MINNEAPOLIS - After being designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics on April 12, outfielder Sam Fuld wasn’t sure where his baseball future would take him. In seven seasons as a Major Leaguer with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics, Fuld had never been DFA’d before.
“It was a learning experience,” Fuld said. “But I knew the day would come where I would suit up for somebody, so I had to stay as sharp as I could.”
So Fuld took to social media and asked around about places he could train while he was in “DFA limbo,” eventually finding a place in the San Francisco Bay Area where he could keep his skills sharp while his future unfolded. He also used the time off to spend time with his wife and kids.
“I treated it kind of like an All-Star break, just an extra long one that came in April,” Fuld said. “We were able to do things we normally aren’t able to.
With injuries and ineffectiveness in their outfield, the Minnesota Twins were in need of a veteran and claimed Fuld off waivers. And just like that, Fuld’s future - at least his immediate one - was clear again.
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From afar, Fuld said he has always admired how the Twins play and felt immediately like he’d be a good fit.
“I’m excited, it’s a good group,” Fuld said. “I’ve always respected them from across the way and they’ve lived up to the expectations. They play hard and it seems like there is a lot of fight in the team. That’s a lot of fun to be a part of.”
After being claimed April 20 while the Twins were in Kansas City, Fuld met the team in Tampa and made his Twins debut against his former team on April 23, going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. The next day, he went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Fuld made his Target Field debut Friday in a 10-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers, but was one of the bright spots, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. He then scored a run and went 1-for-3 in Saturday’s 5-3 win over Detroit.
Fuld said making his debut with a new team in a familiar environment may have helped steady his nerves.
“I think so,” Fuld said. “I can’t put a finger on what it was [that made him so successful early], but stepping into that batter’s box and having done it so many times already added to that sense of comfort. It was fun to see my old teammates too, and I think that may have helped take the pressure off trying to impress 24 guys and a whole new coaching staff.”
