While the Twins bullpen has suffered because of injuries to Jesse Crain and Glen Perkins and ineffectiveness by Juan Rincon, Pat Neshek emerged as a late-inning force.
Now, even Neshek has been shelved with what the Twins are calling general fatigue and weakness in his shoulder, putting a damper on a season in which he nearly made the AL All-Star team.
Neshek, the sidearmer from Park Center High School, is fourth in the American League in appearances at 74 but hasn't pitched since Sunday. He will be re-evaluated Friday, but it's unclear if he will pitch again this season. He said he still felt some pain Wednesday.
"I could probably go pitch right now, but I'm kind of worried," Neshek said. "From what I feel right now, it's gradually getting to the point where something bad could happen.
"I almost want to get an MRI just to be safe. I'll see if it gets a little better. It's the third day now. I know the difference between soreness and pain, and its feels like something is out of whack. But hopefully we caught it at the beginning where I can get on a good rehab program and have all winter to build it back up."
Manager Ron Gardenhire said Wednesday that there has not been any discussions about having Neshek get an MRI exam, an indication the Twins are confident with their diagnosis.
"Recently, it's gotten to where his arm strength and velocity has been down and his pitches haven't been sharp and that normally goes to just a dead arm, that type of thing," Gardenhire said. "He needs a little bit of a break here."
Neshek was 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA before the All-Star break. He lost an Internet vote for the final spot on the AL All-Star roster. The national exposure helped him promote his popular website, www.patneshek.com. But he has a 4.82 ERA since the All-Star break, which includes a 5.06 ERA in August and 6.00 ERA this month.
With Crain out for most of the season because of shoulder surgery and Rincon having an off year, Neshek was called upon to pitch in high-pressure situations. His unorthodox motion sent pitches to the plate that were hard for opponents to pick up, and he was unfazed while facing some of the league's most fearsome hitters. He made a case that the 2.19 ERA he had in 32 games after being called up last season wasn't a fluke.
However, Neshek noticed in July that his slider wasn't as sharp as earlier in the season. Lately, his fastball has suffered.
"After that last outing, I told them it was like going to a gun fight with a knife," Neshek said. "It wasn't even there. I didn't have anything."
He admitted there was a stretch during the season when he wasn't as consistent with his daily maintenance program as he should have been, and he and the Twins point to that as part of his problem.
"It's a culmination of being used a lot and just wearing down," he said. "I could have kept [maintenance] up a little better. I mean, I do a good job ..."
Neshek, 27, plans to strengthen his shoulder during the offseason and stay on his program next season, knowing now how hard the game gets for him if he doesn't have his best slider to neutralize hitters. Knowing how hard it is to pitch with a weak shoulder probably factors in somewhere, too.
"It's good to learn now," he said, "and not learn the hard way."
La Velle E. Neal III • lneal@startribune.com
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