Is There a Doctor in the Stadium?

Darling readers, does it seem to you as though the Twins have been unusually injury-prone this season?  Because that is how it has seemed to TBL.  So many trips to the DL!  Not to mention those unofficial "out for a few days" situations that reduce bench options and frustrate the heck out of everyone.

So TBL decided to poke through the archives and see if this really is shaping up to be an injury-prone season.  She compiled the official injury list (trips to the DL) from April 1 through June 9th.  Weeding out 15-day designations that turned into 60-day--turned by June 9th, that is--this is what she found:

2001 
15-day - position players: 3
15-day - pitchers: 2
60-day - position players: 1
60-day - pitchers: 0
total injuries: 6

2002
15-day - position players: 4
15-day - pitchers: 3
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 1
total injuries: 8

2003
15-day - position players: 1
15-day - pitchers: 2
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 1
total injuries: 4

2004 (first season on Field Turf)
15-day - position players: 7
15-day - pitchers: 1
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 0
total injuries: 8

2005
15-day - position players: 3
15-day - pitchers: 1
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 0
total injuries: 4

2006
15-day - position players: 2
15-day - pitchers: 1
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 0
total injuries:  3

2007
15-day - position players: 4
15-day - pitchers: 2
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 1
total injuries: 7

2008
15-day - position players: 6
15-day - pitchers: 2
60-day - position players: 0
60-day - pitchers: 1
total injuries: 9
 
Well.  It's certainly high, but not vastly so.  One injury more than our worst starts previously, and TBL is mindful that those seasons (2002 and 2004) ended up being pretty darn special. 

Of course, what really matters is WHO goes on the DL, right?  Certainly the weeks-long loss of Michael Cuddyer hurt the Twins in April, the projected 2-month loss of Matt Tolbert hurts now, and the projected season-long loss of Pat Neshek is a constant, throbbing pain in the side of a shaky pitching staff.

TBL provides the following roll-call of this season's injured versus previous seasons' and leaves you to draw your own comparisons and conclusions.  Of course, she would just love to hear what those are...

2001
OF Torii Hunter, 15
LHP Mark Redman, 15
2B Jason Maxwell, 15
LHP Eddie Guardado, 15
OF Chad Allen, 15
1B/DH David Ortiz, 60

2002
2B Luis Rivas, 15
OF Brian Buchanan, 15
1B/DH David Ortiz, 15
3B Corey Koskie, 15
RHP Brad Radke, 15
RHP Brad Radke, 15
RHP Jack Cressend, 15
RHP Joe Mays, 60 

2003
RHP Mike Fetters, 15
IF Denny Hocking, 15
RHP Rick Reed, 15
RHP Mike Fetters, 60

2004
RHP Grant Balfour, 15
C Joe Mauer, 15
C Matthew LeCroy, 15
OF Torii Hunter, 15
IF Nick Punto, 15
3B Corey Koskie, 15
OF Shannon Stewart, 15
2B Luis Rivas, 15

2005
RHP Carlos Silva, 15
1B Justin Morneau, 15
2B Luis Rivas, 15
INF Nick Punto, 15

2006
DH Ruben Sierra, 15
OF Shannon Stewart, 15
RHP Matt Guerrier, 15

2007
INF Jeff Cirillo, 15
OF Rondell White, 15
C Joe Mauer, 15
OF Josh Rabe, 15
LHP Glen Perkins, 15
LHP Dennys Reyes, 15
RHP Jesse Crain, 60
 
2008
OF Michael Cuddyer, 15
RHP Kevin Slowey, 15
SS Adam Everett, 15
RHP Scott Baker, 15
INF Nick Punto, 15
INF Matt Tolbert, 15
INF Adam Everett, 15
INF Nick Punto, 15
LHP Pat Neshek, 60