Next Man Up: Silver Linings of Some Bad End-of-Camp Injury News for the Twins

[Nick Nelson]

The narrative of a resoundingly healthy camp has come crashing down in the final stretch, with several key players landing on the injured list to open the season. That's generally bad news, but there are some potential positives that could come out of it.

Image courtesy of Chris Tilley, Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

As Jamie Cameron covered earlier today, the Minnesota Twins shared a series of updates as they prepare to finalize their roster and head north. We already knew they'd be opening the season without Michael Tonkin, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and now the Twins have confirmed Brock Stewart will also start on the injured list. Stewart suffered a hamstring strain in spring training and is still building up after rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

On the position-player front, Royce Lewis will be joined by Brooks Lee on the IL, delivering a critical blow to the team's infield depth. 

None of these injuries are necessarily expected to be long-term, but all four players were initially expected to make the team. Instead, the Twins will need to proceed without them for at least the first couple of weeks.

Next man up! While the contributions of Lewis, Lee, Stewart and Tonkin won't necessarily be easy to replace, there will be opportunities for others to emerge from the depth chart and capitalize. Here are some of the players who figure to become important to the team's plans as a result of these injuries.

Bullpen
Tonkin's shoulder strain had already more or less locked Louis Varland into a roster spot. Stewart being sidelined frees up another one. That final opening might have been filled with Rule 5 pick Eiberson Castellano if he made enough of an impression this spring, but the Twins already informed him he won't be making the team. Castellano is likely headed back to Philadelphia, barring a trade or a waiver claim by some pitching-hungrier outfit.

So, who will round out an eight-man relief corps, alongside Varland, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Durán, Cole Sands, Danny Coulombe, Justin Topa and Jorge Alcalá? 

Right now, the most likely candidate appears to be Scott Blewett, who's had a good camp after looking good in his limited time with the Twins last year. Blewett is viewed as a pretty fringy major-league talent, which is why he was available to Minnesota on a minor-league deal for a second straight season, but there are intriguing traits here. Last year Cody Schoenmann wrote a piece here drawing parallels between Blewett and "the one who got away," Jeff Hoffman. I'd love to see Blewett get some run in a lower-leverage role in the majors, which was out of reach for him before Stewart and Tonkin got hurt. 

Fellow minor-league signings like Anthony Misiewicz, Huascar Ynoa and Alex Speas also have clearer paths to returning to the big leagues, though all three were reassigned to Triple A already during this camp. (That doesn't rule any of them out from making the roster, but I suspect Blewett is ahead in line.) By virtue of being on the 40-man roster, Kody Funderburk is also poised to get another opportunity soon.

Infield and Lineup
If everything went to plan this spring, the Twins might have had Lewis at third base and Lee at second on Opening Day. Their injuries will push José Miranda into (essentially) full-time duty at the hot corner, with Edouard Julien likely to be the primary starter at second. The situation represents a pathway to redemption on both fronts. Miranda and Julien entered this camp with much to prove, both at the plate and in the field. They've looked solid this spring, and now they'll have a chance to parlay that into succeeding when it matters.

If Miranda can tap into his first-half form from 2024 and Julien can rediscover the edge from his rookie season, Minnesota has the potential to get good offensive production at both positions. Most teams don't have backup options like these behind their key lineup fixtures. I'm looking forward to what Miranda and Julien can do as regulars in the infield.

The byproduct of those two being pushed into starting infield jobs is that it could open a considerable amount of playing time at designated hitter, where they figured to fill in frequently. The need for a bat-first option on the bench set the stage for Mickey Gasper to step up and make a bid to emerge as cult hero. Sadly, Gasper was carted off the field on Sunday after a scary-looking collision. He was diagnosed with a left ankle laceration after being spiked, and got stitches. Hopefully, there's nothing structurally wrong and he can return soon to jump on this opportunity for big-league at-bats. This is the opportunity he's been waiting for.

The next man up would appear to be Austin Martin or DaShawn Keirsey. A week or two ago, both were slated to start in Triple A, where neither has a whole lot more to prove. Can one of these players seize the moment?

I'm also interested to see how the next layers of depth take shape in the wake of these injuries. Losing both Lewis and Lee at third base leaves the Twins pretty thin, with Castro standing as the only readily available backup on the 40-man roster. Armando Alvarez, who's been in camp as a non-roster invite, could be next in line if Miranda struggles, or his back or shoulder acts up again.

