Fun With Ridiculous Stats, Series Recaps, and More Notes

The Twins have completed two series now, and after completely embarrassing themselves from the gate, they've rallied to make their record somewhat more respectable.

I'm going to ignore the Orioles series because, frankly, I was unable to pay a lot of attention to it. I had to watch the three games in bits-and-pieces. Apparently, I didn't miss much.

I was lucky enough to attend the Twins home opener. I was happy to be back at Target Field, even though I didn't partake in any of the new food items (I stuck with a good old reliable brat). I did partake in some delightful hot chocolate. Twice. Because it was damn cold.

Here's a picture I took from our new season ticket seats.

It was fun to see the 2006 Division Champ Twins throwing out the first pitch, especially Brad Radke, but as you can tell from the picture, I didn't really get a good look. I did, however, get enough of a look at the actual game. It wasn't my favorite.

What is my favorite? Twins wins, of course. And, I was beginning to get a nagging feeling that that they didn't remember how to do that. I'm so glad that they didn't forget.

Notes From the Series:

• I'm glad to see Justin and Joey finally hitting. Things are exciting when they're both in the lineup and hitting well.
• I think Josh Willingham wants me to love him; that's why he keeps hitting all those huge homeruns. I'm also not too worried about his defense; I think he'll get better at that.
• I also think that Glen Perkins wants me to love him. Did you see how he made a fool out of Albert Pujols? O...M...G...
• I wish that Matt Capps wanted me to love him. I'm trying as hard as I can to give him a chance, but he's making it really hard. He's serving up way too much interesting.
• I can't think of anything bad to say about Chris Parmelee. Not that I want to or anything, but I just thought I'd note that. Keep it up, rook.

~~~
Jeff Gray Knows How to Win

Right-handed reliever Jeff Gray leads the club in wins. In fact, he has all of them. Well, both of them.

And the amazing fact is that his combined pitch count for his two wins is ... three. He earned the win on Wednesday after recording an out with a single pitch. On Thursday, it took him twice as many pitches to complete the same feat.

Obviously, the Twins batters sitting in the dugout while he's on the mound are so inspired by his efficient pitching that when they finally come to the plate, they are compelled to take the lead and not let go.

Or, it could be that the pitchers' win stat is really dumb.

~~~
Injury Update

Scott Baker announced that he will have surgery to repair his flexor pronator tendon, an injury that has been bothering him since last season.

This is not the same injury that requires Tommy John surgery. That is a ligament replacement. This is a tendon.

Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect bone to muscle. Also, tendons communicate with the brain causing the muscles to react. This particular tendon allows the forearm to rotate while the arm is flexed (imagine flexing your arm, keeping your shoulder and elbow still, and rotating your palm).

The recovery time for this is likely to be six months, so his season is over. And his tenure with the Twins is likely over too. The Twins have a team option on his contract for 2013, but it's for $9.25 million, which is probably too spendy for a guy just coming off a significant injury. So he'll be a free agent trying to convince teams he's fine. Bummer.

I Like the Roster, Even If I Wouldn't Have Predicted It

The Twins 25-man roster has been set, and I'm pretty excited about it. However, there are some surprises (at least for me) on it. Namely:

• There are only two catchers on the roster and neither of them are named Drew Butera. We all know that Gardy loves having three catchers on hand in the miniscule chance that one of them gets hurt while the other one is the DH, or something like that. But no more of that. Joe Mauer needs to stay healthy and Ryan Doumit will get his at bats as a bench catcher, first baseman, and outfielder. The Rochester Red Wings will enjoy the talents of Drew Butera.
• Justin Morneau is not the Opening Day first baseman. After what I'm sure was much thought, reflection, and deliberation, Justin decided that it would be in his and the team's best interests for him to be a full-time designated hitter, at least for awhile. And it looks like Chris Parmelee will be up to the task to be a decent first baseman, jumping up from AA last season and sticking.
• It looks like Jason Marquis will start the season on the Bereavement List (3 to 7 days). He's been away from the team for a couple of weeks to see to his daughter who was seriously hurt in a bicycle accident. Fortunately, her condition is improving and he will be able to rejoin the team in time to break camp. However, since he's been away a pretty long time, he's probably not stretched out enough to start a game for awhile. A combo of adding Liam Hendriks and using a four-man rotation for awhile should allow Marquis enough time to catch up.
• A couple of non-roster invitees actually made the roster: infielder Sean Burroughs and RHP Jared Burton. That had to be cool for them.
• And the Twins have already invoked the Disabled List. Maybe this is a good thing -- last year, the Twins proudly didn't use the DL coming out Spring Training, only to use it eleventy-billion times during the season. Maybe using it a little before the season will be a good sacrifice for the actual season. Or something.

And since I brought up the DL, you know what that means...

RHP Scott Baker has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26th, with tendonitis of his right elbow.

Baker's elbow has been troublesome for awhile now. He missed 58 days last season with a forearm flexor strain. I don't know if this tendonitis is related, but I wouldn't doubt it.

It sounds like he may back as soon as he is eligible and that the Twins are being cautious. They have the luxury early in the season, with a lot of off days, to do without him for a little while.

RHP Kyle Waldrop has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 30th, with a right elbow strain.

This must have been crushing news to Waldrop, who was having an excellent Spring Training and was set to break camp in the majors.

His injury doesn't sound serious, and again, it seems as if the Twins are being extra cautious with him.

It's unclear whether he'll be added to the 25-man roster once he's healthy, but there's no reason to believe he won't be.

Sound Off: Three Catchers, or Not Three Catchers

I read LaVelle's piece about whether the Twins should carry three catchers on the roster. It's a good question -- should they keep three just so they have adequate fill ins in case one of them gets hurt, or should they free up that roster spot for, say, another utility guy or pitcher (how many pitchers they should have on the roster is another rant entirely)?

So here's the design the Twins will use if they go with three: the regular catcher will be Joe Mauer, the DH who can also catch will be Ryan Doumit, and Drew Butera will be bench catcher.

Joe Mauer should be fine in 2012 and will catch the lion's share of the innings. When he needs a "semi-day off," he can either DH, in which case Doumit can catch, or he can play first base, in which case Morneau can DH and Doumit can catch, thereby keeping all those bats in the lineup.

