What happened to Joey Gallo? Twins slugger exits game vs Mariners early

Minnesota Twins slugger Joey Gallo apeared to tweak something after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners and left the game early. This is terrible timing for Gallo, as he had just snapped his slump a few plays earlier. Finally recording a hit and a RBI must have felt like a weight off his shoulders, until he was suddenly injured.

Gall has had an interesting season to say the least thus far. His batting average of .175 is well below league-average, but his 17 home runs are impressive. He has shown he is still a competent power hitter, but lacks the consistency that made him a two-time All-Star.

Bobby Nightengale reported on Gallo's early exit from the game on Twitter.

"Gallo is out of the game. Looked like he tweaked something when he scored from second base on Christian Vázquez's RBI single. Gallo played first base in the 7th, but did not return in the 8th" - Bobby Nightengale

The Twins official statement would contradict this report, claiming Gallo left the game with illness.

"The #MNTwins announce Joey Gallo was removed from today's game with 'illness' -- nothing more provided for now" - Do-Hyoung Park

It was only Gallo's fifth hit in the month of July, which is not quite what the Minnesota Twins were hoping for. However, having him available to hit is still far more valuable than losing him to a freak injury or random illness.

The Minnesota Twins could need Joey Gallo down the stretch of their playoff push

Gallo has been inconsistent to say the least this season, but his offense has really helped the Twins at times. If this injury suffered against the Seattle Mariners knocks him out of action, holding onto the division lead becomes difficult.

Joey Gallo's veteran presence and affect on the locker room is hard to quantify, but has an undeniable value. Hopefully this will be a brief interruption to his playing time.