Latest news with #Keaschall
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins mailbag: Royce Lewis options, All-Star cases and the Jorge Alcala dilemma
My last mailbag column was written two days before the Minnesota Twins started a 13-game winning streak, so the vibes have shifted considerably. At the time, the Twins were playing a nightmarish series in Cleveland, with a 13-17 record that soon became 13-20. Since then, the Twins have an MLB-best 21-8 record, turning their season around so much, so quickly that they would be hosting a first-round series if the playoffs started now. Advertisement Of course, the playoffs don't start now. There are still 100 games to play and nothing figures to come easy for the Twins, who are expected to be without No. 1 starter Pablo López for eight to 12 weeks because of a shoulder injury. It's a big blow to a starting rotation that has been the team's biggest strength. Let's open the mailbag and see what's on your minds about a second-place team that currently holds the American League's top wild-card spot. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. Will the Twins consider sending Royce Lewis down to the minors? Is that something they could even do? — Jack K. To answer your second question first: Lewis has two minor-league options remaining and has accrued less than five years of MLB service time, so the Twins could send him down if they choose. As for whether they'd actually take that drastic route? Maybe. I wrote a lengthy story Friday detailing Lewis' prolonged struggles, so I won't rehash all of it. But for most 26-year-olds, batting .174 over 65 games spanning two seasons leads to a Triple-A demotion. The Twins have already moved Lewis to the bottom of the lineup and pinch hit for him. What else is left? There's perhaps an argument to be made that Lewis isn't a typical 26-year-old, but the Twins have sent down other prominent players in recent years, including Miguel Sanó, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda. Heck, last year they demoted Matt Wallner after 25 at-bats. It's a last resort, certainly, and one Lewis and the Twins would like to avoid if at all possible. But he needs to improve soon because the current situation is hurting the Twins' inconsistent lineup, and it's getting harder and harder to see how it's doing Lewis any favors. Another factor is Triple-A St. Paul's lack of appealing call-up choices. Luke Keaschall, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Austin Martin are hurt. Miranda and Julien have struggled since their April demotions. And the Saints' highest OPS marks belong to Carson McCusker and Mickey Gasper. But big picture, identifying the correct path for getting Lewis back on track is a lot more important than who would replace him on the roster. For now, at least, it looks like the Twins will let him try to hit his way out of it. When Royce smiles, we smile! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 4, 2025 Assuming no more injuries, where does Keaschall fit when he comes off the injured list at the end of the month? — Kent M. While Keaschall is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on June 25, that doesn't mean he'll be ready to return then. That's just the earliest it can happen, and he's recovering from a broken right forearm suffered on April 25. I suspect June 25 would be optimistic. Part of what makes Keaschall so intriguing is the flexibility to capably play second base, first base and all three outfield spots, so finding a fit should be easy if he's healthy and hitting. Plus, having covered the Twins for two decades, 'assuming no more injuries' is like asking about the Easter Bunny. Advertisement What happened to Walker Jenkins' ankle? — Anthony P. Jenkins resumed playing earlier this week, starting a rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. Barring any setbacks, he should be rejoining the Double-A Wichita lineup soon. Injuries have been an issue for the 2023 first-round pick, but he's still just 20 years old. In other top-100 prospect health news, Rodriguez was placed on the Triple-A injured IL with a strained right hip and is expected to be out two to four weeks. Rodriguez hit .232/.400/.392 in 39 games for the Saints, including a strong May, but he's missed substantial time with injuries in four straight years. It feels like the Twins' defense overall — not just Byron Buxton, Harrison Bader and Carlos Correa — has improved this year. Do the numbers bear that out? — Andrew S. Yes, although it's largely due to Buxton and Correa being healthier than last season and the offseason addition of Bader, who has been fantastic on both sides of the ball. Last season, the Twins ranked 16th in Outs Above Average (+1) and 25th in Defensive Runs Saved (-20), two of the most prominent defensive metrics. So far this year, the Twins rank 12th in Outs Above Average (+2) and 17th in Defensive Runs Saved (+7). That trio is doing the heavy lifting for the Twins' defense. Their three best OAA totals belong to Correa (+7), Bader (+5) and Buxton (+4). And their three best DRS totals belong to Bader (+10), Correa (+3) and Buxton (+2). Or, put another way: Aside from Bader, Buxton and Correa, the rest of the Twins' defense has totaled minus-14 OAA and minus-8 DRS. What a catch by Harrison Bader! 