With opener near, rotation still unclear

Last update: March 18, 2008 - 10:57 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. - The Twins hope to leave spring training with Livan Hernandez, Scott Baker, Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano holding down four spots in their starting rotation, but they aren't sure Baker and Liriano will be ready.

Baker remained too sick with the flu Tuesday to throw a bullpen session, which is a step he must take to prove his strained right lat muscle feels good enough to see live action again. He hasn't pitched since March 8.

"We'd like to have Baker be one of our starters; we're kind of counting on that," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Whether we're going to get him to the point where he can start in Minnesota, or whether we have to wait a couple weeks, that's what we've got to look at."

With Liriano coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, the Twins also are waiting to declare him ready to compete for regular-season action, even though his pitch count reached 59 Monday in his third start.

Making their pitch

The Baker and Liriano questions leave the Twins with up to three spots in their five-man rotation potentially up for grabs, and Philip Humber tried making another case for himself Tuesday in a 4-2 victory over Baltimore.

Making his first spring start, Humber held Baltimore to two runs on five hits in three innings.

His Grapefruit League scoreless streak reached 11 innings before the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the third. Nick Markakis lined a two-run single, but Humber escaped without further damage.

"You never want to be in that situation, but when I got there, I knew that would be a good test," Humber said. "And we were all pretty pleased with some of the pitches I made."

Center field battle

Denard Span and Carlos Gomez both played against Baltimore, with Span getting his turn to bat leadoff and play center field, while Gomez batted second and played right.

Span went 1-for-2 with a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a double, raising his average to .290.

Gomez went 0-for-3 to drop to .244, failing twice to advance a runner to third base with a man on second and no outs. Gomez did steal two bases, however, raising his spring total to eight.

"Span and Gomez are both playing well," Gardenhire said. "They're both doing some good things."

Etc.

• Nick Blackburn, another rotation candidate, tossed two scoreless innings of relief against Baltimore.

• Bonser gave up three runs on four hits in a four-inning start against the Pirates' Class AAA Indianapolis squad. He walked one, hit a batter and struck out four.

• Livan Hernandez had a bullpen session in Fort Lauderdale with pitching coach Rick Anderson watching, and the focus was on making Hernandez quicker to home plate after he allowed three stolen bases Sunday against Toronto.

Up next

The Twins have their lone off day of the spring today. Kevin Slowey will pitch Thursday night against Cincinnati.

JOE CHRISTENSEN