Upgrades Incoming for Minnesota Twins Infield and Outfield

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Brooks Lee, Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins got back in the win column on Friday vs the Toronto Blue Jays. Hopefully, that is the beginning of a winning streak to combat the recent losing streak that this team has been stumbling through over the last week or two.

And if the Twins can get their second win in a row against the Blue Jays tonight, it sounds like they will have upgrades on the way, starting tomorrow, in top prospect, Brooks Lee.

Roster upgrades incoming for the Minnesota Twins

According to Aaron Gleeman (The Athletic), on the latest episode of “Gleeman and The Geek”, No. 15 overall prospect in baseball, Brooks Lee, will be called up by the Twins on Sunday, as part of the September 1 MLB roster expansion, when active rosters will grow from 26 to 28 players.

The infield won’t be the only part of the lineup being upgraded this weekend. In the outfield, Max Kepler is expected to return to RF, after a short hiatus. Then, at some point this week, Byron Buxton will begin a quick rehab assignment, before he returns to big league centerfield duties.

Rocco Baldelli said Friday, “Coming out of the last game [Max Kepler] played in, he did not feel great. Then we ran into the lefty [Chris] Sale, had the day off, we’ll work him out today and see how he feels. I think he should be OK going forward…”

Center fielder Byron Buxton took part in pregame outfield drills Friday as he moves toward beginning a rehab assignment. “He’s getting close to being able to go out there and play,” Baldelli said. “I would say Buck is ahead of [Carlos] Correa at this point.”

Minnesota Star Tribune

Related: Will Carlos Correa Return to the Minnesota Twins Lineup at All This Season?

If all goes well (and that’s far from a guarantee) it sounds like the Minnesota Twins defense will be leaps and bounds better next week, than what we have seen Rocco Baldelli run out lately. If (mostly) healthy and playing well, all three of Buxton, Kepler and Lee are upgrades on offense too.

2024 Statistics

  • Byron Buxton: 335 PA, 16 HR, 49 RBI, .275 BA, .862 OPS, 138 OPS+, 3.3 WAR
  • Brooks Lee: 110 PA, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .253 BA, .642 OPS, 82 OPS+, 0.6 WAR
  • Max Kepler: 391 PA, 8 HR, 42 RBI, .258 BA, .697 OPS, 95 OPS+, 1.2 WAR

What are Twins getting back with return of Lee, Kepler and Buxton?

After a smoking hot start to his MLB career, Brooks Lee cooled off in a big way, prior to going on the injured list. Was that due to his injury, or was he struggling to adjust to big league pitching? That’s the question we’re hoping to see answered in September. Whether he’s at SS, 3B or 2B, the rookie is an immediate upgrade defensively.

Because when this team is fully healthy (pretty much never), I’m not sure Brooks Lee cracks the starting lineup. Max Kepler is who he is, at this point in his career. He’s a really good outfielder who can be one of your best hitters, when going. But when cold, Kep goes really cold. And we’ve seen more of that Max this season, unfortunately.

Related: Familiar (but Perfect) Answer to Twins Bullpen Woes Just Hit the Waiver Wire

This summer has squashed any doubt about Byron Buxton in centerfield, both offensively and defensively. Even after this most recent injury, this is one of the healthiest seasons in Buck’s career (90 games). His 2024 numbers speak for themselves. His 3.3 WAR is 2nd on the team behind only Carlos Correa’s 3.4 WAR.

Of course, you never know who is going to hit the injured list next, with this team. But if Lee and Buxton return from the injured list and Kepler proves to be fine, the Twins offense could be very close to full health next weekend, or shortly thereafter. Well, except for Carlos Correa. The book is still out on him.

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