Kenta Maeda Injury: Potential return date and recovery timetable for Minnesota Twins pitcher 

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the 35-year-old veteran Kenta Maeda on Wednesday, as he allowed a career-high ten earned runs before exiting with soreness in his right arm. Fans are hoping for the best from the Japanese starter, who missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to Tommy John Surgery.

The Minnesota Twins announced today that Maeda will be shut down for 3-7 days after being diagnosed with a right tricep strain. While no one wants to see anyone hurt, there is a silver lining to the injury, as it is reportedly unrelated to his Tommy John Surgery.

"Triceps strain for Kenta Maeda. Shut down for 3-7 days til symptoms resolve. #MNTwins. Paparesta: "There's nothing that we've found that has any issues to do w/ his previous Tommy John ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery. So we treat it just like a muscle strain." - @DanHayesMLB

That being said, there is potential for him to be sidelined for several weeks depending on how his arm recovers. The Twins may also take their time with Maeda given the fact that he missed the entirety of last season.

“The positive part of this is that it’s not on the medial side [of the arm],” Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s not on the side where you would normally be very concerned. One way or the other, he’s going to need some time off. I can’t really speak to the specifics of it now.”

The right arm injury is just another in a stretch of bad luck for Kenta Maeda

It seems that when it rains, it pours for Kenta Maeda. During a matchup with the Boston Red Sox, Maeda was struck by a 111 mph line drive on the left ankle. While he managed to make the defensive play at first base, he soon crumpled to the ground and was attended to by the Twins' medical staff.

"Twins pitcher, Kenta Maeda took a 111.6mph line drive to the shin and got taken out of the game #MLB" - @sportskeeda_mlb

After a few minutes to regain his composure, Maeda was able to walk to the dugout. It was determined that Maeda avoided serious injury, having been diagnosed with a left ankle contusion following the line drive.

Hopefully, Maeda will be able to make a full recovery from his recent injury setback as he has been dominant at times when he is healthy. During his first season with the Twins in 2020, Maeda finished second in Cy Young voting behind only Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians.