There are worse predicaments, though. Byron Buxton had four bats made for Players Weekend, three of them painted with the name of one of his three sons, and one with the entire family. He homered, too — using the whole-family bat.
“Probably for the best,” Buxton said. “Don’t want a kid saying, ‘Dad, why did you hit one for him and not me?’ ”
Outfielder Alan Roden, acquired in exchange for Louie Varland and Ty France moments before the trade deadline last month, will not play again this season, the Twins determined Sunday, because of the ligament damage he suffered in his left thumb while sliding home during a game Thursday. Roden was put on the 60-day injured list and will be examined by a hand specialist this week, with surgery a possibility.
That, and the decision to send righthander Travis Adams to Class AAA St. Paul after he gave up four walks and two hits while retiring only four batters Saturday, opened a roster spot for lefthander Génesis Cabrera, who joined the team Sunday.
Cabrera, who signed a minor league contract Tuesday, is a seven-year big-league veteran reliever who has 290 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA in 303 career innings.