When Luke Keaschall Returns from Injury, He Needs to Make a Big Adjustment—or He'll Get Hurt Again

[Matthew Trueblood]

The tendency, for some reason, is always to treat broken bones on pitches that hit a batter as freak accidents. Usually, they aren't. Luke Keaschall has to protect himself better in the batter's box, or he'll keep getting hurt.

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

For just a moment, there, the Twins seemed to have a thrilling rookie to give their offense its much-needed ignition. Luke Keaschall came up not only ready to run (stealing five bases in his first five big-league games), but hitting exceptionally well. He doesn't have much in-game power yet, but he had lots of good takes and an exceptionally compact swing. He batted .368 over his first six contests, and although no one can sustain that, he looked like a legitimate .300 hitter. Of the 434 hitters with at least 25 swings this season, Keaschall's is the seventh-shortest, according to Statcast. He's direct to the ball, which has allowed him to find the barrel and hit line drives, despite subpar bat speed.

The brevity of that stroke is beautiful. Starting relatively close to the plate, note the way he strides into the pitch, only to create space for himself to whip the bat through and get the head out on inside offerings using his front hip and shoulder. He times up the rotation of those two body parts well, creating some torque, but the big thing is that shoulder. Watch the way he shrugs it back and upward, forcing his hands down and starting the quick flick of the bat. Once those bigger body parts initiate his rotation, the top hand on the bat just throws it through the hitting zone, in a fluid, well-controlled motion. It's not a violent swing, but he can be extremely accurate with his barrel this way. Standing so close and using that leg kick and stride pattern allow him to cover the outer edge of the plate, despite his unimposing stature and his short stroke.

Alas, we didn't get long to study the joy of it all. We got a warning shot on Wednesday night.

Then, the hammer fell for real on Friday.

If you watch most good big-league hitters hit and think, "Why doesn't everyone just do that?", the answer is most often that they can't. Hitting good big-league pitching is very hard, and most hitters don't have whatever special move you notice Aaron Judge or Byron Buxton making. It takes a degree of athleticism, proprioception, explosiveness or sheer strength that others lack. When you watch what Keaschall was doing in that first clip, though, if you asked why no one else was doing it, I'd have to give you a different answer: because they know better.

Standing close to the plate in a big-league game is a risk. That's not breaking news; every player who does it understands that they're taking at least some degree of risk by doing so. Still, increasingly, hitters do stand close to the plate more often than they did (say) 25 years ago. There's better equipment protecting them, without inhibiting their swings, like custom-molded elbow pads; hand and wrist pads; and C-flaps on batting helmets. There are fewer pitchers who will notice you crowding the plate and intentionally throw at you, so the risk of being injured amid a brushback is lower. Meanwhile, teams accept no substitutes for power, and even now, many hitters can only generate power on pitches they can pull. That means covering the outer edge of the plate not just with a modified, opposite-field stroke, but with your 'A' swing, and in turn, that means crowding the dish.

The thing is, if you want to stand close to the plate, you need a good plan to protect yourself. You need, for instance, a stride that pulls you off the ball a bit the instant you read that the ball is coming inside. That's the approach young Cardinals hitter Thomas Saggese takes. (Saggese is among a small handful of batters who stand both similarly close to the plate and similarly far forward in the box to what Keaschall does.)

Other ways to do this include taking a longer swing—one where the bat starts its arc earlier and spends more time behind your body, even as it's coming up to speed, and where your hands therefore stay protected by your body longer, too. Those guys tend not to handle the inside pitch all that well, but they can learn to manage that part of the zone and to do their big damage on the outer half. Randy Arozarena is a good example of this type of hitter.

Unfortunately, Keaschall doesn't have the bat speed (at least so far) to hit like Arozarena. He could hit more like Saggese; maybe that's what he'll need to learn to do. But if you pause any video of a pitch on which the ball is coming in high and tight and he's considering a swing at all, you can see why continuing to do things the same way when he returns isn't an option.

