Three time zones away from his teammates, the reports on Joe Mauer were good today. Ron Gardenhire said Mauer worked out on his sore leg Monday and reported no ill effects.
That makes Tuesday a fairly big day in the progression: Mauer will get behind the plate during a game -- albeit an extended spring training game -- for the first time since May 3, two days before he went on the disabled list with a strained right quad.
Mauer will catch five innings, Gardenhire said, and the team will see how he feels. If he’s up to it, he could then catch a Fort Myers Miracle game against Vero Beach on Wednesday.
That makes Thursday decision day, and if there are no setbacks, the Twins would send Mauer home to Minnesota and activate him Friday night for the Metrodome game with Washington.
The Twins could certainly have used him here in Anaheim, where the Angels are getting great pitching lately. Here are tonight’s lineups, with Luis Rodriguez giving the Twins an extra left-handed bat against Jered Weaver:
TWINS
Castillo 2b
Punto ss
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Kubel lf
Rodriguez 3b
Tyner dh
Bonser p
ANGELS
Willits dh
Cabrera ss
Guerrero rd
Matthews cf
Anderson lf
Kotchman 1b
Kendrick 2b
Napoli c
Figgins 3b
Weaver p
Monday, June 4, 2007
Friday, June 1, 2007
You Saw a No-Hitter
I realized the Twins’ bullpen was good, but I guess I didn’t realize it was this good. I mean, the seven guys out there right now have combined to throw a bullpen no-hitter -- 11 1/3 consecutive innings without a hit, dating back to last Saturday -- and nobody seems particularly impressed in the Minnesota clubhouse.
“It just means we’re doing our jobs, that’s all,” said Pat Neshek. “I don’t feel like we’re on a real hot streak or anything -- everyone is just going pretty good, and when that happens, you get outs.”
Sure, but this is a staff that’s missing three pretty good pitchers -- Jesse Crain, Dennys Reyes and Glen Perkins -- and hasn’t so much as given up a seven-hopper up the middle.
Ron Gardenhire doesn’t even think the no-hit streak has as much to do with his relievers as with his starters. “The arms are there. It’s a matter of using them properly, not overworking them,” he said. “It all starts with the starters -- if they’re going deep in games, we can use the bullpen so they can be most effective.”
To say the least, eh?
Anyway, tonight’s lineups don’t include ex-Twin Shannon Stewart, who is getting a night off.
-- Phil Miller in Oakland
TWINS
Castillo 2b
Cirillo dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Ford lf
Punto 3b
Bartlett ss
Slowey p
ATHLETICS
Buck lf
Swisher 1b
Bradley rf
Johnson dh
Chavez 3b
Crosby ss
Kotsay cf
Scutaro 2b
Kendall c
Kennedy p
“It just means we’re doing our jobs, that’s all,” said Pat Neshek. “I don’t feel like we’re on a real hot streak or anything -- everyone is just going pretty good, and when that happens, you get outs.”
Sure, but this is a staff that’s missing three pretty good pitchers -- Jesse Crain, Dennys Reyes and Glen Perkins -- and hasn’t so much as given up a seven-hopper up the middle.
Ron Gardenhire doesn’t even think the no-hit streak has as much to do with his relievers as with his starters. “The arms are there. It’s a matter of using them properly, not overworking them,” he said. “It all starts with the starters -- if they’re going deep in games, we can use the bullpen so they can be most effective.”
To say the least, eh?
Anyway, tonight’s lineups don’t include ex-Twin Shannon Stewart, who is getting a night off.
-- Phil Miller in Oakland
TWINS
Castillo 2b
Cirillo dh
Cuddyer rf
Morneau dh
Hunter cf
Redmond c
Ford lf
Punto 3b
Bartlett ss
Slowey p
ATHLETICS
Buck lf
Swisher 1b
Bradley rf
Johnson dh
Chavez 3b
Crosby ss
Kotsay cf
Scutaro 2b
Kendall c
Kennedy p
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mauer won't be back Friday
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Joe Mauer is still feeling sore, did very little work today because of that soreness and will not be ready for activation for Friday's game in Oakland.
Luis Castillo was also feeling pretty sore today, so you'll see Nick Punto at second base and Jeff Cirillo at third. Jason Tyner gets DH duties today. Mike Redmond's elbow is fine, and he said he could play this afternoon, but Heintz is stepping in instead.
And now that I've given it all away, here are the lineups ..
Minnesota
Jason Tyner DH
Nick Punto 2B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Chris Heintz C
Jason Bartlett SS
Scott Baker P
Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Tadahito Ighuchi 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Joe Crede 3B
Alex Cintron SS
Toby Hall C
Jon Garland P
Luis Castillo was also feeling pretty sore today, so you'll see Nick Punto at second base and Jeff Cirillo at third. Jason Tyner gets DH duties today. Mike Redmond's elbow is fine, and he said he could play this afternoon, but Heintz is stepping in instead.
