Matt Wallner Injury News & Updates

Wallner is absent from the lineup Wednesday for Game 4 of the ALDS versus the Astros.

Wallner drew two walks in Game 3 but has yet to record a hit through 12 plate appearances this postseason. Willi Castro will cover left field and bat seventh Wednesday as the Twins look to avoid elimination. Michael Taylor is in center and batting ninth.

Wallner is not in the lineup for Game 2 of the ALDS at Houston on Sunday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Wallner is 0-for-6 with a walk and a run through the first three games of the playoffs, and he'll take a seat Sunday with lefty Framber Valdez pitching for the Astros.

Wallner is not in the lineup Friday against the Rockies.

Jordan Luplow will start in left field and bat third versus the Rockies and left-hander Ty Blach. Wallner has struggled to a .481 OPS in 46 plate appearances against southpaws this season.

Wallner went 1-for-3 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Athletics.

Wallner took part in the Twins' five-run first inning, launching a grand slam after Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff and Kyle Farmer were walked in back-to-back-to-back at-bats. Though the long ball was his only hit on the day, Wallner came around to score in the seventh inning after being intentionally walked. Over his last 13 contests, Wallner is 14-for-36 (.389) with two homers, 10 RBi and eight runs scored.

Wallner is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Reds.

This breaks a string of eight straight starts for Wallner. He hit .423 with one home run, four runs and five RBI in 26 at-bats over that stretch. Andrew Stevenson is picking up a rare start in left field.

Wallner is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

Though the Twins are facing off against a right-hander (Tyler Glasnow) in the series opener, the lefty-hitting Wallner will retreat to the bench, ending a stretch of 15 consecutive starts for the rookie. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli may just want to give Wallner a day off to hit the reset button after going hitless with eight strikeouts against four walks over his last five starts.

Wallner went 3-for-6 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Guardians.

Wallner knocked an RBI single in the seventh inning before capping off the Twins' 20-run outburst with a two-run shot in the ninth. He drove in three runs against the Rangers on Aug. 25 but had gone 3-for-24 (.125) with just one RBI in eight games since then. After Monday's big performance, Wallner is slashing .235/.354/.503 with 18 extra-base hits and 29 RBI through 181 plate appearances.

Wallner went 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, three RBI and three runs scored in Friday's win over Texas. He was also hit by a pitch.

Wallner knocked a three-run triple in the first inning and later scored two more runs. He had been stuck in a 3-for-15 skid with eight strikeouts and no RBI since belting a grand slam Aug. 15 before snapping out of the funk Friday. Wallner is now slashing .244/.350/.528 with 16 extra-base hits and 25 RBI through 143 plate appearances.

Wallner isn't in the Twins' lineup Thursday against the Rangers, John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The lefty-hitting Wallner will sit out Thursday while the lefty-throwing Andrew Heaney starts on the mound for Texas. Jordan Luplow, Michael Taylor and Max Kepler will start in the outfield from left to right while Wallner rests.

Wallner is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

Though the lefty-hitting Wallner started in both of the past two games when the Twins opposed left-handed pitchers, he'll curiously bow out of the lineup Wednesday versus Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes. Jordan Luplow will instead draw the start in left field in place of Wallner, who has struck out at a 36.1 percent clip and is batting .200 in August but has provided value with four home runs, one stolen base, 13 RBI and 10 runs.

Wallner (hand) is starting in right field and batting eighth Sunday against the Pirates.

Wallner sat out Saturday with a bruised hand after being hit by a pitch Friday, but he'll rejoin the starting nine for Sunday's series finale. The 25-year-old has an .811 OPS through 16 games this month but his hitting just .220 with a 34.5 percent strikeout rate.

Wallner (hand) will sit Saturday against the Pirates.

Wallner was initially included in the Twins' lineup, but the team elected to give him one more day after he left Friday's series opener after getting hit in the hand. X-rays came back negative, but he'll rest his bruised digits Saturday while Joey Gallo handles left field.

X-rays on Wallner's right hand came back negative, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Wallner departed Friday's game against the Pirates after a pitch he swung at struck him in the hand. He's managed to avoid a serious injury, though, and is considered day-to-day. "We got lucky," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, "and we'll take that."

Wallner has been diagnosed with a right hand contusion after exiting Friday's game versus the Pirates following a hit by pitch, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Wallner was struck on the hand after a swing at a pitch in the seventh inning. It is not clear at this point whether he has had an X-ray yet or whether he needs one. Wallner went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored before departing.

Wallner left Friday's game against Pittsburgh in the 7th inning after getting hit in the right hand by a pitch, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Wallner was in obvious pain when he was hit. He was replaced by Joey Gallo in left field. Wallner will likely have tests after the game to determine the severity of the injury.

Wallner went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Detroit.

