Ford demoted for bullpen help

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: August 5, 2007 - 12:40 AM

The Twins sent Lew Ford to Class AAA Rochester on Saturday to clear room on the roster for lefthander Carmen Cali.

Ford, batting .232, received the news following the Twins' 3-2 victory over Cleveland. "It's disappointing," he said. "I really want to be part of the team up here."

The 30-year-old Ford made his debut with the Twins in 2003 but still had a minor league option, so he did not have to clear waivers before getting sent down, General Manager Terry Ryan said.

"We've been into our bullpen the past couple nights in a row," Ryan said. "Unfortunately we needed to go to 12 pitchers, or else we wouldn't have made this move."

Cali is 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA for Rochester and has a 5.40 ERA in eight appearances with the Twins.

White sits again

Rondell White sat out his fourth consecutive game, but manager Ron Gardenhire said White's sore right hamstring has improved to the point where he could soon return to left field.

"We're still trying to give him plenty of time here," Gardenhire said. "He's feeling really good, moving around a lot better. He seems to think by the time we get to Kansas City [on Tuesday], he might be well enough to go out and play in the outfield, and that would be wonderful."

The Twins will play on natural grass surfaces on their upcoming nine-game road trip against the Royals, Angels and Mariners. White is batting .150 (3-for-20) since his return from the disabled list, with all of those at-bats coming as the designated hitter.

"We all know that he swings the bat better when he plays out there [in left field], so that would be good," Gardenhire said. "We'll watch him the next couple of days and see what happens."

Still counting on Punto

Nick Punto is in another 0-for-16 rut that has dropped his average to .209.

After starting him at third base Friday, Gardenhire used him as a pinch runner and defensive replacement for third baseman Brian Buscher on Saturday.

Still, with rookies at third (Buscher) and second (Alexi Casilla), Gardenhire isn't ready to give Punto an extended stretch on the bench to clear his head.

"I don't have that luxury because we need him," Gardenhire said. "We'd like to see him get a little more confidence in his own ability to hit. He's taking so many pitches; he gets behind. It seems like he's up there with two strikes every at-bat.

"[Hitting coach Joe Vavra has] talked to him about it: Just swing. Get up there and let it fly. Instead of trying to be so patient, swing the bat. And hopefully we'll get there. It's hard. It's not easy when you're struggling. But he's a big part of this team."

Coomer arrested

FSN North baseball analyst Ron Coomer was arrested and booked in Hennepin County Jail early Saturday morning on suspicion of drunken driving.

According to the Hennepin County Jail log, Coomer was booked at 3:55 a.m., charged with drunken driving and released on probable cause at 8:56 a.m.

Coomer, 40, played for the Twins from 1995 to 2000.

"We're not prepared to make any statements or decisions until we find more information about the alleged situation," said FSN North Executive Producer Jeff Byle. "FSN North completely supports Ron Coomer. He's a model citizen and a model employee."

Heintz breaks wrist

Class AAA Rochester catcher Chris Heintz suffered a broken right wrist when he was hit by a pitch Thursday. He will be on the disabled list for up to four weeks, and Korey Feiner was promoted from Class AA New Britain.

Staff writer Chris Havens contributed to this report.

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com