Brooks Lee Is Minnesota's Essential Infield Contingency. What If He's Down?

[tony&rodney]

9 minutes ago, Jeff K said:

I still don't want Julien on the team. 

Call the Julien gives me heartburn hotline or text/call/write to RpT (President of the society) for information on the heeling process. He is not doing so well but may provide help. Your mental health and close personal friends will be relieved when you take the proper action.

[beckmt]

maybe you start Keaschall at second or Martin for the short term. Lee can recover and regain form in St. Paul.  If France is not the issue then move Laurnach to 1B and bring up Rodriquez when he is ready (should be about the same time).  We need to move forward with the youth and see what they have.  If all else fails move some pitching depth for a major league 2B (should not be too difficult by June)

[dxpavelka]

If Lee is down it's next man up.  Maybe it's Keaschall.  Maybe it's Payton Eeles.  Seems like a short lifetime of waiting for Austin Martin.  We were told Gasper could play 2B.  Maybe he can play 3B as well.  We've been told for years that Miranda can play 3B.  There's a reason you have 26 guys active and 40 on the 40 man roster and a hundred and seventy five or so under contract throughout the organization.  Everybody's looking for a shot.  When it comes they gotta be ready.

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Is Keaschall hurt too - stats don’t seem to show much playing time?

He's not recovered enough to throw with max effort.

[USAFChief]

I'm having a hard time putting "essential" and "Brooks Lee" in the same sentence. 

 

[rv78]

4 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I will happily take the money of the people who think this is a 4th place team.

A 4th place finish last season wasn't expected either and that's exactly where they ended up. They did nothing to improve the team this off-season. It's not inconceivable to finish in the same spot. Before the regular season has even started their players are dropping like flies. Good luck!

[JD-TWINS]

31 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

He's not recovered enough to throw with max effort.

Thanks - seems his AB’s were routine and have now just stopped. Maybe he’s optioned to AAA already? Will have to look.

Hoping he’s a big piece of our right side of infield or at least an option in 2nd half.

[jmlease1]

6 minutes ago, rv78 said:

A 4th place finish last season wasn't expected either and that's exactly where they ended up. They did nothing to improve the team this off-season. It's not inconceivable to finish in the same spot. Before the regular season has even started their players are dropping like flies. Good luck!

Yep. but a lot of weird things all had to happen to make that true. Want to bet on it happening that way again? It might not be inconceivable to finish that way again, but looking at their competition in the AL Central predicting them as a 4th place team is a) flying in the face of objectivity, and 2) the kind of doomcasting about the team that the people on this site are supposed to like that I'm not interested in being part of. Why give up in spring freakin' training? I'm as sick of the ownership as anyone, but I'm not going to blame the players for it.

Also? players aren't really dropping like flies. There's 1 significant injury (Lewis) so far, a couple of minor ones (Topa, Tonkin) to back end of the roster players, and a "we don't actually know anything" with Brooks Lee. The rotation? healthy. The top bullpen guys? healthy. The outfield? healthy. Catchers? healthy. Infield has some injuries, but is also the deepest part of the team.

[jmlease1]

4 hours ago, Hubie29 said:

File this comment away and revisit in September. 4th place is definitely not far fetched. And if not for the white Sox, last would be possible. All comes down to who stays healthy. 

sure, if everyone gets hurt the season won't go well. That's almost every season. but right now, this is not a 4th place team. They should be contending for the division. 

It feels like the late season collapse has made a segment of people quit on this roster, these players, the manager, the front office, and frankly the whole franchise. Again, I'm as tired of this ownership as anyone...but I'm still excited to watch Twins baseball this year.

[Brandon]

When your third and fourth string 3B are your full time rotating bench player and DH because he is limited defensively but can hit, is our depth really depleted or just stretched a little.  Keaschall is in AAA to start the season and I bet we have another option lurking somewhere.  

