The Minnesota Twins have made two roster moves that should help the offense get on track for the final two weeks of the season. The Twins reinstated Austin Martin from the 10-day IL and optioned outfielder Gabriel Gonzlez to Triple-A St. Paul.
Minnesota Twins left fielder Austin Martin. Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins have been without Martin since Aug. 17 with a left hamstring strain. Martin might not be a world beater, but he does so many things well and really lengthens out the Minnesota lineup. The hope is that Martin will get hot down the stretch and be able to provide a much-needed spark in the Twins lineup.
Martin did participate in a rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints, playing in two games. Across those two games, Martin went 3-for-8 with one triple and three RBIs. Numbers on rehab assignments and in AAA don't matter too much, but for a player coming off a hamstring issue, it should be of note.
The next step for the Twins is finding playing time for Martin in their already crowded outfield. It would be best if they fit Martin in their lineup most nights. The best avenue to do so would be splitting time between him and Trevor Larnach , who is in the midst of a long slump dating back a month.
Getting Martin back will allow Derek Shelton to play the matchups, which should also help the lineup out.
Minnesota Twins right fielder Gabriel Gonzalez. Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins made the choice to option Gonzlez, which makes sense. If Gonzlez was not going to receive playing time at the MLB level, it made sense to option him to St. Paul. The Twins need to see what they have in Gonzlez, and due to the lack of outfield spots, they are going to need to do those evaluations, unless something unforeseen happens.
The Twins gave Gonzlez just seven at-bats, Gonzlez recorded one hit and was hit by one pitch. It was such a small sample that it might have been a disservice to keep him on the active roster for about two weeks without using him much.
Gonzlez could play the fourth outfielder role next season for the Twins, or even a starter when injuries and ineffectiveness come into play. For the final weeks of the season, Gonzlez needs to be productive to prove his worth. If not, the Twins should look to capitalize on some value they could get from him in a potential trade.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/twins/onsi as Twins Make Right Call on Gabriel Gonzlez With Austin Martin Back .