And now that I've given it all away, here are the lineups ..
Minnesota
Jason Tyner DH
Nick Punto 2B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Jason Kubel LF
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Chris Heintz C
Jason Bartlett SS
Scott Baker P
Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Tadahito Ighuchi 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Joe Crede 3B
Alex Cintron SS
Toby Hall C
Jon Garland P
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Slowey called up, will start Friday
The Twins have called up right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey from Class AAA Rochester. Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn announced the move after the team's 7-6 win over Richmond on Tuesday night.
Slowey, ranked the Twins No. 3 prospect by Baseball America, will leave for Minnesota Wednesday afternoon and make his major league debut on Friday, starting for the Twins in Oakland.
For Rochester, Slowey went 6-2 with an International League best 1.54 earned run average. He struck out 57 batters, walked only five and held opposing hitters to a .200 average.
Slowey, ranked the Twins No. 3 prospect by Baseball America, will leave for Minnesota Wednesday afternoon and make his major league debut on Friday, starting for the Twins in Oakland.
For Rochester, Slowey went 6-2 with an International League best 1.54 earned run average. He struck out 57 batters, walked only five and held opposing hitters to a .200 average.
Gibson out with "medical condition"
Twins media guru Mike Herman just told reporters that Greg Gibson is absent because of a medical condition, according to Major League Baseball. Gibson likely won't return for tomorrow's game either. MLB told Herman that Gibson's absence has "nothing" to do with Monday's incident.
Hmm ... interpret that as you like.
Hmm ... interpret that as you like.
Umpire Gibson gone
Umpire Greg Gibson, who was at first base for Monday's game and was the target of Ron Gardenhire's tirade, is not with the umpire crew tonight. No word yet on why Gibson was gone.
Yesterday when the Twins dugout was yelling toward first base and at A.J. Pierzynski after Justin Morneau said Pierzynski stepped on the first baseman's foot, Gibson looked over to Minnesota's dugout and delivered a throat-slashing motion. That incensed Gardenhire, who said the motion "got the Oklahoma up in me."
Check back for an update on Gibson's absence.
Yesterday when the Twins dugout was yelling toward first base and at A.J. Pierzynski after Justin Morneau said Pierzynski stepped on the first baseman's foot, Gibson looked over to Minnesota's dugout and delivered a throat-slashing motion. That incensed Gardenhire, who said the motion "got the Oklahoma up in me."
Check back for an update on Gibson's absence.
The spike: Day two
I listened in on Ozzie Guillen's pre-game talk today. The White Sox manager said he doesn't think A.J. Pierzynski intentionally stepped on Justin Morneau's foot yesterday. He did say, however, that he sent the Twins a message afterward - if there is a problem, take care of it on the field.
Certainly sounds tough, but it Guillen went on to say there are two ways to handle that type of situation: forget about it, or fight, and Morneau, obviously, did the latter. He also mentioned that he didn't really like the way Minnesota's bench was yelling and pointing at Pierzynksi after the incident.
It does seem that tonight will be quiet, and Ron Gardenhire said the whole thing is over and forgotten. You never know, though, with these teams. Check in with us later tonight. If something interesting happens, we'll let you know about it.
Oh, and Joe Mauer has shaved. Don't get excited, though. He said the beard was just getting too uncomfortable.
Finally, lineups ...
Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond C
Jeff Cirillo DH
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Boof Bonser P
Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Alex Cintron 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
A.J. Pierzynski C
Joe Crede 3B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Juan Uribe SS
John Danks P
- Kelsie Smith
Certainly sounds tough, but it Guillen went on to say there are two ways to handle that type of situation: forget about it, or fight, and Morneau, obviously, did the latter. He also mentioned that he didn't really like the way Minnesota's bench was yelling and pointing at Pierzynksi after the incident.
It does seem that tonight will be quiet, and Ron Gardenhire said the whole thing is over and forgotten. You never know, though, with these teams. Check in with us later tonight. If something interesting happens, we'll let you know about it.
Oh, and Joe Mauer has shaved. Don't get excited, though. He said the beard was just getting too uncomfortable.
Finally, lineups ...
Minnesota
Luis Castillo 2B
Nick Punto 3B
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Redmond C
Jeff Cirillo DH
Jason Kubel LF
Jason Bartlett SS
Boof Bonser P
Chicago
Darin Erstad CF
Alex Cintron 2B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
Paul Konerko 1B
A.J. Pierzynski C
Joe Crede 3B
Rob Mackowiak LF
Juan Uribe SS
John Danks P
- Kelsie Smith
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