On the verge of returning from a thumb injury that has sidelined him since late July, Minnesota Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe will officially begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
While the length of Plouffe's stay in the minors is ultimately dependent on how quickly he can prove to Minnesota brass that his thumb is 100%, the 26-year-old infielder told the Pioneer Press that he feels completely fine swinging a bat. "The last couple days we've been able to hit with no pain," Plouffe said. "It's something that won't fully heal until the offseason but it's manageable right now and feels good enough to swing, so that's enough for me."
Considering that Plouffe's biggest contributions this season have come at the plate, this sounds like an extremely promising sign for the burgeoning power hitter. After posting a terrible .121 average in April and then .185 in May, Plouffe's power explosion in the month of June where he belted 11 home runs ultimately forced the Twins to keep him in their daily lineup, and he has yet to disappoint.
Itching to get back on the field after sitting out 18 games, Plouffe is hopeful that he can return to the Twins on Monday to open up a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers. If not, it's expected that Plouffe will be activated in time for Minnesota's brutal 10-game road trip that starts in Seattle on Friday.
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