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 second I stepped in the box, you go out there and compete,” Keaschall said. “It wasn’t like, oh, I’m afraid to get hit or something like that. None of that fear.”
The speed of this reset, rebuild, whatever buzz word 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.”