Injury Notes: Cron, Polanco, Alvarado, Bohm
Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron has been on the injured list since May 15 due to back spasms and the progress has been slow since then. Manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post on Tuesday that Cron was at least a week away from baseball activities and Cron himself told Saunders today that he is still experiencing pain and doesn’t have a timetable for return (Twitter links).
It’s undoubtedly a frustrating situation both for Cron and the Rockies. Cron’s first season with the club was 2021 and it went so well that the two sides agreed to an extension. He hit 28 home runs that year and walked in 11% of his plate appearances, finishing the year with a batting line of .281/.375/.530 and wRC+ of 126. He was about to become a free agent when the club signed him for another two years and $14.5MM.
Cron had a slightly diminished overall output last year but still hit 29 home runs and provided above-average first base defense. He was off to a slow start this year, but in a small sample of 36 games and it’s possible the back issue was hampering him before he went on the IL. With that contract now a few months from expiring and the Rockies in last in the NL West, he would have been a logical trade candidate this summer, but any trade talks will obviously be affected by the lingering health issues.
Some other health notes from around the league…
- Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco departed today’s game and the club later announced to reporters, including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, that it was due to left hamstring tightness. Injuries have become a running theme in recent years for both the Twins generally and Polanco specifically. Last year, the club was in first place for much of the season before mounting injuries led to a late-season collapse. Polanco was one of those injured players, as his left knee put him out of action in early September. That issue lingered into the start of this year and he began the season on the injured list. He debuted in late April but then landed on the IL due to a left hamstring strain in late May, and that same left hamstring now seems to be bothering him yet again. He’s hit a solid .250/.291/.450 this year but in just 30 games due to the multiple IL stints. “He’s still, I think, pretty strong in the muscle, but he definitely felt something,” manager Rocco Baldelli tells Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. “We’re going to have to pay attention to it.”
- The Phillies are set to receive some reinforcements soon, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Left-hander José Alvarado is set to be activated from the injured list tomorrow with infielder Alec Bohm potentially back on Saturday. Alvarado’s been out for almost a month due to inflammation in his left elbow whereas Bohm has been out a week due to a hamstring strain. Alvarado has had elite strikeout stuff in his career but also struggled with walks. He was having a great season here in 2023 prior to the IL stint, striking out a ridiculous 46.2% of opponents without issuing a single walk. He surely won’t be able to maintain a 0.63 ERA all year long but getting him back in the bullpen will be a boost nonetheless. Bohm is hitting .265/.321/.403 this year for a wRC+ of 97, which isn’t elite production but he is still an important part of the club. Their infield depth has taken serious hits this year as Darick Hall has been on the injured list for most of it while Rhys Hoskins could end up missing the entire campaign.
Upcoming Club Option Decisions: AL Central
Last week, MLBTR took an early look at offseason option decisions facing teams in the National League. We’re continuing our division by division series moving through the Junior Circuit. Next up, the AL Central, where only three of five teams have players with contracts that contain 2024 options.
Previous posts: NL East, NL Central, NL West, AL East
Chicago White Sox
- Lance Lynn: $18MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Lynn signed a $38MM extension midway through the 2021 season. He was en route to a third-place Cy Young finish at the time but has seen his results go backwards over the past two years. He still managed a solid 3.99 ERA through 121 2/3 innings last season, but this year has been far tougher. The 36-year-old has been tagged for a personal-worst 6.55 ERA in his first 12 starts.
The righty is striking out a quarter of opponents against a manageable 8.6% walk rate. His results on batted balls have been disastrous, though. He’s surrendering a .335 batting average on balls in play and has already given up 15 home runs, tied for third-most in the majors. There’s probably some amount of misfortune there, but Lynn’s a fly-ball pitcher who is giving up a lot of hard contact while pitching in a homer-friendly home park. It’s been a rough couple months and nowhere near the level the Sox would need to consider an option with a net $17MM decision.
- Liam Hendriks: $15MM club option ($15MM buyout)
Hendriks’ free agent deal contained a unique fourth year in which the option price and the buyout were valued the same. That was mostly an accounting measure designed to front-load the Sox’s luxury tax hit to afford more CBT breathing room in 2024. The only material difference at this point is that buying Hendriks out would allow the Sox to pay him in installments over a 10-year period as opposed to a $15MM salary to be disbursed in during the ’24 season.
There’s practically no question the White Sox are going to exercise this. Hendriks came back from a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis to return to pitching at the major league level within a matter of months. He’s one of the best relievers in the game when at his peak.
