Joe Mauer won’t rejoin the Minnesota Twins until Tuesday, as he’ll stay in Minnesota with his wife who, yes, just had twins, while the team plays out its series in Seattle, according to the Star-Tribune’s LaVelle E. Neal III.
Joe Mauer out on paternity leave until Tuesday
The Twins are stranded without Joe Mauer until Tuesday, as he’ll head to the restricted list to stay with his wife while the team plays on in Seattle.
Hannah Foslien
It’s a bit of bookkeeping: players are allowed three days’ worth of paternity leave, and after leaving the team Tuesday, Mauer’s alotted time ran out Friday. He’ll be moved to the restricted list, which doesn’t change the Twins’ roster situation, but will cost the 2009 MVP his paycheck for the weekends’ games. The team returns to the Twin Cities for a game against the Royals Tuesday.
It’s not great news for the Twins, as Mauer is far and away the teams’ best hitter this year. He’s hitting .324, 60 points better than the next-closest regular player, and is just two off the team lead in home runs.
But it’s great news for Chris Herrmann and Drew Butera. Herrmann was called up on July 19, and although he also plays corner outfield spots, the 25-year-old filled in fine at catcher, hitting .314 and hitting a grand slam in the tenth inning of the first game Mauer missed against the Angels. Butera has been called up in Mauer’s absence, and doesn’t have a hit in the two games he’s played. Twinkie Town writes this might be his last go-around with the big league squad, as the 29-year-old is a career .183 hitter. Ryan Doumit has filled the majority of the team’s backup catcher duties, but with Herrmann and Butera on the team, he has played mainly designated hitter and outfield. The Twins have split their four games without Mauer, and remain in fourth place in the AL Central.
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