Twins place utility player on 10-day IL

Before Sunday’s game with the Astros, the Twins placed Austin Martin on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 6) with a left oblique strain. Outfielder Matt Wallner was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Wallner was in the lineup Sunday as Minnesota’s starting left fielder.

Martin has hit .265/.331/.372 with one home run over 124 plate appearances in his first major league season, primarily playing in left and center field with a handful of games as a second baseman. This versatility and his roughly league-average offensive production have been quite helpful for the Twins in managing several injuries, as Martin has been recalled three times from Triple-A to help fill holes around the diamond.

Unfortunately, Martin has now been bitten by the injury bug himself, and could be facing a lengthy stint on the IL if he has a longer-lasting type of oblique issue. While he’ll collect some extra major league service time on the injured list, it’s a setback for a former top prospect looking to firmly establish himself as a big leaguer.  

The Blue Jays selected Martin with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft and then dealt him to Minnesota as part of the Jose Berrios trade a year later. Martin’s prospect stock diminished after a pair of injury marred seasons in the minors.

Martin joins Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff on the Twins’ 10-day IL, and the team had another injury scare Sunday when Carlos Correa left the game after being hit on the right hand by a pitch.  

The Twins announced that Correa suffered only a finger contusion and that X-rays were negative, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took a day or two off (or even went on the 10-day IL himself) if there was any lingering soreness.