Twins sign two players dropped by other clubs in Hamilton, Davis
The Twins added Billy Hamilton and Austin Davis to their major league roster as September callups Thursday.
Hamilton signed a minor-league contract on Aug. 25. He opted to become a free agent after Miami designated him for assignment; in 20 games for the Marlins, he was 1-for-13.
The 31-year-old outfielder is a 10-year major league veteran with a career batting average of .239 in 931 games. He has also played for the Royals, Reds, Mets, Cubs, Braves and White Sox.
Hamilton, a switch hitter, is a career .239 hitter and was runner-up to Jacob deGrom in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2014 while playing for Cincinnati. He has always known more for his defense and base stealing ability than his hitting, and has stolen 321 bases with an 81.9% success rate for seven teams, including six seasons with the Reds. That's more than any Twin has stolen in franchise history.
Davis, a lefthanded reliever, was claimed off waivers from Boston on Wednesday while the teams were in the middle of a three-game series at Target Field. Davis pitched in 50 games for the Red Sox and had a 5.47 ERA with 29 walks and 61 strikeouts in 541⁄3 innings. The Twins are the fourth major league team the 29-year-old will have played for as he also threw for the Phillies and Pirates.
Designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Monday, Davis was drafted as a starting pitcher by the Phillies in 2014, but he was converted to the bullpen two years later, and reached the majors in 2018. Traded to Boston in 2021, he allowed only one run over 22⅓ innings from mid-April to mid-June this season, but he has given up 32 runs (29 earned) in 29⅔ innings since then, leading Boston to cut ties with him.
The two will join the Twins in Chicago, where they open a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday. Hamilton will wear No. 0 and Davis No. 21.
To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, outfielder Trevor Larnach was moved to the 60-day injured list. Larnach had core muscle surgery in June and has missed 58 games. He is starting a rehab assignment in Fort Myers, Fla.
Major league teams are allowed to expand to 28 players on Sept. 1, although only 14 can be pitchers.
Starter Tyler Mahle is expected to be activated to start Saturday's game against the White Sox. The Twins got Mahle in a trade deadline deal with Cincinnati, and one of the players involved, infielder Spencer Steer, was called up by the Reds on Thursday.
