
Mitch Garver
Garver had been putting together an impressive season, prompting many to consider him an option for the next long term catcher of the Minnesota Twins. Unfortunately, Garver came across a speed bump on September 12th-
Mitch Garver was removed for precautionary reasons. Initial tests indicate no concussion after he took a foul tip off his mask. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 13, 2018
Head injuries are a scary thing, so the Twins did well to remove him even after early tests suggested he had not sustained a concussion. Yet, the unpredictable nature of head injuries and concussions showed its ugly face again, after recent news that Garver has a concussion after all. The minute that news broke, the Twins should have shut Garver down for the season. Yet-
Garver still dealing with concussion symptoms. Molitor doesn't "see anything happening baseball-wise" until at least this weekend. #mntwins
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) September 18, 2018
“At least until this weekend”? Why, Twins? Why would you give Mitch even the smallest suggestion of an opportunity to return this year? Have we already forgotten how head injuries derailed the careers of two Minnesota Twins greats Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer? With less than 2 weeks left in the season, there is absolutely nothing to gain from allowing Garver to return to action. Even if tomorrow Garver is suddenly symptom-free and appears ready to go, there is no reason at all for him to see any more playing time this year. He’s already shown he has a lot of promise. We have Willians Astudillo and Chris Gimenez who are more than capable of handling the catching responsibilities for less than 15 more games. There is absolutely nothing to gain by not shutting him down, and so much to lose.
It remains to be seen if Garver will get any more time this year or not, but the fact that they haven’t officially shut him down upon learning of his concussion is frightening and confusing.