The Minnesota Twins have lost yet another key player to injury. Shortstop Carlos Correa exited Friday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers (GameTracker) with a right oblique strain, the team announced (via MLB.com). Correa appeared to suffer the injury at some point during his third inning at-bat against Tarik Skubal.
Here is Correa grabbing at his side during that third inning at-bat:
Correa will surely head for tests on his oblique to determine the severity of the injury. Obliques are very delicate and easy to reinjure, so even minor strains can potentially require a lengthy stint on the injured list.
Now 29, Correa was off to a terrific start to the season, taking a .324/.452/.471 line with as many walks as strikeouts (eight each) into Friday. He played through plantar fasciitis most of last season and the result was a .230/.312/.399 batting line while grounding into a league-leading 30 double plays. Correa was fully healthy to begin 2024.
The Twins are already without their third baseman (Royce Lewis), right fielder (Max Kepler), No. 5 starter (Anthony DeSclafani), and most of their bullpen (Daniel Duarte, Jhoan Duran, Josh Staumont, Caleb Thielbar, Justin Topa). Also, top prospect Brooks Lee is on the Triple-A injured list with a back issue. He’s expected to miss most of April.
Willi Castro replaced Correa at shortstop Friday and, with Lee sidelined, Castro is likely to fill in at shortstop while Correa is on the shelf. Kyle Farmer is the other shortstop candidate. Utility man Austin Martin has not played short since 2022, though he could be an emergency option.
Correa and the Twins entered Friday’s series opener with the Tigers with a 4-6 record. They have scored no more than three runs in seven of their 10 games.