If they choose to go with only two, it'll probably be Mauer and Doumit. The risk with having only two catchers, of course, is that if whoever's catching gets hurt during the course of a game, the Twins lose the DH and the pitcher has to hit for the rest of the game. Besides, Carl Pavano really likes to have Butera as his personal catcher.

In a perfect world ... you know, when Joe Mauer is healthy and hitting and, well, being Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau is healthy and hitting and being Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham is healthy and hitting and being Michael Cuddyer -- wait -- well, you get the idea ... I don't mind having Butera in there once every five days or so. Yes, he's a sub- .200 hitter, but the other guys in the lineup hitting well make up for it. In a perfect world.

But it's not a perfect world. I'm not completely confident that everyone will be hitting like they're supposed to. Or even if they're hitting like they're supposed to, that it'll be enough. There may be plenty of holes in the lineup without Butera, there's no reason to intentionally make one with him.

Apparently, having to pull the DH so he can catch and make pitchers hit is a big fear of Gardy's. LaVelle's article pointed out exactly how many times that has happened, and it doesn't seem like it happens enough to worry about. Of course, there's always a chance that a pitcher can hurt himself while running the basepaths, but I'm not terribly concerned about that. These guys have played baseball for a long time; they know what to do out there. There's no more risk to a pitcher hitting than there is to a pitcher fielding a bunt.

Final conclusion: leave Drew at AAA.

Quick Notes: Feb. 20

The biggest news in recent days is obviously that pitchers and catchers have reported and are participating in baseball activities. Finally. However, there are a couple other news bits to mention since I last checked in.

Alexi Casilla avoided the opportunity to have the Twins tell him that he's not as awesome as he thinks he is. He and the Twins settled on a one-year, $1,382,500 contract. The amount is a smidgen under the halfway point between the numbers the two sides exchanged, but still a nice raise for Casilla.

Ok, Alexi, now go be awesome.

~~~

Sounds like the biggest news out of Spring Training so far is that Joe Mauer is participating in all his catching duties and drills like any other catcher. This is newsworthy because, last season, it took three weeks into Spring Training before he could even participate. This delay caused him to rush himself in order to catch up, which turned out to be a one-step-forward-two-steps-back venture.

For what it's worth, I know a lot of fans (and some newspaper columnists) are frustrated with Mauer. Ok, fair enough -- last year was a crappy year for him. However, that's all it was ... ONE crappy year. It's way too soon to call his catching career over.

It's also too soon to call his contract a bust. Yes, his contract is a huge burden on the team. That's not his fault. Also, it's not fair to claim that should be considered less prone to injury just because he makes a lot of money. I seriously doubt his knees or hips or lungs or any other body parts know how much money he makes. In my opinion, any injuries he suffers and his salary should never be mentioned together.

So, I'm glad to read that this camp is starting out well for him. I have every confidence that he'll have a "good Joe Mauer" year this season. And the team will be better for it.

~~~

You need to check out the new enterprise by the TwinsCentric guys (Seth Stohs, Parker Hageman, Nick Nelson, and John Bonnes) called Twins Daily. This great site is not only an aggregator of their work and the work of other great Twins bloggers, but it's also an entire community experience. If you register to their site, you can participate in the forums or even write blog posts. It's a great way to catch up with your favorite Twins bloggers and fans and to find new ones.

Quick Notes: Dec. 11

Hi. It's been a while. Sorry.

The winter meetings are now over, and while some other teams made some big splashes, the Twins also made a couple quiet moves.

Twins Catch a Florimon
The Twins claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. from the Baltimore Orioles. He'll likely be assigned to Rochester, but he is on the 40-man roster. And, yes, his name totally makes me think of Pokemon.

Slow-ride Out of Town
The relationship between Kevin Slowey and the Twins was quite rocky in 2011, so the Twins ended it by trading him to the Rockies, initially for a player to be named later. Ultimately, the Twins received RHP Daniel Turpin.

It's hard to fully understand what caused the rift between Slowey and the organization. A few media members have expressed their disdain for Slowey, but I can't believe that it's 100% his fault. Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN has a well-written, balanced article that explains the decline on both sides.

Turpin has been assigned to Rochester.

Re-Capps'd
The Twins re-signed closer Matt Capps on a one-year deal with an option year. If Capps signed with another team, the Twins would have received a draft pick, but the Twins really wanted him, and they got him.

I wish I could have the guts to say that I'm unhappy about this. However, I believe that disliking players on my team is bad luck. And, since, as it usually is true with closers, as he goes so goes the team, so I'll just shut up about it and wish him all the best.

Now...to find a way to scrub the memory of all those blown saves in 2011...

Twins Select What's-his-name in the Rule 5 Draft
The Twins selected RHP Terry Doyle from the Chicago White Sox. Doyle's given first name is John, and that's the name the reporters first used on Twitter when the selection happened, so there was a bit of confusion of who the Twins actually got.

As with any Rule 5 draftee, he must make the 25-man roster for the entire season, or he must be returned to his original team or a trade must be made.

Hearty Congratulations Times Two!
Michael Cuddyer and his wife Claudia recently delivered twin girls. Here's the picture he posted on Twitter.

Joe Mauer is officially engaged to his girlfriend Maddie Bisanz.

Best wishes to all of them!

C'mon! Enough Already! (Injury and Illness Update)

Good grief! I don't know what the Twins did to piss off the injury and illness demons, but they had better figure it out and correct it really quickly before things get any more serious.

Let's take inventory, shall we:

We already know that Nick Blackburn's season is over.

Joe Mauer's season is over. He has been diagnosed with "mild" pneumonia, and he needs to rest for two weeks -- which will take up the rest of the season. Mild pneumonia, often called "walking" pneumonia, is the least serious of the pneumonia infections, and it usually doesn't require hospitalization. This is not to say that Joe's not miserable. Pneumonia of any strain is an infection of the lungs. He can probably walk around and do some light activity, but he's got a bad cough and probably has a hard time catching his breath when he runs.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka's season is over. He has a nagging oblique strain that just doesn't seem to be getting better, so the Twins shut him down. According to LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune, the Twins have sent him on his way with instructions for an off-season workout program.

Justin Morneau's season is most likely over. He's still fighting concussion symptoms and now he's got the flu. The concussion symptoms are quite worrisome because they reappeared after he made a somewhat routine play attempt at first base. This article by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports explains just how scary and frustrating Justin's situation is.

Jason Kubel's season is most likely over. The foot injury he suffered earlier in the season has flared up again, and he's in quite a bit of pain. He'll have it looked at more during the off-season.

