Twins first baseman C.J. Cron is headed to the 10-day injured list with right thumb inflammation, the team revealed Saturday. Cron’s roster spot will be taken by LaMonte Wade Jr., who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester and started in left field during Saturday’s game against the Rangers.

According to manager Rocco Baldelli, the injury was starting to hamper Cron’s mechanics and effectiveness at the plate. While the team doesn’t expect him to be out much longer than the minimum 10 days, they’d prefer to err on the side of caution during his recovery process. The 29-year-old infielder last appeared in Friday’s 15-6 win over the Rangers and went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. He currently sports a .266/.326/.495 batting line with 17 home runs and an .821 OPS through 331 plate appearances. Until his return, which is expected sometime after the All-Star Break, Miguel Sanó will take over his starts at first base.

Wade, 25, is still working through his first season at the major-league level. Prior to Saturday’s start, he made just one appearance for the Twins in 2019, going hitless in two plate appearances in a 6-4 loss to the White Sox last month. Still, the potential for something greater is there: he ranked no. 22 in the club’s top 30 prospects and slashed a combined .257/.360/.380 at Double-A and Triple-A earlier this year.