Former Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia is back in the big leagues

Longtime Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia is back in the big leagues.

Milwaukee saw firsthand how much former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis has been struggling for the Minnesota Twins this year, and when the franchise announced he was being sent to AAA on May 19, a familiar name was announced as the guy taking his place.

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Twins will purchase from the contract of Arcia from Triple-A St. Paul, giving him his first crack at the big leagues in 2026. Arcia played for the Brewers from 2016-21 and signed with the Twins as a minor-league free agent in January.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Minnesota designated for assignment another former Brewer, pitcher Justin Topa. He faced three batters in the series finale against Milwaukee on May 17, retiring two of them for a hold, but Topa has an 8.05 ERA this season in 19 innings.

Arcia, 31, had eight homers and a .932 OPS this year at AAA, playing second base, third base and shortstop for the Saints. The native of Venezuela was an all-star with the Braves in 2023 as part of a career resurgence, but his numbers fell off the next year and he played 76 games in the big leagues last year between the Braves and Rockies. With Colorado, he hit a game-tying home run in Milwaukee on June 29 against Brewers closer Trevor Megill with two outs in the ninth, a game the Rockies would go on to win in extras, 4-3.

Now, Arcia will play with his fourth big-league team. The former Milwaukee starting shortstop was traded to Atlanta during the 2021 season for two relief pitchers.

Yet another former Brewers player, Alex Jackson, was promoted to the Twins active roster as a replacement for Ryan Jeffers, who fractured his left hamate bone May 18 and will be on the injured list for a prolonged period of time.

Jeffers, whose home run against Milwaukee on May 17 proved to be the difference in a 5-4 Brewers loss, had a .949 OPS for the Twins this year.

Lewis, 26, has struggled mightily with a .539 OPS. Against the Brewers over the weekend, he went 2 for 11 with six strikeouts, including three with runners in scoring position.

Jackson, 30, played five games with the Brewers in the 2022 season. Topa appeared in 17 Brewers games from 2022-22.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Longtime Milwaukee Brewer Orlando Arcia added to Twins roster