Well, this is a predicament. Because he fouled a ball off of his shin (not because he is overweight), Miguel Sano has been placed on the 10 day disabled list, and will likely remain there until September. To attempt to replace his girth in the lineup, the Twins have recalled Kennys Vargas for the 215th time this season. Earlier this week, the Twins also lost Robbie Grossman to a broken thumb, electing to bring Mitch Garver to the Major Leagues. The two of them will try to patch together the missing offense they have lost with Sano out.
While the Twins are in the home stretch, pressing for a playoff spot, Sano’s absence may not be as dramatic as it could have been earlier in the summer, when he was carrying the team. Despite the Twins’ resurgence through August, Sano had languished in a slump before the series with the Diamondbacks. Indeed, the success has been driven by Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer and increasingly, Byron Buxton.
With a tame portion of the schedule forthcoming, it seems apparent that the Twins can maintain a pace that leaves them in contention, at least, for a couple of weeks. Aside from illness and minor injuries (like after getting hit in the hand with a pitch) Sano hasn’t missed much time this year, and down time could do his whole body good. Giving Eduardo Escobar more reps in the field to make sure he is sharp will benefit any run at a postseason spot as well. You never want to see a player get hurt, but in this isolated incident, the timing may not be all that bad.
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