- Tim Anderson: $14MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Anderson’s option call is almost as obvious as the Hendriks decision. The 29-year-old is typically one of the game’s best-hitting shortstops, an annual threat to bat over .300 with plus baserunning and typically solid defense. This hasn’t been a standard Anderson season. He’s off to a modest .273/.313/.320 start and is without a home run in 42 games. He missed a few weeks with a left knee sprain, and defensive metrics have soured on his glovework.
Rough couple months aside, a $13MM price point is still strong value for a player of Anderson’s caliber. He hit .318/.347/.473 between 2019-22 and earned a pair of All-Star nods. Next year’s free agent shortstop class is also incredibly thin, meaning there aren’t likely to be many alternatives available. Even if 2019-22 proves to be Anderson’s peak, a one-year, net $13MM decision is still an easy call for the team.
- Mike Clevinger: $12MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
The White Sox signed Clevinger to a $12MM free agent deal over the winter. They were hoping to buy low on a return to form for the righty as he further distanced himself from 2020 Tommy John surgery. It hasn’t really materialized, as Clevinger’s performance in Chicago isn’t far off last year’s work in San Diego.
Through 10 starts, the 32-year-old has a 4.13 ERA in 52 1/3 innings. He’s posted slightly below-average strikeout and grounder rates while walking 10% of opposing hitters. This year’s 9.1% swinging-strike rate is a career low. He’s posting competent fifth starter results, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely he’ll recapture the upper mid-rotation upside of his Cleveland days.
It’s an $8MM decision on the option after accounting for the buyout. That’s a reasonable price point for a back-of-the-rotation arm. The likes of Zach Davies, Johnny Cueto and Kyle Gibson all landed between $5MM and $10MM last offseason, while Jordan Lyles secured a two-year, $17MM pact. Clevinger looks likely to land in that area. Mutual options are almost never exercised by both sides, so odds are Clevinger is headed back to free agency. His next contract just might land around there regardless.
- Joe Kelly: $9.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Kelly has had a confounding two seasons in Chicago. Signed to a two-year, $17MM deal coming out of the lockout, he’s posted rough run prevention marks despite excellent peripherals. Kelly carries a 5.43 ERA through 54 2/3 innings since the start of 2022. That’s belied by elite strikeout (32.1%) and ground-ball (62.7%) numbers. Huge walk totals at least partially explained his 2022 struggles, but Kelly has a 4.08 ERA this season despite only walking two of the 70 batters he’s faced.
The right-hander has been an enigmatic player throughout his career. Kelly has always had wipeout stuff and flashed the ability to be an impact high-leverage arm at times. Yet he’s often paired that high-octane arsenal with control that comes and goes. It’s unlikely Kelly sustains anything close to his current 2.9% walk rate over a full season. This is probably headed towards a buyout.
Detroit Tigers
- Miguel Cabrera: $30MM club option ($8MM buyout)
This technically qualifies as an option decision on Cabrera. There’s no suspense about the result, of course. The future Hall of Famer will be bought out as the Tigers finally wrap up a $248MM extension that proved very ill-advised. Cabrera has already declared 2023 to be his likely final season. He’ll leave the sport as one of the greatest hitters ever, but it remains to be seen whether the Tigers will carry him on the roster all year. He’s hitting .202/.283/.245 in 26 games.
Minnesota Twins
- Jorge Polanco: $10.5MM club/vesting option ($1MM buyout)
Polanco would vest next year’s option with 550 plate appearances if he passed a postseason physical. He’s very unlikely to meet the playing time threshold. Polanco has only 118 trips to the dish more than a third of the way through the season. He’s had a pair of injured list stints already, missing time due both to right knee and left hamstring concerns. He’d need to average more than 4.2 plate appearances per game the rest of the way.
That’ll probably be a moot point, as the Twins seem likely to welcome him back regardless. It’s a $9.5MM decision for a middle infielder who’s one of the team’s better hitters. The switch-hitting Polanco posted a .235/.346/.405 line last season and is at a .268/.305/.482 pace in 27 games this year. Dating back to 2018, Polanco is a .272/.337/.456 hitter in nearly 2500 plate appearances. The Twins would have another club option (this time valued at $12MM) for 2025 if they keep him around, only adding to the appeal.
- Max Kepler: $10MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Kepler’s early-career extension looked like it’d be a coup when he connected on 36 home runs in 2019. The former top prospect seemed to be taking his long-awaited step forward. He hasn’t built on it, though, as he posted roughly league average numbers each season from 2020-22.
