Twins to reinstate Joe Mauer Friday... and someone else?

After Thursday’s day game, the Twins announced the surprising news that they had optioned third baseman Miguel Sano to the High-A Ft. Myers Miracle. The team also made the the not-so-surprising news that they had optioned outfielder Jake Cave back to the Jake Cave, a cave for Jakes Triple-A Rochester.

One of those big-league roster spots will go to Joe Mauer, who the Twins plan to activate from the disabled list Friday. Mauer originally went on the disabled list with a neck strain, but then that turned out to be a return of his concussion symptoms. The first baseman has played three games on rehab assignment in Triple-A Rochester, where he went... 0-for-10 with nary even a walk. Yikes. However, the Twins are satisfied, apparently, that he is ready to be activated, and the team really could use his stellar defense back at first base.

“There are some things that you can’t really practice. Some things are just going to happen, and how he responds to those things — I don’t think he’s going to change,” Paul Molitor told the Star Tribune.

Who the other open roster spot will go to has yet to be announced. It will most likely go to Taylor Motter, a utility infielder the Twins apparently claimed from the Seattle Mariners back on Memorial Day, when I was clearly doing something else with my life. Motter cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Rochester, where he’s hit an impressive .167/.255/.310 over 13 games (impressive in more of the bad, passive-aggressive, Minnesota-sense of the term). Motter, however, can play third base, shortstop, and second base, so he could serve as the back-up, non-first baseman infielder. The Twins don’t currently have one of those, since Eduardo Escobar, Ehire Adrianza, and Brian Dozier are now all forced to be starters with the absence of Sano.

Motter is the most feasible option in this case because he is on the 40-man roster. Current top-prospect shortstop Nick Gordon is not on the 40-man roster, meaning the Twins would have to clear a space to call up him. Gordon started the year in Double-A, where he hit .333/.381/.525 over 4 games. He was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on May 22nd, and has hit .276/.292/.379 over 23 games there. While Gordon is appealing, Motter would definitely provide more flexibility.

The Twins could also go with activating Byron Buxton from the disabled list, but that means they would have no backup middle infielder, which seems odd.

Though calling up Gordon would be more exciting for fans, it seems more like the Twins front office will go with Motter. However, we’ll see — that front office has some tricks up it’s sleeve. Who expected Sano to go to Ft. Myers?