Disappointment in the Minnesota Twins extends beyond how things have gone lately in the playoff race. Injuries have seemingly stunted progress at every turn, but nothing personifies that more than what has happened with top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez.
He began the season as a Top 50 prospect who shot up rankings across baseball to finish as a Top 20 player. What makes his rise even more impressive is the fact that he's managed to do so much with such little playing time.
E-Rod has missed 47 games this year with various injuries, and it seems that his season will truly end up being defined by them given his latest bad break. On Thursday the St. Paul Saints placed Rodriguez on the IL, effectively ending his season.
St. Paul Saints place Emmanuel Rodriguez on IL with just 10 games left
It's a right thumb injury that has Rodriguez back on the IL, something that has plagued him all season and held him back from truly reaching his potential.
Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez went on the St. Paul Saints’ injured list with a right thumb sprain. Injuries limited him to 47 games and 209 plate appearances this year.
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) September 12, 2024
This is truly one of the most Twins things that can happen. Despite the injury woes holding him back, Rodriguez was able to play so well in the time he was healthy that it warranted a promotion from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A St. Paul.
He'll end his season hitting 280/.459/.567 with a 1.026 OPS across four levels of the minors, and finishes as one of the best defensive prospects the Twins have on the farm.
Had he not been injured, there's a very real chance that he would be on the Twins roster as part of the team's youth movement this year. Brooks Lee made his MLB debut back in July, and both David Festa and Zebby Matthews were promoted as well. With injuries sidelining Byron Buxton, Manuel Margot, and Max Kepler late in the season, it's hard to believe that Rodriguez wouldn't have gotten the call had he been healthy.
That wasn't the case, though, which is a Twins curse that extends well beyond just him.
While we weren't able to see E-Rod in the majors this year, it seems the table is set for him to get there in short order in 2025. He'll be invited to Spring Training and might even earn an Opening Day roster spot depending on how the outfield situation plays out in free agency.
Both Manuel Margot and Max Kepler are set to become free agents and it's looking unlikely that the Twins will bring either of them back. That naturally opens the door for Rodriguez to compete for a roster spot next Feburary, but the key piece of that strategy will him staying healthy -- something he's so far proven unable to do.
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