The 30-year-old Alvarez has only gotten a cup of coffee in the majors (16 games last year with the A's) but the righty hitter crushed at Triple-A pitching in 2024, slashing .315/.407/.560 in 75 games. Third base is his primary position, and he can also play second (as well as a bit of corner outfield). All told, he's a good fit for the team's needs.

Injuries atop the depth chart might also accelerate the path for some prospects who impressed in spring training. Specifically, I'm thinking about Luke Keaschall, who could take over at second base quickly—especially if Lee is facing a prolonged absence. Another name to watch is Jeferson Morales. The Twins really like his bat, and he raked this spring. The lack of a clear defensive fit was one major thing holding Morales back, but if there are a whole bunch of DH starts available, his promising right-handed bat could find its way to the majors much more quickly than anticipated.

Injuries are never the preferred path to opportunity, but they are an inevitable part of a long baseball season. For every setback, there's a ripple effect that creates a window—sometimes for a forgotten veteran, sometimes for a rising prospect, sometimes for someone in between. While the losses of Lewis, Lee, Stewart and Tonkin are undeniably tough to swallow, their absences will create proving grounds for others to step in, step up, and potentially make an impact that no one saw coming. 

In this sport, surprises are always lurking—and some of the most meaningful stories start with an unexpected chance.

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[DocBauer]

All the more reason it really stinks that Eels is currently out recovering from surgery. 

I've been contemplating Morales lately as a depth option. I think he's still down the ladder of a pecking order, but we shouldn't dismiss him as a possibility. Nor should we forget about Will Hilland who somehow learned to HIT in 2024 when he'd never hit as a pro previously. If that wasn't an illusion, he might be a depth option at SS and CF and provide some speed. But like Morales, he's down the ladder a couple of rungs. 

Here's hoping everyone is healthy ASAP and stay that way. But I think most of us have been expecting Keaschal and Rodriguez at some point this season. Might Keaschall's bat and arm both by healthy by June? That definitely changes the depth component.

Gasper makes the roster and then who is #13? Does Martin make it just because he's RH? Or will they not focus on short sided platoon situations and keep Keirsey and his defense, speed, and LH bat and have Martin play daily for the Saints?

I'm going with Blewett as the last man in the pen for now. But that could change pretty quickly. 

 

 

[thelanges5]

Do we know if Keaschall has started playing in the field yet?

[mikelink45]

The twins injury list always seems more talented than the 26 man list.  Why is this?  I really want to see a fully ready team, but maybe this is the Keaschall moment and maybe Varland will suddenly be the new Liam Hendrix.  We can only hope and wait.  Personally I would make an orthopedic doctor the 26th man. 

[Vanimal46]

The lineup was pretty concerning without the injuries. Now it’s worse. 

[Doctor Gast]

I am hoping very much for the Twins to wake up or even by mistake (much like Castro), do the right thing. Even with this very good core, I'm ready to give up hope if they don't.

[Drtwins]

1 hour ago, DocBauer said:

All the more reason it really stinks that Eels is currently out recovering from surgery. 

I've been contemplating Morales lately as a depth option. I think he's still down the ladder of a pecking order, but we shouldn't dismiss him as a possibility. Nor should we forget about Will Hilland who somehow learned to HIT in 2024 when he'd never hit as a pro previously. If that wasn't an illusion, he might be a depth option at SS and CF and provide some speed. But like Morales, he's down the ladder a couple of rungs. 

Here's hoping everyone is healthy ASAP and stay that way. But I think most of us have been expecting Keaschal and Rodriguez at some point this season. Might Keaschall's bat and arm both by healthy by June? That definitely changes the depth component.

Gasper makes the roster and then who is #13? Does Martin make it just because he's RH? Or will they not focus on short sided platoon situations and keep Keirsey and his defense, speed, and LH bat and have Martin play daily for the Saints?

I'm going with Blewett as the last man in the pen for now. But that could change pretty quickly. 

 

 

According to mlb.com Blewett was informed this afternoon he would not be part of the opening day roster.

[HerbieFan]

Well, looking at it "glass is half full"....if injuries cause Rocco to have to use Miranda at 3B, Julien at 2B/DH, and Martin in some capacity, AT LEAST he has guys with a bunch of at bats/innings.  That said, I canNOT imagine there is a worse defensive combo at 3B and 2B in MLB than Miranda/Julien.

