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The Twins have been without several key players in the early going, and it's clearly taken a toll on their performance. While their season spirals and the team tries to stay above water, fans are eagerly awaiting the return of injured stars, with hopes that reinforcements and help rejuvenate this wayward club.
Anthony DeSclafani is down for the season due to elbow surgery, and unfortunately we learned on Saturday that reliever Daniel Duarte will be joining him in that boat. But elsewhere, important roster fixtures are making progress and tracking toward getting back on the field.
Based on the recent updates and the latest known timelines, here's a rundown of expected returns for players who are currently sidelined.
Max Kepler: Within days
Kepler fouled a ball off his knee on Opening Day, tried to play through it for a bit (fruitlessly) before being placed on the injured list on April 9th. Although his IL assignment ran a bit past the minimum 10-day window, it does appear Kepler is very close to returning. He started a rehab stint with the Saints on Thursday, starting at DH, and then played right field there on Friday.
Aaron Gleeman wrote in The Athletic that Kepler could return from his knee contusion "as soon as Sunday or Monday." Said Rocco Baldelli, "“I think it’s close. I need him to tell us he’s ready before we can make any calls, though."
Kepler's season was off to a horrible start, with one hit in 20 at-bats, so he'll be looking to hit the ground running and turn things around quickly.
Jhoan Durán: 1-2 weeks
When the Twins announced at the end of spring training that their closer had been diagnosed with "moderate oblique strain," it was grim news. Oblique injuries can take a long time to properly heal, especially for a pitcher with such explosive torque as Durán, so this had the makings of a multi-month injury.
As it turns out, Durán seemingly healed very quickly. He reported being pain-free over a week ago, and took a big step in his progression on Friday when he threw live on-field batting practice at a chilly Target Field.
It sounds like the right-hander came out of that session feeling good, so a rehab assignment is now in the cards. That could get underway in the coming week, which would put Durán in line to potentially be activated as soon as next weekend. He'll significantly power up a bullpen that's been pretty good in his absence.
Justin Topa: Early May
Bothered by a knee issue that cropped up in late spring, Topa is slightly behind Durán but not far. Topa is reportedly scheduled to throw live batting practice at Target Field on Tuesday, with a rehab to follow if all goes well. He might make it back before the end of April. Topa doesn't fit the billing of "injured star" like others on this list, but pitching staff will welcome any quality depth it can get.
Carlos Correa: Early May
Correa and the Twins dodged a bullet when a scary-looking side injury suffered on April 12th was deemed to be a relatively minor intercostal strain. That's certainly less bad than an oblique scenario, as outlined above, but it didn't mean the shortstop was looking at the 10-day IL minimum, either. These kinds of soft-tissue injuries needed to be treated carefully regardless.
There have been no concrete updates on Correa, suggesting that he's still letting the inflamed muscles calm down before getting back to action. I've heard nothing to hint at a setback or prolonged timetable, but Correa is still probably a couple weeks out at least. Out of everyone on this list, it's pretty clear that Correa's absence is being felt most, other than maybe the next guy.
Royce Lewis: June
On Opening Day, Lewis suffered a significant quad strain while running the bases, extinguishing an energetic spark that this team hasn't been able to recapture since. Lewis received a platelet-rich plasma injection to promote healing, but from the jump, it was understood that he was looking at a lengthy recovery that could span close to half the season.
Lewis is nowhere near returning as we speak, but his timetable seems to be trending on the positive side. Head trainer Nick Paparesta shared with reporters on Saturday that Lewis has "started some baseball activity" and could start running within the next week.
It's important to note that Lewis is still in the early stages of ramping up, and the Twins are going to exercise every precaution as they ease him back. An aggravation of the quad would be potentially devastating, and must be avoided at all costs.
The Twins will still be without their ascendant young third baseman for the foreseeable future, meaning the mission is to stay afloat and remain relevant until he returns. So far it's not going great, but hopefully the more imminent returns of Kepler, Durán and Correa can help right the ship.
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