Good teams can sometimes win despite a rash of injuries. But for a team like the Twins, who already had such a slim margin for error coming into the season and were widely projected for a losing record, poor health often slams the door shut on any hopes of a competitive year in a way that just seems cruel.
First the Twins lost All-Star starter Pablo López to a season-ending elbow injury on the first day of spring training, followed shortly by starter David Festa getting shut down with lingering shoulder problems. In-season injuries to Mick Abel and Taj Bradley took another chunk out of the rotation's once-touted depth.
During the opening quarter of the season, the position players were remarkably healthy, but now that luck has run out, too. Ryan Jeffers suffered a fractured left hamate bone Monday and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks following wrist surgery, bringing the 28-year-old impending free agent's career-year to a screeching halt.
"It's completely out of my control," Jeffers said. "It doesn't matter how much I'd prepared my body to be healthy and get ready for the season. This is something that was just going to happen. I don’t think it puts a damper on anything I was doing. There’s a chance I'm back in 4 1/2, five weeks, and ready to rip again."