ROSTER MOVES: Daniel Duarte Placed on IL, José Miranda Recalled from St. Paul

The Twins have placed another pitcher on the injured list, as Daniel Duarte is now on the shelf for at least 15 days with a right triceps strain. To fill his spot on the active roster, infielder José Miranda has been recalled from St. Paul to make his 2024 debut with the Twins in the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Miranda, 25, has played in seven of the Saints' eight games this season and has 7-for-28 at the plate, with one home run and three runs batted in. The call-up of Miranda has the Twins roster currently with 12 pitchers and 14 hitters, leaving seven relievers in an already depleted Twins bullpen.

While some argue this will leave them shorthanded in the bullpen, the Twins are scheduled to face three left-handed starters over the next week, including James Paxton for the Dodgers on Monday. In addition, lefty reliever Caleb Thielbar will begin his rehab assignment with the Saints this week, as they open up a six-game homestand against the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday. 

If all goes well in Thielbar’s rehab, he could join the Twins in time for their series in Baltimore that begins next Monday, April 15. The only other pitchers on the Twins' 40-man who are healthy at St. Paul are Brent Headrick and Simeon Woods Richardson, each of whom made starts for the Saints this weekend. They're unavailable for any relief role for the Twins until the middle of the week, at the earliest.

Whether it be Thielbar, Headrick or Woods Richardson called up when the Twins need their 13th arm next, this will leave Miranda and outfielder/second baseman Austin Martin as the two men on the roster most likely to be sent back to St. Paul as the corresponding move. 

Both players still have options left, making the decision easier for the Twins front office when the time calls for it. Martin and Miranda are starting against the Dodgers in Monday’s night game with the lefty Paxton on the mound. Martin has yet to collect his first MLB hit, but Miranda has mustered up a respectable .265 batting average and .774 OPS in 171 plate appearances against lefties in his career.

The most intriguing thing of note for Miranda is not where he’s hitting in the lineup, but where he’s playing in the field; third base. 

Twins fans and writers have been skeptical of Miranda playing at third with the Saints and Twins at all this year, but he already had a start at third with the Saints during their last series against the Nashville Sounds. Even with the majority of his time spent on the right side of the infield, he’s confident in his right shoulder health. He believes the skeptics will be proven wrong.

“I can play third right now, whenever they want me to,” Miranda said to reporters following Saints Opening Day on March 30. “I felt pretty comfortable at first. I was putting in the work, obviously down in Ft. Myers, I work a lot down there and they told me to get some work in with my shoulder.”

In the last week and a half, Miranda took everything one day at a time to get back to the majors. Now that the opportunity has opened up for him, he plans to show his 2022 rookie campaign isn’t a one-hit-wonder.

“Everyone that’s here at Triple-A is obviously so close to the big leagues. You want to be up there obviously, that’s the goal and I want to go up there and show [everyone] what I can do,” said Miranda.

Miranda will be playing in his first MLB game since July 9 on Monday night. He’s batting fifth, behind center fielder Byron Buxton. Duarte's prognosis isn't yet clear, but the team will need to walk an even more narrow tightrope on the pitching side for at least the next fortnight.