Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is accustomed to spending his days surrounded by his team, but his future is about to take a unique turn. After a 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Baldelli announced that he would be going on paternity leave. His wife, Allie, is expecting twin boys in the coming days.
The news of twins has brought great delight to the Baldelli family. Rocco expressed their excitement, stating, “It’s twins, and we didn’t know what to expect and we didn’t know or even anticipate making it this far.” He also added that they have reached the end of the term that was laid out for them, which is a positive sign for the babies’ health. Allie, thankfully, is still feeling well.
Baldelli’s paternity leave will temporarily leave him absent from his managerial duties. After the series finale against the White Sox, the Twins will head to Cincinnati for a three-game series before returning home for a six-game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels. During his absence, bench coach Jayce Tingler will take charge of the team.
As for when Baldelli will return to the team, there is no set plan yet. He stated, “I don’t have a plan for a return yet. I’m not sure when that’s going to be.” Baldelli’s priority is to ensure that his wife and the twins are doing well before he considers coming back to work. The well-being of his family is of utmost importance to him.
In Baldelli’s absence, the pitching rotation will see some adjustments. Right-handers Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, and Bailey Ober will be the listed starting pitchers for the upcoming series against the Reds. However, Baldelli mentioned that left-hander Dallas Keuchel will be moved to the bullpen for now due to his recent struggles. Keuchel has yet to secure a win in September and has an unsatisfactory 8.03 ERA in three starts.
Baldelli also hinted at the possibility of further changes to the pitching rotation as the regular season nears its end. He explained, “We have five guys right now that are in the rotation currently, and that could change. We could end up with a different five guys. We could end with six guys. We could end up with four guys in the rotation towards the end of the regular season.”
Rocco Baldelli’s life is about to take an exciting turn as he awaits the arrival of his twin boys. His temporary absence from managing the Minnesota Twins will be filled by bench coach Jayce Tingler. While the Twins adjust their pitching rotation, Baldelli remains focused on his growing family and their well-being. The future may hold more surprises, including further changes to the team as the regular season progresses.
Leave a Reply