Gilberto Celestino ready to contribute for Twins again after COVID recovery

TORONTO – Gilberto Celestino was out with COVID-19 for only about a week, but it felt like much longer for the 23-year-old.

Body aches, congestion, that heavy tired feeling, plus having to quarantine until he could test out of the protocol meant the outfielder couldn't do any of his normal baseball activities. But he was still able to play a game.

Well, a video game. "Call of Duty," specifically, which he played online with friends and teammates.

"I practiced a lot," Celestino said of his COD skills in Spanish through an interpreter, not hiding a smile.

Celestino turned his attention back to his sport, though, in the past two days since recovering from his illness, and the Twins officially activated him ahead of Saturday's game. He didn't start against the Blue Jays, as Mark Contreras manned center field with Byron Buxton at designated hitter. But he did pinch hit for Jorge Polanco in the eighth, nabbing a base hit, before taking over right field in the bottom of the inning.

The outfielder said he feels fully recovered after working out at Target Field for a day before joining the Twins in Toronto.

Part of what made the time pass so slowly for Celestino was his eagerness to keep performing. He debuted last season for the Twins — essentially ascending straight from Class AA to the majors — and struggled. But this year, he is hitting .333 and has become a solid center field option, which is much needed with Buxton's playing time trimmed as he works through a knee injury.

"I feel like I'm more prepared this year to play baseball," Celestino said. "A lot of confidence in my abilities to go out there and do my job. I feel better."

With Celestino's return, the Twins returned Friday's spot starter Chi Chi Gonzalez back to the Class AAA Saints, though he will remain with the Twins in Toronto through Sunday as part of their taxi squad.

Third baseman Gio Urshela and outfielder Kyle Garlick picked up injuries in Friday's game. Urshela has a mid-arch right foot sprain, which he said came from rolling his ankle a bit when trying to shift back to second base as Toronto picked him off.

Urshela at first stayed in the game to man third base but said when he went back to the dugout after that fourth inning, it started to hurt more. He exited the game then and did all the basic treatment, like icing. And as of Saturday morning, it felt better, especially as he started moving around more.

Manager Rocco Baldelli seemed unconcerned with Urshela's status and said the infielder was doing better than Garlick, who injured his left hamstring while running the bases in the sixth inning. Garlick said he still felt tightness Saturday.

"We'll see about his availability," Baldelli said. "He's going to be in the training room a bunch getting work done. We have the day off coming up [Monday], too. So if we can also get through the next couple days without starting him, it might give us a little time to make a decision as far as what's to come and what next week looks like."

Gary Sanchez also pinch hit in the eighth inning Saturday along with Celestino, but after that, he made his Twins debut at first base for half an inning.

The catcher and sometimes designated hitter had played at first in only two previous games, both in 2017 when he was with the Yankees, for a total of three innings.

Baldelli said those late-inning moves were meant to just give some players a rest after a span of 18 games in 17 days.

"He also might find himself at first base," Baldelli said of Sanchez. "So it's not the worst thing on earth to get him over there for an inning or two just to get him in there."