[tony&rodney]

Seems like the wheel of fortune has pointed to the Twins needing Miranda and Julien to perform at their best, whatever that is, all offseason for success in 2025. The idea that the Twins would allow a rookie a lineup position was never a consideration even if one was available and one needs to squint pretty hard to see the bats of Lee or Castro being much above average. Gasper was fun for a week and will be kept around after he heals if others fail. Time will tell, but it looks pretty certain that Miranda and Julien have an opportunity. How they react will largely determine their careers.

[IndianaTwin]

16 hours ago, Drtwins said:

According to mlb.com Blewett was informed this afternoon he would not be part of the opening day roster.

The article hints at going outside to fill the 8th spot in the bullpen. With off days on Day 2 and Day 9, I could see them trying to sneak a few days with an extra bench player available until the bullpen usage backs up a smidge.

Plus, you can't say this in the paper, but Days 5-7 are against the White Sox, so it's not unlikely that starters could go long on those days and keep the bullpen fresh. 

 

 

EDIT: To add...

https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/mickey-gasper-dashawn-keirsey-jr-make-twins-opening-day-roster

"The Twins all but set the position-player side of their season-opening roster on Monday, notifying infielder-catcher Mickey Gasper and outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. that they will make the club and optioning infielder Austin Martin."

Meaning, they don't appear to be taking my advice. Oh, well, they haven't the last eleventy-seven times either. Maybe I've been using the wrong email address. 

[IndianaTwin]

1 hour ago, HerbieFan said:

Well, looking at it "glass is half full"....if injuries cause Rocco to have to use Miranda at 3B, Julien at 2B/DH, and Martin in some capacity, AT LEAST he has guys with a bunch of at bats/innings.  That said, I canNOT imagine there is a worse defensive combo at 3B and 2B in MLB than Miranda/Julien.

You obviously don't think they are going to ask me to come out of retirement and play one of those. 😀

[ToddlerHarmon]

Hmm too bad we all want Larnach to get better defensively, rather than be the everyday DH. Otherwise, a Keirsey/Bader platoon in left would be great defensively, and would suffice for batting ninth

[jorgenswest]

Ryan Yarbrough opted out of his deal. Is there a better option on the roster for the last spot? He throws strikes. He is left handed. He can go multiple innings throwing 98.2 last year. I guess the contract needs to be one the Twins are willing to cut loose. They need to be willing to let him go if the rest of the bullpen is effective if and when Stewart is ready.

[Linus]

Very curious about the the last bullpen spot since they’ve apparently told Blewett that it’s not him.  Of course a couple weeks ago we were in a tizzy that we had too many good relievers

[rv78]

10 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

Ryan Yarbrough opted out of his deal. Is there a better option on the roster for the last spot? He throws strikes. He is left handed. He can go multiple innings throwing 98.2 last year. I guess the contract needs to be one the Twins are willing to cut loose. They need to be willing to let him go if the rest of the bullpen is effective if and when Stewart is ready.

Counting on Stewart to be an integral part of the bullpen is as smart as expecting Buxton to play 162 games in CF. His 34.1 Innings in 2017 is the most he's ever thrown in his career and his 6 year average in the majors is about 25. It amazes me how the Twins continually count on players year after year that they can't count on. Then wonder why they can't compete at a higher level and expect the fans to support a broken system that they role out every year. 

[Trov]

The Lee injury is concerning.  What is even more concerning the number of injuries to our "top" prospects all the time.  I get injuries happen, but Lewis, Lee, Miranda, E-Rod, Jenkins, and on and on are guys fielders that keep coming up with long term injuries that cost them several months.  

Is it the way the team treats injuries, works on preventing them?  It is possible they actually shelf guys more than other teams, like when AK was trying to fight through injury before and the team was upset to learn he was not tell them he was injured.  It is possible the team puts guys on IL more when they are "hurt" but not "injured".  I know every team deals with health issues, but the fact that so many of our top hitters keep getting the well if they can just be healthy line. 

Pitchers injuries are just to be expected, but many hitters go a full year without an IL stint, unless you play for the Twins it seems. 

[Muppet]

And today we learned that Ober, Ryan, and Lopez have all been seriously injured in a petting zoo incident. They got too close to the sheep and the llama attacked them all. 

[JD-TWINS]

12 hours ago, HerbieFan said:

Well, looking at it "glass is half full"....if injuries cause Rocco to have to use Miranda at 3B, Julien at 2B/DH, and Martin in some capacity, AT LEAST he has guys with a bunch of at bats/innings.  That said, I canNOT imagine there is a worse defensive combo at 3B and 2B in MLB than Miranda/Julien.

