Jon Rauch took a hot shot off his left ankle but stayed in the game and finished the ninth inning on Monday. But the ankle is swollen, and the Twins had x-Rays to make sure nothing was wrong.

``We were worried that Rauch's ankle was broken," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, ``but he's fine."

I thought Gardenhire was joking when he said that because he also said, ``his tattoos are bigger," where he was hit. There's healing in laughter, I guess.

This rotation is no joking matter. I, however, did joke in the paper that Brian Duensing might have to be cloned in order to plug all the leaks in the rotation. Especially if the Twins don't make a deal for starter.

The sense I'm getting now is that the chances of the Twins making a deal for Houston's Roy Oswalt are decreasing. That would make Arizona's Dan Haren or the Cubs' Ted Lilly the next options. Would Lilly's 87 mph fastball survive in the AL? Is that an upgrade the Twins should deal a prospect (s) for? Would Lilly = Kenny Rogers, 2003?

Haren, by the way, has a limited no trade clause in which he could block a deal to 12 teams. The Twins possibly could be on that list, but Haren could still waive a move here for the chance to be in a race for the postseason.

Anthony Slama gave up a run over 1.1 innings on Monday for Class AAA Rochester in a 6-2 loss to Buffalo.He's 0-1, 1.71 with 17 saves at Rochester. He has allowed runs in each of his last three outings for the Red Wings. But it was time for him to get out of there.

Rochester is awful. The Red Wings seem to use four relievers a night, so Slama might thrive up here if he can get regular work.
He is 26 years old. And it is time. Slama time.

``I am thrilled to have this opportunity!" he wrote in a text message. ``I hope I can help the club and contribute in any way."

Gardenhire also said that Delmon Young should have caught Carlos Santana's fly ball to left in the fifth inning. He pointed out that that kicked off a five-run inning that put the game out of reach. Young was great at the plate. He could have had a four-hit game if he wasn't robbed of a hit by Michael Brantley in the second, but it's a two-way game.