Twins’ Kepler in limbo as team waits out broken toe
SAN DIEGO – For a fifth consecutive day Friday, Max Kepler didn't go on the injured list. But for a fifth consecutive day, he also didn't play for the Twins.
The situation is unusual for a Twins team that has seemed shorthanded since Opening Day, but manager Rocco Baldelli said he remains hopeful that Kepler's fractured right pinkie toe will heal enough to allow him to play sometime soon.
"Kep was able to run at 50-60 percent today. He's still pretty sore," Baldelli said Friday. "He did hit, though, and threw, so he was able to do some baseball activity. Those are good signs."
Still, the manager conceded that Kepler is unlikely to play on Saturday, either, "but I honestly don't know what's going to come over the next couple of days. Pain-wise, soreness-wise, I don't know if he's different today than he was a couple of days ago. [We're] hoping for big jumps and real gains."
Etc.
• Gio Urshela's wife, Danna, gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday in Minneapolis, a child the couple named Gianna. Urshela left the team after Wednesday's game in Milwaukee to be present for the birth, and the Twins placed him on the paternity list Friday. Outfielder Gilberto Celestino, who remained with the team even after being optioned last week, was activated for the series in San Diego and was in the lineup.
• Kenta Maeda recently signed on with agent Scott Boras' firm, making him the fourth Twins player, along with Carlos Correa, Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis, to be represented by Boras. Maeda's unusual contract, which guarantees him only $3 million a year but with large bonuses for games started and innings pitched, expires after the 2023 season.
