Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was scratched from Tuesday's lineup upon learning his wife Maddie Mauer had gone into labor. Mrs. Mauer wasn't supposed to give birth to her twins until August 31st, but the double bundles of joy simply didn't want to wait.
Joe Mauer was able to return home in time to witness the birth of his new baby girls, according to reports. The catcher is currently on paternity leave, and is eligible to stay on the paternity list anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. It is unknown when Mauer is expected to re-join the team, but Twincities.com speculates he could be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.
Emily and Maren were born a mere 30 minutes after Mauer arrived at the hospital, who had some trouble in trying to secure a quick way home. "Joe was champing at the bit here trying to get out once we found out for sure," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They were working every angle to try to find a plane to get him there." As the catcher grew impatient, Gardenhire said to his star, "You'll get there. She'll wait for you. I promise."
The twins brought good tidings to the Twins; Mauer's emergency replacement, Chris Hermann, won Tuesday night's game with an extra-innings grand slam against the Los Angeles Angels. Last night, Triple A catcher Drew Butera joined the big league club.
Although Minnesota is 12 games under .500 with little to no chance at a postseason berth, Mauer is having an excellent 2013 campaign. This season he is hitting .324 with eight home runs and 34 RBI, while appearing in 92 of the Twins' 98 games. Health has long been an issue for the six-time All-Star and 2009 American League MVP.
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