Liriano could slide right into rotation

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: April 9, 2008 - 12:19 AM

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CHICAGO — Francisco Liriano will pitch for Class AAA Rochester tonight in Norfolk, Va., trying to show the Twins he's ready to rejoin the major league rotation.

A lingering arm injury for Kevin Slowey could open a natural spot for Liriano to return Sunday at Kansas City, actually.

Slowey played catch Monday for the first time since leaving Thursday's start because of a strained right biceps, and while he noted his improvement, he continued to feel slight stiffness.

Slowey will try playing catch again Wednesday.

"His normal bullpen [session] would be Thursday," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "If he goes out there and tries to play catch on Wednesday, and it's not happening, then we won't have a bullpen on Thursday and we'll ad lib for the next start."

After a brief pause, Gardenhire connected the dots.

"The one thing we know is Frankie is right on line for [Sunday] ... if we choose to go that way, if Slowey's not going to make it."

Blackburn holds steady

If Liriano had shown more progress from elbow surgery during spring training, Nick Blackburn might not have made the Opening Day roster.

Two starts in, however, Blackburn has a 2.25 ERA and looks like a pitcher the Twins want to keep around.

He wasn't as good Monday as he was in his first start, when he held the Angels to one run over seven innings. But he left Monday's game with a 3-2 lead, after avoiding disaster for five innings, as the White Sox racked up seven hits and two walks.

"I'm happy with the way it came out for as bad as I felt," Blackburn said after Chicago rallied for a 7-4 victory.

"A lot of pitches [90] and lot of work to get through those five innings," Gardenhire said. "The good thing is he never backed off. He kept going at them, and he never gave in. A good performance for a young guy on a great stage like this, against a good lineup."

Monroe sits again

Denard Span started his second consecutive game in right field, and Jason Kubel was the designated hitter, leaving Craig Monroe on the bench.

"We've got role players, we've got platoon situations, but we've got guys that you want to see get at-bats," Gardenhire said. "And I want to see Kubel. He was swinging good at the end [of last season]; we want to see him swing now."

Gardenhire said Monroe will get time in the outfield, possibly even Wednesday, against White Sox lefthander John Danks.

Etc.

• Carlos Gomez led off the first inning with a bunt single, stole second base and scored on Joe Mauer's single. Gomez is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts this year.

• Span, who batted second behind Gomez, moved him to third base with a textbook grounder in the first inning. Span got his first major league hit in the third inning -- a single to left -- and promptly stole his first base.

• Mauer has caught seven of the Twins' first eight games, including four in a row, and is batting .308.

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