EDMONTON, AB – The Minnesota Twins announced today that catcher Matthew LeCroy has been recalled from Triple-A Edmonton and outfielder Michael Cuddyer has been optioned to the Trappers. This is the fourth time that LeCroy has been recalled by the Twins this season. Cuddyer was originally recalled by the Twins on July 12. There are currently 24 active players on the Trappers’ roster, the league maximum.

Cuddyer, 23, hit .196 (11-for-56) with two home runs and 10 RBI in 20 games with the Twins. He scored five runs, had two doubles and drew four walks, while striking out 16 times. Cuddyer is hitting .311 (92-for-296) with 20 home runs and 51 RBI in 76 games with the Trappers. He has scored 60 runs, hit 14 doubles and five triples, has drawn 27 walks and stole nine bases. Cuddyer was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle on April 27 and activated on May 10. The native of Norfolk , Virginia was named the Trappers’ Player of the Month in June after he batted .319 (36-for-113) with 12 home runs and 34 RBI in 29 games during the month. Cuddyer was also named the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Month for June. He was elected to the Triple-A All-Star Game, which was played on July 10 in Oklahoma City , and was 0-for-2 while starting in left field for the Pacific Coast League All-Stars. Cuddyer was recently named as the Best Batting Prospect in the PCL by Baseball America . He won the Sherry Robertson Award as the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2001 when he batted .301-30-87 with five stolen bases in 141 games for Double-A New Britain. Cuddyer is rated by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in the Twins’ organization and the 27th-best prospect in the minor leagues. He was originally selected by the Twins in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1997 draft.

LeCroy, 26, hit .351 (61-for-174) with 12 home runs, 50 RBI and two stolen bases in 46 games with the Trappers this season. He is batting .282 (37-for-131) with four home runs and 18 RBI in 41 games with the Twins. The Belton, South Carolina native began the season with the Trappers and was first recalled on April 6. He was optioned to Edmonton on April 19 when outfielder Brian Buchanan was activated by the Twins and promoted once again on April 24 when designated hitter David Ortiz was placed on the DL. LeCroy returned to Edmonton on May 13, was recalled again on June 10 when right-hander Jack Cressend was placed on the disabled list and was optioned back to Edmonton on August 3. LeCroy appeared in 101 games for the Trappers in 2001 and hit .328 (130-for-396) with 20 home runs and 80 RBI. He led Edmonton in home runs and RBI and was seventh in the PCL in batting. LeCroy appeared in 15 games for the Twins in September and October and hit .425 (17-for-40) with three home runs and 12 RBI. He was named the 2001 Trapper of the Year, Trappers' Player of the Month for April, Twins' Minor League Player of the Week, July 14-20, and Trappers' Player of the Month and the Twins' Minor League Player of the Month for July. LeCroy was selected by Minnesota with a first-round sandwich pick (50th overall) in the June, 1997 free agent draft.