Jose Miranda: Fast Spring Start Fuels Opening Day Roster Hope

February 22, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

PEORIA, Ariz. — Jose Miranda, a corner infielder previously with the Minnesota Twins, homered in a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday, February 20, 2026, according to reports from the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres lost the game 7-4 at Peoria Stadium.

Miranda’s two-run homer came off minor-leaguer Alex Hoppe in the seventh inning. He also doubled in the ninth, demonstrating a strong offensive showing in his first spring training appearance with the Padres. Romeo Sanabria, a first baseman who spent last season in Double-A, also homered for the Padres in the same game, hitting a solo shot off Troy Taylor.

The 30-year-traditional Miranda is a non-roster invitee to the Padres’ spring training camp, seeking to re-establish himself in the majors after a challenging 2023 season with the Twins. Last year, Miranda’s playing time was limited, and he finished with only three home runs in 152 plate appearances before being shut down for the remainder of the season in July due to injury. He began Spring Training in 2023 with an injured shoulder, according to reporting from Zone Coverage.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli stated in February 2026, as reported by Twins Daily, that the team was focused on evaluating younger players during spring training, emphasizing the importance of motivation and competition for roster spots. Baldelli indicated that Miranda was among several players vying for opportunities, noting a “healthy thing for an organization to have motivated guys that are going out there and want to earn their spot.”

Miranda himself has expressed a focus on staying healthy and taking an approach of “one pitch at a time” as he works his way back to the majors. He told CHS Field reporters in March 2024 that he was putting the past behind him and focusing on enjoying the game.

During Thursday’s afternoon game against the Pirates, the Twins saw several players competing for back-end roster spots perform well, scoring 14 runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Baldelli described the scene as “an awesome sight to observe a bunch of guys out there, working their butts off, competing.”