The 25-year-old outfielder delivered the decisive blow Tuesday by launching a center-cut fastball from Will Vest over the right-center field fence for a 450-foot grand slam. Wallner's long ball capped off a five-run rally in the sixth inning and gave Minnesota a 5-2 lead. The rookie has displayed an impressive power surge since being recalled from Triple-A on July 17, tallying eight home runs in just 85 at-bats. However, the same 27-game stretch has revealed some concerns about Wallner's plate discipline, as he has a 33.3% strikeout rate and a 7.3% walk rate.

Wallner is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Wallner will be joined on the bench by fellow left-handed hitters Joey Gallo and Edouard Julien as the Tigers bring southpaw Joey Wentz to the hill for the series opener. Jordan Luplow will pick up the start in left field in place of Wallner, who appears on track to hold down a strong-side platoon role at least until the Twins get Alex Kirilloff (shoulder) back from the injured list.

Wallner went 1-for-4 with a walk-off two-run homer to beat the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Wallner delivered his first-career walk-off hit with a two-run blast off Paul Sewald to complete the series sweep for the Twins. Wallner has six homers and 12 RBI over his last 11 games. The 25-year-old has a .305 ISO in 97 plate appearances this season which would be ranked third in all of baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. Wallner is locked into an everyday role after the recent injury news to Byron Buxton and would seem to have a leg up on the struggling Joey Gallo even when Buxton returns.

Wallner went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBI against the Diamondbacks in Saturday's 12-1 victory.

Wallner enjoyed his sixth multi-hit game of the campaign and his first since he belted two homers against Seattle on July 26. Five of his past six hits (covering a nine-game span) had left the park coming into Saturday, but the 25-year-old was able to be productive without going deep against Arizona. Wallner pushed his season slash line to a strong .269/.387/.551 through 93 plate appearances on the campaign, and he's tallied six homers, four doubles, 14 RBI, 15 runs and a theft thus far.

Wallner went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Minnesota fell behind big early and was never really competitive in the contest, but Wallner continued to shine with his three-run, 431-foot blast in the seventh inning. The long ball was his fifth in his past seven games, a span during which all six of his hits (the five homers and one double) have gone for extra bases. Wallner has also struck out 10 times over 25 at-bats during that stretch, so he's the epitome of all-or-nothing at the moment.

Wallner went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Royals.

Wallner was the only lefty in the Twins' lineup facing left-hander Ryan Yarbrough and was the only hitter to do any damage. He's managed to hit five home runs over his last five games and seems to have a path to a near-everyday role after Alex Kirilloff went on the injured list with a right shoulder strain Sunday. Wallner's slashing a respectable .258/.378/.532 with nine RBI, 11 runs and a 7:21 BB:K in 74 plate appearances this season.

Wallner will start in right field and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals.

The lefty-hitting Wallner will descend to the bottom of the order with southpaw Ryan Yarbrough on the bump for Kansas City, but the fact that he's included in the lineup at all is a sign that he's gained the trust of the Twins' coaching staff. Since his call-up from Triple-A St. Paul on July 15, Wallner has turned what was expected to be a short-term stint in the big leagues into a near-everyday role. Though he's hitting just .200 with a 34.8 percent strikeout rate since his promotion, he's walked at a serviceable 8.7 percent clip and has made his eight hits count. Four of those eight hits have gone for extra bases, including three home runs.

Wallner went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's loss against the Mariners.

Wallner is up to four homers this season, three of which have come in the last two days. The 25-year-old outfielder has started nine straight games as injuries continue to mount for the Twins, going 8-for-31 (.258) over that span. Overall, Wallner is slashing an impressive .294/.419/.569 with eight RBI and nine runs scored through 62 plate appearances this season. Given his current role and power upside, Wallner is worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues.

Wallner went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's loss against the Mariners.

Wallner plated Max Kepler with a two-run homer off George Kirby in the first inning, marking the 25-year-old's second long ball of the campaign. However, he struck out in all three of his other at-bats for his second straight contest being punched out at least three times. Through 20 games, Wallner is slashing .277/.414/.447 with six RBI and seven runs scored while striking out at a 27.6 percent clip.

Wallner will start in left field and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Wallner will be making his sixth consecutive start after going 3-for-17 with two walks and two runs over his last five contests. His last four starts have come as a corner outfielder, but Wallner will presumably move to a bench role once Joey Gallo overcomes his bout with conjunctivitis.

Wallner was called up by the Twins on Saturday.

Wallner is up to replace Jose Miranda, who hit the injured list with a shoulder impingement. Wallner has exclusively appeared at the outfield corners for Triple-A St. Paul, so Miranda's absence doesn't necessarily open up a ton of playing time. Wallner spent brief stints in the majors in both April and May, posting a 1.099 OPS in 11 games. He's hit .291/.403/.524 for St. Paul, but it's taken a .399 BABIP to get there. His 28.5 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A could reach problematic levels in the majors.

