The Twins didn't complete a trade for a righthanded hitter before Tuesday's trade deadline, but they added one Friday.
Twins claim outfielder Jordan Luplow off waivers, put Byron Buxton on injured list
Buxton has a hamstring injury and will be shut down by the Twins for two weeks while he recovers. Luplow had been designated for assignment by Toronto.
August 4, 2023 at 10:32PM
Jordan Luplow, who has spent most of the 2023 season at Class AAA, was claimed off waivers after the outfielder was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Designated hitter Byron Buxton, who missed the past two games because of a hamstring injury, went on the 10-day injured list. Luplow will take Buxton's place on the 26-man roster.
Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler said Buxton, hitting .207 with 17 home runs in 85 games, will be shut down for two weeks.
"He got checked out by the doctors today and was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain," Tingler said. "Talking to the trainers, we're going to need two weeks or so. We'll see how the hamstring responds."
The Twins transferred reliever Brock Stewart to the 60-day injured list to make room for Luplow on the 40-man roster.
Luplow, 29, has a career .833 OPS against lefthanded pitching. The Twins haven't announced a corresponding move to add him to the 26-man roster, but he likely fits in a platoon role. His career .643 OPS against righties is below average.
He played seven games with the Blue Jays before he was designated for assignment, recording three hits in 14 at-bats with eight strikeouts. The Blue Jays claimed him off waivers from Atlanta in April, and he hit .239 with eight homers and 31 RBI in 48 minor league games. At AAA, he posted a .914 OPS against lefties.
The Twins scored four runs against Cardinals lefty starter Matthew Liberatore during their 5-3 victory Thursday, but they still owned the league's lowest batting average (.221) and on-base percentage (.290) against lefthanded pitching this season entering play Friday.
Stewart, sidelined with right elbow soreness, experienced a setback after a bullpen session last weekend when he felt forearm soreness afterward and he underwent a medical resonance imaging exam Tuesday. He is not eligible to return from the 60-day IL before Aug. 25. Head trainer Nick Paparesta said the team would be cautious with Stewart because he had Tommy John surgery earlier in his career.
"We're hopeful for the last month of the season," Tingler said.
After an incredible 25-year career that saw him become MLB's all-time stolen bases leader and the greatest leadoff hitter ever, Rickey Henderson died Friday at age 65.
