In the last twenty-four hours, catcher Dan Rohlfing was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain. Former Gopher catcher Kyle Knudson was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers. Bart Carter was taken off of the Snappers’ Disabled List.

As we are approaching the mid-point of the minor league seasons, the Twins typically make several promotions at each level. Many times, the Twins let players who make their league’s all star teams play in those games. Often, players are promoted following the all star games.

Today, I wanted to provide some thoughts on several players that I think are worthy of a promotion.

ROCHESTER to MINNESOTA?

Liam Hendriks – There are the rumors that he will be starting for the Twins at Target Field against the Brewers. As of Monday, he had not heard anything official. But in seven starts since his demotion in late April, he is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA. In 46.1 innings, he has given up 29 hits, walked 13 and struck out 42. And that includes on game in which he gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. In other words, he has been tremendous and has made some adjustments.

Lester Oliveros – Deolis Guerra has come back down to earth, and Anthony Slama is now on the Disabled List. Don’t worry about last night’s Oliveros outing, everyone has one of those. He is pitching very well, and if the Twins need a bullpen arm in the near future, he is currently the one to look to.

NEW BRITAIN to ROCHESTER?

Steve Hirschfeld – Last week, when the Red Wings needed a spot starter, Hirschfeld was the guy. He was sent back down the next day despite throwing 5 shutout innings. On the year, he is 4-4 with a 3.20 ERA. Hirschfeld has been in New Britain since 2010. He’s 26 years old. It’s just time for him to move up. (Then if they need a spot starter, BJ Hermsen who is pitching spectacularly.)

FT. MYERS to NEW BRITAIN?

Oswaldo Arcia – Finally, a hitter. Arcia has been as hot as any hitter in minor league baseball over the past five to six weeks. Overall, he’s hitting .318/.381/.530 with 15 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. His downfall is that he hasn’t been able to hit left-handed pitching (.591 OPS vs LHP - 1.054 OPS vs RHP). Hey, neither could Jason Kubel, who is a terrific comp for Arcia.

Pat Dean – Dean has been the Miracle’s top starter all season. He is 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 13 games started. He strikes out (and walks) no one (33 K, 16 BB, in 73.1 IP). I expect him to struggle some in AA, as most college-drafted pitchers do because of it, but I do think he’s ready for that challenge.

Ricky Bowen – Signed after the start of the 2011 season, the 24-year-old Bowen has been very good out of the Miracle bullpen. This year, he is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA and five saves. In 37.1 innings, he has walked 11 and struck out 38. He’s been good, and frankly, he needs to move up. Matt Hauser can be the second reliever to move up, if needed.

BELOIT to FT. MYERS?

Michael Tonkin – I’ve mentioned this several times of late, but I simply cannot come up with a single reason that Tonkin is no up in Ft. Myers. He’s in his third season in Beloit, and he’s 3-0 with four saves and a 1.50 ERA. In 36 innings, he’s given up 29 hits, walked nine and struck out 44 batters. Generally, I can come up with some reason for holding a guy back. I can’t come up with one for Tonkin, unless poor body language is a reason?

Eddie Rosario – As much as I believe that Miguel Sano needs to stay in Beloit, and I think the best thing for Rosario would be to remain in Beloit, if there is a position player in Beloit that could move up if needed, it would be Eddie Rosario. He has areas in which he can continue to improve, but offensively, he is a pretty advanced hitter for a 20 year old. His defense remains a work-in-progress, but he has greatly improved and can continue to work. (I think he could handle it alright, but I think the best thing for him would be to stay in Beloit at least another month.)

So there you have it. You’ll want to check back to Twins Daily where we will attempt to keep up with any and all transactions in the Twins system. For instance, from Extended Spring Training, the Twins have released infielder Julio Torres and pitcher Tobias Streich.

What do you think? Who should be promoted?

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