Last month at Baseball Prospectus, I wrote a piece about the increasing incidence of batters being hit by pitches (or fouling balls off themselves) and breaking bones. It's trending up at a steep rate over the last handful of years, especially because more and more pitchers throw so hard (with such shaky command) that it's difficult to get out of the way and easy to get hurt if you can't. Keaschall, though, got hit by one of the game's soft-tossing control artists, and one of its nicest guys. Kyle Hendricks wasn't hunting for his head, or his hands, and he doesn't even throw 90 miles per hour.

The problem is Keaschall. What you see in the still frame above—the way his swing mechanics and his stride signature take him right into the ball, and the way the former requires his hands to come away from his body and toward the hitting zone earlier than other hitters' hands might, exposing them for so long—is why he got hurt. His big leg kick and the direction of his move puts him in harm's way.

Maybe a fully healthy Keaschall—with this injury healed, but also with Tommy John surgery all the way behind him—can find a bit more bat speed, a bit more consistently. That would open up his mechanical options box. Otherwise, though, he'll have to make a major adjustment. He's too committal, too exposed, and too obviously inviting the pitcher into his kitchen with his current swing and setup. If he doesn't make a change, he'll get hurt again within a few weeks of his return to the field. That's just the nature of the modern game. Like a boxer in the ring or a receiver going over the middle, you have to be fearless—but you also have to learn to protect yourself, or you're not going to stay on the field long enough to do anything impressive there.

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[Guest]

Okay all you baseball gurus, get your THUMBS DOWN response ready. I have highlighted the baseball with a red dot. How far in outside of the strike zone? 12"+/-?? You tell me. I am disgusted that Pablo Lopez let this go and didn't make any Angel batter uncomfortable, didn't protect his player by even brushing back an Angels batter. How much further does Keaschell, and all other players need to retreat?? Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven would have had his back and the rest of the lineup by letting it know that you can't just say, "whoops, sorry", without some consequences.

[Matthew Trueblood]

12 minutes ago, Verified Member said:

Okay all you baseball gurus, get your THUMBS DOWN response ready. I have highlighted the baseball with a red dot. How far in outside of the strike zone? 12"+/-?? You tell me. I am disgusted that Pablo Lopez let this go and didn't make any Angel batter uncomfortable, didn't protect his player by even brushing back an Angels batter. How much further does Keaschell, and all other players need to retreat?? Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven would have had his back and the rest of the lineup by letting it know that you can't just say, "whoops, sorry", without some consequences.

I'm trying to think of any combination of two people less likely to engage in a beanball war than Pablo Lopez and Kyle Hendricks. I'm not sure I've got one. I'm not sure there's a name you could call either of their mothers that would prompt them to inflict wanton violence. It was a perfectly fine pitch. Keaschall has to protect himself better. Plain, simple, done-with.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

I'm trying to think of any combination of two people less likely to engage in a beanball war than Pablo Lopez and Kyle Hendricks. I'm not sure I've got one. I'm not sure there's a name you could call either of their mothers that would prompt them to inflict wanton violence. It was a perfectly fine pitch. Keaschall has to protect himself better. Plain, simple, done-with.

Well if you say it is plain, simple, and done-with I guess you must be right. But isn't he allowed the space in the batter's box?

[RpR]

57 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

 

"When Luke Keaschall Returns from Injury, He Needs to Make a Big Adjustment—or He'll Get Hurt Again"

Yes Mom.

[jkcarew]

So, Keaschall is the first player in the modern age to stand on top of the plate with average-ish bat speed and a short stroke?

Or did the others that fit that category all experience multiple injuries and IL time from HBP? Names?

Gotta be one or the other for this article to be anything more than bad click-bate, right?

 

[FlyingFinn]

Really, Keaschall has to change everything now that he has reached MLB. Cue the article - "Twins change Keaschall's swing and he's no longer a good hitter."

[bean5302]

Keaschall had plenty of time to get out of the way, it was a pretty slow pitch, and it was a very unlucky hit on his back arm. Keaschall does not really crowd the plate relative to a lot of other players.

For qualified batters
10% - 24.3"
25% - 26.5"
Luke Keaschall - 26.7"
50% - 27.9"
75% - 29.8"
90% - 31.1"

Keaschall may need to get a better action to get out of the way of the errant inside pitch. I also wouldn't be opposed to making HBP = 2 bases, but if we do that, batters who don't try to get out of the way should be automatically out as well.

[glunn]

Why not consider wrist guards that would protect him?