Even average production would be a welcome departure from Kepler’s showing thus far in ’23. The left-handed-hitting outfielder is off to a brutal .192/.264/.376 start in 140 plate appearances. The shift ban hasn’t resulted in any kind of improvement in his perennially low ball in play numbers. He’s sporting a career-worst .196 BABIP. His strikeouts are up to 20.7% and he’s walking at a career-worst 7.1% clip.
Kepler is an elite defensive right fielder and has shown better offensive form in prior seasons. A $9MM call isn’t out of the question, but he’ll obviously need to markedly improve upon his current pace. Minnesota has a number of controllable corner outfielders who’ve reached the MLB level (Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner among them). Perhaps it’s time for a change of scenery for Kepler, who seems to have stalled out in the Twin Cities.
Twins To Reinstate Jorge Polanco, Option Edouard Julien
The Twins are activating second baseman Jorge Polanco from the 10-day injured list before tomorrow’s matchup with the Guardians, manager Rocco Baldelli told the team’s beat (relayed by Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Rookie infielder Edouard Julien will be optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding transaction.
Polanco spent barely over the minimal time on the shelf after being diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. The abbreviated absence is good news for Minnesota with the switch-hitting infielder off to a nice start to the year. Polanco carries a .284/.327/.484 line with four home runs through his first 101 plate appearances. It’s right in line with the above-average offensive production Polanco has offered in each of the prior three full seasons. He’s a .270/.337/.460 hitter since the start of the 2019 season.
While he’s been out, the Twins have given the bulk of the second base reps to Julien. The Auburn product has emerged as one of the game’s more intriguing offensive prospects with huge minor league numbers. Julien is hitting .210/.296/.435 in his first 72 trips to the plate against big league arms. He’s popped four home runs and walked seven times but he’s already gone down on strikes on 25 occasions.
Second base was the clearest path to everyday playing time for Julien with Polanco on the shelf. It’s understandable the Twins would look to get him regular reps in St. Paul rather than assuming a multi-positional bench role in the short term. The Twins have Willi Castro, Donovan Solano and Kyle Farmer as versatile infield options behind the primary group of Joey Gallo, Polanco, Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa.
Twins Place Jorge Polanco On 10-Day Injured List
The Twins placed second baseman Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain. The placement is retroactive to May 18. Infielder Edouard Julien has been called up from Triple-A to take Polanco’s spot on the active roster.
Polanco had to be removed from Wednesday’s game after hurting his hamstring while trying to beat out a grounder. Today’s move sends Polanco back to the injured for the second time this season, as he didn’t play his first game until April 21 since the Twins were taking a cautious approach with a lingering knee injury. Polanco’s 2022 campaign was ended in early September by left knee inflammation, and he didn’t play much in Spring Training since he continued to feel some soreness.
The silver lining is that Polanco has performed well when he’s been able to play, as he has a .284/.327/.484 slash line and four home runs over his 101 plate appearances. While obviously a small sample size this early, Polanco’s 124 wRC+ matches his career best over a full season. A .343 BABIP has played a big role and his strikeout/walk rates are both below average, but Polanco’s .369 xwOBA is also higher than his .349 wOBA.
With Nick Gordon also sidelined with a shin fracture, Minnesota’s infield depth has been thinned, but the Twins do have options to replace Polanco at least in the short term. Donovan Solano and Willi Castro can each get some time at the position, or Kyle Farmer could be moved over from third base if Solano or Castro get a start at the hot corner. Julien will also be in the mix in his second MLB call-up, as he hit .222/.276/.444 in 30 PA during his first appearance in April.
In the bigger picture, losing Polanco for at least 10 days is another blow to a Twins team that has had trouble both staying healthy and delivering consistent offense. Carlos Correa and Christian Vazquez are among the Twins hitter who have yet to really get going at the plate, though Minnesota is still in first place in the AL Central thanks largely to an excellent rotation.
Twins To Place Nick Gordon On Injured List With Shin Fracture
Twins utilityman Nick Gordon was diagnosed with a fractured right shin after fouling a ball off his leg during today’s loss to the Dodgers, tweets Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. He’ll be placed on the 10-day injured list and seems likely to be out well beyond the minimal stint.
