Astudillo will be promoted to the major leagues for the first time in his career Friday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Astudillo will be up to replace the injured Taylor Motter (concussion). The 26-year-old is one of the most unique players in affiliated baseball. His ability to make contact is incredible, as he's struck out a grand total of 76 times in nine minor-league seasons (good for a 3.2 percent strikeout rate). He can't really do anything else, though, as his defense has generally graded poorly and he's possessed little power, though the latter may be changing as he's posted a .517 slugging percentage in 85 games at the Triple-A level over the last two seasons. The Twins (Astudillo's fourth organization) will finally give the world the chance to see if his profile plays at the major-league level.