Gardy: Garza never had arm problems with Twins

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: April 10, 2008 - 4:11 PM

CHICAGO -- After going on the disabled list because of radial nerve irritation, Tampa Bay pitcher Matt Garza said he actually pitched with the arm injury last season with the Twins.

Gardenhire said that was news to him. "Wasn't he healthy all spring? Now, he's going to say he was hurt? That's no good," Gardenhire said. "No, we have no documents of Matt Garza ever having any problems with us."

Gardenhire noted the neck injury that slowed Garza last spring.

Other than that? "He never missed a bullpen, never missed a start," Gardenhire said. "If he said he was hurt, I'm not going to call him a liar or anything like that, but he should have let us know that he might have had an injury, too.

"It's normally good that the team you're pitching for knows something like that."

The Twins sent Garza to the Rays in the six-player trade that brought Delmon Young and Brendan Harris.

"I won't even address it any more than that, but [Garza] was fine," Gardenhire said. "I saw him throw one 15 rows up [on a pickoff move to first base]; I don't think his arm was bothering him then."

Rain out wouldn't hurt

With Kevin Slowey injured and Francisco Liriano struggling, the Twins aren't praying for rain tonight, But it might help them sort through a pitching dilemma.

There's an 80 percent chance of rain today in Chicago, where the Twins and White Sox are scheduled to finish their series tonight.

If there's a rainout, the Twins would simply push their starting pitchers back a day, answering the question of who would pitch Sunday (Nick Blackburn) and pushing their next tough decision to Tuesday.

Sunday was in question because Liriano labored through four innings Tuesday for Class AAA Rochester, and Slowey reported to the clubhouse Wednesday with continued tightness in his strained right biceps, canceling his throwing session.

"We've got the weather [tonight], so we're going to wait to make a decision until after we see what happens," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

The Twins begin a three-game series at Kansas City on Friday, and rain is in the weekend forecast there, as well.

If the Twins manage to dodge enough raindrops to get all their games in, Gardenhire hinted Liriano still might get the call for Sunday.

"I'm not worried about him," Gardenhire said. "If I bring him up and start him, he's fine. Whether he's ready or not? Some people say he was not great [Tuesday], but we know Frankie, too.

"You put him in a higher level, he throws better. He'll throw better for us than he will for them. If we decide to do it, we decide to do it."

Issues with umpire

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen accused umpire Phil Cuzzi of having a vendetta against him, two days after he was ejected for arguing strikes.

Cuzzi, the plate umpire in Monday's 7-4 Chicago victory over the Twins, ejected Guillen in the third inning after Guillen came out to argue a strike call on Paul Konerko.

"I don't like that guy behind the plate," Guillen said. "Every time he's behind the plate, we might have a problem."

Etc.

• Right fielder Michael Cuddyer rejoined the team after seeing a hand specialist Tuesday in Minnesota. He remained on track to have the stitches in his right index finger removed Monday, and he still hopes to return from the 15-day disabled list April 20.

• Third baseman Mike Lamb left Wednesday's game in the ninth inning after fouling a ball off his right foot. He had X-rays taken and was diagnosed with a bruise. He is day-to-day.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.

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