The Twins recalled Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, adding a 28-year-old depth piece as Royce Lewis heads to the injured list with a knee injury.
Kreidler gives Minnesota cover in both the infield and outfield, and he is expected to spend most days on the bench while Tristan Gray starts at third base until Lewis returns.
The move comes after Kreidler opened the season 6-for-28 in the minors, a.214 start that still put him in position for a call-up when the Twins needed another versatile body on the roster.
Gray now takes over the everyday work at third, and that makes Kreidler less a temporary fix at one spot than a spare part for a club trying to absorb Lewis’ absence without losing flexibility elsewhere.
For Minnesota, the immediate question is not who fills Lewis’ place in name only. It is how long the club can keep patching the lineup before the injury forces a more meaningful test of its depth.