😳 — MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2025 Do you think the Twins will try to extend Ryan Jeffers this offseason? And what kind of contract could he get? — Jesse C. Possibly, although the uncertain ownership/payroll situation makes it even more speculative than usual to predict contract extensions. It would make sense, logically. Jeffers has a $4.55 million salary this season and is under team control for 2026 via arbitration, after which he'll be a free agent at age 30. Christian Vázquez is in the final season of a three-year, $30 million deal, so he'll be a free agent in November. Advertisement I could see the Twins being interested in a relatively short-term extension for Jeffers, perhaps covering 2026 and two additional free-agent years, but anything longer than that carries quite a bit of risk considering how poorly most catchers tend to age. Jeffers has hit .248/.331/.445 in three seasons paired with Vázquez, ranking eighth in OPS and 10th in bWAR among regular MLB catchers during that period. There are currently eight MLB catchers signed to contracts with an average annual value of at least $10 million. Vázquez is one of them and, ironically, the three-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Twins as a 32-year-old free agent could be a reasonable floor for a possible Jeffers extension. Buy out Jeffers' final arbitration year for around $10 million and then add two years at $12.5 million each? Jeffers would no doubt prefer a longer contract, and might just bet on being able to find it as a free agent, but a three-year, $35 million extension would place him among MLB's top 10 catchers for both total contract amount and average annual value. Good but not great catchers rarely cash in big. What can the Twins do with Jorge Alcala? — Paul D. Alcala, unlike Lewis, has more than five years of MLB service time, having surpassed that mark in April. That means he can't be sent down to the minors without his consent. If that weren't the case, he'd probably be in St. Paul right now, trying to get back on track with the Saints. Alcala had an outstanding first half last season, posting a 1.56 ERA in 34 2/3 innings, largely on the strength of allowing zero homers. But since Aug. 1 of last year, he has a 7.02 ERA and 11 homers allowed in 42 1/3 innings, with a handful of prominent implosions. When he's throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the ballpark, it's easy to look at Alcala's high-octane fastball-slider combo and envision him as a top setup man. But though he's had stretches of success, they've generally been short-lived due to injuries and/or ineffectiveness. Advertisement Alcala has been used almost exclusively in a mop-up role this season — his average leverage index is by far the lowest of the bullpen's eight most-used relievers — but as we saw last weekend against the Seattle Mariners, even that will occasionally require pitching in spots that matter. Every bullpen has an untrustworthy reliever or two, and Alcala has at least shown the upside to be a late-inning option. However, he's also 29 years old and under team control for just one more season before free agency, so the Twins need to weigh shrinking future upside versus present unreliability. J.P. Crawford just took a piece out of the scoreboard with this go-ahead home run 🤯 — MLB (@MLB) June 1, 2025 What is the long-term plan for the Twins at first base? — Will H. Lots of MLB teams, including the Twins, often lack a long-term plan at first base for the same reason there typically aren't many top-100 first base prospects: Good hitters wind up at first base after moving there from other positions that proved too challenging defensively. There are plenty of exceptions, of course, but first base is more commonly a destination than a starting point. In fact, the most-used Twins first basemen of the past 20 years — Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Sanó, Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Santana — all moved there from other positions. In terms of planning, it's also worth noting the Twins have had a different most-used first baseman in each of the last five seasons: 2025 — Ty France 2024 — Santana 2023 — Donovan Solano 2022 — Miranda 2021 — Sanó Miranda and Sanó slid over to first base from third base, where they were stretched defensively. And the Twins have signed an inexpensive veteran first baseman to a one-year contract in three straight offseasons, spending a grand total of just $8.25 million on France, Santana and Solano. Advertisement Despite the