Here are three thoughts following the Twins' 8-2 loss to Oakland:


MAUER UPDATE: Joe Mauer experienced a setback on Wednesday in his concussion recovery, as he felt bad after a workout and was sent home. Mauer returned to Target Field on Thursday and worked out during the game. ``He came in and did his workout," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ``Everything was good. He left feeling good." Gardenhire said he spoke to the trainers and did not speak to Mauer directly. And Mauer left the ballpark before the game was over. No one should be afraid of pulling the plug on the season if Mauer is not 100 percent in a week or so. Sure, he wants to finish the season. But full offseason of rest and conditioning might be better for him.

PRESLEY PLAY: Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run triple in the fourth on a ball that Alex Presley misplayed. The ball was hit hard, which didn't help, but it sliced to his left after he initially turned to his right. ``It's tough to recover and turn and get all the way back," he said. ``It was a just a disaster of a play." Presley has made several nice catches since joining the Twins - and comes in nicely on balls - but that was his first tough play as a Twin.

OZZIE (clap, clap), OZZIE (clap, clap): Something to get behind during the final weeks. The Twins' Oswaldo Arcia pulled into a tie for first place among AL rookies in home runs with his seventh inning blast on Thursday. Conor Gillaspie and Nick Franklin also have hit 12, and Will Myers has 11. Should be a good race for the rookie home run crown.