Photo/Twins add utility man Ben Ross and reliever Garrett Acton as September call-ups.

Will Ragatz | Bring Me The Sports

With MLB active rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on Tuesday, the Twins have made utility man Ben Ross and right-handed reliever Garrett Acton their two September call-ups. Injured Triple-A outfielder Kyler Fedko was designated for assignment to make room for Ross on the 40-man roster.

Ross reaching the major leagues for the first time is a cool story and a well-deserved reward for a remarkable season in the minors. Coming into 2026, he was 24 years old and a complete non-prospect after back-to-back poor seasons for Double-A Wichita (.626 OPS in 2024, .671 in ’25). This year, everything changed for the former fifth-round pick.

Ross began this season on an incredible tear with Wichita, hitting .424 with a 1.324 OPS in 16 games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul, where he’s continued to produce. In 102 games with the Saints, the righty-hitting Ross has a .249 average with 15 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and an .810 OPS.

An Ohio native, Ross played at Division II Notre Dame College (not the university), a school near Cleveland that no longer exists. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft.

What Ross brings to the Twins is defensive versatility with some pop and speed on offense, which could be useful off the bench and against left-handed pitching. He’s played a lot of shortstop and third base in the minors, but he also can and has played on the right side of the infield and at all three outfield spots. Offensively, he has 67 career homers and 73 steals in 499 MiLB games. Ross strikes out a fair amount but also draws walks.

It’s notable that Ross is the Saints hitter who got the call over the likes of Emmanuel Rodriguez, Matt Wallner, and Aaron Sabato. The Twins presumably view him as a bench option who can be used against lefties. Rodriguez and Wallner hit left-handed, where the Twins already have Kody Clemens, Trevor Larnach, and Walker Jenkins. Despite Sabato’s 22 home runs this season, the Twins don’t seem to be very high on him.

With that said, the roster construction is a bit odd. The Twins have just those three true lefties, three switch-hitters (Josh Bell, Brooks Lee, Victor Caratini) and eight right-handed bats. They also recently called up right-handed outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez after placing Byron Buxton back on the IL. Third catcher Alex Jackson’s continued inclusion on the roster makes very little sense, given that he virtually never sees the field.

Acton, 28, pitched in four games for the Twins back in April. He then missed a big chunk of time with a shoulder injury. Acton has a 2.55 ERA in 17.2 innings for the Saints since July 22, with 23 strikeouts and 8 walks. A former undrafted free agent out of Illinois, Acton has also appeared in the majors with the A’s and Rays. He’s now the ninth member of the Twins’ expanded bullpen.