Liriano could be in minors awhile

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - The next chapter of the Francisco Liriano saga will be written at Class AAA Rochester, where the struggling lefthander was sent Friday to find himself and find his form.

Liriano met with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson on Friday, when he was told of the club's decision. Liriano is expected to start for Rochester on Wednesday -- and be there for a while.

Righthander Bobby Korecky was called up from Rochester.

Liriano will work with Rochester pitching coach Stu Cliburn, but roving minor league pitching instructor Rick Knapp will stop in as well.

In three starts with the Twins, Liriano was 0-3 with a 11.32 ERA and allowed 28 baserunners over 10 1/3 innings. The combination of Liriano trying to perfect his mechanics while getting knocked around on the mound seemed to be too much of a challenge for the 24-year-old as he admitted to Gardenhire that he had lost his confidence.

"Confidence comes with success," Anderson said. "He's got to get down there and clear his mind, and he admitted to me that he's thinking too much about what he's doing. I asked him, 'How did you feel before you were hurt?' He said, 'I didn't think, I just threw.'

"He's not to that point yet. When he does get to that point, he will have success, and success breeds confidence."

But Liriano never looked dominant in any of his spring training outings and, based on reports, wasn't dominating during the two minor league starts he made before being called up earlier this month.

Did Liriano even deserve to be in the majors in the first place? After a dominant stretch in 2006 that landed him on the American League All-Star team, he ended up on the disabled list that August and eventually had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, forcing him to miss all of 2007.

"There's no harm done," Twins General Manager Bill Smith told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "We don't have regrets. In a perfect world, we would have kept him here. The injury to [Kevin] Slowey caused us to rush him just a bit. We did it because we thought he was healthy and strong. Two weeks later, he's still healthy and strong.

"I think we did the right thing. Maybe the best thing that will come out of this is everyone realizes he's not ready."

Gardenhire said the important thing is that Liriano realizes he's not ready, saying, "He saw where he's at, and he's got work to do."

The Twins will go with a a four-man rotation of Scott Baker, Livan Hernandez, Boof Bonser and Nick Blackburn until May 10. Three off days over an eight-day span allows them such flexibility.

By May 10, Slowey will have made three appearances for Class AAA Rochester during his rehabilitation assignment. Slowey, coming back from a right biceps strain, is scheduled to start today for the Red Wings. If Slowey doesn't have a setback, he could slide into the rotation.

Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez bunted for hits his first two at-bats Friday. He tried to go 3-for-3 on bunt singles but was thrown out in the fourth inning -- bruising his left calf in the process. He could miss a day or two.

"He was running to first and he kicked himself in the calf,'' Gardenhire said. "His heel hit his calf. ... It was cramping and was really sore, but we're not sure exactly what we have here."

• Korecky, wearing No. 41, joined the Twins for his first taste of the big leagues. "This is unbelievable," said Korecky, who was 2-1 with a 0.68 ERA and five saves in 10 games for Rochester. Korecky, 28, came to the Twins along with Carlos Silva and Nick Punto in the trade that sent Eric Milton to Philadelphia in December 2003.

• Outfielder Michael Cuddyer, activated from the disabled list, returned to the lineup hitting fifth and went 1-for-5 with a single.

• Texas recalled catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and activated former Twins lefthander Eddie Guardado from the DL. Guardado pitched the seventh inning Friday.