The word is that Twins first baseman Joe Mauer was hoping to be back sometime this weekend for a big series against Cleveland, but now it looks like he might not return from the disabled list until next week.
If you want an idea of how important Mauer is to the Twins, consider what has happened to the team since he went on the disabled list because of a strained neck and concussion symptoms May 19.
The Twins were 18-22 at that point, but their offense was performing OK. They were hitting .244 with a .314 on-base percentage and averaging 4.2 runs per game, but their pitching was struggling.
Since Mauer has been sidelined, the offense has sputtered. The team was 4-7 without him going into Thursday, averaging 3.6 runs per game and hitting a paltry .212 with a .294 on-base percentage.
Before these past two games, the pitching staff had been much better, but it hasn't mattered because the offense hasn't scored enough runs.
Of course, Mauer was the most consistent player on the roster with a .404 on-base percentage, which still rates as the fifth best in the AL, and there's no question that his presence in the batting order did wonders for everyone around him.
Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey broke down what Mauer means to the team earlier this season.
"Joe is such a patient at-bat, and if you look back at his career there's so many good years offensively, not only coming in the form of just hits, but the walks, on-base, the ability to score runs," he said. "It's a big part of what he has been and what he continues to be for us."