The Minnesota Twins announced they placed outfielder Trevor Larnach on the 10-day injured list Friday (retroactive to Sept. 15) with a left wrist sprain. Minnesota recalled outfielder Alan Roden from Triple-A St. Paul as a corresponding move.
Larnach's season is likely over. Technically, the outfielder is eligible to return during the final series of the season against the Texas Rangers at Target Field. However, Larnach likely wants to rest his wrist rather than risk further injury during a series that won't matter for Minnesota.
Larnach's Twins career might be over. The outfielder is slated to be a free agent at the end of the 2027 season. While he has had a solid year, posting 2.2 fWAR and a 123 wRC+, the Twins likely won't have room for the outfielder on their 2027 roster.
If everyone is healthy, the Twins will want to work in outfielders Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins into the lineup regularly next season, leaving Larnach as the odd man out. Not to mention, Gabriel Gonzalez and Hendry Mendez are also top outfield prospects in the Twins system. Gonzalez has already reached the majors and Mendez appears ready to make his big-league debut soon. And there's also Alan Roden.
The Twins can either trade or non-tender Larnach this offseason. Of course, they could keep him for extra depth, but that probably wouldn't be the best way for the Twins to handle the veteran. Moving him while he is coming off a career year and on an expiring contract would be a wise move for Minnesota.
Twins OF Alan Roden gets another chance in majors
With just nine regular-season games remaining, Roden is back in the big leagues. The outfielder spent about a month and a half on the big-league squad this year. He hit just .254/.333/.313 in 79 plate appearances during his recent stint with the Twins. Minnesota optioned him back to the Saints late last month to make room for Jenkins.
While Roden has struggled in the big leagues this season, his underlying metrics have been solid. He posted a poor .294 wOBA but a solid expected wOBA of .343. He has a hard-hit rate of 40.7%, a squared-up rate of 30.9% and an expected batting average of .279. He also hasn't struck out much and has drawn plenty of walks with Minnesota.
While it looks like there won't be room for Roden in the outfield next year, he's proven he deserves a chance to play regularly in the majors. The Twins may hold onto him for added outfield depth, especially if they move on from Larnach, but they could also explore trading him this offseason.
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