Minnesota Twins Dodge a Bullet With Star Outfielder Max Kepler Returning to Lineup

Max Kepler is batting cleanup for the Minnesota Twins in their game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday after missing two contests with a knee injury.

Sep 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler (26) hits a two-run home run. / Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins have submitted their lineup card for Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, and fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw who was listed.

Max Kepler is starting in right field and batting fourth. The 31-year-old slugger missed the last two games with a knee injury.

Kepler fouled a ball off his right knee against the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day. He got subbed out in the eighth inning and did not play for the remainder of the series.

Considering Kepler has missed 40 games a year for the past few seasons, there was cause for concern in regards to his availability moving forward. Twins third baseman Royce Lewis also just hit the injured list with a serious quad strain, so losing Kepler would have further depleted Minnesota's lineup.

Manager Rocco Baldelli even said over the weekend that Kepler could wind up on the injured list himself if he wasn't ready by Tuesday.

Kepler appears to be fine, though, after the Twins had a scheduled off day on Monday.

Oh Happy Days! 😄 pic.twitter.com/zVGZ9HSyig

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 2, 2024

Over the last 10 seasons, Kepler has been a staple in Minnesota. He may only be a .236 career hitter, but he owns a .753 OPS and 19.8 WAR since making his big league debut in 2015.

Kepler is the longest-tenured player on the Twins' roster. The left-handed outfielder currently ranks No. 14 on Minnesota's all-time home runs leaderboard with 153, averaging 26 homers per 162 games.

Here is the Twins' lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Brewers, which is scheduled to get underway at 4:10 p.m. ET:

1. Edouard Julien, 2B
2. Alex Kirilloff, DH
3. Byron Buxton, CF
4. Max Kepler, RF
5. Carlos Correa, SS
6. Matt Wallner, LF
7. Carlos Santana, 1B
8. Willi Castro, 3B
9. Christian Vázquez, C
Louie Varland, P

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