Callup Pinto tearing it up in Majors

MINNEAPOLIS -- Josmil Pinto has been making the most of his first taste of the big leagues, as the catcher is hitting .643 (9-for-14) with a homer and two doubles in his first four games with the Twins.

It's been an impressive showing at the plate so far for Pinto, who also fared well in the Minors this year. The 24-year-old had a .309/.400/.482 slash line with 15 homers and 74 RBIs in 126 games split between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester before being called up on Aug. 31.

Pinto connected on his first big league home run in the ninth inning of Friday's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

"He's a pretty excited kid," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's still learning about the pitchers and all that. But he's got a real nice compact swing and has some pop. And he's doing a decent job behind the plate with these guys, trying to learn."

Along with Chris Herrmann, Pinto is expected to see plenty of action at catcher this month, as Ryan Doumit will be used in more of a utility role. There's still no timetable for Joe Mauer's return, but when he comes back, he'll also be in the mix behind the plate.

"With [Pinto's] bat and the way he's swinging, it sure is fun to watch him walk up to the plate right now," Gardenhire said. "It's what we want to see. [Pinto and Herrmann] will see a lot of time catching, and we'll use Doumit in other roles."