The Minnesota Twins' 2025 campaign was a season to forget. Raking in just 70 wins, it was the club's worst season since 2016 when they went 59-103. Fans are trying to move on to 2026 already, but one of the hiccups keeping Twins fans from turning to a positive page as we enter November is the health of Luke Keaschall.
Though he is expected for a full return by spring training, Keaschall's constant trips to the injured list have Twins fans holding their breath until the 23-year-old second baseman officially gets the all-clear signal to get back to regular training this winter. Keaschall made the decision to undergo surgery on his thumb a month ago, and the worry will remain until he is completely healed.
Applying pressure or not on the young infielder, the Twins need Keaschall in 2026 if they expect to be a contending team.
Luke Keaschall's second career home run is a walk-off in the 11th inning! pic.twitter.com/Gr1Q9PKfUe
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 10, 2025
Keaschall broke into the big leagues riding a hot streak. He batted 10-for-his-first-19 this past April, signifying that Minnesota found their star hitter. A forearm fracture on a hit by pitch then sidelined him for three-and-a-half months, but he returned in August by flexing 10 extra-base hits and an .886 OPS that month.
Keaschall teetered a bit in September, but he still reached base 25 times in 19 games for a struggling Twins team that could barely muster a win. Everything was going well for the rookie, though. He produced a 128 OPS+ in 49 total games with 18 extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases. Talk about an upgrade from Edouard Julien, who batted .199 in 2024 as the Twins' primary second baseman.
It's also not just a boost to the position, but the overall lineup. Minnesota was in the middle of the pack in the American League last year in team slugging percentage (.397) and OPS (.707). A young, exciting player like Keaschall brought life to a batting order that desperately needed it. If his health keeps him on the sideline long-term in 2026, fans can expect another tumultuous season. He might just mean that much to this offense, whether fans like it or not.