lack of a multi-year fit and very little spending on the position, Twins first basemen have been exactly average over that five-year period, producing a .747 OPS that ranks 15th out of 30 teams. Depending on your point of view, that's either good value or a missed opportunity for more. My assumption is the Twins will have a different most-used first baseman again in 2026. And probably another one in 2027, too. Will the Twins put Dick Bremer in their Hall of Fame? — Heather B. Yes, and I would assume within the next few years. Longtime announcers Herb Carneal (2001) and John Gordon (2016) are in the team Hall of Fame, so there's precedent for inducting Bremer after 40 years as the Twins' television voice. Their only issue will be choosing a different master of ceremonies for that class, because Bremer is usually the one doing those honors. In the meantime, the Twins named the home TV booth at Target Field after Bremer, with a plaque outside the door. What are the chances of the Twins getting more than one All-Star? — S.A. Pretty good, based on recent history. They've had multiple players chosen for each of the past five All-Star Games, including Correa and Willi Castro in 2025. On average during the last decade, the Twins have gotten exactly 2.0 players per All-Star Game. With the caveat that this season is barely two months old and the All-Stars are still more than a month away from being selected, the Twins have a lot of viable candidates in Buxton, Bader, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Castro and Jeffers. But a lot can change in a month. For instance, three days ago López would have been near the top of that All-Star candidates list. (Top photo of Royce Lewis: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
Newsweek
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
More Bad News For Injury-Riddled Twins as Rookie Sensation Breaks Arm
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The struggling Minnesota Twins were looking for some sort of a spark last week, after opening the season slowly. On April 18, they called up the No. 3 prospect in their system, MLB Pipeline's No. 57 overall, 22-year old Luke Keaschall. The infielder was enjoying a solid if not spectacular start to his Triple-A season for the St. Paul Saints, with a .727 OPS and a home run in 14 games as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery last summer. Luke Keaschall #15 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Target Field on April 23, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 6-3.... Luke Keaschall #15 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Target Field on April 23, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 6-3. MoreBut when Keaschall debuted for the major league club, he caught fire immediately, driving in a run with a base hit in his first big league at-bat, and then stealing second base. In seven games with Keaschall in the lineup, the Twins went 3-4, showing at least some signs of life. The 2023 second-round draft pick out of Arizona State kept up the momentum, stroking seven hits including two doubles while taking five walks in his first 26 trips to the plate for a stellar 1.065 OPS and .368 batting average. But in the first inning of what turned out to be an 11-4 win over the Los Angels Angels on Friday, Keaschall took an 87 mph sinker thrown by veteran righty Kyle Hendricks off of his right forearm. More MLB: Mets Reportedly May Push for $7 Million Closer From Division Rival Keaschal, who was serving as the Twins' designated hitter, took his base and stayed in the game. But the next time his turn in the order came up, manager Rocco Baldelli sent pinch hitter Mickey Gasper up in Keaschall's place. After the game, the Twins announced Keaschall had suffered a broken forearm. On Saturday, the club said the rookie had been placed on the 10-day injured list. He joins Twins 2017 first-round pick Royce Lewis, who has been on the IL since spring training, and 2024 All-Star Willi Castro, who strained his oblique muscle on Friday. The Twins characterized the injury as a "non-displaced fracture." No timeline was given for Keaschall's return. More MLB: Top Prospect Roman Anthony Homers Again in Minors as Red Sox Offense Struggles
New York Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins lose Luke Keaschall to fractured forearm, trade for Kody Clemens
