Twins call up infielder Elliot Soto from Saints for Seattle series

SEATTLE - The climb to the major leagues can be long and slow, as Elliot Soto knows better than just about anybody. But when it finally happens, it can also be incredibly fast.

"We finished [Sunday's] game and then [St. Paul manager Toby Gardenhire] is like, 'The [Twins'] flight is in an hour,' " Soto said of his promotion. "I just ran home and threw stuff in my suitcase."

Soto, a 32-year-old middle infielder, has been playing professionally since he was drafted by the Cubs in 2010. He's had 3,582 plate appearances in the minors, but only seven in the major leagues, as a late-September call-up by the Angels in 2020.

Known more for his glove than bat, Soto was hitting .213 for the Saints when the Twins decided they might need another infielder this week.

"[Jorge Polanco's] back is a little bit tight right now, maybe more than a little tight. And Nick [Gordon], with his hamstring being slightly problematic — he might say he's fine, but if he had to go over there, something came up and he had to play an entire game over there, I'm not sure how that would go," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli explained. "Elliot gives us good protection at shortstop."

Still, Soto knows how rare these opportunities can be, even if he doesn't figure to play much, or at all. So he quickly arranged for his wife and two small children to fly to Seattle, too, to witness whatever happens in this series.

"I'm super excited. I'm happy to be here," said Soto, who grew up in Chicago's northwest suburbs and waits tables and bartends at his family's Mexican restaurant, El Molino, in the offseason. "I just want to come here and play my game, help the team. My career [has been] a little bumpy, rough, but I love it. Just trying to get back up here."

He went 2-for-6 for the Angels two years ago, and his manager understands what wearing the uniform means to a rookie, even a one who's older than every player in the Twins' starting lineup Monday night.

Getting to the majors "is something you kind of point all your focus towards, your dreams towards. And the longer you stay at it, it might even get better when you finally get there. It might even be a little sweeter," Baldelli said. "It says a lot about the individual. This is one of the guys you're talking about. He knew what it took to get here the first time, and it took a lot. And he's still at it. He ain't going away, you know?"

Byron Buxton celebrated his second selection as player of the week in the best way possible — by hitting a first-inning home run Monday against the Mariners.

"He's a player of the week kind of guy. I'm not surprised, based on what we've just seen," Baldelli said of Buxton, who also won the weekly award in 2017. "He's been very, very impressive."

Buxton batted .333 with five home runs and seven RBI last week, scoring eight runs and fashioning a 1.512 OPS in six games.

• To make room on the active roster for Soto, the Twins optioned righthander Cole Sands back to St. Paul. Two other pitchers, however, are returning: Joe Ryan will be activated from the COVID list and start Tuesday, and Sonny Gray will be activated from the injured list to start Wednesday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Twins transferred righthander Cody Stashak, who will have biceps surgery later this week, to the 60-day injured list.

• Polanco's back has been sore "for a while now, off and on," Baldelli said. "It's maybe two years of dealing with this, but he plays through it." This weekend, though, "it got a little more severe, and just got to the point where we needed to get him off the field for a day or two," the manager said.

• Righthander Josh Winder will throw a bullpen session Tuesday to prepare for another rehab start Thursday. Kyle Garlick will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday as well.