Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Arm

Minnesota Twins rookie Luke Keaschall broke his forearm Friday after being hit by a pitch in the team’s 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The 22-year-old suffered a nondisplaced fracture when Kyle Hendricks’ pitch struck his right arm in the first inning. Keaschall initially stayed in the game and ran the bases, but was replaced by a pinch hitter when his turn came up again in the third.

The Twins haven’t announced how long he’ll be out.

While a nondisplaced fracture is better than a displaced one, Keaschall is still looking at a lengthy recovery. According to Baseball Prospectus data, similar injuries typically keep players sidelined for 4-6 weeks.

This is a huge blow for Minnesota, who’s struggling with a 10-16 record and sitting just above the last-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Keaschall had been on fire since his call-up just seven games ago. He was hitting .368 with a .538 on-base percentage and three doubles.

He’d also made MLB history by stealing five bases in his first five career games, tying a league record.

Before the season, CBS Sports ranked Keaschall as baseball’s 46th-best prospect, noting his “above-average offense thanks to his barrel and zone awareness.” In his first full pro season last year, he smacked 15 homers and stole 23 bases across 102 games before requiring Tommy John surgery.

The Twins had been experimenting with playing him in center field, though his natural position remains somewhat fluid. As scouts noted, his “best position is likely to be in the batter’s box.”

His hot start had provided a much-needed spark for what’s been one of baseball’s worst offenses this season. Now the Twins will need to find that production elsewhere while their promising rookie heals.