FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins are starting to fully ramp up for the season with Opening Day only 10 days away, and Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli's full-strength lineup in Monday's 4-1 victory over the Red Sox offered a first look at how the Twins might deploy all of their new weapons next Thursday at Target Field. 

"I could see a lineup that looks like this, or similar to this, rolling out several times this week," Baldelli said. "And I think we’re at the point in the spring where we can get our guys out there a couple days in a row, a few days in a row, and start piling on some at-bats late in the spring."

Max Kepler once again hit in the leadoff spot ahead of Jorge Polanco, a new development this spring. Kepler believes his last experience hitting at the top of the lineup in professional baseball was at the Rookie level, but Baldelli has been pleased with the quality of Kepler's at-bats and his command of the strike zone.

Baldelli previously said that both Kepler and Polanco could see time hitting leadoff throughout the spring.

"He’s taken to it very well, he’s had very positive comments and remarks with all of us on the idea, and it’s something we’re going to see going forward," Baldelli said.

Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario, and Marwin Gonzalez made up the heart of the order against Boston, with C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop, Jason Castro and Byron Buxton rounding out the lineup. Buxton, tied for the team lead with four homers this spring and three doubles on top of that, has hit .448/.485/.966 with only four strikeouts in 29 at-bats.

"It’s going to be fun for all of us to watch, I think," Baldelli said. "I’m really looking forward to watching him play and getting a season’s worth of at-bats."

Berrios integrates new two-seamer, curveball
José Berríos emphasized using his two-seam fastball against a Red Sox lineup featuring most of Boston’s probable starters. The Twins' 24-year-old ace said he had less confidence using the pitch in games last season, but worked on his release during the offseason and felt good about its movement on Monday.

"I used a lot of four-seamers last year, but I figured [the two-seamer] out during the offseason," Berrios said. "Now working with those things, using the two-seamer, works at this level specifically. That's why I went out today, to practice that."

He's also working on a curveball with more vertical break, to complement his signature breaking pitch with more lateral movement that he has used throughout his career. He hopes to throw both curveballs in games this season, with the more vertical curve generally being used earlier in counts and the more lateral curve geared more towards strikeouts.

Berrios, who threw 72 pitches in 4 2/3 innings on Monday, struck out four and walked three, while allowing only one run on three hits in his fifth start of the spring.

Lewis makes Major League spring debut
Shortstop Royce Lewis, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and the Twins' top prospect, appeared in a Major League game for the first time this spring after recovering from a right oblique strain that kept him out of action in big league camp. Baldelli hopes to get Lewis additional experience on the Major League side but can't yet commit to it.

Lewis said there were no nerves as he replaced starting shortstop Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning. The 19-year-old Lewis went 0-for-1 with a groundout to third. On defense, he turned a double play with first baseman C.J. Cron to end the top of the sixth.

"It's really cool playing in front of fans," Lewis said. "GCL days are over."

He said he had played in four or five games on the Minor League side before he was informed around dinnertime on Sunday that he would appear against the Red Sox. His oblique felt completely fine, and he felt that his timing at the plate was good despite missing time with the injury.

"Once you put your foot back into the batter's box, it felt like I was just in my natural habitat," Lewis said. "It was fun."

Lewis hasn't yet been told where he will begin the year. He finished last season's campaign with Class-A Advanced Fort Myers.

Twins make three more cuts
The Twins re-assigned infielder Randy Cesar, as well as catchers Brian Navarreto and Tomas Telis to Minor League camp on Monday morning, leaving 41 players on the Major League side.

The 24-year-old Cesar, who arrived as a Minor League free agent during the offseason after seven seasons in the Astros' organization, was 7-for-26 (.269) with three doubles and a homer in a team-leading 17 games this spring while playing both corner infield positions.

Navarreto, the Twins' primary catcher at Double-A Pensacola last season, was 3-for-16 (.188) with two homers, while the 27-year-old Telis, who has played parts of five seasons in the Major Leagues with the Rangers and Marlins, was 5-for-21 (.238) with a double.

Up next

After a rainout Tuesday, the Twins will next take on the Pirates on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. CT at CenturyLink Sports Complex.