Top prospect provided a spark to a listle s Twins lineup upon his initial call to the majors. The 2023 second-rounder has done nothing but hit since moving from Arizona State to pro ball, and the majors were no exception. Through the 22-year-old Keaschalls first seven games, he hit .368/.538/.526 with more walks (five) than strikeouts (two) in 26 plate appearances. The former Sun Devil also tied a major league record with five stolen bases in his first five MLB games. Keaschall after an errant pitch from veteran hit his forearm and resulted in a non-displaced fracture. For the time being, theres no indication hell require surgery, but head trainer Nick Paparesta told the Twins beat last night that Keaschall is likely to mi s multiple months nonethele s ( ). Keaschall will be reevaluated in about one month. The injury to Keaschall is the latest for a Twins club that has been torched by health troubles this season. Third baseman has yet to play in a regular-season game. Utilityman is out with an oblique strain. Ace mi sed two weeks with a hamstring strain. Top infield prospect is healthy now but started on the shelf with a back injury. Relievers and opened the year on the injured list due to hamstring and shoulder strains, respectively. Infielder struggled early, was optioned to Triple-A, and has since gone on the minor league injured list with a strain in his left hand. Most of those injuries have been relatively minor in nature. Keaschall is the most significant injury, but slugging corner outfielder is also looking at a lengthy absence. Via Hayes, Paparesta added that Wallner is dealing with a moderate to severe strain of his hamstring. Wallner only first began light jogging on a treadmill yesterday, two weeks after his initial injury. Hell be reevaluated next week, but it seems likely that the injury will sideline him well into May, if not longer. Wallner, 27, is hardly a household name but has emerged as the Twins top power threat. The Twin Cities native, selected 39th overall in 2019, floundered through a catastrophically poor start to his 2024 season but mashed for the final three months after being recalled from Triple-A. In 228 plate appearances following last years recall, Wallner hit .282/.386/.559 with a dozen homers, 16 doubles and a triple. A sky-high .410 average on balls in play and an ugly 34% strikeout rate point to plenty of regre sion in batting average for Wallner, but he draws enough walks and makes enough hard contact that he could be a productive overall hitter Darius Bazley Jersey even if his average dips into league average territory (.241) or a bit lower. Between last years torrid finish and this years hot start, Wallner boasts a .278/.383/.540 line (164 wRC+) in 295 plate appearances. Hes walked in more than 10% of those trips to the plate and posted eye-popping batted-ball metrics: 92.4 mph average exit velocity, 16.1% barrel rate, 52.3% hard-hit rate. With Keaschall and Wallner out for extended periods and injuries at multiple other positions, the Twins have turned to the DFA market to add some depth on the bench. and came over in cash swaps with the Marlins and Phillies, respectively, after both were designated for a signment. Both are out of minor league options, so it could be a short stay for one of them on the roster, particularly once Lewis returns. Hes played two Triple-A rehab games already and gone 3-for-6 with a double. A return next week wouldnt be a surprise. The Twins could opt to preserve their depth by instead optioning Lee or so they can get regular at-bats in Triple-A. The ultimate move will come down to health and production among the current infield group. Its a more straightforward scenario in the outfield, where signed to be an oft-used fourth outfielder will see regular run alongside and . In general, the Twins lineup has begun to emerge from a dormant state. Facing clubs with poor pitching staffs like the White Sox and Angels surely plays a role, but Minnesota is hitting .276/.359/.432 as a team over the past two weeks. Unsurprisingly, theyve gone 8-4 in that time. Theyre still three games under .500, but the lineup is meshing and Lewis looming return creates reason for more optimism. Part of that resurgence has been a blistering hot streak from catcher . last week that manager is moving away from the largely even split in playing time between Jeffers and veteran . Jeffers is seeing an uptick in at-bats and will shoulder a larger portion of the catching workload. So far, its paying off. Jeffers is hitting .308/.426/.538 during this Twins hot streak; that looks more closely in line with the 27-year-olds terrific 2023 season and strong start to 2024. A slow finish last year dampened Jeffers numbers, but hes a .247/.331/.449 hitter (120 wRC+) in 885 plate appearances dating back to 23. that he feels some mechanical changes hes incorporated in recent years have reached the point where he no longer even needs to think about them. The move away from Vazquez is understandable, particularly at a time when the lineup was struggling. The 34-year-old remains a premier defensive catcher but has limped out of the gate with a .139/.200/.250 output in 14 games and 40 plate appearances. Hes in the final season of a three-year, $30MM contract that hasnt panned out as the Twins hoped, but Vazquezs glove is strong enough that he can hold a backup role even with a .218/.261/.318 slash in 710 plate appearances as a Twin. Jeffers, meanwhile, is in his second of three arbitration seasons and can be controlled through 2026. Al Horford Jersey