Kubel makes Twins, to see time as DH/outfielder

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Outfielder Jason Kubel was informed by the Twins on Tuesday he made the team, and he will be added to the 25-man roster before the season starts on March 31 against the White Sox.

The Twins faced a Tuesday deadline to decide whether to put Kubel on the roster or give him a $100,000 retention bonus as an Article XX(B) free agent. But the Twins avoided the bonus by telling him he will be added to the roster, and he'll now receive a $2 million base salary.

Kubel, 31, is expecting to see time as a designated hitter and backup outfielder this season. He entered Tuesday's game against the Orioles hitting .212/.333/.333 with a homer and a double in 13 games. Kubel also went 5-for-8 over his previous three games.

"I believe he progressed during the spring and started taking better at-bats," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "I still believe he's a professional hitter with something left. He has the ability to drive in runs and provide offense."

It marks a return to the Twins for Kubel, who played in Minnesota from 2004-11 before signing a two-year deal with the D-backs before the '12 season. Kubel hit 30 homers and 30 doubles in 141 games in his first season with Arizona but struggled with injuries last year, hitting just .216/.293/.317 with five homers and nine doubles in 97 games with the D-backs and Indians.