The Twins optioned Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

Wallner was sent out to make room on the 26-man active roster for fellow outfielder Max Kepler (hamstring), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. During his six-day stint in the big leagues, Wallner appeared in five games and went 7-for-11 with a home run, a double, two walks, four RBI, two runs and a stolen base.

Wallner will be optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Wallner joined the big-league club Tuesday and went 7-for-11 with a homer, a double, four RBI and two runs over five games with the Twins. However, he'll head back to the minors since Max Kepler (hamstring) and Royce Lewis (knee) are set to be reinstated from the injured list Monday.

Wallner went 4-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and one run scored in Saturday's 9-7 win over Toronto.

Wallner was called up Tuesday from Triple-A with several outfielders out (Trevor Larnach, Max Kepler, Nick Gordon), but could force his way into the everyday lineup if he stays hot. He's 5-for-9 over his last three games.

The Twins recalled Wallner from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

With Trevor Larnach (illness) headed for the injured list, Wallner will get another chance to show what he can do in the majors. He spent a brief stint with the Twins in April, going 0-for-8 at the plate with four strikeouts.

Wallner was optioned Saturday to Triple-A St. Paul, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Wallner went 0-for-8 with one walk and four strikeouts during his six-game stint with the Twins. Max Kepler (knee) is returning to the Twins on Saturday in the Bronx.

Wallner is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Following his call-up from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Wallner started in three consecutive games in right field but went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts. Though the Twins currently have all of Royce Lewis (knee), Alex Kirilloff (wrist), Joey Gallo (intercostal), Jorge Polanco (knee) and Max Kepler (knee) on the injured list, Wallner's poor results since his call-up may have already put him on the outside looking for a regular role with the big club. The Twins called up second base Edouard Julien from Triple-A on St. Paul, and if he seizes hold of an everyday spot in the middle infield, Nick Gordon could end up replacing Wallner in the corner outfield on a regular basis.

Wallner was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

With both Max Kepler and Joey Gallo injured, Wallner could get some playing time in the short term. While Kepler isn't expected to be on the injured list very long, Wallner could force himself into the lineup mix if he gets off to a hot start. Wallner was 4-for-20 with a home run in five games at St. Paul.

Wallner was optioned to Triple-A Rochester by the Twins on Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Wallner was given a chance to win an outfield job with the Twins this spring, but he faced an uphill battle with Minnesota's outfield depth, and his .192/.276/.346 slash in 29 plate appearance in the Grapefruit League obviously didn't help. Wallner will likely be one of the first bats the Twins call on this spring if/when they need offensive help.

Wallner went 1-for-3 in Sunday's spring training loss to Detroit. He's hitting .250 with a home run and a .798 OPS in eight games this spring.

The odds looked against Wallner starting the season in the majors at the start of spring training, but an injury to Nick Gordon and slow comeback from wrist surgery for Alex Kirilloff make it a possibility. Wallner made his big-league debut in 2022 and hit 27 home runs in 128 games between Double-A and Triple-A, but he needs to reduced his strikeouts after having a 38.5 K% in 65 MLB plate appearances. He at least has an improved 25% K% this spring. Even if he begins the season in the minors, he'll likely get a shot with the Twins again at some point this summer.

Wallner isn't starting Friday against the Tigers.

Wallner started the last three games and went 3-for-10 with a home run, a double, five RBI, a stolen base, two walks and seven strikeouts. Mark Contreras will take over in right field and bat ninth Friday.

Wallner went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the White Sox.

Wallner gave the Twins a 3-2 lead in the second inning with a two-run double off righty starter Johnny Cueto and later tacked on an RBI single in the fourth. Following a recent 0-for-10 stretch, the outfielder has gone 3-for-7 with two extra-base hits and five RBI during his last two contests.

Wallner went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's victory against the White Sox.

Wallner took Lance Lynn deep for a two-run shot to open the bottom of the sixth frame, giving the Twins a 4-0 lead. The home run was his second of the season, both of which of come over the last 11 games following his promotion from Triple-A St. Paul on Sept. 17. Wallner now owns a .243 average with two homers, six RBI and three runs over his first 37 career at-bats.

Wallner is not in Sunday's lineup against the Angels.

The power-hitting lefty will head to the bench with southpaw Jose Suarez on the hill for the Angels. Jake Cave is starting in right field and batting eighth.

Wallner will start in right field and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Guardians.

Since having his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Wallner has now started in each of the Twins' subsequent four games. The 24-year-old, who 3-for-12 with a solo home run over the weekend, should continue to see steady run in right field while Max Kepler (wrist) is on the 10-day injured list.

Wallner went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and one strikeout Saturday against the Guardians in his big-league debut.

The 24-year-old corner outfielder has massive raw power and projects as a three true-outcomes masher in a best-case scenario. He hit .247/.376/.463 with six home runs, a 15.3 percent walk rate and a 27.5 percent strikeout rate in 50 games at Triple-A.