BOSTON -- After spending roughly six weeks in the Minors, Twins third baseman Miguel Sano was recalled from Triple-A Rochester before Saturday's 10-4 loss to the Red Sox. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his return to Minnesota's lineup.
Lefty reliever Gabriel Moya was also recalled, as Sano and Moya replaced infielder Eduardo Escobar and reliever Thomas Pressly, who were both traded Friday night.
Sano, an All-Star last season, was initially sent to Class A Advanced Fort Myers on June 15, as the Twins wanted him to work on his conditioning and his swing after he struggled early in the season following offseason surgery to insert a titanium rod in his left shin. Sano lost roughly 15-20 pounds and hit a combined .309/.425/.468 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 28 games between Fort Myers and Rochester.
"It was an experience," Sano said through an interpreter. "It wasn't negative. It was something positive now that I look back at it. It helped me realize the steps I needed to do to be back up here. It was a good experience and I learned a lot from it."
Twins management was pleased with the way Sano carried himself during his time in the Minor Leagues and feel it's now an opportunity for the 25-year-old to finish his season on a high note.
"By and large, he went down and put forth a tremendous effort," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. "He took it as an opportunity. We wanted him to be the best version of Miguel Sano he could be. He's put in a lot of work and now an opportunity has presented and he needs to seize it."

Sano said it was tough initially to be sent all the way to Class A Advanced, but understood why the Twins decided it was the best place for him because of their amenities at their Spring Training facility. Early on, he played every other day, as he spent time working on his conditioning and defense when he didn't play.
"This is my future and they had my future in mind, and I understand why they did what they did," Sano said. "I worked hard myself. It's my life and my future as well and I'm looking forward to it."
Sano said his swing mechanics remain the same, but that his improved conditioning, especially with his lower half has allowed him to swing like he did pre-surgery. Sano was hitting .203/.270/.405 with seven homers and 27 RBIs in 37 games before being sent down after batting .264/.352/.507 with 28 homers and 77 RBIs in 114 games last year.

"The swing is the same," Sano said. "But since I worked on my entire body, I feel healthier and it's allowing me to swing better."
He noted that it was tough to be called up because of the decision to trade Escobar to the D-backs, but said it's the nature of the Trade Deadline this time of year.
"He was having a great season and his value went up so they traded him," Sano said. "Maybe if it was me up here playing well, maybe it would've been me. So it's just part of the game."