To me, it seems clear that Castro will start at 2B 75% of the time until there’s a better option (Keaschall - Lee) by mid May. Julien’s at bats are at DH pretty regularly. Isn’t this a better option on the dirt?

[JD-TWINS]

7 hours ago, ToddlerHarmon said:

Hmm too bad we all want Larnach to get better defensively, rather than be the everyday DH. Otherwise, a Keirsey/Bader platoon in left would be great defensively, and would suffice for batting ninth

Larnach isn’t a butcher in LF. Him playing OF allows a potentially effective Julien to DH often with Castro - Lee - Keaschall at 2B.

I wouldn’t mind Kiersey as the guy who platoons with Buxton 80 games (Buxton starts 85 games in CF & 30 games at DH)……Bader gets maybe 35 of those starts?

Castro - Buxton - Bader in OF v. LH pitching.

[jmlease1]

Honestly, the biggest concern is Lee: is he on the IL to start the season because the twins are being extra cautious and want to make sure he's 100% before running him out there in cold weather, or is there something here that's going to linger like last season? If he's back after a week, then frankly the team is in pretty decent shape overall.

I'm not worried all that much about Stewart (it's not an arm issue for once), and Tonkin is fungible. Blewett for Tonkin won't miss a beat, and I'm actually excited to see Varland get some run in the bullpen. Despite a few injuries, the bullpen looks fine so long as Duran's lower velocity doesn't tank his effectiveness. I always looked at it as if anything we got from Stewart as a bonus, not a guy we needed to be counting on to be successful. Duran, Jax, Sands, Alcala, Coulombe, Varland, Blewett, and Topa is still a good bullpen with the potential to be great.

Shame about Gasper, who was having a fine spring and was looking like he might be a useful bench bat and infielder. getting spiked sucks, and hopefully his recovery will be quick. I'd probably give the last spot to Kiersey, who has had a solid spring and would free up Castro to stay in the infield, while giving the team some additional bench speed, but I'd be ok with Martin as well who has done fine in spring training as well and can handle 2B fine in a pinch.

no need to panic...yet!

[Doctor Gast]

With France cemented at 1B, Twins' determination to play Julien at 2B, Castro moving around, with Lee, Lewis, Miranda & Correa all in doubt about how many games they can play this season; our INF defensive situation started out very fragile. With injuries to Lewis & Lee, we'd be forced to start the season with France at 1B, Miranda at 3B, Julien playing too much 2B & Correa at SS, yikes! Heaven forbid if Correa would have to miss games. NYY out-slugged LAD but LAD embarrassed NYY because their defense was lousy. Twins need to put more importance on defense.

After acquiring Bader, Martin was no longer needed in the OF. We have (not counting Martin) 3 true CFers (2 RH & 1 LH) & 1 CFer (RH) Allen Cerda & cOFer (RH) Morales are not on the roster but had good STs. Injury to Gasper is very unfortunate but if it finally opens the door for Martin to go back to his natural position 2B & keeps Julien off there, it'll be a blessing in disguise. Julien had a terrible ST defensively & not that great offensively. Hopefully, Martin will prove himself at 2B & Lewis, Lee or even Gasper will come back soon so Julien can be sent down to AAA so he can further improve his offense & start to learn 1B.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

Ryan Yarbrough opted out of his deal. Is there a better option on the roster for the last spot? He throws strikes. He is left handed. He can go multiple innings throwing 98.2 last year. I guess the contract needs to be one the Twins are willing to cut loose. They need to be willing to let him go if the rest of the bullpen is effective if and when Stewart is ready.

He signed with the Yankees on an MLB contract.

[jmlease1]

22 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Injury to Gasper is very unfortunate but if it finally opens the door for Martin to go back to his natural position 2B & keeps Julien off there, it'll be a blessing in disguise. Julien had a terrible ST defensively & not that great offensively. Hopefully, Martin will prove himself at 2B & Lewis, Lee or even Gasper will come back soon so Julien can be sent down to AAA so he can further improve his offense & start to learn 1B.

Julien out-hit Castro, Lee, and Martin in spring training. The only 2B contender he didn't out-perform in spring training was Gasper. (not counting Keaschall, since he's still on the recovery train) Spring training stats aren't all that meaningful, but Julien did fine. He did look nervous and indecisive defensively, however.

