Luis Arraez had been terrific since the All-Star break, collecting seven hits in 17 at-bats at the top of the Twins' batting order, a .412 streak that had restored his batting average to its customary place above .300, the team's highest.
If you've been following this Twins season, you can't be surprised by what happened next.
A sinking line drive by Jose Abreu on Tuesday, and some in-the-moment indecision by Arraez on how to field it, caused the infielder-turned-outfielder to slip on the grass and wrench his right knee. Four days later — a delay that illustrates how much the Twins hoped to avoid playing without him for long — the Twins bowed to the inevitable: Arraez was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, the third time this season he's been waylaid by injury.
The move was retroactive to Wednesday, so the Twins leadoff hitter will be eligible to be activated next Saturday. In the meantime, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, each of whom has twice batted first since Arraez's injury, figure to get most of the at-bats atop the order. Arraez has missed time this season due to a concussion, a shoulder strain, and now his knee.
To fill Arraez's roster spot, Jake Cave was activated from the 60-day injured list, after completing an eight-game rehab stint with the Class AAA St. Paul Saints. Cave went on the injured list May 15 after it was discovered that the back soreness that was hampering him early in the season was due to a stress fracture in a disc.
Cave, 28, batted only .167 in 31 games while trying to play through the injury. He went 11-for-30 (.367) with a home run, five walks and 10 strikeouts with the Saints.
Kyle Garlick, who required surgery this week to repair a hernia, was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Cave.
No Buck yet
Speaking of injured outfielders, Byron Buxton was on the field before Saturday's game, and briefly played catch with a teammate. That's a positive sign, but his return from a fractured left hand is not imminent, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
"Buck is still wearing his splint" when not working out at Target Field, which he does nearly every day, Baldelli said. "He's continuing with the same types of workouts — lower body, aroebic. You can add bike sprints to the list."
Buxton was hit by a Tyler Mahle pitch on June 21, and after four weeks, "he can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Baldelli said. But he is not yet ready to begin baseball workouts beyond playing catch.
Helping hand
The family of Jay Boughton, the youth baseball coach killed in an alleged road-rage shooting earlier this month in Plymouth, was hosted by the Twins on Friday, and met Baldelli and some of the players before the game.
"Just simply being able to do our small part and have some fun with them and some laughs out on the field, it means a lot to all of us in the organization," Baldelli said. "I'm obviously very sad to hear what they've had to experience. I know it's been very hard. But it was wonderful to have them at the ballpark."
Maeda can hit, too
Before Kenta Maeda's start against the Angels on Thursday, Baldelli posted a lineup card in the Twins' clubhouse that included Maeda batting second, just as Shohei Ohtani often does on days he pitches.
Maeda enjoyed the joke, and asked Baldelli and Ohtani to sign the lineup card as a souvenir.
"They have a connection. That's fantastic," Baldelli said. "They're out on the field today shooting the breeze a little bit and touching base. It's very cool."
Maeda is proud of his own hitting ability — he homered in his first MLB game, after all, while Ohtani's first home run came in his third game — and enjoys preparing for road games in National League cities, where he can hit.
"He was just in the [batting] cage," Baldelli said. "He's getting his work in in the cage right now, getting some swings" in preparation for the Twins' visit to St. Louis and Cincinnati later this week.
