Luke Keaschall homers in return to Twins lineup after three-month injury absence

DETROIT – Luke Keaschall, activated from a three-month stint on the injured list Tuesday, played only seven major league games before he was hit by a pitch and broke his right forearm.

With the way Keaschall played in those seven games — seven hits in 19 at-bats, three doubles, a .538 on-base percentage and five stolen bases — he made quite an impression on manager Rocco Baldelli, who was surprised it was only seven games.

“Is that all he played? Wow, it felt like more than that,” Baldelli said. “They were seven good games. We have a good idea of all the things that Luke Keaschall does. We think he’s an exciting player to say the least.”

In the first inning Tuesday night against former Twins pitcher Chris Paddack, Keaschall got things off to an electrifying start by launching an 0-1 pitch 402 feet into the left-center stands for a two-run homer, his first in the big leagues.

In the fifth inning, he worked a full count before hitting an RBI single.

Even before the Twins’ massive trade deadline sell-off, team officials viewed Keaschall, 22, as a player they want to build around.

By the end of Keaschall’s first week in the big leagues, at the end of April, he was already batting third in the Twins lineup. He had a hit in each of his first six games. He batted in the five-spot on Tuesday.

The Twins optioned outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to Class AAA to make room for Keaschall on the 26-man active roster.

Keaschall, who underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a ligament in his right elbow last August, will be limited to second base and designated hitter over the final two months of the season. He played some outfield in the minor leagues last year, but the Twins will wait until the offseason before he begins any work on that again.

The feel for hitting, Keaschall said, came back quickly after his forearm healed. He traveled to the Twins complex in Fort Myers, Fla., so he could receive a number of live at-bats. Then he played 14 games on a Class AAA rehab assignment.

“It takes a little bit to get your eyes back and your feel,” Keaschall said. “But I feel like it’s come back pretty fast. I didn’t feel like I was super far behind. Not clicking on all cylinders right away, but pretty close.”

There was no trepidation, Keaschall said, about seeing inside pitches again.

The speed of this reset, rebuild, whatever buzzword a person wants to describe the state of the organization in a lost season, will partially be determined on how quickly players like Keaschall can establish themselves in the majors.

“He makes things happen on the field,” Baldelli said. “He’s active. He plays hard. He’s got a good, short, compact, strong swing. He’s done nothing but perform exceptionally well, really, since he signed. I’m excited to get him back in there.”

The Twins claimed reliever Brooks Kriske off waivers from the Cubs after he was designated for assignment Saturday. In four games with Chicago, Kriske pitched six scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

The 31-year-old righthander also has played for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals.

Reliever Darren McCaughan, who was called up from St. Paul on Monday but did not pitch, was designated for assignment to make room for Kriske on the 40-man roster.

* Former Twins reliever Jorge Alcala was designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. Alcala had a 3.31 ERA in 19 appearances. The Twins traded Alcala in June for High-A infielder Andy Lugo, who is batting .309 with three homers and 11 RBI in 28 games since joining his new organization.

* Center fielder Byron Buxton will not rejoin the Twins lineup during this road trip, Baldelli confirmed, as he continues to recover from inflammation in his left ribcage. Buxton sustained the injury when he collided against the center-field wall for a catch July 26, and he had trouble breathing afterward.

* The Twins plan to deploy another bullpen game Wednesday against Detroit. Joe Ryan, who could pitch on regular rest, will likely start Friday.