The Minnesota Twins are calling up outfield prospect Eddie Rosario from Triple-A Rochester.
Rosario, 23, will replace left fielder Oswaldo Arcia, who heads to the 15-day disabled list. Arcia left Sunday’s game because of a hip irritation.
#MNTwins make it official. Arcia to DL with right hip flexor strain. Eddie Rosario called up
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) May 4, 2015
The 23-year-old Rosario is the No. 9 prospect in the Twins organization. He has been off to a slow start at Triple-A Rochester, hitting just .242 with a .280 on-base percentage through 95 at-bats.
According to Twins Daily, the move was a little bit of a surprise given Rosario’s slow start, especially in relation to Aaron Hicks, who is hitting .289 with an 869 OPS.
“It’s possible that the Twins want to replace Arcia’s left-handed bat in the lineup and while Hicks is a switch-hitter, he has suffered from the left side of the plate.”
Minnesota is somewhat thin in the outfield, with Arcia heading to the disabled list and center fielder Jordan Schafer, who has been slowed by a sore right big toe and a sprained ligament in his right knee.
The Pioneer Press notes that Rosario did have a strong showing during spring training. He also was “fantastic” during the Arizona Fall League, according to Twins general manager Terry Ryan. He can provide some outfield flexibility, since he played all three outfield spots for the Red Wings.
Rosario missed the first 50 games of the 2014 season, while he was serving a suspension for a second positive test for a drug of abuse. He struggled upon his return to Double-A in late May, but gained momentum as the year went on.
