Baldelli: Larnach confident, determined

Friday was a whirlwind day for Trevor Larnach after he finally received his long awaited callup to the Major Leagues. Saturday afternoon was surely just as emotional as Larnach, ranked as the Twins' No. 3 prospect and 68th overall on the Top 100 list by MLB Pipeline, made his MLB debut in a 7-3 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, going 0-for-4 and starting in left field.

“We were just talking a little while ago -- probably from the day he signed, he thought he was ready. He was ready to play in the big leagues,” manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game. “He was just waiting for us to call his name and bring him up,”

During the 2019 Minor League season, Larnach sported a .325 batting average against righties to go with 36 RBIs.

While he made an impression within the organization from afar, Larnach also made one in the presence of the big leaguers in multiple Spring Training camps. Larnach played in nine Grapefruit League games this year and hit .286 with two home runs and three RBIs.

“We've had the opportunity this year to see some good, really exciting young players, and Trevor is certainly one of those guys,” Baldelli said. “As a group, we've had a chance to watch him go out there and play in Spring Training games, and he's a very talented, very competitive, young man.

Larnach suited up for Minnesota on Friday, but he didn't see any action.

"He has a ton of confidence, and he is out there determined, you can see it in his face. You can see it in the way he plays the game,” Baldelli said. “He wants to go out there and just win ballgames, and that's all he's about.”

While the Twins were excited to see him make his debut, Larnach will face some pressure to be the player they’ve watched grow into a professional hitter since he was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

"It'll be fun to watch him go out there and go do his thing. We've seen what kind of at-bats he can have and the impact he can have,” Baldelli said. “Now, he just needs to settle in at the big league level, go out there and do what we know he can do.”

Worth noting

• Left-hander Brandon Waddell was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Saturday, after Minnesota designated him for assignment on Friday. In four relief appearances for the Twins, Waddell logged a 11.25 ERA in four innings of work.

• Mitch Garver was removed during Friday’s game with right shoulder inflammation. Baldelli said the catcher stated he will be ready to start and catch Sunday’s series finale.

• Luis Arraez is making a positive progression toward returning to the active roster after an awkward slide at home plate that placed him under concussion protocol. Baldelli said Arraez hasn’t dealt with concussion symptoms and is participating in light baseball activities.

• Prior to Saturday's game, the Twins optioned right-hander Cody Stashak to Triple-A St. Paul and selected the contract of right-hander Derek Law. Law is coming off a scoreless appearance for St. Paul, where he allowed only one hit and struck out two. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Travis Blankenhorn was designated for assignment.