Ponson eager to make delayed debut vs. Yankees

By La Velle E. Neal III, Star Tribune

Last update: April 8, 2007 - 8:31 PM

CHICAGO - The long-awaited debut of Twins righthander Sidney Ponson will take place tonight at the Dome against the Yankees.

Due to rotation decisions and a postponement on Friday, Ponson hasn't appeared in a game since March 31, when he faced Pittsburgh in the final spring training game.

"It has to feel like a normal game," Ponson said, "Throw strikes and get people out. I'm just anxious to pitch. It's going to be a week, but the circumstances didn't let it happen. I'm patient."

It's a big start for Ponson, who was 2-1 with a 4.29 ERA in spring training. The former 17-game winner is trying to turn his career around after going 22-31 the past three seasons, during which he made headlines for incidents off the field. Ponson was released twice last year -- once by St. Louis, where he was 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 14 appearances and then by the Yankees, where he was 0-1 and 10.47 in five appearances.

Ponson, however, is not looking at his match with the Yankees as extra motivation.

"I had fun there," Ponson said of his five-week stint with New York. "Good teammates and stuff like that. Still, when the bell rings they are going to try to beat my brains out, so I have to get them out. That's the way it goes."

Injury updates

It now looks like outfielder Rondell White will miss a few more games because of his strained right calf.

"It feels better, but there's still something there," White said.

White, who was scratched from Saturday's game when he hurt himself while skipping out of the dugout, doesn't want to risk aggravating the injury.

"He's gone for a few days, probably," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "We'll know more when we get home, and out of the cold weather, how much he can and can't do. At least a couple days more."

Reliever Juan Rincon missed both games of the series because of a sore neck. The club hopes he'll be available during the Yankees series.

"When I walked back there [before the game], he didn't look like he was feeling very good," Gardenhire said.

Rincon said he felt better, but wasn't sure if he would be available to pitch tonight. He's the third Twin this year (Matt Garza and Jeff Cirillo are the others) to have a sore neck.

Cirillo was available to pinch-hit, but remains on the mend from a sore left knee that required a cortisone shot last week.

Etc.

• Closer Joe Nathan had three saves in the Twins' first five games. He's already matched his save total for all of last April. Nathan gave up a leadoff single to Paul Konerko but struck out Jim Thome. After a long battle with Jermaine Dye, Nathan got him to fly out deep to left. Joe Crede singled to right, but A.J. Pierzynski ended the game by grounding out to first.

• Since 2003, the White Sox are 39-38 against the Twins.

• The Twins have won six of their last eight games at U.S. Cellular Field.

• Friday's game will be made up in Chicago on July 6 at 4:05 p.m. as part of a doubleheader.

La Velle E. Neal III • lneal@startribune.com

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