Gordon’s 2023 campaign began with an injury scare. He suffered a right high ankle sprain in Spring Training but recovered quickly enough to avoid a season-opening IL stay. He’s had a slow start from a performance perspective, though, hitting only .176/.195/.319 over 93 trips to the plate. It has been a disappointing follow-up to a productive .272/.316/.427 showing in a career-high 443 plate appearances for the former fifth overall pick.
Manager Rocco Baldelli has bounced Gordon around the diamond. He’s seen a decent number of innings at each of center field, left field and second base. With Byron Buxton working as a designated hitter as part of Minnesota’s efforts to keep him healthy, the lefty-swinging Gordon has gotten the strong side of a platoon arrangement with right-handed Michael A. Taylor in center field of late.
Gordon’s injury figures to open more playing time for the glove-first Taylor in center field. He’s off to a .231/.286/.404 start to his Twins’ tenure. Donovan Solano and Willi Castro can play multi-positional infield roles off the bench. That could take on particular importance considering second baseman Jorge Polanco also came out of today’s game with an injury.
Polanco told reporters postgame he has a mild strain of his left hamstring (relayed by Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). The team will reevaluate after tomorrow’s off day to determine whether he might require an IL stay. The switch-hitting infielder lost some time at the start of the season rehabbing from a 2022 knee issue. He’s been off to a quality .284/.327/.484 start since returning.
Gordon wasn’t the only Minnesota player to foul a ball off his leg this afternoon. Outfielder Joey Gallo had an early departure after hitting one off his own shin. He said after the game that x-rays were negative but noted there was quite a bit of swelling in the area (Helfand link). He’s presently day-to-day and figures to test things out again on Friday. Gallo missed a bit of time due to an intercostal strain but he’s already slugged 10 homers after signing a one-year free agent deal over the winter.
Twins Reinstate Jorge Polanco
The Twins announced a series of roster moves today, with infielder Jorge Polanco reinstated from the injured list and right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson recalled from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, righty Jorge Alcalá and infielder Edouard Julien were optioned to Triple-A. The Polanco-Julien swap was reported by Twins Farm Report on Twitter prior to the official club announcement.
Polanco, 29, is in tonight’s lineup, batting fifth and playing second base. This will be his first major league game since August of last year. He was placed on the injured list in early September due to left knee inflammation and wasn’t able to return. As this year’s Spring Training ramped up, everything seemed aligned for him to make the Opening Day roster, but he was eventually slowed down in the middle of March with what chief baseball officer Derek Falvey called “normal soreness.” That ultimate led to an IL-placement on Opening Day, but he’ll now slot back into the Minnesota lineup for the first time in almost eight months.
He began his career as a shortstop and didn’t get especially strong marks for his glovework but showed encouraging offensive abilities. By the end of 2018, he had appeared in 288 games and struck out in just 16.2% of his plate appearances while demonstrating a bit of power with 23 home runs. His .272/.329/.420 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 100, indicating he was exactly league average in that time.
The Twins clearly believed that Polanco would grow into something more, as they then signed him to a five-year, $25.75MM extension with a couple of club options. Polanco has since proved them right, hitting 75 home runs over the past four seasons, one of which was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His .270/.337/.459 line in that time amounts to a wRC+ of 117. He’s since moved to second base in deference to stronger shortstop defenders like Andrelton Simmons and Carlos Correa.
Polanco is now in the final guaranteed season of that extension, though it seems likely that those options will be picked up. The 2024 option is valued at $10.5MM with a $1MM buyout, making it a net $9.5MM decision. The 2025 option is worth $12.5MM with a $750K buyout, making it a net $11.75MM decision. Those are reasonable salaries for a potent bat at an up-the-middle position.
While Polanco has been out of action this year, most of the playing time at second base has gone to Julien, Nick Gordon and Kyle Farmer. Julien will now go back to the minors to get regular work down there. Farmer went on the IL last week after getting hit in the face by a fastball from Lucas Giolito. Though the incident looked quite scary on the broadcast, Farmer managed to avoid any fractures and was mostly limited to dental injuries. He told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press today that he still has to get four root canals next week but has started doing baseball activities like hitting off a tee and taking ground balls.
Twins Place Joey Gallo On Injured List
The Twins placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 8, shortly before tonight’s matchup with the White Sox. The first baseman/outfielder is dealing with a right intercostal strain.
It doesn’t seem all that serious, as Gallo was participating in drills this evening. He told reporters he felt he was “in a good spot” physically tonight, though the club has evidently decided to proceed with caution (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). That’d seem to suggest there’s a good chance he won’t require much or any more time than the minimal week off.