Denard Span's season might be over. He also can't shake off the concussion symptoms and migraines.

Scott Baker is still on the DL with a forearm strain. He hopes to be able to pitch out of the bullpen soon.

Alexi Casilla is still on the DL with a hamstring strain. He hope to be able to play before the end of the season.

Danny Valencia has the flu.

Ben Revere just got over having the flu.

Brian Duensing just got over having the flu.

Fransico Liriano pitched two innings out of the bullpen on Saturday. So that's good news.

~~~

Since we're talking about injuries and whatnot, here's Michael Cuddyer's paper doll:


Michael Cuddyer missed several games in August due to a sore neck. Then when he came back from that, he was promptly hit in the wrist by a pitch.

He played the day after he was hit by the pitch after verifying with medical staff that playing wouldn't damage it further and all he needed to do would be manage the pain.

This, of course, riled up columnist Jim Souhan, who praised Cuddyer's toughness (kind of omitting the fact that he missed time from the neck the week before) and used him as an example to prove that Joe Mauer is soft. Cuddyer, of course, wasn't able to play particularly well with the sore wrist.

Of course, all that put some bloggers and fans into a small snit (Souhan puts people into snits pretty regularly). A lot of folks (not wrongly so) kind of used him as an example that playing hurt is not necessarily a good option.

Once rosters expanded, Cuddyer missed some time to get the wrist feeling better.

I don't think it mattered too much either way whether he played hurt or not. He played when the team despirately needed warm bodies, and it wasn't like his poor play blocked anyone else from getting a chance. Then, when there were warm bodies, he sat. No problem.

Just For Laughs

I'm not the biggest Joe Mauer fan in the world. I mean, I like that he's on the Twins, and when he's healthy, I truly appreciate his talent. I have nothing against him at all, but I've never really developed a personal attachment to him like I have for Cuddyer or Nathan.

However, this brings him up a few spots on my list:



Apparently, this was filmed several months ago, but Anytime Fitness released it Monday.

The irony (well, maybe not irony...coincidence anyway) is not lost that they released this ad just days after Joe Mauer admitted that he needs a better off-season workout routine. Maybe this will prove to be good motivation.

A lot of people are harping on Joe lately about sitting out too much and not being tough enough. I don't necessarily agree. Yeah, he's had a sucky year, but I can't believe this is happening by his design. And, at this point, what the use of him playing hurt?

Say what you will about him. But there's no doubt that this ad is pretty clever. It's worth a smile...in fact, I'd say it's worth a chuckle or two.

Enjoy.

Short Notes

And by "short," I mean: terse, tense, curt, crabby, rude. Which I am. And I'm unapologetic.

Jim Thome has been traded to the Indians for a player to be named later. And, I'm sorry, but I just can't get over being upset about this. I'm not mad at Big Jim at all; I'm mad that it came to this. I hate that the Twins are in a position to shed players, and I especially hate that the Twins put themselves in the position that a great player like Jim Thome simply deserves better.

I am very grateful to have been able to watch him play in a Twins uniform and lead this team for these last two season. It was a real treat to watch him step into the box late in the game and watch the pitcher shake in his boots. Many Twins fans agree that some of the best memories of Target Field's short history involve the great Jim Thome. And no one can take that away from us.

I sincerely wish the very best for Jim. This move might be a harbinger of a farewell tour for him. I hope the Indians' fans love him as much as they did years ago. And I really want him to hit a few more home runs -- I don't even care if they're off the Twins.

~~~

The Twins lost a four-game series to the Orioles. Let me clarify that statement a bit...

The Twins, with sucky pitching and even suckier batting, lost four games in a row at home to a team that has the worst road record in the league (I think that statement is true; I'm in no mood to verify it).

I sincerely hope that after Thursday's game, Gardy flipped every buffet table over, tossed some baseball bats into the showers, and threw a loud, good old-fashioned, Hulk-smash snit...no, outright fury. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players clean it all up until the clubhouse attendant was satisfied. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players give the clubhouse a generous tip for his trouble. Because something, anything, has to be done to grab their attention.

These guys are clearly not trying and it's hard to imagine that they even care. I suppose that it's hard to go to work every day knowing that your beginning of the year goals simply won't be met. Baseball is supposed to be filled with failure, but, jeez, not this much failure.

Whatever happened to the Joe DiMaggio philosophy on playing hard? -- "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best."

More of that "my best" stuff, and less of whatever the hell they've been doing the last month.

~~~

DL Report: Another repeat injury.

The Twins have placed Francisco Liriano on the DL with left posterior (back) shoulder strain. He was taken out of Thursday's game after two innings in which he was quite ineffective.

This is probably the same injury he suffered back in May.  However, because Anthony Swarzak, who was scheduled to start Friday's game, had to pitch 3.1 innings on Thursday, and there wasn't anybody else they could plug in for Friday's start, the Twins were probably quick to put Liriano on the DL so they could call someone up right away (run-on sentence much?). Scott Diamond has been recalled to take his place.

Other DL Updates:

Baker is throwing. Casilla is running.

Blackburn only has some swelling in his arm that happens to be pinching a nerve, so some rest should help that.

It's likely that Jason Repko will be activated to replace Thome's spot on the roster, but an official announcement hasn't been made yet.

Joe Mauer was out on Thursday with a stiff neck. He says that he has a hard time looking left and right

Tsuyoshi Nishioka was still out Thursday with a sore back.

On Wednesday, Michael Cuddyer got hit in the wrist by a pitch. It hit so hard, you could hear it on the TV broadcast, and it dropped him immediately. He said later that he was sure it was shattered, but x-rays and an MRI came back negative. He played on Thursday. However, I imagine that it is still sore and it might bother him for a few days.

Things Moving

It's the All-Star Break. The Twins aren't exactly in the position we all were hoping for when spring training broke. Good thing they're traditionally better in the second half of the season. I'm hopeful that if the Twins continue playing good baseball, we fans will be enjoying meaningful games come September. However, I'm also not delusional.


This doesn't bother me too much; the Twins have overcome this number before.

This, however...this might be asking a lot. This would require a serious alignment of the planets and still need extra luck.

Playing well and winning is one thing. It's not impossible to move up six and half games on one team in just a few weeks. Depending on three teams to stumble is pretty tough.

It should be exciting.

