Brent Rooker will make his major league debut today in the Twins outfield as they play a doubleheader against Detroit, the start of a five-game series at Target Field.
Right fielder Max Kepler is going on the 10-day injured list because of a groin issue.
"With a muscle injury, even a very minor muscle injury, the last thing we're going to do is rush any of our guys back out there to play with something that could potentially get worse," manager Rocco Baldelli said. He expects Kepler to be fine after 10 days.
La Velle and RandBall have a pregame podcast here.
Rooker, 25, had 14 homers at Class AAA Rochester last season and was at the St. Paul site until today. He'll wear No. 50, bat seventh and play left field in the opener.
"He hits the ball very hard," Baldelli said. "He can hit the ball very far when he does it like he wants."
Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez are sitting out the opener. Buxton will be out his second consecutive game after coming off the IL with a shoulder injury, and Arraez tweaked his left knee in Wednesday's game.
There will be 20 games in the major leagues on Friday, including five doubleheaders, and that's the most in a single day in 46 years.
