Twins position breakdown: Shortstop

Carlos Correa played some of his best baseball in 2024 and the Twins got the type of production they were seeking when they made him the highest-paid player in team history.

The only problem?

Correa played in just 86 games, limited, for the second straight season, by plantar fasciitis. A year earlier, Correa had plantar fasciitis in his left foot and he was able to play through it, though his performance suffered. This time around, he had it in his right heel and he wasn’t able to play through it.

2024 RECAP

Correa played some of his best baseball in the first half of the season, which was one of his biggest frustrations when the foot pain cropped up and he couldn’t be out on the field helping his team.

He finished the first half of the year hitting .308 with a .896 OPS and 86 hits in 75 games and was named an all-star for the third time in his career. In the final series before the all-star break, Correa was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.

Initially, he said he hoped to take the all-star break off and be ready to return for the second half of the season. His first thought was that the pain in his foot was not as severe as it had been a season earlier.

His optimism for a quick return eventually faded as he realized he could not play through the pain.

He didn’t return until mid-September, after a visit to a doctor in California where it was suggested he try shockwave therapy, something he said brought him to tears every night but helped ease the pain enough to let him get back out on the field.

By the time Correa returned — he was quite good when he came back, as well — the Twins were deep into a team-wide offensive funk that he alone could not pull them out of.

When Correa was out — he also missed time with an oblique strain — Willi Castro slid over to shortstop earlier in the season and later in the year, Brooks Lee often handled the position. Kyle Farmer, now a free agent, also saw a bit of playing time there, as well.

2025 OUTLOOK

Last year, Correa said it took deep into the offseason for his left foot to fully heal. It did, eventually, and he said it didn’t bother him once this year. The hope is that the same happens with his right foot.

The Twins were certainly happy with the level of production they got from their $200-million shortstop. Now, it’s getting that production for more than half a season.

If Correa does miss more time next season, Lee looks to be a viable shortstop option to fill in for him. Lee was drafted and came up as a shortstop but pivoted off the position at the major-league level because of Correa.