~~~

I enjoyed watching Joe Mauer play first base on Thursday night. It kind of looked like he enjoyed it too. It was nice to see him smiling after he made some good plays. I guess I've never noticed him having fun playing; it's pretty hard to tell if he is with his face behind a mask all the time.

It's important to remember, however, that he's not moving to first base. He's a catcher. He will spend most of his playing days catching. For several years. But it's nice that he has the option to play there once in a while to help save his legs and still keep his bat in the lineup.

Of course, the experiment proved what I've suspected all along: he's one of those guys who just does everything extremely well without even really trying hard or knowing what he's doing -- even things he's never done before. I hate those kind of people. I'm sure if someone challenged him to cook fine French cuisine or hang glide, he'd do it perfectly. Like the Most Interesting Man in the World guy, only with less interestingness.

~~~

With the All-Star break comes some roster moves for the Twins. Delmon Young has been activated from the DL. He played a few games in Rochester and both DHed and played in the outfield and he's ready to go. Rene Tosoni has been reassigned to Rochester to make room.

Trevor Plouffe has been tearing the cover off the ball in Rochester. So Gardy told him to get some time playing at first base, which he did. And now he's coming back. He'll be a nice addition to the platoon of Hughes, Cuddyer, and Mauer who are currently staffing the position. He can also play some in the outfield. Catcher Rene Rivera has been reassigned to Rochester to make room. We all knew the Twins couldn't keep three catchers around for very long.

The Minnesota Twins: now with 100% less Rene-ness.

~~~

DL Watch:

Like I said, Delmon Young has been activated.

Denard Span could be ready to play very soon. He still needs to pass the ImPACT test before he is cleared. When he does, he'll likely spend some time in Rochester in a rehab assignment.

Jason Kubel had a little set back on his sprained foot, but an MRI showed no additional damage. He'll likely resume his rehab play soon.

Kevin Slowey has been pitching in rehab games for Rochester and is likely to come off the DL soon. However, he's likely to remain in Rochester as a starting pitcher.

Justin Morneau's neck surgery went well, and he's already feeling stronger. He fully expects to return sometime in August as originally expected.

We're watching Scott Baker, who missed Sunday's start due to some tenderness in his elbow, and Jim Thome, who sat Sunday with a strained big toe. Hopefully the All-Star break will give them time to heal, and they'll be fine on the other side.

I Guess I'm Defending Joe Mauer

Let me start by saying...and this is something I've been afraid to admit...that I'm not really a Joe Mauer fan. I know, right? Gasp! Sure, I like that he's a good baseball player, and I love his swing. And, yes, I'm glad he's on the Twins and all that, but I'm not one of those crazy "marry me Joe" fangirls. I don't think he's particularly good looking, he has zero personality, and I just know he's one of those "perfect people" who have perfect lives and do perfect things that I just hate being around. Give me Cuddy or Ben Revere or someone who is slightly imperfect but can smile and make me smile, and I'll be happy.

But I digress.

My point is, I don't really care much about what Joe Mauer does, as long as he hits baseballs well. However, lately, he kind of isn't hitting baseballs as well as he usually does, which kind of sucks, but I think he's getting way too much grief about it.

He's getting grief from journalists, and fans on comment threads and on Twitter, and guys I work with, and random Target shoppers, and my husband. Among others.

I think all this sour energy really needs to stop.

He's getting grief for not offering to play first base until now. Why should he? He's a catcher, and if you think that makes him selfish, it doesn't. When he says things like "I signed to be a catcher," he's not being a pouty snot; he's mitigating expectations. He expects to play catcher for several years, because he's still pretty good at it, and that's what he does. Statements like those carry no more or less weight than Justin Morneau saying he signed to be a first baseman. It's just fact. And yes, right now, the Twins are in some rocky territory with Morneau, Kubel, and Young out all at the same time. So they need a little extra help. But guess what...he's out there practicing so he can give first base a shot once in a while. He just doesn't want anyone to believe that this is a permanent position change. And another thing, who we don't see is Jim Thome, or Carl Pavano, or Jason Repko taking scoops. Yes, I know Thome is 41 and "signed to be DH," but he used to be a first baseman and probably wouldn't be any worse than a catcher who hasn't played that position since he was 17. Why is everyone else above reproach, but not Mauer? (BTW, I was joking about Carl Pavano. The Twins certainly don't need his bat in the lineup).

He's getting grief about the contract. Yes, he makes a ton of money. Is he worth all that money? Really, who can say? Baseball contracts are subject the the laws of supply and demand, just like a lot of other things. A Coach handbag isn't really "worth" so much more than the one you can get at Target. The quality is somewhat better, but the desirability is way higher. Same thing with Joe. He got what the Twins were willing to pay. That's that.

He's getting grief about having a bad year. Guess what folks, Joe Mauer is a human being, even though he gets treated like (and gets paid like) he's some sort of demi-god or something. And, yeah, I accused him of being "perfect," but I know he's not. Every ball player has bad years. A-Rod and Derek Jeter have had bad years. Albert Pujols was having a bad year before he got hurt. Heck, even Harmon Killebrew had a bad year. It happens. It happens to everyone. Trust me, he's more upset about it than you'll ever be. No, really, he is.

He's getting grief about the injuries. First of all, the "bilateral leg weakness" label the Twins slapped on him was probably the sissiest thing they could've come up with, and it was probably less than accurate as well. He more likely had a combo platter of shoulder soreness and post-surgical knee soreness. He tried to battle through, he couldn't do it, and he became very weak because of it. He was legitimately hurt, and neither you nor I know the extent of it. And just because it's hard to name and figure out, it's still very real. Secondly, his bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, arteries, cells, or any other part of his body do not know that he makes $23 million a year. Nor do they care. A big salary isn't a magic shield against injury, and the expectation that he should play hurt should not be greater because of it. In fact, his big salary make is more likely that the organization will sit him in order to protect the long-term value of their investment.

So, the point is, all these nay-sayers and grief-givers and crap-shovelers all just need to simmer down. The whole team is having a hard time of things, so it's pretty unfair to pile all the vile on Joe.

Cort!

