulombe outright to their alternate training site after he cleared waivers, Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets.
The 30-year-old Coulombe only pitched in two games with the Twins in the short time between the selection his contract and a subsequent late-August DFA. He pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings between those two contests, walking three hitters but also picking up three strikeouts.
Coulombe has appeared in parts of six Major League seasons, 2020 included, and notched a collective 4.19 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 56 percent ground-ball rate. He’s found a new gear in terms of strikeouts over the past two seasons in Triple-A, punching out 61 hitters in just 36 1/3 innings. He’ll stick with the Twins in their 60-man player pool and is eligible to return to the club later this season should the need for some bullpen reinforcements arise.
Twins Designate Ildemaro Vargas For Assignment
The Twins have designated infielder Ildemaro Vargas for assignment, Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets. That will make room for third baseman Josh Donaldson‘s activation from the injured list.
Vargas is just a few weeks into his tenure with the Twins, who acquired him from the Diamondbacks for cash considerations on Aug. 11. While the 29-year-old Vargas brings a great deal of defensive versatility to the table, having played all over the diamond since he debuted in 2017, his bat his held him back.
The switch-hitting Vargas has only mustered a .255/.284/.385 line with seven home runs in 289 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, including 24 PA as a member of the Twins. He has, however, recorded a much more encouraging .326/.371/.464 line with 126 extra-base hits (88 doubles, 21 homers, 17 triples) over 1,468 plate appearances in Triple-A ball.
Twins Activate Buxton, Pineda; Donaldson To Be Activated On Wednesday
3:37PM: The Twins officially announced that Buxton and Pineda have been reinstated. LaMonte Wade Jr. was optioned to the alternate training site in a corresponding move, and righty Juan Minaya has been designated for assignment.
9:07AM: The Twins didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline but will still receive some key additions this week. Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets that center fielder Byron Buxton will be activated from the injured list today, while right-hander Michael Pineda will return from his reduced 60-game PED suspension tonight as well. Third baseman Josh Donaldson will be reinstated from the IL tomorrow, Hayes adds.
The Twins have faceplanted over the past week, dropping six straight games to fall to third place in the American League Central. They’re still in playoff position but are now slotted in as a No. 7 seed under the expanded format, whereas they’d previously been in the mix for the top overall seed in the American League. There’s still time to right the ship, of course, particularly with six more games against the first-place White Sox and three more against the second-place Indians still on the schedule.
Buxton began the season in a 1-for-15 slump but has hit .264 with five homers and a .566 slugging percentage in 15 games since. Unfortunately, he’s only drawn one walk on the year, leaving him with an ugly slash line of .221/.225/.456. He’s been out since Aug. 20 due to shoulder inflammation, but the hope will be that he can continue his power output while showing a bit more discipline to boost that OBP in a meaningful way. Buxton’s glovework remains sound as ever; he’s checked in at +5 Defensive Runs Saved and a +3.0 Ultimate Zone Rating in just 170 innings.
Pineda, meanwhile, will make his season debut when he’s reinstated from the restricted list. The Twins re-signed the big righty to a two-year, $20MM contract over the winter, knowing full well he’d need to miss 39 games under the 60-game PED ban he received late last year. Of course, at the time, the expectation was that those 39 games would represent just 24 percent of the 162-game schedule — not 65 percent of a 60-game schedule.
The 31-year-old Pineda was a key member of the Twins’ staff prior to last year’s suspension, logging 146 innings with a 4.01 ERA and 4.02 FIP. He’ll join a rotation mix that also includes Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill and Randy Dobnak.
As for Donaldson, he’s played just seven games this year due to a calf strain — an injury that president of baseball operations Derek Falvey recently said the team approached in a deliberately conservative manner given the slugger’s history with calf issues. Donaldson, who inked a four-year, $92MM deal with the Twins in the offseason, opened the season in a 4-for-22 skid, though he belted 37 homers with an even .900 OPS for the Braves a season ago. Marwin Gonzalez has received the bulk of playing time at third base in Donaldson’s absence and struggled at the plate (.225/.299/.324). He’ll likely return to a super-utility role when Donaldson is activated.
AL Central Trade Deadline Recap
With the deadline in the rearview mirror, we’ll look back at each AL Central team’s trade activity over the past month.
Chicago White Sox
- Acquired cash considerations from Giants for OF Luis Basabe
- Acquired OF Jarrod Dyson from Pirates for international bonus pool space
Cleveland Indians
- Acquired cash considerations from Marlins for RHP James Hoyt
- Acquired OF Josh Naylor, RHP Cal Quantrill, C Austin Hedges, INF Gabriel Arias, LHP Joey Cantillo, and INF Owen Miller from Padres for RHP Mike Clevinger and OF Greg Allen
Detroit Tigers
- Acquired INF Zack Short from Cubs for OF Cameron Maybin
Kansas City Royals
- Acquired INF Lucius Fox from Rays for OF Brett Phillips
- Acquired OF Edward Olivares and a player to be named later from Padres for RHP Trevor Rosenthal
Minnesota Twins
- Acquired INF Ildemaro Vargas from Diamondbacks for cash considerations