The Twins had three players deal with in-game injuries during Sunday's 7-6 loss to Oakland.
Willians Astudillo, making his first start of the season at catcher, took a pitch off his glove hand in his first plate appearance in the second inning. Astudillo was visibly in pain, though he managed to stay in the game. But by his next time up an inning later, he struggled to grip and hold the bat, and Ben Rortvedt replaced him behind the plate in the fourth inning. Manager Rocco Baldelli said the left hand contusion caused swelling and bruising.
Starting pitcher Kenta Maeda stayed in the game into the fifth inning despite dealing with groin tightness.
"He was adamant that he not only could pitch with it, but he's actually dealt with this a little bit over the course of his career and has pitched with it and pitched successfully," Baldelli said. " … Visually to the eye, I couldn't tell that much difference [from the injury]. Maybe a tick on his fastball down at that point in the game."
Max Kepler bowed out in the ninth inning after carrying the team offensively for much of the game with his three-run homer in the second inning, sacrifice fly in the fourth and double in the eighth ahead of Andrelton Simmons' home run. Rob Refsnyder stepped in for him — his first major league game in center field.
"Kep tweaked his hammy running the bases later on in the game," Baldelli said. "And he tested it out, he was downstairs running, but there was concern that if he had to open it up and really cut it loose, that he would not be able to do that."
All three received treatment after Sunday's game, and the team will evaluate them again Monday.
