FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The day every Major League manager dreads came Friday for Twins rookie skipper Rocco Baldelli -- the first day of spring when he has to call players into his office and tell them they’ve been cut. Baldelli had to do that seven times.

The Twins informed those players throughout the day, but they waited until their game against the Rays at CenturyLink Sports Complex had ended in a 5-5 tie to make the announcement.

Sent down were pitchers Kohl Stewart, Lewis Thorpe and Andrew Vasquez. Joining them were outfielders Brent Rooker, Luke Raley and Alex Kirilloff, along with catcher Ben Rortvedt.

“It’s really about preparing for the season,” Baldelli said, citing the need to get the roster’s big league players more at-bats and innings to pitch. The flip side of that is that the players who were sent down can also get meaningful work in before their Minor League seasons start.

“Days like today mean different things for different players. Hopefully it was a positive and a great learning experience for all of them,” Baldelli said. “At the same time, they’re able to get in front of the staff and show what they can do.”

Right-hander Stewart and lefties Vasquez and Thorpe were optioned and will start the season at Triple-A Rochester. Rooker, Raley, Kirilloff and Rortvedt were reassigned to Minor League camp.

The Twins now have 52 players in camp (15 non-roster): 25 pitchers (8 non-roster), 6 catchers (3 non-roster), 14 infielders (4 non-roster) and 7 outfielders.

Royce Lewis, 19, the Twins’ top prospect and the fifth-best in baseball per MLB Pipeline who is working his way back from a right oblique strain, was not cut, but that should happen soon. Lewis sustained the injury on Feb. 22 while diving during a drill.

“He has been on the back field, running well. He looks good, feels good, but we’re just being conservative with him,” Baldelli said. He added that he would like to see Lewis in some games this spring. But even without seeing Lewis on the field, he has been impressed: “You see him watching, listening and learning. It has been impressive to watch him go about his work.”

Lewis, the first overall pick in the 2017 Draft, also likes to visit with Twins greats Rod Carew and Torii Hunter, tapping into their reservoir of knowledge and experience.

Kirilloff, 21, the Twins’ No. 2 prospect, came in as a pinch-hitter in Friday’s game, subbing for the roster’s oldest player -- 38-year-old Nelson Cruz. Kirilloff went 2-for-2 to raise his final Grapefruit League batting average to .278. Some in the organization believe Kirilloff might see some playing time in the big leagues this season.