[glunn]

Something like this that is custom tailored to the player?

https://www.onppromos.com/p/product/79c8f2a5-8bfa-462f-87a2-e658f51c16b8/hex-high-impact-wrist-guard-youth

 

[D.C Twins]

I thought this was a thoughtful article and an enjoyable read.

[tony&rodney]

Hendricks either lost control or he meant to hit Keaschall. We will never know. Pablo is not opposed to making a batter move their feet. Pitchers seldom throw at a batter above the hips. 

Frank Robinson stood right on top of the plate. Don Baylor and many others too. We live in an age of instant media and pitchers always profess innocence, but there are still guys who send a message about leaning out over the plate and plenty of pitchers who back their teammates when the situation calls for it.

The article makes some valid points about exposure to HBP. If Keaschall changes the way he hits, his career may be over already. One thing Luke can do is load up with protection, especially on his back arm.

[h2oface]

17 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Keaschall had plenty of time to get out of the way, it was a pretty slow pitch, and it was a very unlucky hit on his back arm. Keaschall does not really crowd the plate relative to a lot of other players.

For qualified batters
10% - 24.3"
25% - 26.5"
Luke Keaschall - 26.7"
50% - 27.9"
75% - 29.8"
90% - 31.1"

Keaschall may need to get a better action to get out of the way of the errant inside pitch. I also wouldn't be opposed to making HBP = 2 bases, but if we do that, batters who don't try to get out of the way should be automatically out as well.

There could be a flagrant HBP for 2 bases. Like the NBA, it would be a judgement call based on more detailed description of the types of HBPs that qualify. Personally, I think the pitcher should have to suffer some kind of pain for hitting a batter "flagrantly". Maybe a flagrant 1 for just a horrible pitch that he lost control of, and a flagrant 2 with more penalty for doing it on purpose and/or perhaps causing injury, and that includes pitching way inside on purpose and then hitting the batter. (The sadist in me wants the batter to be able to throw it at the pitcher like dodgeball. It would be great fun to watch, too. The batter hit would get one throw and have to throw it at the pitcher below the waist, or a penalty for the batter. The pitcher at least knows the ball is coming and can dodge it. More consideration than the batter gets.) And accidents should still suffer consequences. If a pitcher can't control the ball, he will learn to not throw it so hard. I know, sick idea. But pitchers should not just be able to hit somebody and not suffer consequences. The whole idea that the other team's pitcher should hit another batter to "have their back" is schoolyard BS, just like the running out of the dugout because someone looks at somebody with a dirty look or trash talks the pitcher. I want the offender to feel pain, too, not some innocent teammate.

 

As for that batter hitting the pitcher with a batted ball? More pitchers should be ready to field after pitching. Most aren't aren't even close to trying, and are totally out of control/position after the pitch. Not like Greg Maddux or Jim Kaat, who finished each pitch ready to field a possible comebacker. 

[Karbo]

2 hours ago, h2oface said:

There could be a flagrant HBP for 2 bases. Like the NBA, it would be a judgement call based on more detailed description of the types of HBPs that qualify. Personally, I think the pitcher should have to suffer some kind of pain for hitting a batter "flagrantly". Maybe a flagrant 1 for just a horrible pitch that he lost control of, and a flagrant 2 with more penalty for doing it on purpose and/or perhaps causing injury, and that includes pitching way inside on purpose and then hitting the batter. (The sadist in me wants the batter to be able to throw it at the pitcher like dodgeball. It would be great fun to watch, too. The batter hit would get one throw and have to throw it at the pitcher below the waist, or a penalty for the batter. The pitcher at least knows the ball is coming and can dodge it. More consideration than the batter gets.) And accidents should still suffer consequences. If a pitcher can't control the ball, he will learn to not throw it so hard. I know, sick idea. But pitchers should not just be able to hit somebody and not suffer consequences. The whole idea that the other team's pitcher should hit another batter to "half their back" is schoolyard BS, just like the running out of the dugout because someone looks at somebody with a dirty look or trash talks the pitcher. I want the offender to feel pain, too, not some innocent teammate.

 

As for that batter hitting the pitcher with a batted ball? More pitchers should be ready to field after pitching. Most aren't aren't even close to trying, and are not totally out of control after the pitch. Not like Greg Maddux or Jim Kaat.

