After Sunday's loss to Oakland, outfielder Max Kepler, utility player Willians Astudillo and starting pitcher Kenta Maeda all took up residency in the Twins training room because of a variety of maladies.
That place might have to start taking reservations soon.
Center fielder Byron Buxton (right hip strain), outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff (right wrist sprain) and lefthander Devin Smeltzer (left elbow inflammation) are on the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Jake Cave recently went on the 60-day IL because of a stress reaction in his lower back, joining righthander Edwar Colina, who has been there since spring training because of right elbow inflammation.
And then came Monday, when Astudillo — a day after leaving his first start of the season at catcher — had to replace Mitch Garver in the fourth inning.
Astudillo left Sunday because of a left hand contusion after getting hit by a pitch. He stayed in the game for another plate appearance but had trouble gripping the bat.
Manager Rocco Baldelli said Monday that Astudillo's swelling and pain had improved, enough so that Astudillo could play if needed.
And he was. Garver took a foul ball off his right knee in the first inning, appeared to have trouble running the bases in the second inning and soon left because of a right knee contusion. The Twins said he was day-to-day.
"There was no doubt that he should not have continued on catching or swinging the bat or running or anything," Baldelli said after the Twins lost 16-4 to the White Sox. "Honestly, he could barely talk when we went out there to check on him."