It's been a good week for the Twins, but they still have plenty of work to do to get into the postseason, work that isn't getting any easier because of some key injuries.All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau is already out for the season as is 10-game winner Kevin Slowey. Joining them on the shelf until 2010 is third baseman Joe Crede, who will have surgery on a herniated disk in his back next week.
This is hardly a surprise -- Crede has had procedures on his back in the past two seasons and he hasn't played in a week. It's also not even remotely as devastating a blow as losing Morneau or Slowey -- not with Crede's .225 average this season. But it hardly helps matters.
The Twins are stretched thin all over the diamond. On Sunday, Michael Cuddyer -- usually an outfielder -- filled in for Morneau at first base, Jason Kubel -- usually a designated hitter -- was in right field and Matt Tolbert -- a utility infielder who played only 44 of 413 career games in the minors at third base -- was at the hot corner.
If Minnesota is going to make up three games on the Tigers over the final two weeks of the season, it is going to have to do so with very little depth.
As for Crede, you have to wonder what the future holds. From 2004-06, he had three straight 20-homer seasons. In the three years since, he's played a total of 234 games, hitting .232, and, after next week, will have had three surgeries on his back in as many seasons.
The third baseman signed an incentive-laden one-year, $2.5 million deal this February with the Twins. He'll be a free agent again this offseason, and he'll probably be very lucky to get a guaranteed major league deal this time around.
