BOSTON — Tyler Glasnow experienced forearm tightness in his pitching arm in June, and by August, the Rays righthander had decided to have Tommy John surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Jacob deGrom felt the same sensation in his arm in early July, and has so far avoided a similar operation, which would be the second of his career — though the Mets' two-time Cy Young Award winner hasn't pitched again since then, either.

So when Kenta Maeda, a player who entered the major leagues six seasons ago surrounded by questions about his UCL, experiences the dreaded forearm tightness, it's difficult to see why the Twins would risk his health over the finals weeks of a lost season, whether or not surgery is recommended.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said as much on Tuesday, though he didn't rule it out.

"Kenta has been pitching for a period of time this year not in a completely healthy manner. … The forearm, the elbow, these are all related," Baldelli said. "There are several scenarios where maybe he won't pitch again this year. But to say there's no chance of that, I don't want to do that at the moment."

Maeda will fly to Dallas on Wednesday to be examined by orthopedic surgeon and Rangers team physician Keith Meister and receive a second opinion about how to treat the inflammation found in his flexor muscle. Most importantly, the Twins want to know whether his UCL, which caused the Dodgers to insist on a contract with relative low base pay but high playing-time bonus, is finally showing the wear that doctors once feared.

The stakes for everyone is high: Maeda was four starts short of another $1.5 million bonus, and 34 more innings would have brought him another $1 million. But having him pitch next year, less likely depending on whether (and what type of) surgery is necessary, is important to both pitcher and team.

Twins orthopedic specialist Chris Camp examined images taken of Maeda's arm in New York shortly after he was removed from a start in the fifth inning Saturday, but Baldelli would not reveal Camp's recommendation, saying that it's premature until further information and opinions are gathered. Maeda has also raised the possibility of obtaining a third opinion before reaching a consensus.

Coach's family all has virus

Edgar Varela's 9-year-old son Eli woke up with a fever one day early this month, and that was the start. Pretty soon his daughter Elliana had one, too, and then Varela's wife, Emely.

It was COVID. And it was about to disrupt his second season as the Twins' hitting coach.

"My wife was trying to recover while also trying to take care of three kids. So there's no choice, I had to stay home and help," Varela said on Tuesday, his first day back in uniform. "We used the basement to quarantine, and wore masks, stayed away from each other, every possible precaution we could take. And it got me anyway."

Varela and his wife had been vaccinated in April, but the coach said he contracted most of the common symptoms. He still doesn't completely have his sense of taste completely back yet, he said. But after recovering, testing negative more than once, and staying away from the team for another 10 days, he was cleared to return.

"It was scary, it was. You hope your kids will be OK," especially since they're all under 10 and not old enough to be vaccinated, Varela said. But the entire family has recovered completely, he said.

First base coach Tommy Watkins and three staff members the Twins have not identified (though they have brought trainers from their minor-league complex on this road trip) remain away from the team after testing positive.

Etc.

• Byron Buxton played Tuesday for the Class AAA St. Paul Saints and will again Wednesday, Baldelli said, before the Twins will evaluate his rehab from a fractured hand. That means Buxton won't be activated before the team returns to the Twin Cities on Friday.
• The music fan in Baldelli has enjoyed this road trip. The Twins manager attended a Wilco concert with bullpen coach Pete Maki in Queens on Saturday night amid the beginning of tropical storm Henri's arrival on the East Coast — "Got totally drenched, but it was worth it," he said — and saw Joe Russo's Almost Dead cover band in Boston on Monday.