Before the DH teams could "retaliate" when the pitcher came to bat. Now, the pitcher has nothing to fear if he hits someone.

[NYCTK]

13 hours ago, bean5302 said:

I also wouldn't be opposed to making HBP = 2 bases, but if we do that, batters who don't try to get out of the way should be automatically out as well.

Far worse idea than any of the new Manfred rules. 

[USAFChief]

 

This is WAY overthinking things.

Hitters sometimes get hit by a pitch. Rarely, but not never, they get injured by said pitch. Unfortunate, but part of the game.

The delicate balance between hitters and pitchers is all that's in play here. Pitchers need to pitch inside. Hitters have to be able to cover the outside. Strides need to start before the pitch reaches the plate. 

Keaschall has been playing baseball since he was a kid. Has he been getting regular broken bones (as this article claims will happen "within a few weeks" of his return)? No. That's preposterous. 

[Trov]

15 hours ago, Verified Member said:

Okay all you baseball gurus, get your THUMBS DOWN response ready. I have highlighted the baseball with a red dot. How far in outside of the strike zone? 12"+/-?? You tell me. I am disgusted that Pablo Lopez let this go and didn't make any Angel batter uncomfortable, didn't protect his player by even brushing back an Angels batter. How much further does Keaschell, and all other players need to retreat?? Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven would have had his back and the rest of the lineup by letting it know that you can't just say, "whoops, sorry", without some consequences.

Hitting a player in the past did not create a beanball war, it was intentionally hitting a guy mainly in anger to giving up a HR or something.  Just because 1 guy gets hit does not mean it was intentional. We all see balls get away from pitchers from time to time, and if pitchers could hit their target 100% of time that would be a very impressive feat. 

[nicksaviking]

This didn't seem to be an issue in college or the minors where pitchers were even more wild.

Hey, it's his forearm, if he's gun-shy and wants to switch things up, that's his prerogative, the Twins need not do a thing unless he requests that assistance though.

Otherwise, as mentioned, there are an untold number of different forearm and wrist guards players have been wearing for decades.

[Craig Arko]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

This didn't seem to be an issue in college or the minors where pitchers were even more wild.

Hey, it's his forearm, if he's gun-shy and wants to switch things up, that's his prerogative, the Twins need not do a thing unless he requests that assistance though.

Otherwise, as mentioned, there are an untold number of different forearm and wrist guards players have been wearing for decades.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Trov said:

Hitting a player in the past did not create a beanball war, it was intentionally hitting a guy mainly in anger to giving up a HR or something.  Just because 1 guy gets hit does not mean it was intentional. We all see balls get away from pitchers from time to time, and if pitchers could hit their target 100% of time that would be a very impressive feat. 

This 👆🏻

It’s ridiculous to complain just because it was one of our guys who got hurt that suddenly if a pitcher happens to throw slightly inside that’s he’s trying to hurt someone. I remember back in the old days batters used to bail out or hit the dirt when a pitcher threw inside, now they seem nonchalant or some even seem to lean into it.

[Guest]

[glunn]

12 hours ago, USAFChief said:

 

This is WAY overthinking things.

Hitters sometimes get hit by a pitch. Rarely, but not never, they get injured by said pitch. Unfortunate, but part of the game.

The delicate balance between hitters and pitchers is all that's in play here. Pitchers need to pitch inside. Hitters have to be able to cover the outside. Strides need to start before the pitch reaches the plate. 

Keaschall has been playing baseball since he was a kid. Has he been getting regular broken bones (as this article claims will happen "within a few weeks" of his return)? No. That's preposterous. 

Chief -- how do you feel about buying him some customized wrist guards to eliminate any worry about this in the future?

[USAFChief]

 

Chief -- how do you feel about buying him some customized wrist guards to eliminate any worry about this in the future?

No problem with that...if he's comfortable. 

Some hitters don't like those things. Some do. 

 

 

[glunn]

18 hours ago, USAFChief said:

No problem with that...if he's comfortable. 

Some hitters don't like those things. Some do. 

 

 

I wish that the team would emphasize getting players accustomed to body armor from day 1 in the minors.