MINNEAPOLIS — Unbelievable. In an unfortunate twist, another promising young Minnesota Twins player will be sidelined by injury after Luke Keaschall suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right forearm in Friday night's 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field. There's no initial timeline for Keaschall to return, the team said, after he was hit with a pitch in the first inning and later removed from the game. But any lengthy absence counts as a blow to the offense-starved Twins, who got a huge spark from Keaschall after he tied a major-league record with five stolen bases in his first five games and reached base in 14 of 26 plate appearances. Advertisement 'Tough news,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'He's settling in really well here and doing a really nice job for us, and he'll be back. He'll get it right, and he'll be back. I have no doubt he'll be running around the bases again soon. But tough news there.' Already dealing with numerous injuries on the 40-man roster, the Twins acquired infielder Kody Clemens from the Philadelphia Phillies late Friday, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The son of Roger Clemens, Kody Clemens, who plays first base, third base and the outfield, was designated for assignment by Philadelphia on Wednesday. Buck took a visit to the upper DECK! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 26, 2025 Batting in the first inning, Keaschall was struck by Angels pitcher Kyle Hendricks with an 87 mph fastball flush on the forearm of his back arm. Keaschall, ranked by The Athletic as the No. 62 prospect in baseball in January, didn't react as if he were in pain until he put on a running sleeve upon arriving at first base. The team's designated hitter Friday, Keaschall remained in the game for the rest of the first inning but was pinch hit for by Mickey Gasper in the third inning. 'I was a little angry,' Keaschall said of learning the news. 'But I've got to try and think of the big picture. Think about getting healthy as fast as possible and think about just trying to get back as fast as possible. … I thought I was fine. Like, I kind of got hit. Was running the bases, and I'm like, 'It's just going to be a little sore; I'll be good.' And then it wasn't.' Keaschall has been a bright spot since joining the Twins last weekend in Atlanta. He singled and drove in a run in his first big-league at-bat on April 18 and stole second base later that inning before doubling in his next trip to the plate. Advertisement A day later, the 22-year-old doubled off reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and continued to show no signs of difficulty adjusting to life in the big leagues. Keaschall injected life into the Twins in wins over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday, stealing two bases in each victory and reaching base five more times. He also walked and singled in a rain-shortened loss Thursday, extending his hitting streak to six games. '(Keaschall) has settled in very quickly,' Baldelli said Wednesday. 'It's almost like there was no settling; he just came in ready to play.' Young talents getting injured is nothing new to the Twins. Royce Lewis, the first pick of the 2017 MLB Draft, has twice torn his anterior cruciate ligament and also suffered a devastating quad injury on Opening Day 2024. Electric center fielder Byron Buxton has suffered myriad injuries during his career, only twice playing more than 100 games. Once a top-10 prospect in baseball, Alex Kirilloff required two season-ending wrist surgeries and retired this offseason because of a back injury, having played only 249 games in his career. Former top-five prospect Miguel Sanó fouled a pitch off his leg in August 2017 and shattered his tibia. Already an MVP, Justin Morneau was amid another award-winning year in 2010 when he suffered a season-ending concussion after taking a knee to the head while sliding into second base in Toronto. Even Hall of Famer Joe Mauer tore a meniscus in his left knee in the second game of his career in 2004. Beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul, Lewis had a double in three trips to the plate and played six innings at third base. Lewis grounded out in his first at-bat against top Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler and struck out the next time up. In his third at-bat, Lewis, out since March 16 with a left hamstring strain, doubled past third base. Advertisement 'I got to test it out a good bit,' Lewis told reporters in St. Paul. Out of action for five-plus weeks, Lewis will be tested thoroughly before returning to the majors. He is expected to sit out Saturday's game and play again Sunday. Baldelli said Lewis won't return to the majors until he has appeared in the field on consecutive days, which likely means he won't be back until the homestand that starts May 6 against the Baltimore Orioles. LARNACH LAUNCH! 🚀 — (@twinstv) April 26, 2025 Pablo López struggled with command but struck out six in a 101-pitch, five-inning effort Friday. Making his first start since he went on the 15-day injured list April 8 with a right hamstring strain, López allowed two earned runs and five hits while walking two batters. He needed to make several extra pitches in the first two innings after poor defensive plays by Edouard Julien and Ty France. López made a rehab start for St. Paul at Triple-A Iowa on Saturday. Even with the recent effort, López said it felt like he hadn't pitched in months and thinks that played a part in his command issues. 