Twins nearing business as usual in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian

FORT MYERS, FLA. — There was no music playing in Hammond Stadium as early-arriving Twins warmed up Monday, three days before the official start of spring training, an inconsequential but noticeable lingering effect of Hurricane Ian.

In fact, in a metropolitan area still suffering from the devastation of that late-September record-breaking storm, the Twins are hurrying to prepare their spring headquarters for a full camp complete with fans.

So while equipment was being unpacked and the training room set up, workers were also on site clearing debris, drywalling team offices and restoring the public-address and scoreboard controls.

"We're really fortunate here, compared to what we see down at [Fort Myers Beach], where so much has been destroyed," said Derek Falvey, the Twins president of baseball operations. "In terms of damage to the ballpark and fields and facilities, a lot of it was what we would deem cosmetic. The batter's eye came down and needed to be replaced, a number of backstops were pushed over. Palm trees were laying on the ground. There's a lot of water damage in the offices. The Kirby [Puckett] sign was mangled by the wind."

The Twins waited to begin repairs, however, knowing that Lee County, which owns the facility, had plenty of other priorities to deal with in the storm's wake. The team allowed first responders to use their minor league dormitory as a base, and fed rescue and construction workers in their kitchens.

"We waited for key areas to be stabilized, and as spring approached, we began to address some of the repair work, right up until the players began arriving," Falvey said. "There's still some work to be done, as you can see, but everything should be in good order for fans and our players."

More players have arrived early for camp than ever before in Falvey's seven-year tenure with the Twins, he said. Formal workouts don't begin until Thursday for pitchers and catchers, and next Monday for position players, but roughly two-thirds of the entire roster is already in Florida.

Among the earliest arrivals: Max Kepler, whose 2022 season was an offensive disappointment even before a wrist injury ended it almost four weeks early.

"He said he's been working hard all winter," Falvey said. "He seems determined."

So do a lot of his teammates. Pitcher Sonny Gray played catch in the outfield, while second baseman Jorge Polanco took ground balls, among other notables. The crowd of players has prompted manager Rocco Baldelli to organize daily optional workouts several days early.

Among the highlights of the past few days, according to witnesses: Jhoan Duran throwing live batting practice to outfielder Trevor Larnach, who rocketed a pitch off the batter's eye in center field.