Why time was now for Keaschall's Tommy John surgery

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins knew that right UCL surgery was eventually coming for Luke Keaschall (Minnesota's No. 5 prospect, No. 90 overall), so they took the opportunity to get ahead of the issue.

From a developmental standpoint, Keaschall has already done everything the Twins could have hoped for in an immensely successful first full season in the Minor Leagues. Minnesota's 2023 second-round Draft pick succeeded with both High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita this season, slashing .303/.420/.483 in 102 games across the two levels.

So with little left for Keaschall to show in his development in what remains of this season, the time was now for the 21-year-old to undergo the Tommy John surgery he needed. The Twins hope it will have Keaschall ready for a full Spring Training and regular season in 2025.

“So the reason we went ahead and did it now rather than waiting until the end of the year is we just want to make sure he gets off to another great start next year,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “Nothing abnormal about it … he's going to have a traditional Tommy John surgery return timeline.”

The Tommy John return timeline for a position player like Keaschall should put him in position to get back in action by next spring, Falvey said, instead of the prolonged year-plus recovery experienced by most pitchers who undergo the UCL repair procedure.

That timeline is key. Next year is going to be critical for not only Keaschall’s development as he attacks the high Minors, but it now seems to be the season in which he could ascend to and impact the Twins’ Major League roster for the first time.

Again, the Twins had some sense when they drafted Keaschall out of Arizona State in 2023 that this kind of procedure would eventually be necessary -- and it’s something they’ve experienced in the past with Miguel Sanó and Alex Kirilloff, for example.

Rather than wait for Keaschall's UCL to eventually worsen to the point where their hand would be forced, choosing their own timeline allows the Twins to ensure that the seemingly inevitable procedure won’t serve as an unexpected roadblock at some other point along the way.

“He's played through it and could play through it for a while,” Falvey said. “We made the determination a little while back now, knowing our timing.”

Thanks to his continually developing power, maturity and swing decisions at the plate, Keaschall is now one of six Twins prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list, along with Walker Jenkins (No. 4), Brooks Lee (No. 12), Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 25), David Festa (No. 85) and Zebby Matthews (No. 98).

And with a repaired UCL in tow, keep an eye out for the quickly rising talent to make an impact in Fort Myers come February.