Liriano's arrival hits a snag because of his 2006 arrest

Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

Francisco Liriano

The 24-year-old lefthander could miss the first week of spring training while he satisfies immigration demands.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: February 14, 2008 - 8:51 PM

Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano could miss the first week of spring training because of visa problems stemming from his 2006 arrest for drunken driving.

The news was a setback for the lefthander, who is eager to prove he is 100 percent healed from elbow surgery.

Liriano, 24, had planned to fly today from his native Dominican Republic to Fort Myers, Fla., but the U.S. Consulate in Santo Domingo flagged his visa application Wednesday.

Last July, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered consular officers to refer visa applicants to panel physicians "when they have a single drunk driving arrest or conviction within the last three calendar years."

On Thursday, Liriano told the Associated Press that he must pass a sobriety test and attend a counseling session. He was arrested and charged with drunken driving in March 2006 in Cape Coral, Fla.

Liriano has an appointment to resolve the matter today, but the process could take an additional week to 10 days.

Twins pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report Sunday and work out Monday.

"He is obviously going to cooperate fully," Twins General Manager Bill Smith said. "We're going to follow all the guidelines set down by the immigration department and the consulate, and we'll get him here as soon as possible."

Smith said the team was unaware of the State Department's July order until Wednesday.

"[Liriano] did everything right," Smith said of the application process. "This is a new policy. None of us knew about it, including Francisco."

The good news for the Twins is that Liriano appears fully recovered from the Tommy John elbow surgery he had in November 2006.

He pitched two innings recently in a scrimmage at the Twins' Dominican academy in Boca Chica.

Liriano has told team officials that he fully intends to be ready to start the season.

"He's in good shape," Smith said. "None of this affects his preparation. He's been throwing. He's healthy. He's strong. This is an administrative speed bump."

Etc.

• Livan Hernandez won't earn more than $5 million from the Twins this season unless he pitches 160 innings and would need to pitch 230 innings to reach all $2 million of his performance incentives. His new contract, signed Tuesday, will pay him $6.2 million if he reaches the 200-inning mark for a ninth consecutive season.