From DH to GM, Nelson Cruz tries out front-office work in WBC

FORT MYERS, FLA. — It's been a busy eight months for Nelson Cruz, the former Twin who is trying to oversee a team full of star players in his unprecedented role as general manager of the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team, while still working toward making the San Diego Padres' active roster. So what, Mr. General Manager, have you learned as the first active player to serve as an executive?

Cruz thought about the question on Tuesday, then said, "A lot of times, what you see in the papers isn't true, you know?"

Hmmm. Present company excluded, he probably meant. Go on …

"There's a lot of things behind the scenes that us, the players, don't find out, that fans don't find out, media don't find out," Cruz explained without elaborating. "Living day by day with situations and seeing behind the scenes what's going on. [Managing] operations and calling GMs and calling players, it's definitely been a nice experience. … I wouldn't change anything if I could do it all over."

Actually, Cruz doing it all over sounds like a good idea to his former manager, who sees natural leadership ability in the game's oldest active position player at age 42.

"He knows an incredible amount about the game, and he's tremendous with people. That's a good combination to stay in the game if you have [that] desire," Rocco Baldelli said. "I have no doubt that, whether it's on the field or in some sort of front-office role, or just a role associated with Major League Baseball, I foresee him having an enormous impact on other players and organizations. I'm honestly excited to see what he decides to do."

For now, he's helping to prepare the team he's been putting together since last July, the betting favorite to win the entire tournament. Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Julio Rodriguez and Sandy Alcantara all arrived at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday, with Juan Soto expected in the next day or two. They have two days of workouts scheduled at the Twins' camp, then an exhibition game against their hosts on Thursday, before heading to Miami to begin pool play on Saturday.

"Baseball is in our DNA, it's who we are as a country. It's life-changing for us," Cruz said. "And Saturday, when you see those flags moving around, that's when it really starts touching your heart."

Martin on rough road

Austin Martin came to camp confident that a breakout month in the Arizona Fall League would carry over to the 2023 season, that a surprisingly difficult 2022 season was well in the past.

He still believes that'll happen. It just might take a few weeks.

"I'm having a little bump in the road, nothing major," the Twins' top-10 hitting prospect said of the ligament sprain in his right elbow, inflammation that has compelled the Twins to sideline him from baseball games and workouts. "It's nothing that really affects my mind-set or makes me less optimistic about the season. … I'm grateful that it happened now, because I just have to rehab and get ready to enjoy a healthy year."

With Martin unable to play, the Twins assigned him and Michael Helman, a utility player suffering from a hamstring injury, to minor league camp for the rest of March.

Martin said the injury was a gradual one, just soreness that he decided to get checked out. "I can still hit. I have no issues swinging," the Class AA shortstop said. "But we're just trying to be careful and let it heal."

Etc.Outfielder Ryan Lamarre believed his left wrist was broken by a Duane Underwood pitch in Bradenton on Sunday, but X-rays found no fracture, "and right now, I'm in the lineup tomorrow," he said. "There's a little soreness, but I want to get back in there."Jose Miranda, who leads the Twins with three spring home runs, all of them as a designated hitter, should be cleared to throw again by the end of the week, Baldelli said.How did the manager spend the Twins' day off on Monday? "'Finding Nemo,' and then 'Ratatouille,' " said the father of 18-month old Disney-movie fan Louisa.Miranda homered and Ryan Jeffers doubled twice as the Twins beat the Orioles 7-6 at Hammond Stadium. The Twins scored two in the bottom of the ninth on three walks and three wild pitches by Orioles reliever Ofreidy Gomez. It ended an ugly game that included a combined 17 walks, three wild pitches, two hit batters and three errors.