Derek Shelton Likes What He Sees From Luke Keaschall in Right Field

Minnesota's manager praised Luke Keaschall's wall play in right field after the Twins took the series from Houston on Wednesday night.

Luke Keaschall spent the first 72 starts of his 2026 season at second base, where he racked up eight errors.

The bat was there, but the glove was not, and the Minnesota Twins knew something needed to change.

So when manager Derek Shelton moved the 23-year-old to right field in late June, there were real questions about whether a natural infielder could handle fly balls and wall play at the big league level.

Wednesday night went a long way toward answering some of those.

The Twins beat the Astros 8-3 in the rubber match at Daikin Park, and Keaschall was a big part of the win on both sides of the ball, going 1-for-2 with a solo homer off Bryan Abreu in the eighth.

But it was his defense that stood out to Shelton afterward.

"I think the thing that surprised me is how well he's played balls off the wall," Shelton said. "He's a really good athlete."

Shelton pointed to a specific play in the second inning, when Cam Smith doubled off the top of the right-field wall, as a play that showed the shift is working.

"I thought on the Cam Smith ball that hit off the top of the wall he made a really good play," Shelton said. "He did not go to the wall to try to do it, he played the ball off the wall."

That is awareness that normally takes outfielders time to develop, and for a guy who only started playing the position regularly about a week ago, the early results have been promising.

"If he's going to be aggressive and go after the ball we're going to be okay," Shelton added.

Keaschall enters the next stretch hitting .246 with three home runs, 25 RBI and 12 stolen bases this season.

The power has not been there, but his contact and speed give the Twins flexibility they did not have before, and if the defense keeps trending up, the move could end up being one of the smarter calls of the first half.

It helps that he does not have to carry the outfield alone.

Byron Buxton has been one of the best players in baseball at .268 with 25 home runs and continues to play elite defense in center, Kody Clemens has given the Twins solid work in right during this stretch of road series wins, and Austin Martin has been steady in the corners.

The Twins have built an outfield group that can move pieces around without losing much on the grass.

The 42-46 Twins are still 4.5 games back in the AL Central and the 43-46 Astros are not exactly a measuring stick right now, but Shelton's confidence in Keaschall on defense is something to watch.

With the deadline on the horizon and Minnesota still fighting for a shot at October, having another versatile defender out there is a bonus they did not expect from their second baseman.