twins/mlb

MILWAUKEE - Garrett Jones might be back with Class AAA Rochester, but the Twins weren't thrilled to send him.

Jones was optioned to make room for righthander Scott Baker, but the club would like to get Jones back in the majors because he's, well, the anti-Piranha.

Jones, who was 1-for-8 as a designated hitter in four games, is big and strong. He hit some tremendous homers during batting practice. And he gives the Twins another power threat in a lineup that really needs it. His home run production at Rochester (21 homers in 525 at-bats in 2006) isn't jaw-dropping, but the Twins believe they can work with him and unlock more of it.

"We let him get his feet wet," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But I'd like for him to get a soaking. I really like the instant run production he can put up there when he walks up to the plate."

Jones could return if the Twins decide to go with 11 pitchers again, but that appears unlikely for now.

Mauer update

Twins catcher Joe Mauer is now up to light running in the outfield. Is he getting close to coming off of the disabled list?

"Obviously, he's not going to come off tomorrow," Gardenhire said. "He still feels it, so we have a few more days to go here. He's feeling better. He's doing a lot of work."

Mauer has been out two weeks because of a strained left quadriceps. He has been doing pool therapy the past few days and has hit off of a tee.

Hang it, bang it

Torii Hunter has two homers in two games against the Brewers. The first came on Friday when he hit a bad slider from lefthander Chris Capuano out to left.

Hunter told a reporter that he didn't even know what a slider was until 1993, when he was working his way through the Twins minor league system. It was Gardenhire who told him what the pitch was.

"He said, 'What's that little thing that's got the dot on it?' " Gardenhire said. "That would be a slider, Torii. I think he knows what one is now. I think he likes it.

"That was a classic with Torii."

No Kubel, Punto

With a righthander in Dave Bush on the mound, Gardenhire elected to keep outfielder Jason Kubel and infielder Nick Punto on the bench Saturday.

He had a good reason for that, and the decision appeared to work out with the Twins beating Milwaukee 5-2.

Lefthanded hitters entered the game batting .235 against Bush while righthanded hitters were batting .346.