The Twins just lately welcomed a pair of key gamers again from the injured record, returning each middle fielder Byron Buxton and shortstop Carlos Correa to the beginning lineup. Buxton was activated prematurely of yesterday’s recreation after lacking the previous month with a hip harm, whereas Correa has been out for the previous two months attributable to plantar fasciitis in his proper foot. The duo’s return to motion is unquestionably a aid for Twins followers. In any case, solely Matt Wallner’s 162 wRC+ surpasses Correa’s 152 and Buxton’s 142 figures among the many membership’s regulars and the 2 stars additionally play key defensive roles at shortstop and middle subject ,respectively.
As essential as each Correa and Buxton are to the Twins’ pursuit of an AL wild-card spot and impending postseason push, nonetheless, they gained’t be within the lineup daily down the stretch. As famous by Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, supervisor Rocco Baldelli advised reporters earlier Saturday that each gamers might be within the lineup on a very game-to-game foundation, with the staff’s medical workers evaluating them each after every recreation to find out whether or not or not they’ll be out there to play within the membership’s subsequent recreation.
That aggressive administration of the membership’s two prime gamers might sound counterintuitive for a Twins membership that’s clinging to a 2.5-game lead over Detroit for the ultimate AL wild-card spot, however it’s pretty comprehensible given the pair’s vital harm woes. In any case, Buxton’s harm woes all through his profession have been excessive sufficient that the subsequent recreation he takes the sector for will imply he’s performed extra video games in 2024 with 93 than he has in any season of his 10-year large league profession besides 2017. Whereas Correa’s harm woes haven’t been fairly that excessive, the shortstop has been restricted to simply 75 video games this 12 months by harm and is now making an attempt to play by plantar fasciitis for the second consecutive September. For a Twins membership that hasn’t made it to the ALCS since 2002, maintaining Correa and Buxton as wholesome as doable for the playoffs is clearly a prime precedence.
For his half, Correa appears to be on board. The shortstop advised reporters (as relayed by Gleeman) that “Realistically, [he’s] not going to play each recreation” earlier than including that he needs to be on the sector for the Twins “as a lot as doable” going ahead this season. When Correa and Buxton are unable to play, Brooks Lee seems to be the membership’s major backup at shortstop whereas Willi Castro is the highest choice in middle subject.
Extra from across the AL Central…
- The Guardians are coping with an harm scare concerning one among their prime hitters, as membership supervisor Stephen Vogt advised reporters (together with Mandy Bell of MLB.com) that outfielder Steven Kwan has been out of the lineup in latest days attributable to what he described as “again soreness.” Whereas that analysis could seem pretty benign, it’s at the very least considerably regarding that Vogt added Kwan has been despatched for testing to find out the severity of the difficulty. Whereas it’s almost inconceivable for the Guardians to overlook the playoffs at this level, the membership holds a reasonably tenuous three-game lead over the Royals for the AL Central crown, which is prone to include a bye by the primary spherical of the playoffs. The lack of Kwan, who has excelled because the membership’s leadoff hitter with a .291/.364/.419 slash line this 12 months, would absolutely complicate the membership’s hopes of holding onto its current playoff positioning and an prolonged absence may even jeopardize Kwan’s availability within the early rounds of the playoffs. Will Brennan, Angel Martinez and Daniel Schneemann are among the many membership’s choices in left subject whereas Kwan is unavailable.
- The Tigers have been with out Reese Olson for nearly the whole second half this 12 months after the right-hander went on the IL again in July attributable to a shoulder pressure. Happily, supervisor A.J. Hinch advised reporters (together with Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic) this afternoon that the membership hopes to activate Olson from the IL throughout the membership’s upcoming sequence towards the Royals early subsequent week. A wholesome and efficient return from Olson can be an enormous enhance for a Detroit membership that sits simply 2.5 video games again of Minnesota for the ultimate AL wild-card spot, because the 25-year-old righty was within the midst of a breakout season with a 3.23 ERA and three.13 FIP in 19 begins earlier than being sidelined.
