Astudillo cleared, will train at CHS Field

Willians Astudillo has been cleared to return to the Twins after testing negative for COVID-19 twice at least 24 hours apart, manager Rocco Baldelli announced Sunday. Astudillo will report to the club's alternate training site at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., where the Twins will evaluate his physical condition and begin the ramp-up process toward the season.

Astudillo missed the entire Summer Camp after testing positive for COVID-19 during the intake protocol upon arrival in Minneapolis. He was said to be asymptomatic throughout that time. There will be no approximate timeline for his return to the active roster until the Twins have a better idea of his fitness.

"We need to evaluate him first and see where we're at and let him just get going," Baldelli said. "Because when he finally is healthy, we're going to need him to catch, we're going to need him to move around the field and be feeling good doing it."

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The 28-year-old Astudillo posted a .268/.299/.379 slash line with four homers in 58 games last season. He likely would have made the Twins' Opening Day 30-man roster as a third catcher and corner infield depth. His contact ability also could be important to the club off the bench.

Baldelli said that he has a general sense of how Astudillo was able to stay physically active during his time away from the team but didn't go into specifics. The manager did note that Miguel Sanó, who was similarly away from the team for an extended period because of positive COVID-19 tests, arrived at camp "in better shape than [he] thought was possible.

"Until you actually see a guy get out there and put him through a full day or even a partial day, see how he comes back the next day and what he's capable of doing, and then the day after that -- you really get a good feel for a guy after the first, I'd say, two or three days," Baldelli said. "And then you can probably set up a good plan at that point."

Odorizzi to throw bullpen session
Jake Odorizzi has been stretching out his throwing program and is expected to throw a bullpen session early in the coming week, Baldelli said. Odorizzi was placed on the injured list to start the season with a right intercostal strain, which has manifested as soreness and tightness in his upper back area.

"We're probably going to end up playing it day-to-day just to pick the day and finalize that," Baldelli said. "He should be out there throwing a bullpen very soon, and we'll let him face some hitters. And then we will see him back out there."

Because Odorizzi's IL stint is retroactive to July 20, he is eligible to return to the active roster as soon as Thursday, when the Twins open a four-game series against Cleveland at Target Field. The Twins have not announced any rotation plans beyond their two-game set against the Cardinals on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Whitefield makes Major League debut
Aaron Whitefield wasn't part of the Major League roster throughout Spring Training, but the Australian speedster saw his first big league action on Saturday afternoon. He entered the Twins' 10-3 loss to the White Sox as a pinch-runner for Eddie Rosario in the top of the ninth inning.

The 23-year-old outfielder isn't going to provide much value with his bat, as he's a career .238/.299/.338 hitter in the Minors, where he topped out in Double-A Pensacola last season. The Twins hope to leverage his baserunning and defensive abilities as a potential difference-maker late in close games.

"To have an elite runner and an elite defender who can play all three [outfield] spots certainly gives you options that you don't always have," Baldelli said. "We debated it a little bit and talked about all the benefits and thought that carrying [Whitefield] on this team made a lot of sense. It’s one of those things where you could end up using him multiple times in a few games' span and he wins a game for you based on what he can do."

Whitefield has been a center fielder for the majority of his career beyond Rookie ball. He has 115 stolen bases in 148 attempts over 357 career Minor League games.