FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The feel-good story of Twins camp came to an end on Monday when non-roster invitee Ryne Harper, two days shy of his 30th birthday, was informed that he would make the first Opening Day roster of his career.

"It's a wonderful feeling, knowing on the other end of the table, however special it is for people who get to be in the room for something like that, I know how special it is for him as well," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He earned it. He's earned it his entire baseball career. He's earned it this spring. I couldn't be happier for him and for us."

Harper had briefly been called up to the Major Leagues by the Mariners in 2017, but he never made it into a game. He will finally get his long-awaited shot to make his big league debut when he heads north with the team on Tuesday.

With that move, most of the details surrounding the Twins' Opening Day roster have fallen into place.

Preston Guilmet and Mike Morin were both reassigned to Minor League camp on Monday, and Baldelli confirmed that Addison Reed will begin the season on the injured list with a left thumb injury. Though the Twins haven't yet made official decisions on Matt Magill and Gabriel Moya, who have begun throwing programs, Baldelli confirmed that Harper will indeed make the team.

With the Twins expected to take a five-man bench north for Opening Day, that leaves a likely bullpen of Trevor May, Trevor Hildenberger, Blake Parker, Taylor Rogers, Adalberto Mejía, Martin Perez and Harper. Baldelli again declined to name a closer on Monday, and he confirmed that he will open the season playing matchups and situations late in games with May, Hildenberger, Parker and Rogers, though he said that he will remain flexible with his bullpen thinking as the season progresses.

"I don't think it lines up as cleanly as some traditional bullpens we've seen, where so-and-so pitches the seventh, the other guy pitches the eighth and the closer pitches the ninth on a regular basis," Baldelli said. "We may get into some patterns, I guess, as the season goes on, but I really do mean it when I say that I'm not sure exactly what those patterns are going to be as I sit here."

In the final decision that remains before the Twins can set their roster, shortstop Jorge Polanco hasn't played since Friday as he deals with right shoulder fatigue. Polanco was the designated hitter in a Minor League game on Monday, and though Baldelli expects Polanco to break camp with the team, the Twins will likely make a final decision on Tuesday.

If Polanco isn't ready for Opening Day, utility infielder Ronald Torreyes would likely take his place on the Twins' 25-man roster.

Cruz bests Rosario in battle of player-managers

The Twins surprised Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario by asking them early Monday morning if they would be willing to manage the final four innings of the scrimmage between the Twins and their Triple-A squad, the Rochester Red Wings.

The two player-managers were allowed to set their own lineups, with Cruz putting himself in the three-hole for Rochester and Rosario assuming his usual cleanup role for the Twins, and the pair exchanged lineup cards at home plate before Cruz piloted the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory on Monday afternoon at Hammond Stadium.

"I was replaced by a high-profile managerial candidate, and I think he did a phenomenal job out there," Baldelli said. "He brought it home. The players responded really well to him."

Baldelli observed Cruz's managerial style as he was stationed in the Red Wings' dugout sporting a No. 37 jersey that he draped out on his desk after the game.

"Loose and fast," Baldelli said. "Player's manager for sure."

Rosario stirred the home dugout into a rousing huddle and chant before the start of the game, but over on the visiting side, Cruz's players were undeterred.

"I called it eye wash," Cruz said.

The game didn't count, but that didn't deter Cruz from pulling out all the stops against his teammate. When Twins starter Jake Odorizzi was hit by a Jake Cave line drive to start the game, Rosario emerged from the Minnesota dugout with assistant athletic trainer Matt Biancuzzo to check on his pitcher, and Cruz signaled to the press box to make sure Rosario was charged with a mound visit.

"Any chance that I can win something, I try to do it," Cruz said. "I even tried to throw [catcher Jason] Castro out. The ball hit and he was pointing. I told the umpire, 'He’s pointing. Put him out. He’s not supposed to point.'

"It was fun to change pitchers," Cruz added. "I never was on the mound before, so I don’t know what to do."

Twins set Opening Day rotation

Baldelli announced that Opening Day starter Jose Berrios will be followed by Odorizzi and Michael Pineda in the Twins' three-game series against the Indians to begin the regular season, with fifth starter Perez available to pitch out of the bullpen at any point during the series.

Kyle Gibson, the staff's leader in innings and quality starts last season, will throw on schedule in Fort Myers on Wednesday before he joins the team in Minnesota. Baldelli said that Gibson's continued recovery from a battle with E. coli in January played a part in the decision to give him some extra time before his first regular-season start.

Gibson said on Friday that he was nearing full strength, and that he hoped to add five more pounds to reach his ideal playing weight.

"Giving him a little bit of extra time was something we saw as probably a positive thing, and the way that things lined up for us, combined with that, kind of allowed us to make that part of the decision as well," Baldelli said.

Up next

Before many of the Twins' Major League players head north to Minneapolis on Tuesday, Pineda will wrap up Minnesota's spring schedule when he starts a 1:05 p.m. CT exhibition game against the Rockies, who will stop at Hammond Stadium on the way to their scheduled Opening Day matchup at Marlins Park.