Emmanuel Rodriguez Makes Immediate Statement After Finally Getting Called Up by Twins

The first pitch Emmanuel Rodriguez got ahold of in the major leagues left Target Field in a hurry.

By the time he reached home plate, the Minnesota Twins’ newest outfielder had already turned his long-awaited debut into something he and his family could keep forever. Rodriguez had spent years working toward the opportunity, and he acknowledged before Saturday’s game that the call-up had overwhelmed him. Speaking through teammate Pablo López before the game, he revealed all the emotions he felt as he learned he was headed to Minnesota.

"It was very exciting, and full disclosure, I cried," Rodriguez said, via Twins TV. "When I got the news, I called my family, so it's been pretty hectic, pretty crazy, but completely and absolutely special."

The call itself came in a way that made the news even more memorable. Rodriguez said the manager and clubhouse manager initially asked whether he was ready to play the following day. He assumed it was a routine question until they asked if he was ready to play at Target Field.

That's when it finally clicked.

Rodriguez wanted to make sure he didn't lose one thing once the moment arrived.

"After all these hard-working years and all the time it's taken, I still want to enjoy myself," Rodriguez said through López before the game, via Twins TV. "It's going to be a big moment, but I just want to take the field, enjoy and do my baseball thing."

He did exactly that, although "doing his baseball thing" turned out to be a little more dramatic than anyone could have expected.

Rodriguez did not have to wait long for his first major-league moment. In the third inning, he faced Cleveland right-hander Franco Aleman for the first time and sent a 2-1 fastball 420 feet into the left-center-field bullpen. The ball left his bat at 111.1 mph, tying the game and giving the Target Field crowd a debut it would not soon forget.

The reaction came quickly. Rodriguez raised his right arm as he rounded the bases, then clapped as he crossed home plate and headed into a waiting Twins dugout.

"It's something you cannot describe," Rodriguez said postgame through López, via Twins TV. "The heart was gonna beat out of my chest, but I just try to enjoy every second of it, even if I remember most of it."

That home run became the defining image of the afternoon, though it was not the first indication that Rodriguez was ready for the stage. Earlier in the game, he cut down Angel Martínez at third base with a strong throw from center field. Connor Prielipp told the Pioneer Press' Betsy Helfand that the play was crucial, saying it helped keep the game from getting away and allowed him to remain in it longer.

Then Rodriguez kept making hard contact. He finished 1-for-4, with his third-inning line drive home run followed by a 101.8 mph lineout and another fly ball hit harder than 101 mph, according to Helfand.

Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters postgame on Twins TV that the entire afternoon was encouraging, particularly because Rodriguez's debut showed why the Twins view him as an impact player.

For Rodriguez, a player who waited through six seasons and 353 Minor League games to reach this point, it all came back to enjoying the opportunity.