Reinforcements are on the way for the Minnesota Twins.
The team announced Monday that it will bring up eight players as September call-ups now that the major league rosters have expanded to 40 players. Highlighting the group is outfielder Aaron Hicks, who spent part of the 2014 season with the Twins before he was demoted to Double-A New Britain. He'll be joined by catchers Josmil Pinto and Chris Herrmann; infielder Doug Bernier; and pitchers Lester Oliveros, Logan Darnell, Michael Tonkin and A.J. Achter.
Hicks began as the Twins' Opening Day center fielder to open the 2014 season, but the former first-round pick struggled offensively. In 48 games with Minnesota, he hit just .198 with one home run and nine RBI. He later split time in the minors between New Britain and Triple-A Rochester. In 23 games at Rochester, Hicks hit .261 and drove in seven runs.
Pinto, Herrmann, Darnell and Tonkin all played for the Twins at one point during this season. Pinto appeared in 43 games and hit .222, but he struggled defensively behind the plate. Herrmann played in 18 games as both a catcher and an outfielder. He'll give Minnesota depth at both positions off the bench. Darnell, a left-hander, made his major league debut on May 6 with the Twins and pitched in three games, including two starts.
Bernier's call-up appears to be a reward for a productive season at Triple-A Rochester, where he was named the Red Wings' MVP. In 123 games for Rochester, Bernier hit .280 and drove in 54 runs. The 34-year-old utility infielder has 35 games of big league experience under his belt, including 33 games with Minnesota last year.
This will be the first time in the majors for Achter, a 26-year-old right-hander who pitched at Michigan State and was drafted by the Twins in the 46th round of the 2010 draft. In 39 relief appearances with Rochester this season, he posted a 2.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 24 walks.
The Red Wings play their final game of the season on Monday, meaning the eight call-ups will join the Twins on Tuesday in Minnesota.
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