With multiple players nursing injuries, the Minnesota Twins recalled catcher Drew Butera from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Butera was expected to be in Anaheim for Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels.
To make room for Butera on the 25-man roster, Minnesota designated infielder Sean Burroughs for release or assignment. Burroughs, 31, played in just 10 games (17 at-bats) for the Twins this season and hit 2-for-17 (.118) with one RBI and one double.
A former top prospect, Burroughs was away from baseball for a few years as he battled alcohol and substance abuse. He returned to the majors last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and made the Twins' Opening Day roster out of spring training. But the at-bats just weren't there for Burroughs, as he made only three starts at third base.
After spending much of the past two seasons on the Twins' major league roster, Butera started the year with Rochester. In 15 games this year with the Red Wings, he was batting .279 with 18 RBI, three doubles and one home run. He was a .178 hitter in two seasons with the Twins (142 games) and had a combined 36 RBI and four home runs from 2010-11.
Adding Butera gives the Twins insurance at the catcher position if Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit are both in the lineup, or if Mauer is unable to play for several days. Mauer missed Monday's game after taking a foul ball off his knee Sunday against Kansas City. It was the first game Mauer had missed all season after spending several months on the disabled list in 2011. Doumit has played 10 games at catcher, five in right field, one at first base and one as the designated hitter.
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