Gallo signed a one-year free agent deal last offseason. The Twins were hoping he could bounceback from a tough year and a half split between the Dodgers and Rangers. The two-time All-Star opened his Minnesota tenure with a fantastic week. Gallo has five hits (including three home runs) and a pair of walks over his first 20 plate appearances as a Twin.
A Gold Glove caliber outfielder, Gallo has primarily played first base with Minnesota. That’s because Alex Kirilloff opened the year on the injured list as he rehabs from last year’s season-ending wrist procedure. It seems both Kirilloff and second baseman Jorge Polanco are closing in on their season debuts, however. They’re each on rehab assignments with Low-A Fort Myers and should return to the majors within the next week or two.
Minnesota is playing tonight’s game a man down. They didn’t make a corresponding roster move today, although it’s possible they turn to one of their top prospects tomorrow. Aaron Gleeman of the Athletic notes that Edouard Julien was yanked from tonight’s game for Triple-A St. Paul shortly after Gallo’s IL placement was announced. Julien, ranked by Baseball America as the sport’s #97 overall prospect, was added to Minnesota’s 40-man roster last offseason. The Auburn product hit .300/.441/.490 in Double-A last season and is off to a .276/.417/.517 start in eight games in St. Paul.
Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff To Start Season On Injured List
The Twins will open the season with second baseman Jorge Polanco and corner outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list, tweets Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Recent reports had suggested that was under consideration for both players, neither of whom has gotten into a Spring Training game.
Both players finished the 2022 campaign on the shelf. Polanco was hampered by a left knee issue that cost him the season’s final month. The organization doesn’t seem overly concerned — president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said a couple weeks ago that Polanco might be ready for Opening Day — but symptoms have lingered into exhibition play and kept him from ramping up as expected. He’ll at least require a week and a half into the regular season to be ready for meaningful game action.
Kirilloff’s injury might be more worrisome considering his history. The 25-year-old has battled problems with his right wrist for the past couple seasons. His 2021 campaign was cut short when he underwent surgery to repair a ligament tear. That didn’t put the issue to bed, as he felt continued discomfort and required a second surgery last August. That ended his season prematurely again and Falvey suggested earlier this month that Kirilloff has been behind schedule as he builds back.
Minnesota has a fair amount of position player depth types who could step into larger roles early in the season. Utility player Nick Gordon has plenty of second base experience. He suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the spring but has since played five games after a two-week absence. He seems on track to be on the Opening Day roster. The Twins also signed veteran infielder Donovan Solano to factor in at first and second base and have veteran Kyle Farmer as a multi-positional option off the bench.
Kirilloff had been the favorite for the season-opening first base job. That could now fall to Solano and Joey Gallo, who could step in from his expected corner outfield role. That would likely open a roster spot for left fielder Trevor Larnach, particularly since the Twins are planning to play Michael A. Taylor regularly in center field to keep Byron Buxton at designated hitter early on.
Jorge Polanco May Begin Season On Twins’ Injured List
The Twins have “been having some internal discussions” about Jorge Polanco‘s status for Opening Day, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said, since Polanco has yet to play in any Spring Training games. Left knee soreness brought a premature end to Polanco’s 2022 season, so the Twins opted to bring the second baseman along slowly this spring, allowing him to get back to full strength in his knee before taking to the field.
However, this process has taken a little longer than either Polanco or the Twins would’ve liked. “We’ve had [Polanco’s knee] looked at, to make sure we’re in a good place with him, a couple of times this spring,” Falvey told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Phil Miller and other reporters. “He’s been slowed a little bit, just a little. But we wanted to make absolutely certain there is nothing wrong….There has been no setback.”
That being said, Falvey added that Polanco is simply “running out of days” to get a necessary amount of games under his belt before Minnesota opens its season on March 30. While Polanco has taken part in some live batting-practice sessions and come away with just some “normal soreness” in his knee, the veteran surely requires some in-game reps to get himself fully prepared for his 10th MLB season.
Polanco had never been placed on the Major League injured list prior to last June, when he missed just over the minimum 10 days due to a bad back. The more pressing concern arose later in the season when Polanco’s left knee began to bother him, and August 27 ended up the infielder’s final game of the 2022 campaign.
As Falvey noted, there doesn’t appear to be anything structurally wrong with Polanco’s knee, so there isn’t any fear of a more serious injury. But, the lingering soreness is surely an annoyance to Polanco after a full offseason of rest and rehab, and his bothersome knee could now cost him more regular-season time.
