Twins' Max Kepler in limbo as team waits out broken toe

SAN DIEGO – For a fifth consecutive day Friday, Max Kepler didn't go on the injured list. But for a fifth consecutive day, he also didn't play for the Twins.

The situation is unusual for a Twins team that has seemed shorthanded since Opening Day, but manager Rocco Baldelli said he remains hopeful that Kepler's fractured right pinkie toe will heal enough to allow him to play sometime soon.

"Kep was able to run at 50-60 percent today. He's still pretty sore," Baldelli said Friday. "He did hit, though, and threw, so he was able to do some baseball activity. Those are good signs."

Still, the manager conceded that Kepler is unlikely to play on Saturday, either, "but I honestly don't know what's going to come over the next couple of days. Pain-wise, soreness-wise, I don't know if he's different today than he was a couple of days ago. [We're] hoping for big jumps and real gains."

Baldelli didn't address it, but it appears possible Kepler's status may ultimately be determined by the Twins starting rotation. No starter has been announced for Sunday's finale in San Diego, and the manager said that though it's Dylan Bundy's regular turn in the rotation, he would like to give the righthander an extra day off.

"There's a pretty long run of games coming up, and if we can find ways to give guys the extra day," he would like to, Baldelli said, referencing the fact that the Twins have games scheduled on 41 of the next 44 days. "We're going to need a fifth starter at some point soon regardless. If we can use him on Sunday instead of a different day, we might do that."

That might not be workable, given that it would require a flight to San Diego by a current minor leaguer on Saturday.

And there's one more obstacle: Lefthander Devin Smeltzer is by far the most logical candidate for that job, given that he's started 12 games already and owns a reasonable 4.02 ERA. But MLB rules require pitchers optioned to the minors to remain their for 15 days before being recalled; Smeltzer was assigned to Class AAA St. Paul on July 17, meaning he is not eligible to return until Monday.

But there's a loophole: the 15-day requirement is waived in cases of injury. If Kepler were to go on the IL, Smeltzer could return early, though the Twins would have to adjust their roster to comply with the 13-pitcher limit.