Twins Make Right Call on Gabriel González With Austin Martin Back

Martin returns after nearly a month on the injured list while González heads back to St. Paul after receiving just seven at-bats with Minnesota.

Minnesota Twins left fielder Austin Martin. Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Minnesota Twins have made two roster moves that should help the offense get on track for the final two weeks of the season. The Twins reinstated Austin Martin from the 10-day IL and optioned outfielder Gabriel González to Triple-A St. Paul.

The Return of Martin

Minnesota Twins left fielder Austin Martin. Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Twins have been without Martin since Aug. 17 with a left hamstring strain. Martin might not be a world beater, but he does so many things well and really lengthens out the Minnesota lineup. The hope is that Martin will get hot down the stretch and be able to provide a much-needed spark in the Twins lineup.

Martin did participate in a rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints, playing in two games. Across those two games, Martin went 3-for-8 with one triple and three RBIs. Numbers on rehab assignments and in AAA don't matter too much, but for a player coming off a hamstring issue, it should be of note.

Major League rehabber, Austin Martin comes through with an RBI single to get us on the board pic.twitter.com/ELXciINpx8

— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) September 9, 2026

The next step for the Twins is finding playing time for Martin in their already crowded outfield. It would be best if they fit Martin in their lineup most nights. The best avenue to do so would be splitting time between him and Trevor Larnach, who is in the midst of a long slump dating back a month.

Getting Martin back will allow Derek Shelton to play the matchups, which should also help the lineup out.

Optioning Gabriel González

Minnesota Twins right fielder Gabriel Gonzalez. Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Twins made the choice to option González, which makes sense. If González was not going to receive playing time at the MLB level, it made sense to option him to St. Paul. The Twins need to see what they have in González, and due to the lack of outfield spots, they are going to need to do those evaluations, unless something unforeseen happens.

The Twins gave González just seven at-bats, González recorded one hit and was hit by one pitch. It was such a small sample that it might have been a disservice to keep him on the active roster for about two weeks without using him much.

González could play the fourth outfielder role next season for the Twins, or even a starter when injuries and ineffectiveness come into play. For the final weeks of the season, González needs to be productive to prove his worth. If not, the Twins should look to capitalize on some value they could get from him in a potential trade.