It’s always exciting when a top prospect gets that call he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
For Luke Keaschall, that call came a lot quicker than many expected. The young slugger received the news on Thursday that he would catch a flight to meet the suddenly injury-hampered Minnesota Twins for their first game of their series against the Atlanta Braves.
It will be a treat to watch him take his first at-bat. Hopefully, he can provide a jolt for a Twins lineup that could use it.
But even with that excitement, many Twins fans still have some questions about this top prospect.
What will his immediate role be with the club?
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, tempering expectations for Keaschall is probably prudent. Ride the excitement of his promotion, but be aware that he might not be stepping into a major role with the big league club.
Not yet, at least.
He’s stepping into an infield picture that, while in flux, still has plenty of usable options that might get priority as the club tries to dig out of its current hole.
The incumbent second baseman, Edouard Julien, has been one of the bright spots of Minnesota’s lineup lately thanks to better swing decisions, more hits going the other way, and even a little more power than we saw last season.
It’s hard to imagine Keaschall immediately supplanting Julien, especially against right-handed pitchers. But he could come in later in those games should an opposing southpaw take the mound later. We could also see Keaschall get a start against left-handed hurlers, such as Chris Sale on Saturday afternoon. Good luck going up against the reigning NL Cy Young winner, kid.
What does this mean for his recovery from elbow surgery?
Part of the surprise to Keaschall’s early-season promotion centers on the fact that he is still recovering from elbow surgery that took place last August. He has mostly taken the field for partial games thus far in 2025 (though he did play a full nine innings on Tuesday night), and all indications are that he’s been feeling good while shaking off the rust.
But if he’s still limited, it could mean anything from routine full days off to plenty of time as the designated hitter. It could even mean an increase in pinch-hit opportunities, both with Keaschall as the substitution and as the player getting substituted. Theoretically, based on the rest of the remaining roster, Keaschall may not need to take the field if the club is so inclined to limit his exposure while keeping his recovery in mind.
What happens if he thrives?
The most entertaining question to ponder with Keaschall’s promotion is the hypothetical where he comes up and instantly thrives. The most likely outcome is that he gets a short stint and returns to the minor leagues when injured players such as Willi Castro, Matt Wallner, and even Royce Lewis return to the field.
However, the best-case scenario has Keaschall making that decision extremely difficult for Minnesota’s brass. And it’s not like that outcome requires a massive stretch of the imagination. There’s a reason he entered the year as the 57th-ranked global prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Keaschall’s minor league track record (albeit brief) has been nothing short of tremendous. Keaschall has a combined .297/.415/.470 (.885 OPS) slashline across his 147 games as a pro. Not only is that stellar production from a recent draftee, but it’s eerily reminiscent of another former top prospect known for his prodigious bat-to-ball skills.
The great Joe Mauer had nearly twice as much experience in the minor leagues when all was said and done (including a handful of rehab assignments throughout his career), and produced a .328/.403/.423 clip at the various minor league levels.
Am I assuring you that Keaschall will be as good as a Hall of Fame catcher? Of course not, but they share many of the same skills, and they both turned heads instantly upon being drafted.
So, will these questions get straight answers in the near future as Keaschall’s age starts tonight? Maybe not, but Twins fans should keep an eye on their newest exciting youngster just in case.
