Two Weeks, No More, Cuddyer Says

All things considered, Michael Cuddyer was upbeat about the thumb injury that will keep him out of action for two weeks. It’s not as bad as it could have been, he said. And two weeks, he figures, is about the upper limit of how long it will take him to recover, meaning he should be ready to play against the Indians on Aug. 3, the first day he’s eligible.
Cuddyer will have to wear a soft brace on his hand for the next five or six days, but then he should be able to start taking batting practice again, in order to be ready in time.
He just hates the timing -- the Twins are nine games out, they have been starved for clutch hits, and he hit .524 (11 for 21) over the past week. “It’s frustrating as it is, but it’s doubly frustrating to have to sit right now,” Cuddyer said.
Rondell White could make an appearance soon. White, reportedly totally healthy again, will resume playing in Gulf Coast League games today, and manager Ron Gardenhire, mindful of his hitting shortage, joked that one hit might be enough to convince the Twins he’s ready to play again.
For now, Darnell McDonald is the right fielder, though he looked fairly dazed at the reality of returning to the major leagues three years after his last appearance.
Tonight’s lineups:

ANGELS
Figgins 3b
Cabrera ss
Guerrero dh
Anderson lf
Matthews cf
Kotchman 1b
Izturis 2b
Napoli c
Willits rf

Lackey p

TWINS
Castillo 2b
Bartlett ss
Mauer c
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Kubel lf
McDonald rf
Jones dhPunto 3b

Twins put Cuddyer on DL

The Twins placed right fielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list today, retroactive to July 19, with a sprained right thumb.

In his place, the team called up outfielder Darnell McDonald from Class AAA Rochester. McDonald was acquired from the Washington Nationals in a trade for pitcher Levale Speigner on June 24. In 22 games for the Red Wings, McDonald hit .282 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 13 RBIs.

Check back for a more thorough update on Cuddyer's condition before tonight's game.