Royce Lewis' Latest Injury Follows a Disappointing Trend for Top Twins Prospects

*sigh*
 

are we just unlucky? Or do we have enough circumstantial evidence with our medical and training staff to indicate there is a systemic problem?  Just like we have with our hitting struggles and Popkins, there just seems to be an overwhelming amount of data that should statistically rule all these injuries and DL stints as coincidence. 

I would add I believe Sano was the #2 prospect when he had TJ surgery.

As frustrating as it is to see highly touted guys go down with injuries, I wonder about context here...   

Are the Twins rate and substance of prospect injuries any different than that of other organizations?  Are the Twins truly unlucky here, or does it just feel that way because of the higher visibility and attention we give to the Twins minor league system versus other teams.  Is this just the cost of doing business?

I'd add Balazovic's knee injury, which pretty much derailed him last season.  He dropped from the Twin's top pitching prospect to a maybe prospect.

It's not just the prospects either.  The major league squad suffers from an alarming injury rate.  I'm not saying the players aren't just as tough today as they were a generation or two ago, but I do wonder if something has changed with their training which has led to more muscular explosiveness, but less overall health.

I've seen people compare today's players to racehorses compared to yester years' work horse players. Maybe there is some truth to that. All players seem to be more injury prone now Imo. Maybe its players are more muscle bound now than in the past. Guys playing 150 games in a season is rarer than a complete game nowadays...

As for Lewis I struggle with calling him injury prone. A slip on ice in Texas, playing out of position to keep him in the line-up and an oblique injury feels like bad luck to me.

Jazz Chisom and Jose Altuve went on the IL in the last week for the same issue. There are probably others.

Kirilloff. Cronic wrist issue and TJ. The wrist seems fine now (not that that can't change) and TJ on a position player is rarely a long-term issue.

Buxton. yeah, injury prone.

Martin. Looking more and more injury prone.

The injury bug seems league wide and likely a combination of bad luck, physical strength of players now and training staff.

59 minutes ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

We should have our prospects drink whatever Atlanta gives their prospects.  Seems like their's are healthy and get to the majors much quicker than ours.

Maybe these guys are wound too tight (i.e. to lean and muscular).  I don't recall Hrbek ever getting oblique pulls🤔

Acuna and Albies have injuries  in the last couple of years.

1 hour ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

We should have our prospects drink whatever Atlanta gives their prospects.  Seems like their's are healthy and get to the majors much quicker than ours.

Maybe these guys are wound too tight (i.e. to lean and muscular).  I don't recall Hrbek ever getting oblique pulls🤔

Chick-Fil-A for pre-game meals, and washed down with a Sunjoy.

We want players go all out like Buxton & Lewis, but many times there are consequences that comes along with that which are injuries. Lewis is a spark plug he goes 100+% before he's less than 100% physically. IMO training & coaching have played a part in that also.

2 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

 I don't recall Hrbek ever getting oblique pulls🤔

I am not sure Hrbek had oblique muscles... I think everything kind of mushed together.

5 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

I would add I believe Sano was the #2 prospect when he had TJ surgery.

And then a titanium rod installed in his leg.

The shocking part of the Twins history is that the hitters have had their careers derailed by injury at the rate generally reserved for pitchers. 

I think Cuddyer might be the last BA Top 50 hitting prospect that stayed relatively injury free. That ranking was in 1999 😲

Berrios has stayed injury free.   I believe that they do not do enough to strengthen their core.  I mean an oblique injury just from running?  Maybe it happened in the swing but they need to be in top physical shape.  Not only during the season but in the offseason as well. Berrios has an offseason trading program that seems to be working.  

47 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

The shocking part of the Twins history is that the hitters have had their careers derailed by injury at the rate generally reserved for pitchers. 

I think Cuddyer might be the last BA Top 50 hitting prospect that stayed relatively injury free. That ranking was in 1999 😲

Morneau was doing fine until he got the concussion in 2010

2 minutes ago, HokieRif said:

Morneau was doing fine until he got the concussion in 2010

Would you say that derailed his career?

17 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

Would you say that derailed his career?

Not career ending, but he never regained his form while still in Minnesota.... although his worst offensive years would probably be leading this year's team in all the good statistical categories.

1 hour ago, HokieRif said:

Not career ending, but he never regained his form while still in Minnesota.... although his worst offensive years would probably be leading this year's team in all the good statistical categories.

He never regained his form. He had one more season where he was a league average 1B hitter.

Considering he was the best hitter in MLB when he got that concussion, I'd say it derailed his career. 

11 hours ago, Road trip said:

I'd add Balazovic's knee injury, which pretty much derailed him last season.  He dropped from the Twin's top pitching prospect to a maybe prospect.

It's not just the prospects either.  The major league squad suffers from an alarming injury rate.  I'm not saying the players aren't just as tough today as they were a generation or two ago, but I do wonder if something has changed with their training which has led to more muscular explosiveness, but less overall health.

And his more recent jawboning injury....  

16 hours ago, Minny505 said:

Would you say that derailed his career?

Yes, but not completely. He won the NL batting championship in 2014. In 2010 he played 81 games with an OPS of 1.055. That's not merely good, that's rarefied air. In 2011 he played 69 games with an OPS of .619. The concussion robbed him of four years of the prime of his career as an elite hitter.

Atlanta's pitchers also have had time on the IL  , some long , some short ....

Injuries  ;

My impression  is depression  ...