Kaelen Culpepper Could Return for Twins’ Final Two Games

[Cody Christie]

Kaelen Culpepper's rookie season may not be over just yet. According to Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Star Tribune, Culpepper has been doing baseball activities at Target Field while the Twins are on their current road trip. The rookie shortstop is scheduled to run the bases Thursday, and if everything goes according to plan, he could be activated from the 10-day injured list for the final two games of the season.

That would give Culpepper one more opportunity to put a finishing touch on what has been an encouraging first look at the major-league level.

Culpepper was placed on the 10-day IL after suffering a mild left hamstring strain during Tuesday's game against the New York Yankees. He tweaked the hamstring in the sixth inning while running out a ground ball, and an MRI the following morning confirmed the strain. The Twins recalled infielder Ben Ross from Triple-A St. Paul to take Culpepper's spot on the active roster.

When the injury happened, manager Derek Shelton left the door open for Culpepper to return before the end of the season. The timing was always going to make that difficult, though. With the season nearly finished, a return would mean Culpepper could play in only the final two games. Now, that possibility appears to be becoming more realistic. 

Culpepper has provided plenty of reasons for the Twins to want to see more of him. The 23-year-old has hit .275/.333/.404 across 31 games, collecting three home runs, five doubles and 11 RBIs. More importantly, he has looked comfortable defensively at shortstop, grading out as an above-average defender up the middle.

There is still plenty for Culpepper to learn at the plate and in the field. Thirty-one games is hardly enough time to make sweeping conclusions about a young player's long-term future. Still, his performance has given the Twins another important piece to consider as they build toward 2027. That is what makes these final two games potentially meaningful for Culpepper.

If he can get through Thursday's running without any setbacks, the Twins could give their rookie shortstop a chance to get back on the field before the season ends. Even a handful of plate appearances would allow him to finish his first major-league season on his own terms rather than watching from the injured list.

For a Twins team already looking toward the next chapter, getting Culpepper back would be a small but important development. Ending the year healthy, productive and back at shortstop would give the organization another positive reason to feel encouraged about what comes next.

 

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