Twins infielder Luis Arraez has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain, the club revealed Sunday. A timeline has yet to be established for his return to the team.
Arraez sustained the injury after colliding with Willians Astudillo on an attempted infield catch during the seventh inning of Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Royals. He appeared to experience some discomfort following the collision and was eventually carted off the field and replaced by Astudillo at third base.
It’s unclear when the rookie infielder might be fully recovered, but the Twins are holding out hope that he’ll rejoin the team in time for next week’s American League Division Series. The series is scheduled to commence on Friday, giving Arraez several days to rest and rehabilitate his ankle. Per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park, the team will “pursue aggressive treatment” in order to get Arraez back on the field; for now, his ankle has been stabilized with a boot, though there are still questions about his range of motion.
Prior to Saturday’s incident, Arraez was on the cusp of wrapping up a successful rookie campaign in Minnesota. He’ll finish his first major-league season batting .334/.399/.439 with four home runs, 28 RBI, an .838 OPS, and 2.1 fWAR through 366 plate appearances.
