Twins reinstate catcher Christian Vázquez from IL, demote outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to Triple-A St. Paul as season nears its end
The Twins reinstated catcher Christian Vázquez from the 10-day injured list, the team announced on Monday. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul as a corresponding move.
Vázquez, 35, has been sidelined since early August after undergoing surgery to remove an infection from his left shoulder. In 61 games this season, the veteran catcher is slashing .174/.251/.247 for a 41 wRC+ with two home runs and 13 RBIs over 199 plate appearances.
Vázquez is now the third catcher on the Twins' active roster, joining Jhonny Pereda and Mickey Gasper. Ryan Jeffers is still on the concussion list and will likely be out for the remainder of the season at this point.
Vázquez is likely experiencing his final days as a Twin, as he will be a free agent this upcoming offseason. Although he has brought leadership and, at times, great defense, Vázquez hasn't lived up to the three-year, $30 million contract he signed with Minnesota in the 2022-23 offseason. In three seasons with the Twins, Vázquez has been worth just 1.5 fWAR.
With the season ending on Sunday, the only real reason to bring Vázquez back is to let the impending free agent showcase his talents before hitting free agency and gain confidence heading into the offseason. Vázquez likely won't be with Minnesota past this season, but it's still possible the Twins will bring him back on an affordable deal next year.
As for Keirsey, it's doubtful that the Twins view the strong defensive outfielder as part of their future plans. While Keirsey is useful as a defensive replacement and pinch runner, he has been abysmal at the plate in limited opportunities with the Twins this season, slashing .108/.140/.181 for a -17 wRC+ in 86 plate appearances. The Twins still may utilize Keirsey next year in the same way they have this season, but he doesn't have unlimited options; he has already been optioned to Triple-A four times this season. Another team may want to give Keirsey more of a starting opportunity if they can trade for him or eventually claim him off waivers, as he has a solid .763 career OPS in the minors.