The Twins shuffled their outfield mix this afternoon, optioning Matt Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul while recalling Trevor Larnach.(Declan Goff of SKOR North was first to report the move.) Larnach got the nod in left field for tonight’s loss to the Orioles, going 1-4 in his season debut.
Wallner has started the season in a massive slump, striking out in 17 of his first 33 trips to the plate. The Southern Miss product was a productive left-handed bat for the Twins last year, turning in a .249/.370/.507 line with 14 homers through 254 plate appearances. That came with a fair share of whiffs, but last season’s 31.5% strikeout rate is still well lower than the clip at which Wallner has fanned through this year’s first couple weeks.
Between Wallner’s frigid start and Max Kepler’s injured list stint, Larnach could get another chance to carve out a spot in the Minnesota outfield. The former first-round pick has gotten scattered MLB looks going back to 2021. Elevated strikeout rates have prevented him from truly establishing himself. Larnach hit at a roughly league average level (.222/.315/.385) in nearly 700 trips between 2021-23. He nevertheless could be in line for looks against right-handed pitching as a lefty complement to right-handed hitters Austin Martin and Manuel Margot.
Kepler is one of a trio of key lineup pieces on the injured list. The Twins have been without Royce Lewis since Opening Day, while Carlos Correa landed on the shelf late last week. Minnesota initially announced Correa’s injury as an oblique strain before revising the diagnosis to a right intercostal strain. In an appearance on MLB Network radio this afternoon (X link), manager Rocco Baldelli said the Twins would wait for Correa’s symptoms to abate before formulating a specific timeline for his return. Baldelli reiterated that the strain is mild, although he noted that could still lead to an absence of a few weeks.. Willi Castro and Kyle Farmer are handling shortstop with Correa on the shelf.
Injuries have also been a factor on the pitching side, particularly in the bullpen. The Twins have been without star closer Jhoan Duran thus far as he works back from a Spring Training oblique issue. The power righty is making progress toward a return. As reflected on the MLB.com injury tracker, Duran has worked through a pair of bullpen sessions in recent days and is slated to throw to hitters for the first time on Friday.
Duran has been among the most dominant pitchers in the sport since making his 2022 debut. He owns a 2.15 ERA in 130 big league innings, pairing a stellar 33.2% strikeout rate with an otherworldly 63.4% grounder percentage. The 26-year-old has as electrifying an arsenal as anyone, backing a triple-digit heater with an elite curve and an absurd power splitter that averaged north of 98 MPH last season.
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