Emmanuel Rodriguez is quickly proving he belongs in the Twins' long-term plans

Before top outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez earned the promotion to the majors last Saturday, it seemed the Twins might consider trading him in the offseason. Not because he doesn't have potential, but because he is extremely injury-prone and Minnesota has a full outfield. However, Rodriguez has quickly proved he belongs in the Twins' long-term plans.

Since being called up to the big leagues, Rodriguez has slashed .263/.300/.579 with three extra-base hits and four RBI in 20 plate appearances. He hit a home run in his first career at-bat.

Rodriguez also nearly hit his second-career home run against the New York Yankees at Target Field on Tuesday. It was originally called a home run, but the third base umpire overturned the call as it went foul. Twins manager Derek Shelton was not happy...

Back to the main point of this article, Rodriguez should be in the Twins' long-term plans. Before he was promoted, it appeared the Twins' 2027 outfield would consist of Walker Jenkins, Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall. But now, Minnesota needs to find a way to get Rodriguez into the lineup consistently.

Twins need to put Emmanuel Rodriguez in lineup regularly in 2027

The crowded outfield "problem" could just work its way out. Buxton is often injured and is set to undergo hip surgery in the offseason. Additionally, Jenkins has struggled since being called up late last month, collecting just four hits in 45 at-bats, suggesting he may need to go back to Triple-A for a bit next year.

But even if Buxton is healthy and the Twins want Jenkins in the starting lineup, Minnesota needs to find room for Rodriguez to play regularly. With Josh Bell slated to be a free agent at the end of this season, the designated hitter spot should be available, meaning Minnesota could work Buxton, Rodriguez, Jenkins and Keaschall into the lineup at the same time.

If everyone is healthy, the Twins could make Keaschall the full-time DH. He has proven to be a strong leadoff hitter this year, but his outfield defense has been atrocious per defensive metrics. However, he is athletic and known as a hard worker, so it's very plausible his defense could improve over the offseason.

The Twins may also need Buxton to play DH more often to reduce injury risk. However, a major reason Buxton is valuable is his center field defense. Still, a day or two a week as a DH wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Buxton.

Rodriguez, Buxton, Jenkins and Rodriguez can take turns at DH in 2027. And as stated earlier, there's a good chance Buxton, or someone else, will suffer an injury anyway.

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