Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Buscher Out, Watkins In

It was interesting to see the whisper tree go around the Twins’ clubhouse as the word leaked out -- Tommy Watkins is coming. The rookie is obviously tremendously popular with the Twins, and there were a lot of happy people to hear the news.

Unfortunately, it’s not good news for Brian Buscher. The rookie fouled off a pitch -- on his second at-bat in the big leagues, of all the luck -- and the bruise is now roughly the size of a basketball. That’s how it looked to me, anyway. Buscher may spend a night or two in the hospital while doctors treat the infection, which Buscher said Tuesday was extremely painful.

Anyway, tonight’s lineups don’t include Rondell White, but that’s just because Ron Gardenhire doesn’t want to risk any uncertain defense behind Johan Santana, and Joe Mauer is the DH. Sounds like White might try the outfield in Anaheim this weekend.

The lineups:

TWINS
Bartlett ss
Punto 3b
Mauer dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau 1b
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Tyner lf
Casilla 2b

Santana p

ROYALS
DeJesus cf
Grudzielanek 2b
Teahen rf
Butler dh
Gload 1b
German 3b
Brown lf
Buck c
Pena p