MINNEAPOLIS – With two weeks remaining in the season, the Twins’ lineup is limping a bit. Three regulars were unavailable for Monday night’s 8-3 loss to the Yankees, and at least one of them might be out for a while.
Trevor Larnach left the clubhouse on Monday afternoon to receive an MRI exam on his left wrist, which manager Derek Shelton said has bothered him for a few days. He was diagnosed with inflammation in the joint, and although no move was made, it does not seem that Larnach is likely to play in the current series against the Yankees at least.
“He’s dealing with some left wrist soreness,” Shelton said, “so we sent him for an MRI. He has felt it for a few days, and then he felt it sliding yesterday. And then when he came in today, tried to go through his routine and just didn’t go kind of the way he wanted it to. So we’re just going to get it looked at.”
With Larnach out, Emmanuel Rodriguez got the start in left field for the Twins. Rodriguez would likely be the primary recipient of added playing time if Larnach is out for an extended time.
Larnach, 29, has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career this year, posting a .269/.352/.436 line while playing regularly in left field.
Rodriguez keeps producing
Emmanuel Rodriguez turned in what appeared at the time to be the biggest hit of his young career on Monday night, when he laced a two-run triple to center in the fifth inning that put the Twins ahead. He later reached base on what was initially ruled a single before being changed to an error, but either way, he’s garnering notice with the quality of his at-bats – and his all-around play.