FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Nelson Cruz enjoys a good film before retiring for the evening. Not from Netflix or HBO or any streaming site. Rather, Cruz likes to watch baseball film, breaking down the game for when he steps on the field.

“That way, I’m dreaming about it,” the Twins designated hitter said.

Cruz hasn’t stepped onto the field much this spring. It's not because he is injured. Rather, it is because he is old -- in baseball years. Cruz, a 14-year veteran, turns 39 on July 1.

For only the second time this Grapefruit League season, Cruz stepped onto the field Friday, in a game against the Rays at CenturyLink Sports Complex that ended in a 5-5 tie. In his first at-bat, Cruz smoked a line-drive single to right field off Rays starter Jake Faria, scoring Max Kepler.

“It felt good. I feel good,” said Cruz, who signed a one-year, $14.3 million contract with the Twins in the offseason, primarily to DH with his middle-of-the-order bat while also providing veteran leadership.

Since there is no need to wear out a veteran player in Spring Training games, Cruz has picked and chosen when to get live game action, communicating that with manager Rocco Baldelli. As for a leadership role, Cruz is already integrating well with that. He remembers how Michael Young was that veteran presence when Cruz was a young player coming up with the Rangers.

“I always like to help,” he said, adding that he hopes the younger players feed off his work ethic. But he doesn’t just want to lead by example. “I like to talk to guys, not just position players, either. Just talk baseball. Again, I like to help.”

Cruz’s only other Spring Training start was Feb. 23 in the Twins' opener, also against the Rays. He said he expects to play again in Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays.

A step closer
José Berríos took a step closer toward his Opening Day start, pitching 3 1/3 innings against the Rays. Aside from surrendering a solo home run to Ji-Man Choi, Berríos’ outing was solid. He did yield a walk in the fourth inning before he was lifted for D.J. Baxendale, who served up a home run to Willy Adames. That meant that two earned runs were recorded onto Berríos’ line, but all in all, it was a good outing.

“I felt great,” Berríos said. “I feel like I really got into the rhythm of the game, and the velocity was where we wanted it to be.”

Berríos was the Twins’ only All-Star last year, when he posted a career-best 3.84 ERA in only his third Major League season. He also recorded 202 strikeouts in 192 1/3 innings.

Berríos, 24, will be the Twins' youngest Opening Day starter since Brad Radke, also 24, in 1997. That will come on March 28, when the Twins host the Indians. Jake Odorizzi started on Opening Day in 2018. Ervin Santana filled the role in 2016 and 2017.

Familiar faces
Whenever the Twins play the Rays, it carries a bit of a homecoming feel. In addition to Baldelli, who played the bulk of his career for the Rays (from 2003-08 and 2010), other former Rays coaches and players with the Twins are bench coach Derek Shelton (2010-16), coach Bill Evers (1996-2018), Odorizzi (2013-17), pitcher Preston Guilmet (2015), first baseman Lucas Duda (2017) and first baseman C.J. Cron (2018).

Up next
Martín Pérez gets the start in Saturday’s 12:05 p.m. CT road game against the Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton. Fernando Romero, Chase De Jong, Ryan Eades, Ryne Harper and Justin Nicolino are also scheduled to pitch. The Pirates are starting Clay Holmes, followed by Felipe Vazquez, Keone Kela, Richard Rodriguez and Tyler Lyons.