The Twins' march to 100-loss oblivion continued Wednesday when they were turned back 5-4 by Seattle, but one player who could leave Target Field with a smile on his face was outfielder Denard Span.
Span returned to the lineup for the first time since Aug. 13, going 0-for-3. It's his chance to salvage a season that has been slowed by a concussion that forced him to miss 48 games in June and July, then migraine symptoms that forced him from the lineup from mid-August until Wednesday.
"I felt good," Span said. "Right before the game I was nervous and all of those crazy feelings. Now that it is over with, I feel a lot better."
Span grounded out to short twice and grounded to first in his three plate appearances before being replaced by Rene Tosoni for the fifth inning. Span's last at-bat lasted eight pitches against Mariners fireballer Michael Pineda, and that encouraged him.
"That third at-bat, I felt comfortable," Span said, "and it showed."
Span said part of him wanted to shut down for the season and the other part wanted to return to the field. He listened to the other part and elected to play. He's taking medication for his symptoms and underwent tests within the past week to make sure he could return to action without risk.
"I don't what this to come out the wrong way -- I'm not happy that we are in last place -- but this is a good opportunity for me to come back from this," Span said. "If we were in a pennant race right now, I wouldn't be ready to go out there."
His season went downhill June 3 when he suffered a concussion when he crashed into Kansas City catcher Brayan Pena at home plate. He ended up missing most of June and all of July. When he returned on Aug. 2, he still wasn't right and stopped playing after an Aug. 13 game.