Luis Arraez returns to Target Field more than 2½ years after Twins trade: ‘Excited to be here’

Luis Arraez, after chatting with several Twins players and staff members during pregame batting practice Friday, was called over the first-base netting by a group of Twins fans eager to take photos with him.

After 278 games with the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins, Arraez was back at Target Field for the first time since the Twins traded him on Jan. 20, 2023.

The Twins played a pregame tribute video for Arraez on their videoboard, drawing a standing ovation. The 2022 All-Star and AL batting champion with the Twins raised his cap and tapped his chest.

“When I woke up, I just opened the [hotel] door and then I told my wife, ‘Wow,’ ” Arraez said. “This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play baseball. They signed me in 2013 when I was 16 years old and this is my first team. I’m excited to be here.”

Arraez, the 28-year-old first baseman who will be a free agent at the end of the season, texted Rod Carew in preparation for his return to Minnesota. Carew quickly responded: “Hey, don’t try to hit homers. Hit the ball to left field.” It’s a message Carew has told him often over the years.

During batting practice, Arraez walked over to the Twins dugout. He had a long chat with Pablo López, the player the Twins acquired from Miami in exchange for him. The two Venezuelans are close friends after playing together in the World Baseball Classic.

Arraez gave a big hug to Ramon Borrego, the Twins first-base coach, who was Arraez’s first manager in rookie ball.

Arraez, who played four seasons with the Twins, doesn’t have many former teammates in the Twins dugout. He noted he caught up with Jorge Polanco in Seattle earlier this week, and he saw Max Kepler with Philadelphia last month.

He expected a flood of emotions to return when he stepped to the batter’s box for the first time Friday. He took a deep breath after hugging catcher Ryan Jeffers and pointing to the Twins dugout, then lined a single to right field off Zebby Matthews. In the third inning, Arraez hit a sacrifice fly to give San Diego a 1-0 lead.

“I did a lot of good things here,” Arraez said. “They know I played hard every day, how I played the game. I just wanted to win.”

All teams operate under the belief there is no such thing as too much starting pitching, but the Twins will have to be creative to find innings for all their starters.

After operating most of the month with a shorthanded rotation and many bullpen games, the Twins have six healthy starting pitchers. Then there are two more pitchers — López and David Festa — who are on rehab assignments.

“I think it’s going to keep changing,” Baldelli said. “It could change a little bit here and a little bit there week to week. There’s not a grand plan that will stick for the rest of the season. It’s probably a series-to-series decision.”

There will come a point when the Twins could weigh moving a starter or two into the bullpen, but that’s not part of their plans for September when they are out of playoff contention.

“I think we could see piggybacks,” Baldelli said. “I think we could see a lot of different things to make it all work and to get all these guys the work that they need and to help us win.

“I don’t see us taking one of our starters right now and putting them in the bullpen and shortening them up. I don’t. Could that happen with other pitchers that have pitched here already this year or guys that even haven’t pitched here yet this year? Sure, that could happen. We’ve done that several times before with guys and I think we’ll continue to do it. But the guys we’re talking about that are at hand right now, I don’t see them pitching out of the ‘pen in short stints.”

• The Twins held a moment of silence for the victims in Wednesday’s mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis. There were 20 candles placed around home plate in remembrance of the two children killed and 18 injured. Center fielder Byron Buxton wrote “Prayers A.C.S.” on the back of his cap.

• Brooklyn Park native John Klein gave up two runs in five innings, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced, but the Saints lost at Toledo 2-1.