"Cort" is a word my son and his buddies invented. It's really a great word. It's a shortened and altered version of a sarcastic of course, but they've adapted it to mean so much more. It's a statement of frustration, annoyance, and disdain, and is expressed perfectly with a well-executed hand flail and eye roll. It's an efficient combination of harshness and brevity without actually swearing, and it can be elongated to fit the amount of contempt the situation requires. The best part is that it can actually be used as a number of parts of speech: as an interjection -- "Cort! The battery on my phone died again!"; as an adjective -- "When I realized I forgot my key, it was such a cort moment"; and as a descriptive noun -- "My day has been a giant cort!" Usually, if you're mad, you elongate the "or" part of the word; when you're exasperated, you keep it brief. I explain below:

Cort! Delmon Young is on the DL again.

Rene Tosoni gets sent down when Jim Thome is activated, then four hours after landing in Rochester, has to get on anther plane back to Minneapolis. Cort.

Jose Mijares, Joe Mauer, and Ron Gardenhire got into a pissing match in the press about pitch selection and execution. That was a cort thing to do.

The pitching was a cort, the defense was a cort, all three games were a cort.

Cort! The Brewers swept the Twins.

~~~

DL Report:

First the good news: Joe Nathan and Jim Thome were activated from the DL. Chuck James and Rene Tosoni were optioned back to Rochester to make room. However, hold that thought on Tosoni; he barely had time to do his laundry before...

... the Twins placed RF Delmon Young on the DL on Saturday with what they're calling a right ankle sprain. He is due to have an MRI on Monday to evaluate the full extent of the tissue damage; an X-ray right after he came out of the game indicated that there were no broken bones.

He injured it when his cleat got stuck in the scoreboard thingy on the right field wall as he was going after a fly ball (which ultimately resulted in an inside-the-park homerun). I did not see the play, but according to the approximately 497 tweets in my twitter timeline, he ran a bad route to the ball (cort!) and was a big, awkward, tumbly mess. Gardy said later that he lost the ball in the lights.

Rene Tosoni was recalled to take his place on the roster. Usually when a player is sent down to the minor leagues, he must remain there for 10 days, unless there's an injury. I sincerely hope that Mr. Tosoni suffers neither travel sickness nor jet lag.

On Friday, Justin Morneau announced that he was going to undergo surgery to remove a herniated disk fragment in his neck that is causing a pinched nerve. Since he's still technically on the DL with the wrist injury, there is no new transaction (hence the dual-injury paper doll).

He reports that he's had numbness in his left index finger since Spring Training. During his rehab of the wrist, he visited a specialist regarding his pinched nerve, at the urging of the team. The specialist recommended surgery now before the numbness becomes permanent.

He's expected to be out 6-8 weeks after the procedure, which is scheduled for Wednesday.

There will be a revolving door at first base, with Luke Hughes and Michael Cuddyer splitting most of the time staffing the position. However, Joe Mauer might start practicing there and may start at first from time to time.

Cort.

Attracted to Pitching and Other Thoughts

I've never made it a secret that I love great pitching. Of course, I love it when our boys execute great hitting and running and scoring and all that. But when our pitchers go deep into games and keep the opponents from executing their own hitting and running and scoring, well, I get a little...um, flushed. Mmmmm, I love snuggling up with a great pitching performance.

Carl Pavano's complete game and Nick Blackburn's eight shutout innings were hot. Or, rather, "hawt." And the fact that it was the White Sox that they owned made it all that sexier. Rawr. It's totally cool to have a crush on both of them -- this is baseball love after all. In fact, I wouldn't mind if all the pitchers started flirting with me by pitching gems.

Ozzie Guillen made some funny comments after Thursday's game (I'll try to paraphrase, but I don't know if I'll do a good job because I never understand what he's saying anyway). He said that the Twins were a bunch of "sardines" and "circus midgets" and they still beat his team. I think his point was that all the big, burly boppers (Morneau, Mauer, Thome, Kubel) were gone and all that were left were the Revere- and Casilla-sized guys. And, like the piranhas of the past, the little ones earned Ozzie's respect ... and annoyance.

~~~

Transactions:

In order to make room for Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Glen Perkins, and Joe Mauer to come off the DL, the Twins had to move some guys to AAA. Dusty Hughes and Brian Dinkelman have been outrighted to AAA. This removes them off the 40-man roster so Nishioka and Mauer can be re-added. Chuck James was optioned to AAA for Glen Perkins.

~~~

Joe Nathan flew back to Minnesota from Fort Myers. He says he's ready to come back. Gardy wasn't convinced and wants him to report to Rochester for a rehab stint. Can you imagine that conversation? "Hey Gardy, I'm ready to go." "Uhhh...no, Joe, I think you need more time." "No, skip, really. I'm good." "No, Joe. You really need to get more pitches in." "Awww, c'mon skip, I don't wanna go to Rochester. Paleeeeeeese let me stay?" "Joe...now get your butt to Rochester and stop complaining." "Ooh-kay. Rats!"

~~~

Friday is Joe Mauer Day 2011! Even though there have been plenty of fans commenting on blogs and calling into sports talk show who are frustrated with his inability to play, most fans are really looking forward seeing him again.

He had a press conference on Thursday where he tried to explain the cause of his injury and why it took so long to return. He made it very clear that he did not have Lyme disease, or any other disease for that matter. He indicated that the rehab from his off-season knee surgery didn't go as planned, and his legs were weak because he was really suffering from post-surgical pain. Plus, the timing of that nasty flu bug probably didn't help any either, although Joe insists that his legs felt weak before he caught it.

Listing the injury as "bilateral leg weakness" was probably a mistake in retrospect. The Twins had to list something on the transaction, and since they didn't really know exactly what was wrong, that's what they wrote down. But doing so created a lot of unintentional angst among fans.

Folks understand things such as "broken fibula" or "strained oblique." "Bilateral leg weakness" doesn't mean anything at all except that both legs feel weak. Additionally, most fans also understand the cause of most muscle strains or tissue sprains -- there's usually an event to point to. Even Jim Thome's continuing back troubles are easy to figure out -- he's got a bad back and that's that.

However, when the ambiguous "bilateral leg weakness" was the announced disability for Mauer, most fans ran to the internet to look it up. And the internet wasn't particularly helpful. There are probably a million causes for bilateral leg weakness, and some of them are pretty scary. Which led many fans to believe that Joe and the Twins were hiding some serious condition. I can't tell you how many hits this blog received by people Googling "Joe Mauer Lyme Disease." I never said he had it; I merely listed several of the causes I found in my Googling to illustrate that the symptom could have meant anything.

At any rate, he says he's still not 100%, but he is ready to play. Welcome home, Joe.

