Joe Mauer participant of 2010 Major League Baseball season
2010–2012
On March 21, 2010, Mauer agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the Twins worth $184 million which took effect in the 2011 and ran through the 2018 season. It was the richest contract paid to a catcher in the history of Major League Baseball. On July 26, 2010, Mauer hit a home run and drove in a career-high seven runs in the Twins' 19–1 win over the rival Kansas City Royals. He hit his 1,000th career Major League hit on September 14, 2010 against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.Mauer underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the 2010 season, and missed most of spring training due to a difficult recovery from the operation. After further difficulties during the first days of the season, he was placed on the disabled list immediately after the Twins' game on April 15. Team doctors believed his problem, termed a "bilateral leg weakness", was due to too light a workload during spring training. Mauer returned to game action as a designated hitter in extended spring training on May 25, and made his first post-DL appearance as a catcher in another extended spring training game on June 2. The following week, he went on a further rehabilitation assignment to the Twins' Class A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle, a team managed by his older brother Jake. After Mauer caught several games with the Miracle, it was speculated he could return to the Twins as early as June 16 or 17, but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire did not commit to a return date. Mauer returned to play with the Twins on June 17, 2011 and received a standing ovation from the fans.Mauer made his first Major League start at first base on July 7, 2011, in Chicago, where he turned the first ball hit to him into an unassisted double play. In all, he had 13 putouts and two assists and went 3-for-5 at the plate with 2 RBI in a 6–2 victory over the White Sox. On August 18, 2011, Mauer played his first game in right field. He had three putouts and went 1-for-3 with an RBI in an 8–4 Twins loss against the New York Yankees.Mauer struggled the entire summer with various ailments, from complications due to surgery at the beginning of the season to a bout of pneumonia at the end of the season, and had undoubtedly the worst season of his career. He played in only 82 games all year (career 126 average per season, not counting the 35 games he played in 2004), batted only .287 (career .323), and caught only 52 games. He hoped to return to form in 2012.At the start of spring training, Mauer expressed strong dissatisfaction with the previous season, saying "I've kind of been answering...questions [about last season] all winter, and it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, and mine included, but it's a new year, and as soon as we can forget about 2011, the better, and focus on not letting it happen again." On July 1, it was announced that he would be headed for his fifth All-Star Game. Mauer's batting average was .325 in the first half of the season, including four homers and 36 RBI. By mid-July, Mauer had the second-highest batting average in the American League. On August 27, Mauer played his 832nd game at catcher for the Twins, breaking a franchise record set by Earl Battey.