Ryan Kreidler deserves credit for his strong showing against the Athletics on Sunday. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and an RBI. Not to mention, he stole third base twice.
However, that doesn't erase the fact that the utilityman has struggled immensely this month. Kreidler entered July with a .287/.357/.505 slash line . Now, he is hitting just .244/.301/.419 after slashing an abysmal .169/.197/.271 in July .
That doesn't mean that Minnesota should move on from Kreidler. He can play solid defense all around the diamond, including at shortstop and center field. But it probably means it's time to move on from him as the club's starting shortstop.
Luckily, the Twins' top shortstop prospect, Kaelen Culpepper, returned from the Triple-A injured list this past weekend . Minnesota should strongly consider promoting Culpepper to take over the starting shortstop role and have Kreidler move back to a utility role where he plays a few times a week rather than every game.
Culpepper has slashed a strong .268/.371/.483 (118 wRC+) with 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 16 stolen bases across 66 games this season. He has already been on the IL twice this year, which is a bit concerning long-term, but he's currently healthy.
The Twins don't necessarily need a huge offensive boost, as the club ranks first in the American League in runs scored, but the team should still prepare for regression and retool the offense when needed. Kreidler clearly hasn't been working out as the starting shortstop lately. He has had the best season of his career at the plate by far while playing solid defense, but if he continues to hit how he has this month, Minnesota must make a change at shortstop.
Promoting Culpepper before the season's end seems like the right move for the Twins no matter what. If the team remains in the postseason race, Culpepper could be a spark plug for the lineup that is likely due for regression. And if the Twins fall out of playoff contention, Minnesota should want to give Culpepper MLB experience in preparation for future seasons.
The only real downside in calling up Culpepper this year is that we may be headed toward a lockout , which could lead to many, if not all, of next season's games being canceled. If next season is canceled and the Twins call up Culpepper this year, then 2027 would be a wasted year of service time for the promising prospect.
This article was originally published on www.puckettspond.com as Ryan Kreidler's struggles make the Twins' next call-up obvious .