DL Report: Justin Morneau

There are now nine men currently on the DL (two will come off in the next 24 hours), 13 men to be on it sometime this year, and two men twice, for a total of 15 transactions. Oy. Plus, with all the minor leaugers filling in, only 10 guys on the current 25-man roster have had no transactions at all. I've had to rearrange my spreadsheet quite a bit.

The Twins have placed Justin Morneau on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 10, with a left wrist strain. He had a cortisone shot a few days ago, but unfortunately, it didn't give him any relief. He had it re-examined, and the doctor told him to immobilize it for 10 days. He'll get a cast on it sometime Thursday.

How he hurt it is unclear. I haven't seen any definitive reports in the media. It could be caused by some kind over-compensation of his sore neck and shoulder (experts call this a "cascade injury"). However, I've also read some speculation that he may have hurt in in a fit of frustration.

Either way, it's hurt, and he has to sit. With a cast.

No announcement yet as to who will take his spot on the roster, but both Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Glen Perkins are due to come off the DL on Wednesday or Thursday.

Updates:
Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been playing some games at AAA Rochester and is ready to come back to Minnesota. He'll be evaluated again once he arrives to Target Field, and he may be ready to play Wednesday night. Because he's currently on the 60-day DL, someone will have to come off both the active roster and the 40-man roster to make room. Pitcher Dusty Hughes has been outrighted from the 40-man roster.

Glen Perkins should be in the line up Thursday, or maybe even Wednesday night.

Joe Mauer is very close to returning, too. I'm hoping he'll be in the line up Friday. He faced Joe Nathan in some batting practice in Fort Myers on Wednesday. I wonder if Nathan "got him with the slider" and then Mrs. Mauer came by and told them to go play outside. Ha. And, like Nishioka, he's on the 60-DL, which means a 25-man and 40-man roster spot will need to be cleared for him.

Joe Nathan will be returning to Minnesota soon. He's not quite ready to return to the line up, but he's very close.

Jim Thome and Kevin Slowey are in Fort Myers doing rehab.

Jason Kubel is taking swings in the batting cage, but still has pain in his foot when he runs.

Denard Span is feeling better every day, but is still suffering concussion symptoms.

DL Report: Denard Span

Oh, no. I was afraid of this...

The Twins have placed OF Denard Span on the 7-day DL with a mild concussion and whiplash symptoms. He suffered the injury during a collision with the Royals catcher at the plate on Friday, June 3. He rested a couple of days, and tried to DH on the following Monday; however, he later told reporters that he never felt "right" and everything was hazy.

On Thursday, he tweeted that he had spent over three hours at the doctors, who found the concussion. Before Thursday's game, the Twins trainer told reporters that his symptoms reminded him of the whiplash he suffered in 2009. Friday morning, Span tweeted that the concussion made him feel "lazy." Of course, with every brain injury, there is no telling how long he'll be out. Twin fans are particularly worried as they know that the concussion that Justin Morneau suffered kept him out of baseball for months.

OF Rene Tosoni has been recalled from AAA Rochester to fill his roster spot.

The 7-day DL is new to MLB this year, specifically for concussion-related injuries. The intention is to avoid rushing players with head injuries back into action without hurting the team.

Updates:

Joe Mauer caught in back-to-back games, which is significant.

Jim Thome's quad injury is related to his previous back injury. He's due to receive an epidural soon. To be clear, "epidural" refers to the epidural space, which is the outermost part of the spinal canal. Many women have epidurals to manage pain during childbirth or c-sections. Those are epidural anesthesia procedures. I doubt he's getting that; because that would make the entire lower half of his body numb for a few hours. What I suspect he's getting is an epidural steroid shot, which hurts like a son-of-a-b*tch when you get it, but works pretty well after that. That is, if they get the needle in the right spot the first time. If not, they do it again...ow!

Matt Capps is sore (right wrist). Phil Dumatrait is sore (shoulder). Justin Morneau is sore (neck, shoulder, wrist, etc.). All are day-to-day.

Yesterday afternoon, I sent a tweet out regarding Kevin Slowey. I hadn't heard an update about his injury rehab in quite awhile, and I figured all the "he needs to be traded or sent down so he can be a starter" talk that surrounded the injury made all the beat reporters figure he was no longer with the team. Jordan Schelling from MLB.com replied that Slowey threw long toss with no complaints.

As far as all the other guys, I think you should just read RandBall's Stu's update. He's got everyone covered, and in a much funnier way than I could ever dream of. I'm done here, so go read it now.

Sometimes It's Not Who You Play, But When You Play Them...

... and then sometimes it is who you play.

This nice little sweep of the Royals was the first more-than-two-game-series win of the season and the first four-game winning streak of the season. In the previous series against Detroit, our Twins looked overmatched, scared, and frustrated. It's not like the Tigers blew them away, but the Twins just didn't look good.

Since the Royals always play the Twins tough, I was hoping the Twins could at least earn a split. But they, ...

"for whatever perverse reason, began playing baseball with joy and verve and poetry"

...and it was good. In fact, it was beautiful.

Is it too soon to think that they've turned the corner into being a good team again?

~~~

One thing I have been enjoying, regardless of the outcomes of the games, is rooting for the kids. With all the injuries, we've seen a lot of them. And they're all playing like they don't want to be sent down again...not that anyone ever wants to be sent down again...and that's what makes this fun.

Ben Revere is just fun to watch. He's fast, small, and, well, adorable. I just love how he smiles all the time. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield, and he absolutely flies around the bases. About the only knock on him is his throwing arm, but the team can work with that. I see a pretty good future for him.

Anthony Swarzak has really stepped up in times of need. He did serviceable work from the bullpen, but as a starter, he's sparkled. And he has a great attitude -- he just wants the ball whenever Gardy needs to give it to him. It's great having him around to fill in for starters as needed and not feeling scared about it.

And, how about Brian Dinkelman? After only one major league game, he's earned himself quite a fan club. During Saturday's game, and reportedly at the bars after the game, loud chants of "DINK-EL-MAN" could be heard. How much fun is that? I hope he appreciated every moment of it. I don't think there are very many guys who received both a HBP and IBB in their major-league debuts.

I'm even rooting for Trevor Plouffe, although his defensive miscues drive me nuts. I know he's back in Rochester working those out right now, but it's better that he's there playing everyday rather that with the big club sitting on the bench. He'll be back soon enough, and he'll be just fine.

