Minnesota Twins Promote Oswaldo Arcia

The Minnesota Twins have promoted outfielder Oswaldo Arcia from Triple-A Rochester to the major league roster. Arcia is substituting for outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, who has been placed on the paternity leave list.

Arcia is one of the top outfield prospects in baseball. Signed out of Venezuela in 2007, Arcia broke out as a significant prospect with a .375/.424/.672 season for Elizabethton in the Appalachian League in 2010, earning league MVP honors.An elbow injury limited his play in 2011, but he returned to full effectiveness in 2012, hitting .309/.376/.517 in 55 games for Fort Myers in the High-A Florida State League, followed by a .328/.398/.557 line in 69 games for New Britain in the Double-A Eastern League.

He was hitting .414/.500/.793 in nine games for Triple-A Rochester this year. Overall, Arcia is a career .316/.374/.540 hitter in 383 minor league games.

Arcia is a 6-0, 210 pound left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, born May 9, 1991. He has outstanding bat speed and well above-average power potential, with a decent feel for the strike zone, handling both fastballs and breaking pitches well. Lack of speed limits him to a corner outfield spot, but he throws well enough to play right field and has already picked up three assists this year, after posting 15 last season.

It remains to be seen how much playing time he will receive while Ramirez is out, but Arcia will eventually be a long-term fixture in the Minnesota outfield. His development made it easier for the Twins to part with Denard Span and Ben Revere in trades this past winter.