Twins call up top prospect Edouard Julien from Triple-A St. Paul

The Minnesota Twins received an injury blow on Tuesday, as the side soreness that Joey Gallo had been battling for the last few days wound up requiring a stint on the injured list. But when the baseball gods close one door, they open another, and Gallo being sidelined has created an opportunity for one of the most exciting prospects in baseball: Canadian infielder Edouard Julien.

Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Twins system and No. 96 in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Julien’s skill set can best be summed up by a review Carlos Correa gave in Spring Training: “My god, the kid can hit, man.”

That ability to control the strike zone and consistently get the barrel to the ball — he led all Minor Leaguers with at least 1,000 plate appearances in walks and on-base percentage across the past two seasons — has turned Julien from an afterthought 18th-round pick out of Auburn into a key piece of Minnesota’s future.

The 23-year-old tore up Double-A last year, slashing .300/.441/.490 with 17 homers and 19 steals, then kept right on rolling in the Arizona Fall League. He fell short of making the Twins Opening Day roster despite a strong spring, but Gallo’s injury — and Julien’s defensive versatility — created a need at Target Field.

Julien will start at second base and bat eighth in his MLB debut on Wednesday afternoon against the White Sox, and given his multi-position eligibility and his potential combination of elite average with decent power and speed, he’s a recommended add in all but the shallowest of fantasy leagues.