DaShawn

Keirsey Jr.

Keirsey should get one or two late starts here with Trevor Larnach going on the IL. He went 1-for-10 in his major league debut earlier this month, but he wound up with a nice .300/.368/.476 line and 36 steals in Triple-A.

Keirsey Jr. is being optioned to make room for Carlos Correa on the active roster. He was 1-for-10 in four games with Minnesota this year.

Correa will be returning from plantar fasciitis without the benefit of a rehab assignment. Don’t be surprised if he gets off to a slow start offensively. Still, the Twins want his defense back at shortstop. Brooks Lee, who just hasn’t impressed with the bat in 38 major league games, will likely shift into a part-time role as a utilityman.

With Max Kepler (knee) landing on the IL, the Twins will give the 27-year-old Keirsey Jr. a shot on the active roster. He was hitting .292 with 14 homers, 75 RBI, and 69 runs scored in 103 games at Triple-A and will likely serve as a left-handed bat off the bench for the Twins while Kepler is out. If Keirsey Jr. were to get into a game, it would be his MLB debut.

Kepler was not written into today’s lineup, which would have been his fourth missed start in a row, so the Twins made the call to place him on the IL. They don’t seem concerned that he’ll be out for an extended period, but it should mean more regular playing time for Austin Martin, who will play center field when the Twins shift Willi Castro into the infield and give Brooks Lee time off. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was called up to take Kepler’s spot on the active roster.