Injuries & Moves: Gordon, Gallo, Polanco exit with injuries
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May 17: OF/INF Nick Gordon, OF/1B Joey Gallo, 2B Jorge Polanco leave game with injuries
The Twins' loss to the Dodgers in their series finale also took a serious toll on their team health, as three hitters exited the game due to injury. Gordon will be out for the foreseeable future after sustaining a fractured right leg on a foul ball off his shin in the fifth inning. Gallo did not sustain a fracture following a nearly identical foul off his right leg in the ninth inning, but he experienced considerable swelling in the leg and will have to be evaluated following Thursday's off-day.
Polanco felt his left hamstring tighten up while running to first base on his fourth-inning groundout, and his hamstring strain will also be re-evaluated on Friday, ahead of the Twins' series opener against the Angels.
May 16: RHP Jorge Alcala (right forearm extensor muscle strain) placed on 15-day IL; RHP José De León selected from Triple-A St. Paul
The Twins placed Alcala on the IL due to discomfort in the muscle along the top part of his forearm, which is typically less of a surgical concern than any issues affecting the inner part of the forearm or elbow, head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. The Twins had to make the move after Alcala was unable to get through his throwing program without discomfort, and he'll undergo an MRI exam on Thursday in Minneapolis. They believe it to be an unrelated issue to the bone chip removal procedure in his right elbow last summer.
De León will be available for multiple innings after the Twins had to burn through much of their bullpen in Monday's 12-inning marathon loss to the Dodgers in the series opener in Los Angeles. He was added to the roster after posting a 3.62 ERA in nine appearances for St. Paul this season. De León began his career with the Dodgers in 2016, making this a particularly special trip for him.
May 15: INF Royce Lewis has rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A St. Paul
Lewis began his rehab assignment by playing two games with Double-A Wichita because the affiliate was playing at Frisco, close to Lewis' home in the Dallas area. He will next move up to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. Lewis will figure to have an extended stay with the Saints, since he's not eligible for activation from the 60-day IL until the end of the month. At that point, the Twins will have to determine whether Lewis will stay in Triple-A or move up to the big leagues.
May 15: RHP Dereck Rodríguez claimed off waivers by Braves
Rodríguez was moved off the Twins' active roster on Saturday, when he made his only big league appearance of the season before being optioned. He was placed on outright waivers and subsequently selected by the Braves.
May 13: OF Max Kepler placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain; OF Trevor Larnach recalled from Triple-A St. Paul
The Twins called up Larnach to take the place of Kepler on the 26-man roster. The 26-year-old was driving to CHS Field in St. Paul to prepare for the Saints’ game Saturday afternoon when he received the call to turn around and head to Target Field instead.
“You talk with guys that are in the business long enough, you've just got to roll with the punches,” said Larnach, who started in right field and batted fifth against the Cubs on Saturday. “Whether you break with the team or don’t, whether you get called up or get called down, you can’t take it too personally. It’s baseball, it’s the game you grew up playing. It’s the same thing.”
With the Twins slated to face right-handed starters in four of the next five games, Larnach adds a left-handed bat to the lineup.
Kepler originally left Thursday’s 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres with a cramp. Although an MRI on Kepler’s hamstring came back negative, the team decided to put him on the 10-day IL.
INJURY UPDATES
10-day IL and 15-day IL
RHP Jorge Alcala (right forearm extensor muscle strain)
Expected return: TBD
The Twins placed Alcala on the IL after he was unable to participate in his throwing program without discomfort, and he will be further evaluated via MRI exam in Minneapolis on May 18. The strain impacts more of the top of Alcala's forearm, an area that leads to surgery less often than an issue impacting the inner part of the forearm or the elbow, head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. (Last updated: May 16)
LHP Caleb Thielbar (right oblique strain)
Expected return: TBD
Thielbar started playing catch on May 15 and will do so again on back-to-back days on May 17 and 18, head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. Thielbar will spend the week playing long toss and ramping up his intensity. Thielbar was placed on the 15-day IL on May 5 following the results of a pregame workout ahead of the Twins' series opener in Cleveland. (Last updated: May 16)
RHP Kenta Maeda (right triceps strain)
Expected return: TBD
Maeda has been playing catch every other day as part of his continued throwing progression, and the Twins hope that the right-hander will mix in some long toss and be ready to throw off a mound by the end of the week. Maeda said his arm is now feeling good after he was placed on the injured list on April 29 following his early removal from an April 26 start against the Yankees. (Last updated: May 15)
OF Max Kepler (left hamstring strain)
Expected return: TBD
The 30-year-old originally left the game vs. San Diego on May 11 with a cramp. Although an MRI on Kepler’s hamstring came back negative, the team decided to put him on the 10-day IL.
"We were hoping ‘Kep’ obviously wouldn't need to go on the IL,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game on May 13 with the Cubs. “When he came out of the game [against the Padres], it was with a cramp. He got an MRI and the MRI seems OK. But he's still pretty tight, and we don't think he's going to be able to play for a handful of days. So if you can't play for a handful of days, we're going to IL him and get someone in here who can go.” (Last updated: May 13)
60-day IL
RHP Tyler Mahle (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: TBD
Mahle, who was removed from his start on April 27 vs. Kansas City with noticeably diminished velocity, will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, the Twins announced. The club's original plan was to shut Mahle down for at least four weeks and seek a second opinion upon transferring him to the 60-day injured list. The right-hander was acquired by the Twins from the Reds in a Trade Deadline deal on Aug. 2, and is set to become a free agent after this season. (Last updated: May 11)
SS Royce Lewis (partially torn ACL in right knee)
Expected return: Possibly early June
Lewis will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Wichita on May 11, after which he will eventually progress to Triple-A St. Paul. The Twins had started with Lewis playing three innings on an every-other-day basis in the Florida Complex League to begin his buildup to consistent action. He has been focusing defensively on both shortstop and third base, and appears to be on track to beat the 12-13 month recovery timeline the Twins have publicly maintained since he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL for a second consecutive year last June 21. (Last updated: May 7)
OF Gilberto Celestino (ruptured UCL in left thumb)
Expected return: Potentially June
Celestino underwent successful surgery on March 7 in Dayton, Ohio, to address the ligament that he ruptured on a headfirst slide into second base during the Twins’ Feb. 28 Spring Training game against the Braves. The original recovery timeline was stated to be 6-8 weeks, and Minnesota had no updates to that time frame following completion of the procedure.
Celestino began working out on the field with the Twins during their first homestand of the regular season, including work in the outfield, but he was moved to the 60-day IL on April 13 to make room on the 40-man roster for Kyle Garlick. (Last updated: April 13)
RHP Chris Paddack (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Possibly August 2023
Paddack made five starts for the Twins after his arrival in an Opening Day 2022 trade with the Padres before he underwent a second Tommy John surgery in May. He and Dr. Keith Meister are taking it slowly with his recovery, ramping up three months more slowly than with his first Tommy John surgery. Paddack started throwing a baseball during the first full week of February. He had built up to catch from 60 feet when Spring Training began.
Paddack expects to complete his rehab in Fort Myers and is still eyeing a possible return to the Twins in August or September if everything stays on track -- though he feels less pressure to maybe rush back ahead of schedule due to the three-year extension he signed during the offseason. (Last updated: Feb. 25)