'I was very excited, very anxious,' López said. 'I think that caused me to be rushed on the mound. I could have done a much better job of controlling that and slowing the game down. It was great to have the support from the offense. I had to grind. For the most part, I was behind in counts, always coming back. … But I knew that I still had the ability to execute pitches.' López was welcomed back with open arms by an offense that finally broke out against the sleep-deprived Angels, who landed in the Twin Cities at 4:30 a.m. Buxton homered, tripled and had a sacrifice fly. Trevor Larnach doubled in a run and belted a three-run homer. Carlos Correa had a nice night at the plate, hitting a sacrifice fly, walking and singling, and Julien walked four times and scored three runs. Gasper went 2-for-3 with two RBIs after replacing Keaschall — and was also hit by a pitch. (Photo of Luke Keaschall: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)
Reuters
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Trevor Larnach's blast, Byron Buxton's diving catch help Twins top White Sox
April 23 - Trevor Larnach went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held off a comeback bid for a 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis. Byron Buxton made a diving catch at the warning track with two runners on base to seal the win for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game skid. Luke Keaschall went 1-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases and two runs. Jacob Amaya and Nick Maton had an RBI apiece for Chicago, which lost for the eighth time in its past nine games. Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (2-1) allowed one run on eight hits in six innings. White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (1-3) gave up two unearned runs on three hits in five innings. Twins closer Jhoan Duran notched his second save despite needing 32 pitches and allowing one run in the ninth. He pumped his fist as he watched Buxton's diving catch, which prevented the White Sox from scoring a pair of runs and making it 4-all. The White Sox opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Edgar Quero hit a leadoff single, advanced to third base on a single by Brooks Baldwin and scored on a sacrifice fly by Amaya. Minnesota evened the score at 1 in the bottom of the frame when Ty France singled to drive in Larnach. Keaschall scored the go-ahead run for the Twins in the third. He drew a two-out walk, swiped second and scored on a fluke play by the White Sox. The play unfolded as Larnach hit a soft ground ball with Keaschall on second. Quero, the White Sox catcher, fielded the ball and threw to first. The throw hit Larnach and deflected away from the base, which allowed Keaschall to come around to score. Quero was given an error on the play, and the run charged to Martin was considered unearned. The Twins took a 4-1 lead on Larnach's two-run blast in the eighth. His 434-foot shot to center marked his second homer, both of which have come in the past four games. The White Sox scored their second run in the ninth on an RBI groundout by Maton.
Forbes
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Infield Prospects Luke Keaschall, Caleb Durbin Have Dazzling Debuts
Luke Keaschall and Caleb Durbin, two top-prospect infielders, hit safely in their first times at bat in Major League Baseball on Friday night. No surprise, though neither safety was exactly a smoking line drive. Scouts forecast many of those type hits on the way for two players who exhibit hustle and headiness in addition to athletic skills. Keaschall, 22, took a half swing on an outside pitch and looped a ball just inside the right-field line to drive in a run for the Minnesota Twins. The Twins' No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline then stole second and eventually scored with a nifty slide on a sacrifice fly. He later added a double for a 2-for-4 debut. ATLANTA: Luke Keaschall of the Minnesota Twins collects his first career hit against the Atlanta ... More Braves on April 18, 2025 at Truist Park. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/) 'It was awesome,' Keaschall told Rick Farlow of 'I was just trying to get the ball to the outfield. I wasn't swinging at the best pitches to get the ball to the outfield. But I got the job done, and I was just happy I scored a run.' Durbin, seconds after blasting a ball down the left-field line that looked like a home run before curving foul, then did what he does best. He hustled his way down the first-base line after topping a slow roller towards third. Safe! Both Durbin, 25, and the umpire made the call and Milwaukee Brewers fans went wild. MILWAUKEE: Caleb Durbin of the Milwaukee Brewers at bat against the Athletics at American Family ... More Field on April 18, 2025. (Photo by) 'I didn't expect that. That was really