Midweek Stock Report: Kepler rewriting Twins' rookie record books

By foxsports
Published

Every Wednesday, FOX Sports North takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.

With that in mind, let's take stock of the current Minnesota sports scene.

Max Kepler, Twins outfielder

Kepler had a monstrous week for the Minnesota Twins, becoming the first Minnesota rookie to hit three home runs in one game and going 9-for-19 at the plate with 10 RBI and five homers. Despite spending more than a month in Triple-A to start the season Kepler has played his way into Rookie of the Year consideration. The German-born 23-year-old leads all American League rookies in RBI (46) and home runs (15), and ranks second in runs-scored (36) through just 63 games.

Brian Dozier, Twins second baseman

Dozier may not have lived up to his All-Star potential early in the season, but the veteran infielder has taken aim at his critics with an at-the-plate PR campaign. Dozier racked up 12 hits in 33 at-bats last week, tacking on seven extra-base hits for good measure and driving in six runs.

Joe Mauer, Twins first baseman

Age and injuries seem to be catching up with Mauer this season, but the Minnesota native turned back the clock last week. This was vintage Mauer, as the former AL MVP went 10-for-22 at the plate, batting .455 with a whopping 1.419 OPS. Mauer smacked six extra-base hits, including just the 27th triple of his 13-year MLB career.

Miguel Sano, Twins third baseman

The Twins are riding high after racking up 22 runs in just two games, but Sano's bat has gone largely silent. The second-year slugger was benched on Tuesday and has just three hits in his last 19 at-bats. He has two doubles over that span, but Sano hasn't homered since July 23, and has just three in his last 20 games.

Riley Tufte, Minnesota Duluth hockey recruit

Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune reports that Tufte suffered a broken wrist at USA Hockey's 2016 National Junior Evaluation Camp on Monday during a game against Sweden. A standout at Blaine High School, Tufte was drafted No. 25 overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Tufte says he'll be ready for the start of the college hockey season, but it's an unfortunate setback for one of the most exciting freshmen in the league.

Fernando Abad, former Twins reliever

Abad made his Boston Red Sox debut on Tuesday just a day after being dealt at the deadline for minor-leaguer Pat Light, and promptly blew his first save opportunity with his new team. The 30-year-old reliever was tagged with the loss after Mariners slugger Robinson Cano converted a misplaced curveball into a three-run homer.

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