Since hitting 28 home runs during his 2009 MVP season, Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has hit 42 home runs over 2,549 at-bats. Multiple injuries have hampered him in recent years, which has driven criticism from local fans, and a concussion that ended his 2013 season early led to him moving from catcher to first base full-time before last season.

Mauer had the worst season of his career in 2014, with a .277/.361/.371 slash-line, four home runs and 55 RBI over 120 games (518 plate appearances) as he continued an upward trend in strikeouts (96). A healthy, normal offseason brought hope for better things in 2015, but Mauer was hitting just .256 with a .331 on-base percentage at the conclusion of action on June 22.

After going 2-of-4 against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, Mauer is now hitting .386 (17-for-44) with a .417 on-base percentage over his last 12 games. That includes one home run and four RBI over that span, and Mauer’s slash-line for the season now sits at .275/.343/.389.

The primary criticisms of Mauer have centered around his salary ($23 million per season for three more years after this year) and his inability to stay in the lineup. Mauer can’t do anything about how much he is being paid, but availability has not been an issue this year as he has played in 81 of 82 games so far and been in the starting lineup for all but four games.

Mauer’s power surge in 2009 was a fluke, with many of his 28 home runs finding the first few rows of seats in left field during the final season at the Metrodome. That helped him get the big contract that took effect starting in 2011, but it also created expectations that Mauer would continue to put up power numbers befitting a typical No. 3 hitter.

Unsustainable success with runners in scoring position (.397 batting average entering Sunday) helped Mauer stay productive (41 RBI so far this season) through some struggles in May and June (.240 average in each month). Now he seems to be heating up with the summer weather, as the Twins try to stay in the playoff race.

At 32 years old, Mauer’s days of winning batting titles and getting on-base consistently at a .400 clip are likely over. But in the current reality of what his capabilities are, leaving aside comparisons to other first baseman that typically offer little in terms of overall context, Mauer has value in the middle of the Twins’ lineup and I would argue he is still the team’s best overall hitter.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.