Twins place rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper on the injured list with a mild left hamstring strain

Minnesota Twins' young shortstop Kaelen Culpepper was placed on the injured list with a minor left hamstring strain on Wednesday, halting his impressive first game. The injury occurred during a double-play ground ball in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees. Culpepper was immediately removed from the game and later recalled infielder Ben Ross from Triple-A St. Paul to replace him on the active roster.

The rookie, who hit a home run in his first major league game on August 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers, has batted .275 with five doubles, three homers, 15 runs, and 11 RBIs in 31 games. Culpepper is one of the top five prospects from Minnesota on MLB's 2026 ranking. Manager Derek Shelton expressed excitement over Culpepper's performance, stating that he has "done really good things for us."

The injured shortstop is expected to return for the final two games of the regular season, as his mild strain does not prohibit his return.