Luis Arraez is in a slump, a bad one. For him.
Arraez in a slump? Only by his lofty standards
Three games without a hit, but Twins say he contributes just by making pitchers work.
May 2, 2021 at 5:05PM
The Twins' leadoff hitter, who has played only 136 games in his three seasons, already looks like one of the best offensive kick-starters the Twins have ever had. He's batting .418 in the first inning over his career, and has an on-base percentage of .409 (and .441 in the first inning) when he's leading off.
"He forces the opposing pitcher into these uncomfortable at-bats. He doesn't chase. He fouls pitches off and that makes them work very, very hard," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said this morning. "I'll bet it's a pain in the butt when he steps up to the plate."
Which is why it's so notable that Arraez hasn't had a hit since Monday. Sure, he sat out Wednesday's game and Thursday was an off day, so that's only a three-game hitless streak. Hardly noticeable at all, of course, except it's only the third such … well, drought is too strong a word, let's say divot — he's endured.
And he's walked three times during it, so it's not like he's not contributing.
"Because [pitchers] have to work, they may end up not throwing the ball the way they want as the at-bats follow," Baldelli said. "So he does a lot. There are peripheral benefits to the types of at-bats he has.
Arraez will be right back atop the lineup today, as the Twins try to put the memory of Saturday's 11-3 loss behind them and win a series at Target Field for the first time all year. Brad Keller is on the mound for the Royals, a righthander whom Arraez has only seen once before, in 2019. Got a couple of hits off him, of course.
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.
