Story by
Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Twins add Ben Ross, Garrett Acton as rosters expand
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Twins add Ben Ross, Garrett Acton as rosters expand
Ben Ross wasn't in big league camp this spring and began his season at Double-A, a level he first reached in 2023. Reaching the majors this season was a goal, of course, but it didn't necessarily seem likely when the season began.
"The second you look too far forward and try to do too much, it kind of goes downhill," Ross said.
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Ross started his season in Wichita by hitting .424, posting a 1.325 OPS and hitting five home runs in 16 games, and he quickly found himself on the move to Triple-A, promoted before the end of April.
There, he slashed .249/.353/458 with 15 home runs and 55 runs batted in over 102 games, earning himself his first big-league promotion. Ross, 25, was officially added to the roster Tuesday when rosters expanded, alongside reliever Garrett Acton , who pitched in four games for the Twins earlier this season.
"I'm honored," Ross said. "It was cool that they kind of looked at me as an all-around guy, baserunning, defensively. And the bat kind of came around this year, too, which was super exciting me personally, but for everybody involved."
It's been a long journey for Ross, who played college ball at Notre Dame College in Ohio, a now-closed Division II school. It was the only college look he received, he said.
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A fifth-round pick in 2022, Ross credited his power surge this year with staying true to his approach and "not trying to do too much."
As September 1 neared, there were rumblings around the clubhouse about who might get called up when rosters expanded, but Ross tried his best to focus on the task at hand and not a potential promotion. Finally receiving the news and sharing it with his family, he said, was "emotional."
"It was something that I dreamed of the conversation with my parents and getting to share that with them," Ross said. "I think I got three words out, and then I started to get choked up. And then my mom started crying and my dad got teary-eyed. It was amazing."
The right-handed hitting utilityman has played primarily shortstop, center field and third base this season, though he also has played some second and appeared in left field a couple of times.
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"I had a couple scouts just talk to me, scouts not from our organization, about his versatility and his ability to do different things," manager Derek Shelton said. "I think as an organization we continue to emphasize being a better defensive club, being a better baserunning club, and being versatile. Right now, he just kind of fits that mindset or role for us in September."
Acton, 28, pitched briefly for the Twins earlier this season before a shoulder strain shut him down from late-April through most of the summer. He returned from the injured list on August 1 and was optioned to St. Paul, where he has pitched since then.
"I was down for quite a bit of time. Just grateful to be healthy and back playing again more than anything," Acton said. "There were a lot of people involved in helping me get back on the field and get back to a spot where I can be here and hopefully help the team compete and find a way into the postseason.
Acton was already on the Twins' 40-man roster, but the team did have to make a move to add Ross, designating injured outfielder Kyler Fedko for assignment.
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Fedko, 26, briefly reached the majors earlier this season but went 0 for 16 with eight strikeouts. After being optioned back to St. Paul, the outfielder was injured during a Triple-A game, requiring an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with medial and lateral meniscus repair earlier in August. Recovery was expected to take 9-10 months.
Briefly
Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.60 earned-run average) will get the ball on Wednesday for the series finale against the Detroit Tigers . He will be opposed by Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.87 ERA). … The Twins opted to go with Andrew Morris as an opener on Tuesday for two reasons, Shelton said. The manager pointed to how platoon-heavy the Tigers are, and their need to manage rookie starter Connor Prielipp's workload. … Matt Canterino , once among the organization's top pitching prospects, is beginning a rehab assignment with High-A Cedar Rapids. Canterino, 28, has not pitched in a minor league game since 2022 as he has dealt with a myriad of injuries. He is currently on the Triple-A injured list, though he has not yet pitched a game at that level.
