Minnesota Twins promising rookie infielder/outfielder Luke Keaschall suffered a nondisplaced fracture in his right forearm on Friday, the club told reporters following the Twins' 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Keaschall suffered the injury when he was struck by a pitch from Kyle Hendricks in the first inning. Keaschall, in the lineup at DH, was able to run the bases after being hit on the arm, but he was pinch-hit for when his spot came up again in the bottom of the third.
According to Twins dugout reporter Audra Martin, the club does not have a timetable for Keaschall's return. That the fracture is nondisplaced is a positive, but it still figures to be a lengthy absence for the 22-year-old. According to the Baseball Prospectus injury database, recovery time for forearm fractures tends to range from a bit more than a month to roughly six weeks.
The loss is a critical one for the struggling Twins, who are 10-16 and ahead of just the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. Keaschall suffered the injury in his seventh game since being called up. In those games, Keaschall slashed .368/.538/.526 with three doubles. Recently, he tied an MLB record by stealing five bases in the first five games of his MLB career.
Keaschall entered the spring ranked by CBS Sports as the game's 46th-best prospect. Here's what we wrote at the time:
"Keaschall, the 49th pick in 2023, reached Double-A in his first full professional season. He did so while providing above-average offense thanks to his barrel and zone awareness. Overall he notched 15 home runs and 23 stolen bases across 102 games, with most of his power coming to his pull side. Keaschall should continue to be an asset on offense. Defensively, his exact landing spot is unclear. He required Tommy John surgery that ended his season prematurely, and even before that operation the Twins were experimenting with him in center field. Wherever Keaschall ends up playing, his best position is likely to be in the batter's box."
Keaschall indeed gave a much-needed jolt to what has been one of the league's worst offenses this season. Now, though, the standout rookie will be sidelined for some time.
