Miguel Sano left off Twins’ Wild Card roster

Twins slugger remains out with an injury and will miss the Wild Card Game.

Twins star slugger Miguel Sano will not play against the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game Tuesday night. After initial reports suggested Sano may come off the bench, the Twins confirmed his inactivity early Tuesday. Sano may return for the ALDS, if the Twins advance, but he’s out for the Wild Card game for sure. Minnesota announced its 25-man Wild Card roster early Tuesday:

The 24-year-old missed most of September with a shin injury, but returned for the season’s final series. However, after eight at-bats, Sano returned to the bench once again. He experienced soreness in his shin during the season finale and exited the game earlier than the organization had hoped he would.

Although Twins manager Paul Molitor had declared that Sano would not be in the starting line-up for the Wild Card, a lot of people around the league thought he’d come off the bench. Sano’s absence is a big blow to Minnesota as he’s one of the team’s young, motivational characters. Sano’s electricity with his bat has guided the Twins into the playoffs after a 103-loss season in 2016, one of the most remarkable one-year turnarounds in MLB history. Sano is currently hitting .264 with 28 homers on the season. In addition, he’s managed to rack up 77 RBIs.

Next: Top 10 Baseball Cities

The Twins will travel to New York on Tuesday night to square off against the Yankees. Sano’s injury is a big blow to Minnesota. However, much like the Yankees, the Twins thrive off the energy of critics counting them out. Minnesota will be playing with a chip on its shoulder on Tuesday in the Bronx as it strives to show the baseball world that the Twins are here to stay. The Twins can make a serious statement if they manage to knock off the Yankees at 8 p.m. ET.