Arraez carted off field with right ankle sprain

KANSAS CITY -- Twins rookie sensation Luis Arraez was carted off at Kauffman Stadium following the seventh inning of Saturday afternoon's 4-3 win over the Royals after a collision on the field. Initial tests revealed a sprained right ankle, and Arraez will undergo further evaluation. The club did not offer a potential timeline for his return.

Though Arraez was clearly distraught as he was removed from the game, he was laughing with his teammates and seemed in generally good spirits in the clubhouse following the win, though he could not move around without the aid of crutches.

"He’s already in there breaking a few smiles and seemingly doing a little better than he probably initially thought," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He was definitely scared at the time that it happened, and I don’t blame him. But at least we’ve got some pretty good initial news, and we're just going to go with a right ankle sprain, and that’s seemingly what it is right now."

Arraez would almost certainly have been in the starting lineup when the Twins open the American League Division Series on Friday against the Yankees. In that regard, the four off-days between Sunday's regular-season finale and the start of the ALDS couldn't come at a better time for Minnesota, which can evaluate Arraez's condition for several days before making a decision as to his availability.

"He's a huge part of the team," said designated hitter Nelson Cruz, whose 41st homer in the eighth inning secured the Twins 101st victory and a series win over the Royals. "Definitely, we're a better team when he's playing. So hopefully, he's ready for Friday."

Arraez, who made the start at third base on Saturday, cut in front of the mound as he tracked a high popup above the infield grass, and he collided with first baseman Willians Astudillo, who gloved the ball for the third out of the frame. While Astudillo appeared to be fine after falling to the ground, Arraez grabbed his right leg and remained down for several seconds as Baldelli and head athletic trainer Tony Leo raced out of the dugout.

"It’s nobody’s fault," Baldelli said. "There were a lot of people in a very small space, and the height of the popup probably just forced everyone to kind of rush over there at the same time. It’s kind of like a free for all on those plays, that’s how those plays kind of work."

The Twins eventually summoned for a cart as Arraez did not appear able to place any weight on his injured leg.

Arraez has been one of the most pleasant surprises among many for the 2019 Twins, as the previously unheralded prospect was first called up to the Major Leagues in May as an injury replacement before he quickly became a lineup mainstay due to his uncanny contact ability and eye at the plate.

He is hitting .334/.399/.439 with four homers and 20 doubles in 92 games, and he is one of only six players in the AL this season with three hitting streaks of at least 10 games.

"He's hitting .330-something since he's been here," said reliever Tyler Duffey, who was on the mound for the collision play. "It's a guy you want to have in your order. I know everyone's kind of sighing. Nothing's broken, thank God. We'll see how he feels tomorrow and hopefully we have a couple days where he can move around and not have to be in games. Hopefully, he'll be ready to rock."