Butera optioned during Twins' latest moves

[Marty]

Butera optioned during Twins' latest moves

By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
03/31/12 10:21 AM ET

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins made another round of roster moves Saturday morning, optioning catcher Drew Butera to Triple-A Rochester, sending right-hander Kyle Waldrop to the 15-day disabled list and reassigning infielder Michael Hollimon to Minor League camp.
The big news was the decision to send Butera to Triple-A, which means the Twins will keep two catchers on their roster -- Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit.
 
Butera, 28, saw plenty of action with the Twins over the past two seasons as a backup catcher, but struggled to hit big league pitching, batting just .178 with 21 extra-base hits in 376 at-bats.
 
Butera's demotion bodes well for Chris Parmelee, because the move also means that Justin Morneau is almost a lock to start the season as designated hitter. The Twins were only set to carry three catchers if Doumit served as their primary DH.
Waldrop, meanwhile, was placed on the DL, retroactive to March 26, with a right elbow strain. He'll be eligible to return on April 12. He was a likely candidate to make the club before the injury, as he posted a 1.50 ERA in six Grapefruit League outings.
 
Hollimon had a nice spring at the plate, hitting .360 in 25 at-bats, but he also made some mistakes in the field. He'll add depth at Triple-A, where he could start at third base.
 
The Twins now have 31 active players in camp, including 15 pitchers (two non-roster), three catchers (one non-roster), eight infielders (two non-roster), and five outfielders (one non-roster).

Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

Marty Hinrichs

mntwins...@yahoo.com