Four years ago, Twins outfielder Max Kepler slashed .252/.336/.519 with 36 homers, 32 doubles and 90 RBI. That was the year of the Bomba Squad and as the Twins took advantage of supercharged baseballs and smashed an MLB single-season record 307 home runs.
Since then, Kepler has fallen off the face of the earth. He’s played 314 games and slashed a miserable .218/.310/.393 while producing 43 homers, 53 doubles and 134 RBI. He hasn’t been good at the plate and there are no signs of him returning to the form that had some comparing him to former Brewers MVP Christian Yelich.
Still, when Kepler was ready to come off the injured list the Twins cleared a path for him to return to the starting lineup. Clearing the path meant sending outfielder Matt Wallner back to Triple-A St. Paul even though Wallner had reached base safely in eight straight plate appearances in two starts against the Blue Jays last weekend.
Remember, Wallner was called up last Friday after playing earlier that day for the Saints. In his two starts, he homered, ripped five singles and walked twice. Kepler since returning is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.
Wallner kept ripping in his first game back with the Saints on Tuesday by going 3-for-5 with a homer, triple and a double.
Matt Wallner double
Matt Wallner triple
Matt Wallner home run pic.twitter.com/ppV3hDw11S— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) May 31, 2023
“He has had a really good run of ABs,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after sending Wallner down on Sunday. “He’s swinging the bat great. He’s playing very confidently. He’s swinging at good pitches. He can do some damage. I couldn’t have been happier with what I’ve seen from him.”
Wallner’s hot bat is exactly what a Twins lineup that has scored three or fewer runs in 13 of 26 games in May needs. Kepler is a veteran who has earned respect, but how long can Baldelli and the Twins keep him in the lineup?