~~~

DL Updates:

This is the time of the season when if starts becoming a grind for the players. The freshness of the new season has worn off, and it's still to early for the excitement of a playoff push. Players are worn down and sore. Everyone's playing hurt. And everyone's hoping that "hurt" doesn't turn in to "injured."


Thankfully, there were no new additions to the DL during this series ... yet. We're watching Denard Span, who missed Saturday and Sunday with a sore neck, though he was available to pinch hit on Sunday if needed. Justin Morneau also missed Saturday and Sunday with a swollen wrist. Nick Blackburn's start on Saturday was cut short due to back spasms, although he said after the game that he was hopeful it wasn't serious.

Joe Mauer has been catching in real games for the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle (where, by the way, his brother Jake is the manager -- I wonder if they call each other "Butthead" like my boys do). He'll likely have to move up to AA or AAA for a few games in order to face better pitching before he heads back to Minnesota.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka will also start playing for Fort Myers soon. Gardy has indicated that when Nishi does return, he'll likely be at shortstop rather than at second base.

DL Report: When Thome Goes to DLandia, He Doesn't Go Alone

First, let me start by saying that I don't really mean to stick to doing only DL reports with this blog. I fully intend to keep writing other stuff too. I'm trying to think of clever things to say, but, unfortunately, I'm usually only clever when I'm content. And, well, I'm not feeling terribly content with my baseball team. It'll come back soon enough. I'm sure you understand.

Anyway, on to the paper dolls...

The Twins have placed DH Jim Thome on the 15-day DL with a strained left quad. He tweaked it taking a swing on Wednesday. This after he just returned on May 23 from a DL stint due to an oblique strain. I'm guessing, but could it be that he's still favoring the oblique, so he swung differently, which cascaded to tweaking the leg? Hard to tell.

IF Luke Hughes has been recalled from AAA Rochester to take his place on the roster.

Apparently, Thome's a-scared of DLandia because he never goes alone. Last time, he brought Jason Repko with him. This time, since any old Jason will do, he's bringing Jason Kubel. (Yes, I know, Jason got hurt first. Just go with the joke, ok?)

The Twins have placed OF Jason Kubel in the 15-day DL with a sprained mid-left foot (I know that's worded weird, but that's how it is in the transaction report). It's interesting they used the word "sprained"; this means there is some actual tissue damage. ("Strain" usually means "sore"; "sprain" means "tear.") He hurt it going after a homerun ball in Detroit on Monday. According to the Twins radio broadcast on Wednesday, he said that he hurt it right when he broke to chase the ball, not when he jumped up the wall.

OF Ben Revere has been recalled from AAA Rochester to fill his spot.

However, with two of his power lefty hitters down, Gardy needs another left-handed hitter. So the Twins have purchased the contract of OF Brian Dinkelman. To make room on the 25-man roster, IF Trevor Plouffe has been re-assigned to AAA Rochester, and to make room on the 40-man roster, C Joe Mauer has been added to the 60-day DL. This move means that Mauer won't be eligible to return until June 12. It was highly unlikely that he would've returned before then, so it's just a paperwork move.

Updates:

Joe Mauer caught three innings in an extended spring training game, and went 0-5. He reported feeling fatigued after the game. He'll continue alternating DHing and catching. He's been struggling at the plate against prospect pitching.

Liriano and Perkins are throwing and making progress.

Nishioka is playing in the field in extended spring training, but he's also still struggling at the plate.

Here We Go Again...DL Report

The Twins have placed LHP Francisco Liriano on the DL retroactive to May 23rd with left shoulder inflammation. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise as he's been experiencing soreness since he pulled himself out of Saturday's start. Like I mentioned last time, an MRI showed inflammation and maybe a bit of tendinitis. According to the StarTribune's Joe Christensen, Gardy is hopeful he'll only miss one more start.

Anthony Swarzak took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in a spot start replacing Liriano on Saturday. Swarzak will start in Liriano's place again on Thursday.

The Twins called up RHP Anthony Slama from AAA Rochester to replace him on the roster.

Other transactions:

The Twins activated LHP Jose Mijares off the DL who will be available Monday.

The sent down LHP Dusty Hughes to AAA to make room.

Updates:

Joe Mauer continues to play extended spring training games. Mauer has been DHing rather than catching due to some shoulder soreness. I think I remember reading somewhere that Gardy hinted that maybe they'll send Mauer to AAA at some point to face better pitching, but I don't remember where I saw that.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been playing both 2nd base and shortshop in extended spring training. He's eligible to return June 7.

Glen Perkins could begin throwing again in a couple days.

Also watching:

Jason Kubel hurt his left foot trying to bring back a home run by Victor Martinez in Monday's game. X-rays showed no breaks, but he is wearing a boot. He said it's the top of his foot, not the ankle or the toes.

The "Win" Stat

The series against the Angels pretty much sums up everything I hate about the "Win" stat for pitchers. I hate it so much, I usually won't acknowledge it when determining a pitcher's worth and I use stats that pitchers actually have some kind of control over such as WHIP or K/BB rate. (For the record, I do use ERA, even though it's flawed. It generally gives an accurate feel for how well a pitcher does, as long as he pitches enough innings to make it meaningful.) I believe that teams win games; pitchers just guide the team there.

This series paints the ridiculous picture of the Win stat is.

First, let's define the Win: if you're the guy who threw the last pitch before your team took the lead for good, you get a "W". If the other team ties or goes ahead after you come out of the game, you can't get a W. Oh, and if you're a starter, you have to pitch 5 innings or more in order to earn the W, but if you're a reliever, all you need is one pitch -- as long as your timing of that one pitch is good. Getting a Loss is easy -- you cough up the baserunner that turns out to be the go-ahead run, and that go-ahead sticks, you get the L. It's not so easy to get the W; it depends so much on the rest of the team.

Take Scott Baker for example. On Friday, he pitched brilliantly, going seven innings without giving up a run and leaving the game with a 5-run lead. He must have felt pretty good about himself as he sipped his Gatorade in the bottom of the 7th -- as well he should have. And then he probably choked on that Gatorade as he watched Alex Burnett, Dusty Hughes, and Jim Hoey parade through to piss away the lead. Scott Downs, who faced two batters, got the W because he happened to throw the last pitch before the half-inning when the Angels scored their sixth run. Scott went home with a homely "No Decision" for his efforts. That's all he deserved because he couldn't get his bullpen to pitch well.

