Twins’ Top Prospect Austin Martin Shut Down Due to UCL Sprain; Could Miss Entire 2023 Season
The Minnesota Twins roster has already received a significant injury blow this spring, as they could be without shortstop Austin Martin all season.
Martin, the franchise’s No. 12 prospect, has been shut down from baseball activities until further notice after suffering a UCL sprain in his right elbow, reports The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman.
The right-hander appeared in just two exhibition contests thus far and was without a hit across four at-bats. He did, however, reach base once on a hit-by-pitch and registered a sac fly in his first outing of the spring.
The setback, which will likely sideline Martin for the remainder of the spring, could cost him his entire age-24 campaign. For now, though, it’s unclear if the talented infielder will ultimately require Tommy John surgery.
Martin is the latest Twin to suffer an injury this spring, joining versatile defender Nick Gordon (high ankle sprain), outfielder Gilberto Celestino (ruptured UCL in left thumb) and infielder Jose Miranda (right shoulder soreness).
The timing of this injury couldn’t be any worse for the soon-to-be 24-year-old, who was coming off an impressive showing at the Arizona Fall League, where he slashed .374/.454/.482 with one home run, 11 RBIs and swiped 10 bases over 21 games. He also earned more walks (eight) than strikeouts (seven).
Though Martin’s tenure as a Glendale Desert Dog was brief, it allowed the fifth overall selection from 2020 to rebound from his disappointing 2022 performance at double-A Wichita, where he amassedd a .241/.367/.315 slash line with an 89 wRC+ through 90 games.
The 6-foot middle infielder was impacted by a significant wrist injury, though, sidelining him for a month and a half before returning in mid-August. He finished respectably afterwards, posting a .382 OBP, a .356 wOBA and a 104 wRC+ across his final 15 games. Still, it wasn’t enough to make up for his previous offensive woes.
After witnessing his prospect stock plummet throughout last season, Martin looked rejuvenated when full-squad workouts began at the Twins’ training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., last month. And he was beaming with confidence ahead of a pivotal 2023 campaign.
“My ability to bounce back in the Fall League was huge for me in terms of confidence,” Martin told The Athletic on Feb. 20. “You always want to finish strong no matter what. And it was a tough year for me. But that’s baseball, man. That happens to the best of them. So it’s all about how you bounce back.”
Even if Martin avoids surgery, he will undoubtedly open the regular season on the injured list, making a first-half return extremely unlikely. His chances of returning post-All-Star break would be fairly encouraging, though.
The Twins acquired Martin and right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson in a 2021 blockbuster trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, sending José Berríos the other way. But, so far, the deal hasn’t exactly worked out for either side, with Berríos struggling to a career-worst 5.23 ERA last season.
Woods Richardson, meanwhile, made his MLB debut in 2022, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks while striking out three batters in five innings. The 22-year-old is expected to begin this season as a starter at triple-A St. Paul.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Andy Witchger. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.