While Polanco had been a stranger to the IL, he does have an injury history, as he underwent relatively minor ankle surgeries following both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Polanco played through pain for most of the 2020 season, and his desire to stay on the field cost him production-wise, as he hit only .258/.304/.354 over 226 plate appearance during the shortened season. In the last two years, Polanco has looked far better (.256/.332/.465 in 1089 PA) at the plate, and surely he is hoping to get his knee issue behind him rather than risk struggling through another injury-hampered year.
If Polanco does have to miss time, the Twins do have a good amount of second base depth to cover the position for at least a short-term absence. Nick Gordon and new acquisitions Kyle Farmer and Donovan Solano can all play multiple positions, giving Minnesota some versatile options coming off the bench.
Twins Notes: Buxton, Polanco, Gordon, Miranda, Kirilloff, Rotation
Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey met with reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) today at the Twins’ spring camp, and provided several injury updates. The news is particularly good for Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco, as Falvey said both players are on track to be in the lineup on Opening Day.
“Relying on our medical folks on what they think are the best next steps…but they’re still telling us that [Opening Day is] in play barring anything changing. And both guys’ feedback has been positive,” Falvey said.
Buxton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in September, while Polanco didn’t play after August 27 last season due to knee inflammation. Polanco tried to return in September, but was shut down during a minor league rehab assignment when his left knee continued to feel sore. With an eye towards both these injuries, the Twins have been slowly easing Buxton and Polanco into spring activity, restricting both players to live batting practices and backfield workouts rather than any game action. It isn’t yet clear when either player might make their Spring Training debut, but it seems as though the club doesn’t feel Buxton or Polanco will need too many at-bats to get sharp.
A little over a week after suffering a high ankle sprain during a Grapefruit League game, Nick Gordon has started running and hitting, Falvey said. Naturally any kind of high ankle injury is a concern, but it would seem that Gordon might have landed on the low end of the “wide range of outcomes” manager Rocco Baldelli mentioned last week when discussing possible recovery timelines. The Twins will be cautious with Gordon but, if all continues to go well, he might also be on target for Opening Day without the need for a season-opening stint on the injured list.
Jose Miranda is also making good progress in his recovery from a sore shoulder, as Falvey said the infielder has started a throwing program. While Miranda’s shoulder forced him to withdraw from Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic team, it hasn’t kept him entirely off the field in Spring Training, as Miranda has still been able to play as a designated hitter. With just under three weeks to go until Opening Day, Miranda seems on pace to recover in time to take his planned role as Minnesota’s regular third baseman.
Amidst all these positive updates, however, the news isn’t quite as good for Alex Kirilloff. In comparison to Buxton and Polanco, Kirilloff is “probably the one that’s a little bit behind our schedule,” Falvey said, noting that “it’s kind of a tolerance thing on a daily basis for him” as Kirilloff works his way back from wrist surgery.
Kiriloff made his MLB debut in 2021, and the former top prospect has thus far hit .251/.295/.398 over 387 Major League plate appearances over the last two seasons. Unfortunately for Kirilloff, each of those seasons was prematurely ended by surgeries on his wrist. As The Athletic’s Dan Hayes wrote last month, Kirilloff’s surgery last August was particularly “drastic,” with the intention of correcting Kirilloff’s wrist problem once and for all. As such, the Twins are taking their time with Kirilloff, holding him out of games and even out of live-pitching sessions, if Kiriloff feels he is only up to work in the batting cages.
With all of these position-player health issues facing the Twins, the pitching staff has been a comparatively lesser concern, as Minnesota’s rotation candidates have by and large looked both healthy and in good form during their spring outings. It has gotten to the point that Falvey said the team is weighing the possibility of a six-man rotation.
“That wasn’t our plan as we entered camp,” Falvey said. “It still, I wouldn’t say, is our plan, but there’s at least a conversation we’ve been having internally about how that could work and what it would mean for the bullpen, how would we navigate that. Some of it will be health-dependent, but we’re open to the conversation maybe more now than I was a month ago.”
A six-man rotation would create a spot for Bailey Ober to get some MLB starts, as Ober would join the projected rotation of Pablo Lopez, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda, Joe Ryan, and Sonny Gray. The Twins aren’t likely to finalize any rotation plans until after Lopez returns from the WBC, but a six-man rotation would give more rest to Mahle and Maeda as they return from injuries. It would also help Minnesota navigate a pretty busy early schedule, as the club has only two off-days in the month of April.