Inside The Twins

Twins lineup vs. Braves: Luke Keaschall starts in debut, Correa returns

Highly-touted prospect Luke Keaschall is the Twins' DH and hitting eighth in his MLB debut Friday night in Atlanta.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli (5) looks over paperwork during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Sep 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli (5) looks over paperwork during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Twins

Luke Keaschall, the Twins' No. 3 prospect, has officially been called up and is in the starting lineup for Friday night's series opener in Atlanta. He's hitting eighth as Minnesota's DH in his MLB debut.

Utility man Mickey Gasper has been optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Because the Twins also needed to create a spot on their 40-man roster for Keaschall, they've designated injured pitcher Matt Canterino for assignment.

Carlos Correa (wrist) is back in the Twins' lineup. He didn't start Wednesday's game against the Mets but was able to come in as a defensive replacement after Willi Castro (oblique) had to leave the game.

Here's the full lineup:

Edouard Julien 2B
Byron Buxton CF
Ty France 1B
Trevor Larnach LF
Carlos Correa SS
Ryan Jeffers C
Brooks Lee 3B
Luke Keaschall DH
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. RF

Chris Paddack starts on the mound for the Twins against the Braves' Bryce Elder. Harrison Bader, who leads Minnesota in batting average and RBI, is a notable exclusion from the lineup. Castro is also absent, although his injury apparently doesn't require an IL stint. So is Jonah Bride, who the Twins acquired from the Marlins for cash considerations on Wednesday.

Keaschall, a second-round pick out of Arizona State in 2023, is the Twins' reigning minor league player of the year. A consensus top-75 prospect in baseball, he posted a .903 OPS across two levels last season. He had a .727 OPS in 14 games at Triple-A this season and was called up out of necessity due to injuries to Castro and Matt Wallner, who is on the IL with a hamstring strain.

After wearing No. 74 on his jersey with the Twins in spring training, Keaschall has been given No. 15 for his first taste of the big leagues.

Injuries to Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee opened the door for Gasper to make the Twins' Opening Day roster, but he was just 2 for 18 with a pair of singles in limited playing time. He could be back with the Twins at some point if infield depth is needed.

Canterino, once an exciting pitching prospect, has seen his career derailed by injuries. He's currently missing a third consecutive full season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

First pitch between the Twins and Braves is at 6:15 p.m. CT. The game will be exclusively televised on Apple TV+.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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