Twins catcher Joe Mauer is still experiencing concussion symptoms
By Brad Rowland
It’s been a lost season for the Minnesota Twins, and the news isn’t improving for the team’s best player.
Star catcher Joe Mauer suffered a concussion on August 19th, and according to a published report from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he is “not close” to returning to the lineup. In the same article, Mauer was quoted as saying that “this process has been a little longer than (he) hoped”, and despite picking up the pace of his workouts recently, tangible progress is hard to decipher.
With Minnesota at 61-77 and firmly out of the playoff race, the team can afford to be especially careful with Mauer. At the age of 30, Mauer was turning in yet another stellar season before he exited stage right. His .324/.404/.476 slash line ranks among the game’s elite, and he is still churning out top-notch defensive play at an advancing age.
The Twins have a unique perspective on concussion-related issues, as the team famously dealt with Justin Morneau over a period of years. However, this is different simply because of Mauer’s status as the team’s “franchise” player, and they desperately need to be right going forward. The final verdict may not be along for a while, but stay tuned for more updates as they arrive.