Twins' Kenta Maeda cleared to pitch after taking line drive off ankle

If he were still back in Japan, Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda would have sought out a shrine before his next scheduled start Wednesday against the Yankees.

"To pray for better luck," Maeda told reporters through his interpreter Monday after he threw a successful bullpen session that proved he could throw effectively off the mound, four days after a frightening line drive hit his ankle and knocked him down and out of a game at Boston.

"I don't know what the equivalent here would be," Maeda said. "So if you guys would please tell me."

Somebody mentioned knocking on wood or an ol' American good-luck charm, the rabbit's foot.

Maeda looked a little horrified before he asked, "I need to buy a rabbit?"

Then it was explained such a charm most often is fake fur on a chain, not a real foot from a real rabbit.

You could say the aftermath of Thursday's line drive was some good luck in itself, because he was cleared to pitch without missing a start in the rotation.

Maeda said he threw Monday with his arm pain-free and not enough lingering running and fielding effects to keep him from pitching in the series finale. Maeda was hit hard by a line drive off the bat of Jarren Duran, but it could have been worse.

By Monday, the swelling subsided but the memory remains.

"If you want to know how it feels, we can set the [pitching] machine on 111 [miles per hour]," Maeda said with a smile. Maeda considered the line drive something of a glancing blow.

"I think I was lucky in regards to where the ball actually struck," he said. "If it was on full bone, that could have been worse damage."

Despite getting drilled, Maeda managed to pick up Duran's drive and throw to first for the final out of the second inning. He wanted to come back out for the third.

"These guys always say they're good," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "They want to play. He was saying he was good in the tunnel at Fenway when he was shaking and could barely stand up."

Maeda is coming off a missed 2022 season following Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. He experienced some arm fatigue he called normal in his return start on April 4 at Miami. He is 0-3 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts and 13 innings pitched in his comeback.

"I just have to cope with it and deal with it," he said. "But getting hit in the ankle, that's something I gave up a hit on. So I've just got to better miss the bat next time."

Second baseman Jorge Polanco moved up in batting order Monday in his fourth game back from knee inflammation that dates to last season. He hit third behind Max Kepler and Carlos Correa after he batted sixth Sunday and went 3-for-4 with his 99th career homer.

On Monday, he delivered a bases-loaded, one-out single to right field in the third inning that gave the Twins an early 2-0 lead.

The switch hitter has hit safely in all four games back. He batted lefthanded Monday against Yankees righty Jhony Brito.

"That's a nice start for him," Baldelli said. "It's a little surprising when a guy comes back and is locked in like that. … I mean, the guy was the All-Star shortstop in the American League in 2019. He's as good and productive as any player we have. He could put a year that rivals any player we have if he's out there healthy and playing well."

The Twins optioned pitcher Bailey Ober back to Class AAA St. Paul after he agave up one run on three hits over 5⅔ innings and got the victory Sunday. They will make a corresponding move before Tuesday's game.

After Sunday's victory over Washington, Twins third baseman Jose Miranda went across the street and watched his first Timberwolves game, their Game 4 playoff victory that sent their first-round series back to Denver on Tuesday.

"Crazy, it was a lot of fun," he said. "A great atmosphere."

Byron Buxton and Correa went across the river and did a rousing "Let's Play Hockey" shout to the sellout crowd to start the Wild's playoff game against Dallas.

"My first one," Buxton said. "Fun, different."

Players on Monday signed an oversized lineup card for Baldelli to commemorate his 300th victory as Twins manager Sunday.

"That's a big thing, 300 wins," Miranda said. "That's a lot."