On Saturday, both Anthony Swarzak and Jered Weaver sparkled as they pitched eight and nine scoreless innings, respectively. However, neither one would take home a W, as they simply couldn't make their teammates score runs. Alex Burnett got it, because he was able to will that winning run in the 10th. Fortunately for Swarzak, his No Decision wasn't as homelys as Baker's because at least his team won. Poor Hisanori Takahashi had to wear the L, and he wasn't even on the mound when the Twins went ahead.

Then Carl Pavano was going for his 100th career W on Sunday. This was his sixth try at that golden stat. Now, to be honest, in some of those tries, he didn't pitch well enough to actually earn that W. However, on Sunday, he probably did, except he just didn't have the ability to make his fielders behind him make routine outs. If he had, well, who knows.... But, instead, he takes home another ugly L.

~~~

DL Report:

The Twins have placed RHP Joe Nathan on the 15-day DL with elbow and forearm soreness. This is probably an expected condition as a result of his Tommy John surgery. The forearm flexor muscle has to be pulled apart during the ligament replacement, and can be easily irritated if the patient works very hard during rehabilitation, which Joe did. An MRI showed only inflammation, and no other damage, so he and the Twins are hopeful that two weeks' rest will do the trick.

(Don't worry, he's not as deformed as this paper doll suggests. I'm at the lake this weekend, and I'm borrowing my nephew's computer. It only has Paint for photo editing, and only one of those lame touch pad things for a mouse. This was way harder to do than it looks. Although the Popeye forearms and lack of wrists are kind of funny.)

The Twins purchased the contract of LHP Chuck James to replace Nathan. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for James, the Twins placed Tsuyoshi Nishioka on the 60-day DL. This transaction is paperwork-only as it does not change the expected return date for Nishioka.

Updates:

Matt Capps experienced some soreness in his forearm earlier in the week, but after resting a couple of days, he's fine.

Jose Mijares has been pitching in extended spring training games and could be activated Monday.

Joe Mauer is continuing to play in extended spring training games and increasing his activity. Gardy says he's doing and feeling well. As far as I know, the super-secret timetable for his return has still not been revealed.

Also watching:

Jim Thome needed a cortisone shot in his right shoulder that he tweaked while swinging hard on Saturday.

Francisco Liriano was pulled from Saturday's start due to shoulder soreness. According to ESPN1500's Phil Mackey, an MRI showed some inflammation and maybe a touch of tendinitis. They'll determine his status on Tuesday after his scheduled bullpen session.

Shuttle Plane: MSP/ROC

First of all, I just want to kiss Nick Blackburn fully on the lips. Oh, and I think he pitched pretty well on Tuesday, too. Complete games are hawt!

Oh, and I want to give Matt Capps a time out. A time out in my house consists of sitting on the floor holding a folded-up washcloth against the wall with your forehead until I'm not mad anymore. It's hell; just ask my kids (although, if they were really tired, they'd just fall asleep that way). And Capps isn't the only one; he's just the only one I can think of right now. I have plenty of washcloths to go around.

~~~

Kevin Slowey is hurt again (more about that in a bit). This sure changes things with his "traaaade meeee, traaaade meeee" dilemma (check out what I wrote about it over on From The Third Baseline). Instead of sending him down to AAA to get stretched out to start, the Twins placed him on the DL and will call up another pitcher.

So, all this moving of guys back and forth between Rochester and Minneapolis made me think that the Twins should just invest in a commuter plane. Just run it every-other day; someone will need it.

See what I mean?

Some serious frequent-flyer miles for some of these guys. And it's only May.

~~~

DL Report:

At least this time I didn't have to make a new paper doll; I just had to move the boo-boo on one I had.

RHP Kevin Slowey has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to 5/21, with  strained rectus abdominis. This is a pair of muscles that go from the sternum down alongside the belly-button -- the "6-pack abs" muscles.

He had an MRI with the team physician a few days ago, and that showed nothing. He, or maybe the Twins, requested a second opinion (I have varying reports). A specialist gave him the diagnosis.

The recommended course of action is 7-10 days rest and ice. 

No one has yet been called up to take his spot; many are speculating that it will be RHP Jim Hoey.

Updates: (info from StarTribune)

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is continuing his rehab, and could start playing in games as early as Friday.

Jose Mijares threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and could pitch in rehab games this weekend.

Joe Mauer has been DHing in rehab games and felt good running the bases. Oh, and now there is a timetable for his return, but Gardy isn't telling anyone what that is. So, it's a super-secret timetable.

Also watching:

Michael Cuddyer has been out for a couple of games with a sore hip, but he was available to pinch-hit on Wednesday. Thursday's an off-day; he should be ready to go on Friday.

Matt Capps has a sore forearm, probably from overuse his last few outings. He's day-to-day.

Bah!

So just when we fans get all excited and begin to believe that things were looking up, then WHAP! we're slapped with more mediocrity.

This series did feature some timely hits, homeruns even, but those were countered with lame strategy and even lamer pitching. Oh, and don't even get me started on the defense. Really?!

It's sad that the team needs the death of a legend to motivate them. It's even sadder when that doesn't even last more than three games.

Ok, so I'll cut myself short again. I don't want to rant and rave like a crazy woman. But, I tell ya', I'm this close...

Let's hope this upcoming home stand will be better. Much better.
~~~

Check out what I wrote over at From The Third Baseline regarding the players who might be traded if the Twins are sellers at the trade deadline.

~~~

DL News:

Glen Perkins has been placed on the DL with a strained right oblique. This is kind of a blow to the Twins because he was just establishing himself as a reliable set-up man. However, his reliability may have cost him; it was beginning to seem like Gardy was over-using him. In fact, my buddy Andrew predicted it on Twitter (he tweeted this just as Perkins was coming out of the 'pen on Saturday's game).

The Twins recalled Dusty Hughes to take his spot.

Also watching:

Kevin Slowey is scheduled to have an MRI on his abdominal area on Monday in the Twin Cities.

In better news:

Jim Thome and Jason Repko are ready to play and have been activated for Monday's game. Ben Revere and Luke Hughes have been re-assigned to AAA Rochester to make room.

Updates:

No new news on Tsuyoshi Nishioka.

Joe Mauer has been increasing his baseball activities, donning catching gear, blocking balls, etc. Still no timetable for his return.