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The Minnesota Twins have had an up-and-down season. After dominating in May, the Twins have cooled off significantly. Pablo Lopez's shoulder injury sent Minnesota spiraling, and manager Rocco Baldelli lost another starter. Bailey Ober joins Lopez and Zebby Matthews on the injured list and will be out for two weeks.
Ober is out with a hip impingement, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. The starter labored through his last start, and Baldelli knew something was wrong when he pulled him from their game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. The team is still determining just how severe the injury is, but Ober will not pitch for a while.
Losing another top-line starter is a tough blow to an already depleted starting rotation. Baldelli has been unable to recreate the magic from earlier in the season thanks to the problems on the mound. After being near the top of their division, the Twins are barely ahead of the Kansas City Royals for third place in the American League Central division.
As they have slid down the standings, trade rumors involving Minnesota have grown louder and louder. The July 31 deadline looms over the entire league, putting pressure on contenders and teams on the fringe. The Twins are the latter, and the top teams in Major League Baseball will reach out about their stars, including Lopez.
Ober's name is another one being thrown around in trade talks in early July. However, his injury complicates things further. The Twins could decide to wait until Lopez, Ober, and Matthews are all back on the mound to see what they have. However, Lopez is still weeks away and Ober's hip could turn into a nagging issue.
Needless to say, the Twins and Baldelli are at a crossroads. This month was going to go a long way into determining their long-term plans. With multiple starters out, though, Minnesota's choice might have just been made for them.
