Max Kepler seems OK after leaving Monday's Twins game because of knee pain

Twins right fielder Max Kepler didn't experience any swelling after he left Monday's game early against the Marlins because of a sore right knee.

"He actually woke up feeling pretty good," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters before Tuesday's game at Miami. "He's going to be OK."

Kepler wasn't in Tuesday's lineup as a precaution. He led off Monday's 11-1 rout of the Marlins with a home run, his first hit of the season, but was injured three innings later.

He probably won't play Wednesday afternoon either, because Miami is throwing lefthander Jesús Luzardo. Baldelli said Kepler could see some action off the bench in either game.

Kepler left Monday's game in the fourth inning when he came up limping after he beat out an infield hit. Baldelli said Kepler told him he felt pain when he awkwardly stepped on first base.

He was scheduled to have a MRI later Tuesday "just to be safe," the manager said.

Trevor Larnach moved from left field to right to replace Kepler and Nick Gordon took Kepler's leadoff spot. Willi Castro started in left and batted seventh.

"There are going to be days we are going to monitor as he's moving around," Baldelli said. "And we're going to pick a day or two in the name of getting him out there virtually every other day. He has been fantastic. He has probably been on the bases, triples and beating out balls and sprinting as fast as anyone in the game."

Baldelli said Buxton would be available off the bench Tuesday and will be back in Wednesday's lineup. Donovan Solano batted in Buxton's designated hitter spot, sixth in the order.

Baldelli told reporters before Tuesday's game that the Twins' rescheduled home opener won't change his team's plans and preparation a bit. The only difference, he said, in his lineup and pitching rotation is they'll come Friday, not Thursday.

The home opener now will be played Friday at 3:10 p.m. This is the fourth postponed home opener in club history, dating to 1961. Snow postponed it on April 13, 1962, cold and wet grounds did the same on April 22, 1972, and cold with rain/snow forecast moved it from April 7, 2022.

Friday had been kept open for this very scenario. Thursday's forecast called for temperatures in the upper 30s and high winds. A high of 51 degrees and sunny skies are expected at Target Field on Friday.

The Twins traded the batting champ in January for Wednesday's starting pitcher, Pablo López, and two teenage prospects, infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio.

"It's hard not to really love the time you have around Luis Arraez," Baldelli told the team's WCCO radio pregame show. "Wonderful human being. Wonderful teammate. Tremendous baseball player. Sometimes you trade players and look up and say, 'I wish that guy the absolute [best].' Sometimes you look up and say, 'You know what, you never know, maybe I'm going to work with that guy again someday.'

"That would be more than OK with me. That's the way I feel about him. He has been a great part of Twins history, and I'm sure he's going to keep playing well for a long time."