cool,' Durbin told Adam McCalvy of 'Definitely easy to feed off of a crowd like that. I was just trying to go out and play hard and let the results be what they are, and it ended up being a really fun night.' Durbin, No. 21 on the Brewers' prospect list, later added a single and scored. Another 2-for-4 debut. Keaschall has great bat-to-ball skills and is expected to add some power as he matures. The six-foot, 190-pounder signed for $1.5 million as a second-round choice (No. 49 overall) in 2023 out of Arizona State. Only nine of the 48 players picked before him have made it to MLB thus far. SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Arizona State infielder Luke Keaschall throws to first base during a Pac-12 Baseball ... More Tournament game against Oregon State on May 25, 2023, at Scottsdale Stadium. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) He hit .327 overall in college, with his first two seasons being at San Francisco. In one year at ASU, he really excelled: .353, 18 homers, 18 steals and 58 RBI in 55 games. Keaschall plays second base, third and shortstop. He debuted with the Twins at designated hitter as the organization is being careful with him following Tommy John surgery last year. In 148 games in the minors, equivalent to a normal full season in MLB, he has hit .297 with 19 homers, 117 runs, 68 RBI and 38 steals in 45 attempts. He has shown good plate judgment with 90 walks to 116 strikeouts. The Brewers acquired the scrappy 5-7, 180-pound Durbin from the New York Yankees with starting pitcher Nestor Cortes for closer Devin Williams in December. Before the deal, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told 'I think he's a stud, frankly. Great bat-to-ball, elite ability on the bases as a base stealer, a good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base. He's really started over the last year-plus to create some position flexibility, too. … Really competitive, kind of that hard-nosed, tough player.' TALKING STICK, AZ: Caleb Durbin of the Salt River Rafters throws out a Peoria Javelinas runner at ... More Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Nov. 11, 2024. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) That was just after Durbin went wild again in the Arizona Fall League, where he is a legend. In 24 games, he hit .317 with 29 steals in 30 tries, 5 homers, 26 runs and 21 RBI. That helped the Salt River Rafters win the AFL title. Added to his 2023 totals, Durbin has 50 steals in 53 attempts, a .331 average (59-for-178), 44 runs, 33 RBI in 47 AFL games. More impressively, he also totaled 31 walks to 13 strikeouts. With apologies to Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, Durbin is Mr. October AND November in the Grand Canyon State. Manager Pat Murphy said after the game Friday that Durbin will start at third base 'for the foreseeable future'. Murphy spoke highly of Durbin all spring as he watched him go 10-for-10 on steal attempts, scored 13 runs in 18 games and hit a pair of homers. Not bad for a guy who signed for $50,000 as a 14th-round pick (No. 427 overall) by the Atlanta Braves out of Washington University in St. Louis in 2021. The Braves dealt him to the Yankees in December 2022 for lefty reliever Lucas Luetge. The Twins would love to see Keaschall become this generation's Ian Kinsler, a second baseman of about the same size and skill set. In 14 seasons with five teams, primarily the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers, the 6-0, 200-pound second baseman batted .269 with 257 homers and 243 steals. The four-time all-star won two gold gloves. ARLINGTON, TX: Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers fields a ground ball hit by Lance Berkman of the ... More New York Yankees in Game Two of the ALCS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Oct. 16, 2010. (Photo) The Brewers wouldn't mind if Durbin gave them a Hall of Fame career similar to Johnny Evers. He was the 5-9 second baseman listed at a mere 125 pounds in the famous 'Tinker To Evers To Chance' poem about the Chicago Cubs' great infield 120 years ago. In 18 seasons for four clubs, Evers hit .270 with 324 stolen bases, 778 walks and 293 strikeouts. He totaled 12 homers. Durbin has the pop to beat that roundtripper mtotal and the skills to provide reasonably similar ratios offensively. It's bright. Rules changes have put the running game back in play and both can take advantage of that, especially Durbin. He has a manager who loves to play 'small ball' and gamble big on the bases. Both players are probably best suited for second base. Right now, their skills will get them in the lineup somewhere. Keaschall may even end up in the outfield if his arm does not completely back from surgery – though there is no inclination that it will not. Luke Keaschall and Caleb Durbin won't ever challenge for home-run records. Both appear to be solid, dependable baseball players who are fun to watch.
