First baseman Jon Singleton is back in the major leagues for the first time in eight years after getting promoted by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers called up Singleton (Millikan High) and outfielder Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday and put first baseman Darin Ruf and outfielder Tyrone Taylor on the 10-day injured list. Ruf has a right knee laceration and Taylor has a right elbow sprain.

“It’s been a long journey,” Singleton told reporters before the Brewers’ game Saturday with the Cincinnati Reds. “Right now, I really can’t even describe my emotions, my feelings. Definitely grateful.”

The 31-year-old Singleton started at first base and batted sixth for the Brewers in Saturday’s game, a 10-8 Milwaukee victory. He went 1 for 4 with an infield single in the third inning. He scored later in the inning on a grand slam by Blake Perkins.

Singleton was such a heralded prospect early in his pro career that he signed a $10 million long-term deal with the Houston Astros in 2014 before ever playing a big-league game, but off-field issues hampered his development.

Singleton told reporters he learned about his promotion from Nashville Sounds manager Rick Sweet during the ninth inning of their game Friday night.

“When Rick told me, I was just mind-blown, to be honest,” Singleton said. “It was something that came so unexpectedly at that moment. It was definitely a long time coming.”

Singleton’s only previous major league experience came when he batted .171 with a .290 on-base percentage, 14 homers and 50 RBIs in a combined 114 games with the Astros from 2014-15. The Astros released Singleton in 2018 while he was serving a 100-game suspension under baseball’s minor league drug program after a third positive test for a drug of abuse.

He told The Associated Press in 2014 that he was battling an addiction to marijuana and had been to a rehabilitation center.

But he’s made a remarkable comeback since.

“Once I had time to step away and consider what life really was and what it meant to me, it helped maybe put things in perspective,” Singleton told reporters Saturday.

The Brewers signed Singleton to a minor league contract in 2021, after he had batted .321 with 15 homers and a 1.196 OPS in 46 games in the Mexican League earlier that year.

He was hitting .258 with a .384 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage, 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 49 games with Nashville this season. That followed a 2021 campaign in which he batted .219 with a .375 on-base percentage, 24 homers, 87 RBIs and 117 walks in 134 games with Nashville.

Now he’s back in the big leagues.

“It’s definitely rewarding,” Singleton told reporters. “There’s been a lot of hard work that I’ve put in. There’s been a lot of things I’ve done emotionally, physically and spiritually to get to this point. Very, very grateful.”

twins’ gallo put in IL >> Minnesota Twins slugger Joey Gallo was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain before Saturday’s game against Cleveland. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Gallo has been dealing with the injury for “a little while now.” The team recalled outfielder Kyle Garlick from Triple-A St. Paul.

Gallo is batting .188 with 11 homers and 23 RBIs in 46 games this season. He leads the Twins in home runs and OPS (.799).

It’s the second time on the injured list for Gallo this season after he missed 10 games in April with an intercostal strain.

mariners pitcher gonzales on IL with forearm strain >> The Seattle Mariners placed left-hander Marco Gonzales on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm strain. Manager Scott Servais said he didn’t have any details on Gonzales’ injury. The 31-year-old didn’t make the trip to Texas.

Servais has said Gonzales felt discomfort after throwing 5 2/3 innings last Sunday at home against Pittsburgh. He still wasn’t feeling right during a bullpen session a few days later.

cubs’ steele goes on IL >> The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list with strained left forearm.

red sox sign refsnyder for 2024 >> The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Rob Refsnyder to a one-year contract for the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025, the team announced.

The 32-year-old Refsnyder signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent on Dec. 1, 2021, and then re-signed as a major league free agent on Nov. 9, 2022.