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By A Daily Update By Our Staffers

Last update: March 21, 2007 - 9:48 PM

Team ponders keeping 12 pitchers

The Twins are considering keeping 12 pitchers on their Opening Day roster.

"It is something I have to consider," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Which is something I didn't want to do."

That improves Mike Venafro's chance of becoming the second lefthanded relief specialist, behind Dennys Reyes. Venafro has thrown seven scoreless innings this spring.

The Twins previously expressed a desire to open the season with 11 pitchers. Aside from the five starters, Reyes and righthanders Joe Nathan, Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier would appear to have all the spots filled.

With infielder Alejandro Machado headed for the disabled list because of surgery to repair a torn labrum (which could come as soon as Monday), the Twins might decide to go with a short bench of catcher Mike Redmond, infielders Jeff Cirillo and Luis Rodriguez and outfielder Jason Tyner.

Gardenhire wanted a fifth bench player to pinch hit.

"But who am I going to hit for in this lineup?" he said.

Randy Choate, a lefthander competing with Venafro, was reassigned to the minor league camp.

ROSTER STUFF

• Machado will be examined in Birmingham, Ala., by Dr. James Andrews on Monday, and Gardenhire said he wouldn't be surprised if Andrews performs surgery right away.

• Righthander Matt Garza looked very good on Wednesday, allowing only one ball -- a double -- out of the infield in three innings.

• Nick Punto, nursing a sore right hip flexor, did some running but probably will rest a couple of more days.

ETC.

• Hitting coach Joe Vavra was struck in the head by a weighted donut that flew off the end of a bat swung by Luis Castillo. Castillo apparently was swinging a weighted bat -- which is thinner than a regular bat -- when the donut slipped off and hit Vavra, who was standing near the edge of the dugout. Vavra needed stitches but returned to the park and was working with hitters in the batting cages after the game. Castillo was 3-for-4 and is batting .529 this spring, and Gardenhire quipped, "He's getting hits even before he gets to the plate."

• The paperwork is nearly complete on an insurance policy on Joe Mauer's four-year, $33 million contract.

WHO'S HOT

Michael Cuddyer, followed around all day by ESPN as part of an "All Access" segment, hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give ESPN something worth filming. He went 3-for-3 and is batting .378.

WHO'S NOT

Righthander Sidney Ponson gave up three runs on seven hits in four innings, not looking as sharp as he did last week against Baltimore. All three runs came in the third, after he walked the leadoff batter. Two runs scored on a bouncer through a drawn-in infield. "Besides the third inning I pitched pretty good," he said. "Even though they didn't hit the ball very hard, they still were base hits."

WHO'S NEXT

The Twins will play Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg. Righthander Boof Bonser will face lefthander Casey Fossum. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

LA VELLE E. NEAL III