Michael Helman tries fitting in after getting first call to Twins at age 28

Michael Helman didn’t want to miss out on the bit.

The Twins’ trip to St. Petersburg, Fla., for four games against the Tampa Bay Rays was their scheduled NFL jersey trip. Helman, on the day he was called up to the major leagues for the first time, asked a Twins staffer to go out and acquire one for him.

So there he was in front of his clubhouse stall following Sunday’s game, ripping the price tag off a Giants Daniel Jones jersey and slipping it on.

Daniel Jones? Wait. What?

“I asked to get something fun,” he said. “So I guess that was their idea of fun. The Vikings’ Week 1 opponent.”

So jerseys of Jones, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson, Lamar Jackson, Barry Sanders and other current and former NFL players were worn around the home clubhouse at Target Field as players prepared for leave. It’s Helman’s first major league road trip at age 28. His path to the majors included injury stints and the COVID-19 mess of 2020, but he earned his first major league call-up on Sunday, as teams could increase roster sizes by two to 28 for the final month of the regular season.

Helman was part of a flurry of Twins moves Sunday. Reliever Diego Castillo, like Helman, had his contract selected from Class AAA St. Paul. To make room on the 40-man roster, Chris Paddack was transferred to the 60-day injured list, and fellow righthander Caleb Boushley — for the second time this season — was designated for assignment. Rookie infielder Brooks Lee was activated after recovering from a sore shoulder, with outfielder Manuel Margot replacing him on the 10-day IL because of a right groin strain.

“Honestly, pretty surreal,” Helman said when asked what the previous 24 hours were like. “When it happened, like, I had no worries whatsoever. I didn’t even have time to, like, get emotional or anything.”

Helman batted .283 with 13 homers, 43 RBI and 10 stolen bases over 63 games with the Saints while playing second base, shortstop, third base, center field and left field. The Twins figure to use him all over the field in a utility role as well.

Castillo — not to be confused with the infielder by the same name — is making is second stint with the Twins after pitching well in his first, giving up two runs over seven innings in five appearances in May and June. He was 0-4 with a 4.73 ERA at St. Paul.

Lee started at shortstop on Sunday and singled in four plate appearances.

Center fielder Byron Buxton hasn’t played since Aug. 12 because of a sore hip. But he ran the bases before Sunday’s game and is set to begin a rehabilitation assignment with the Saints this week.

That’s encouraging news for a Twins team desperately needing a run of health as it tries to make a run up the standings and into the postseason. The offensive boost is sorely needed, as Buxton is batting .275 with 16 homers, 49 RBI and an .862 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season.

Buxton has played in 90 games. With three more, he will have participated in his most games during a season since 2017.

Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said before the game on WCCO radio that Louie Varland is again close to being summoned from St. Paul.

Why hasn’t that happened yet given the Twins’ pitching issues? Varland pitched five shutout innings on Wednesday at Omaha and would not be available until Monday at the earliest. Expect the righthander to be added to the major league roster in the coming days.

That raises another question: Will Varland be used as a starter or a reliever? That is still being discussed by the front office and coaching staff, Falvey said. Varland could be used to give the rotation a break, as the team is in a stretch of playing 13 consecutive days, But he also could add firepower to the bullpen, where his fastball reaches the upper 90s in short stints.

Yunior Severino hit a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning as the Saints came back to win at Omaha 4-3, taking four of six in the series. The Saints fell behind 3-0 in the first inning but gave up only two hits over the final eight innings.