PHOENIX — It was early June, Royce Lewis’s return was imminent and that meant a roster crunch was coming.

The Twins could have chosen to go in a number of different directions, but it quickly became clear there was one direction that they couldn’t go, even if it made the most logical sense positionally.

Jose Miranda had been manning third base in Lewis’s absence. But with the way he was hitting, there was no way the Twins were sending him back to Triple-A.

Miranda has more than rewarded the Twins’ faith. After last season was essentially lost due to a shoulder injury, the infielder has come back even better. And on Wednesday, that meant clearing the bases with a big double in the second inning to give the Twins a lead in their eventual 8-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

It also included another double and a single as part of a three-hit day. Even the one out he made was good contact, lined at 98.9 miles per hour to right field. He was intentionally walked in his last plate appearance.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game that part of the reason Lewis has been DHing as much as he has been is to get Miranda in the field. A mixture of third base, a bit of first and at-bats at DH have helped the Twins keep Miranda in the lineup, and he’s been making the most of the opportunity that’s been given to him.

The Twins got contributions from up and down the lineup.

Byron Buxton hit a sacrifice fly to push the Twins’ lead to four runs at the time. Trevor Larnach’s second double of the game brought home Willi Castro in the fourth inning, and Carlos Correa, who, like Miranda had three hits in the game, would later trade places with Larnach, doubling him in. Castro hit a blast in the fifth inning of the rout to cap the Twins’ scoring.

All that in support of rookie Simeon Woods Richardson, who gave up three earned runs in his 5 1/3 innings. Woods Richardson left in the sixth inning with a pair of runners on, both of whom scored, but he had plenty of help from his offense from the second inning on.