Kaelen Culpepper returned to the Twins' lineup on Tuesday after sitting out two games with a bruised shoulder from a 95 mph fastball, only to suffer a hamstring strain that requires an injured list stay that could end his season. He's technically eligible to come off the IL for the final two games.
It's a shame, because any additional big-league reps are valuable for a rookie, but Culpepper had already shown more than enough for the Twins to be encouraged about his outlook for 2027 and beyond. He hit .275/.333/.404 for a 107 OPS+ in 31 games and graded out neutral defensively despite a rough debut in Milwaukee.
Culpepper's strengths and weaknesses were largely as advertised. He chased too many pitches outside the strike zone and has to clean some things up defensively to be more consistent, but the 23-year-old shortstop's athleticism, arm strength, and bat speed looked legit and he struck out less than the league-wide average.
"Offensively, the comfort has been pretty good since he hit the ground running," manager Derek Shelton said. "Defensively, starting to see him just be more aware of what’s going on. You come to the big leagues and you're feeling everything out. I think he’s gotten to the point where it’s a little bit more natural for him."