[jkcarew]

Not sure I’m ready to have too much Brooks Lee angst yet. The way the bat has been so far, even an Ozzie Smith glove is going to have a difficult time creating positive value. Yes, it was a small sample, but his underlying number last year (e.g., hard hit %) were even worse than headline number of 64 OPS+. IMO, Lee needs to be getting every-day at-bats as he works on his adjustments…and given the offensive challenges that already exist with this club, I’m not at all sure that the Twins can afford for those at-bats to be at the major league level right now.

[gil4]

On 3/21/2025 at 4:47 PM, mikelink45 said:

I suspect his conditioning will allow him to play more than sit, but it is a real issue and the bend to catch a ground ball is the worst of all postures.

From years of playing slow-pitch softball, I found the biggest problems with my back were caused by swinging a bat (and the biggest problems my back caused were with my swing.)  

I never felt strain on my back while on defense.  The thing that took me out of defense is my knees.    

I gave up playing about 15 years ago - now I umpire (HS baseball.)

[DocBauer]

The good news is Lee stated it didn't feel major, and it was higher up than when he's had problems with his back previously. On the surface, it appears to be some form of minor stiffness, small muscle pull or cramps, that kind of thing. But it's still worthwhile to speculate depth, as Nick has brought up here.

IF there's an injury to Lee, Castro either becomes a starter somewhere, or, concentrates more on the INF. That means room for Keirsey or Martin in the OF to accommodate, until Rodriguez is ready.

Personally...and this slightly off topic but has been touched on...I look at Lee the way others have discussed Ridriguez coming in to the season. Rodriguez's ankle sprain set him back a couple of weeks so it's a moot point, but there was a serious discussion about letting him jump straight to the Twins and just let it fly! Let him hit at the bottom of the order and just grow in to his natural talent and ability and let him grow and adapt on the fly with the long term outlook of him "getting it". My approach with a healthy Lee is the same. He's got the glove, instinct,  baseball intelligence, and talent to be a pretty good hitter and producer. I can live with a bat that is still finding it's way with the glove he has.

But back to the depth conversation:

Again, Castro potentially sticks to the INF and we have a couple OF options to allow him to do so. Miranda is not a great 3B, but he's turned himself in to an acceptable one, especially if the bat is working. Julien's glove disappeared along with his bat last season. But if you had the ability to watch him in 2023, his hard work took him from butcher to solid/average at 2B. So if he's in line for more 2B time with Lewis out... MAYBE Lee out if the back flares up and we aren't talking about a bad day...the hope is the improved defense of 2023 comes back.

Keaschall just isn't an option at this point. He still hasn't played above AA and is just starting to work at positions and testing his arm. But what if there are no additional injuries other than Lewis and a Lee stiff back for a couple days, until June or July? Might Keaschall be ready for 2B duty by then?

Eeles being out really messes with depth issues and opportunity, but also explains why no ST invite. Damn that stinks!

Lewis out, the Twins can adapt for the short term. Lewis AND LEE out for a while does test. And i really don't want to go down the "what if" rabbit hole for a situation that might have been someone simply sleeping wrong and having a cramp/pull...buuuttt....beyond Castro and a not yet ready Keaschall, there is the possibility of Will Holland coming up. He's a prospect with speed and talent who hasn't hit AT ALL until he reached AAA last season. SUDDENLY, for whatever reason, his bat came alive. I believe he was a ST invite? At worst, he could be brought up to be a utility player at SS, and CF, and has also played some 2B I believe. He could hit 9th and provide some speed on the basepaths at least. Let's just hope it doesn't come down to him being a necessary option.

[Gamblerssoftball]

How long is Eeles expected to be out? I haven't heard much about it.

[Fatbat]

Welp, Lee is going to be officially starting the season on the IL so hello Mickey Gasper and welcome back Eddy Julien.  
This is gonna be head scratching. Maybe Kiersey gets the 5th outfield spot so we can have someone to root for! 
Also read that Castellano won't be on the 26 man so who will get the last bullpen spot?? 

[DJL44]

14 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

Also read that Castellano won't be on the 26 man so who will get the last bullpen spot?? 

Misiewicz or Blewett

[DJL44]

Buddy Kennedy is apparently available. The Phillies aren't taking him north.