Luke

Keaschall

It’s unfortunately fitting that Keaschall will end the season on the IL because injuries played such a big role in his season. When he was on the field, he was tremendous, slashing .302/.382/.445 with four home runs, 28 RBI, and 14 steals in 49 games. Provided that he comes into spring training healthy, he should be the favorite to be the starting second baseman in Minnesota next year.

Keaschall will undergo an MRI to confirm the initial diagnosis and figures to hit the injured list at some point before the regular season wraps up this weekend. He’s slated to visit a hand specialist next week to determine whether he’ll require offseason surgery. The 23-year-old top prospect suffered the injury during Tuesday’s contest when jammed his left thumb on a head-first into second base. He finishes the season with a stellar .302/.382/.445 slash line with four homers, 28 RBI and 14 steals in 49 games. He’ll be an extremely popular sleeper candidate in all fantasy drafts next spring.

Keaschall will undergo additional evaluation and testing after seeming to jam his left hand while attempting to steal second base in the early stages of the contest. He was 0-for-1 with a walk and his 14th theft of the season prior to leaving the game. The 23-year-old rookie has had a phenomenal season and looks like a potential impact power/speed combo source for years to come. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

Keaschall heads to the bench with Austin Martin taking over at second base following six straight starts at the keystone for the Twins. The 23-year-old rookie sensation is slashing a robust .310/.405/.496 with four home runs, 19 RBI and eight steals across 131 plate appearances in 31 games. He looks like a future fantasy force at a relatively weak second base position group heading into next season and beyond.

Keaschall bounced back after an 0-for-8 stretch over two games Friday and Saturday. The 23-year-old was on-base twice and scored twice in the win over the Astros. Keaschall has certainly impressed in his rookie campaign. He’s hitting .315 with a .922 OPS and 19 RBI this year.

It appears to be a routine off day for Keaschall, who has been a revelation this season for the Twins, slashing .337/.427/.494 with two homers, 15 RBI and seven steals across 25 games. The 23-year-old has played second base almost exclusively since returning from the injured list back on August 5, which is the last time he got a break. He projects as a potential upper-echelon option at the keystone next season given his power/speed combination and strong hit tool.

He hit a Carlos Estévez fastball 396 feet to right with two outs and a man on in a tie game. Is it crazy to think the Twins still might be intact and in contention right now if Keaschall hadn’t suffered a fractured forearm in April? He’s been simply incredible in hitting .415/.500/.707 through 12 big-league games. He has eight extra-base hits and three strikeouts in 48 plate appearances, and he’s also 5-for-6 stealing bases.

Less than 24 hours after hitting his first career homer, Keaschall was able to have another big game Wednesday. The 22-year-old rookie doubled twice; a two-run two bagger in the first and a ground-rule double that knocked in a run in the fifth. Keaschall has been outstanding in his limited action, and while there’s certainly the potential for ups and downs in his first taste of MLB action, the upside is obvious.

The 22-year-old rookie infielder capped off a three-run uprising off of Chris Paddack in the opening inning with a 402-foot (102.4 mph EV) two-run shot to left-center. Keaschall also smacked an RBI single in the sixth inning that extended the Twins’ lead to 6-1, but he was cut down attempting to steal second base. With his two-hit attack, he’s now slashing .391/.533/.652 with a homer, five RBI and five stolen bases in his first 29 plate appearances with the Twins.

Keaschall is at second base and batting fifth on Tuesday against the Tigers in his return after missing more than three months with a fractured forearm. He has some history in the outfield and at first base, but he’s played only second base and DH’d this year, both before getting hurt back in late April and since beginning a rehab assignment three weeks ago. Assuming that the Twins stick with that plan, it seems like bad news for Edouard Julien, though perhaps he’ll see some time at first base. Keaschall may need a little while to get going, but since he’ll have the green light on the basepaths, he’s worth trying in mixed leagues.