Cuddyer gets X-rays for ailing back

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: May 3, 2007 - 11:36 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - The Twins went 135 consecutive games with Michael Cuddyer in the lineup. Now, they have played two in a row without him, and he is questionable for tonight's game against Boston.

Cuddyer had X-rays taken Thursday, just to be sure he didn't have a cracked spine. The X-rays showed no broken bones, but he remained day-to-day because of a bruised back.

The injury happened Tuesday against Tampa Bay when Cuddyer tripped running between second and third base. He turned a high-speed somersault, and his back landed on the brim of his errant helmet.

After pulling himself from Wednesday's lineup during batting practice, the right fielder came in feeling even more sore Thursday.

"Not good," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "... He's kind of your iron man, the one who wants to play every day. So you know when he tells you he can't go, he can't go."

Bullpen concerns

Juan Rincon said his right elbow has been bothering him since he pitched at Detroit on Friday. He walked two batters and needed 25 pitches to get through another scoreless inning Tuesday. He warmed up Thursday in the eighth inning but did not enter the game.

Jesse Crain came in and gave up a home run to Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena, the third homer Crain has given up in 12 appearances this year.

Dennys Reyes has been battling a sore left shoulder and has not pitched in a game since Saturday. He still has a team-high 15 appearances and has warmed up or pitched in all but a handful of games this season.

The hope was that resting Reyes would get him ready for this upcoming series with the Red Sox, whose lefthanded-hitting threats include David Ortiz and J.D. Drew.

"If he's not ready, then the kid's going to have to get some people out in some big situations," Gardenhire said.

The kid is rookie Glen Perkins, who pitched three scoreless innings in Thursday's 6-4 loss and likely won't be available to pitch tonight.

"Perkins came in and did a super job," Gardenhire said. "He gave us a chance."

Nathan's rare slip

The Twins used the word "shocked" to describe how they felt Wednesday after losing a game they had led 3-1 heading into the ninth inning. Consider this: The Twins were 106-0 in games that they led after the eighth inning going back to Sept. 6, 2005.

Most of that is a credit to closer Joe Nathan, who blew his first save of the season Wednesday. One difference with Nathan this season has been his struggles with the first batter he faces. Last year, Nathan held those hitters to a .274 batting average. In 2005, he held them to a .175 average, and the year before that it was .172.

This season, Nathan's first batters are hitting .545 (6-for-11).

"You know what, the guy is human," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "It's just a little bit of a bump right here. Once we heat up, he'll heat up with us."

Etc.

• Devil Rays players dressed up a mannequin with a Twins jersey and a glove and placed him on a catwalk high above home plate. Twins players chuckled a the gesture, a reference to the two balls that hit to the Tropicana Field roof Wednesday.

• Nick Punto notched his fifth career four-hit game, raising his average to .250. He went 4-for-4 with a walk Thursday.

• The advance sale for this weekend's three-game series against Boston at the Metrodome is about 90,000, and club officials are hoping to hit 125,000 in actual attendance, aided by a rainy weekend forecast.

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com

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