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, rv78 said:

Counting on Stewart to be an integral part of the bullpen is as smart as expecting Buxton to play 162 games in CF. His 34.1 Innings in 2017 is the most he's ever thrown in his career and his 6 year average in the majors is about 25. It amazes me how the Twins continually count on players year after year that they can't count on. Then wonder why they can't compete at a higher level and expect the fans to support a broken system that they role out every year. 

"Integral" is in the eyes of the beholder.

I think they see him more as "bonus" than "integral." With Duran, Jax and Sands, he's at best No. 4 on the pecking order. With Varland, Alcala, Coulombe and Topa, he could be as low as No. 8 when all is said and done. Getting 34.1 innings at 2023 performance level from your No. 8 during the time he is active would be solid. If he does more than that, it's bigger bonus. If he does less, well, they were solid last year pretty much without him and have reason to think they are already improved elsewhere in the pen.   

[MMMordabito]

13 hours ago, HerbieFan said:

I canNOT imagine there is a worse defensive combo at 3B and 2B in MLB than Miranda/Julien.

The Chicago White Sox will have this figured out by circa. April 10th.

[LambchoP]

With Lewis, Lee and Gasper all hurt, our infield is starting to look pretty shaky, especially defensively. Hopefully Rocco starts Castro at 2nd more than Julien because a right side infield of Julien and France is a disaster waiting to happen. As for our "best bullpen in baseball" lol, we now don't have enough quality relievers. Too bad we lost Henriquez and Headrick for nothing. Blewitt might be ok in the short term, but even when Stewart comes back he's not going to last. Maybe we can pick someone up from outside the org. As far as Eeles goes, why isn't he playing this spring? He should have been one of our best infield options once Lewis and Lee went down....?

[Linus]

2 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

With Lewis, Lee and Gasper all hurt, our infield is starting to look pretty shaky, especially defensively. Hopefully Rocco starts Castro at 2nd more than Julien because a right side infield of Julien and France is a disaster waiting to happen. As for our "best bo in baseball" lol, we now don't have enough quality relievers. Too bad we lost Henriquez and Headrick for nothing. Blewitt might be ok in the short term, but even when Stewart comes back he's not going to last. Maybe we can pick someone up from outside the org. As far as Eeles goes, why isn't he playing this spring? He should have been one of our best infield options once Lewis and Lee went down....?

Eeles had off season knee surgery.  He has yet to take the field.

[LambchoP]

4 minutes ago, Linus said:

Eeles had off season knee surgery.  He has yet to take the field.

Are there any news articles about this anywhere or has there been any sort of recovery timeline floated? Why the heck can we not keep anyone healthy, it's getting to the point where you can't be a twin unless you've had one or two surgeries lol!

 

[jmlease1]

18 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

With Lewis, Lee and Gasper all hurt, our infield is starting to look pretty shaky, especially defensively. Hopefully Rocco starts Castro at 2nd more than Julien because a right side infield of Julien and France is a disaster waiting to happen. As for our "best bullpen in baseball" lol, we now don't have enough quality relievers. Too bad we lost Henriquez and Headrick for nothing. Blewitt might be ok in the short term, but even when Stewart comes back he's not going to last. Maybe we can pick someone up from outside the org. As far as Eeles goes, why isn't he playing this spring? He should have been one of our best infield options once Lewis and Lee went down....?

It's simply bad luck though that all of our injuries have hit essentially similar spots on the roster for position players, though. If Bader had the same injury that lee does, we'd just be all "Kiersey, here's your shot". And predicting that Gasper would get spiked? If you knew that was coming, Mickey would like a word with you about why you didn't warn him.

Bullpen is still fine: Blewett can take the last spot in the bullpen if no one on the cut line appeals, but unless the rotation (which looks nice and healthy) implodes early the last guy in the bullpen might not have much work in April to begin with. Jax, Duran, Sands, Alcala, Coulombe, Varland, and even Topa still give plenty of innings and quality.

Hopefully Lee's stint on the IL is mostly preventative and he's back in the minimum time.

[tony&rodney]

14 hours ago, HerbieFan said:

That said, I canNOT imagine there is a worse defensive combo at 3B and 2B in MLB than Miranda/Julien.

Naturally, you must also be aware that 1B is even worse and LF/RF are also below average. I guess the Twins could use the backup CF in a corner OF spot.

Given that a first baseman is involved in more plays than elsewhere in the infield, we can rest easy knowing that 2B is not the worst problem in the infield. Brooks Lee is the best option at 3B but Miranda is not worse than Lewis at 3B. Rest easy, stay calm, everything is under control.