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Home | Sports | Twins

Young turns ankle, expects to play today

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: May 13, 2008 - 11:15 AM

The Twins got a scare Monday night when Delmon Young rolled his left ankle while running the bases in the eighth inning.

Young left the game after a few warmup throws in left field before the ninth and had the ankle wrapped in tape after the Twins' 7-3 victory over Boston. But he expects to return for tonight's game against Toronto.

"I had no weight on [the left ankle] really, when I fell," Young said.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the team will see how Young feels before the game today, "and if he's good to go, he should be out there."

After playing in all 162 games last year for Tampa Bay, Young has played in the first 37 games for the Twins.

"He told me the other day, he doesn't like to miss an inning," Gardenhire said. "And I told him to get some hits, and he won't."

Young went 2-for-4 Monday and has gone 8-for-23 in his past seven games, raising his average to .271.

"He's getting more aggressive," Gardenhire said. "He had a really good session with [hitting coach] Joe Vavra before the game. They had a long talk about some things, and he's very receptive, and Joe said it was the best talk they've had.

"Now, if he can get past this ankle thing -- hopefully that won't keep him [out]. But he's having better at-bats, so that's a good thing."

DH improvement

Jason Kubel is hitless in his past 15 at-bats, but Craig Monroe is batting .333 with three home runs over his past nine games.

The Twins are seeing the benefits of their two-man DH rotation. When one has been cold, the other has been hot.

Last year, the Twins managed only 10 home runs and 74 RBI from the DH spot. This year, their DHs already have produced six home runs and 23 RBI.

Everyday Dennys?

The Twins continue to carry one lefthander in the bullpen, keeping Dennys Reyes' workload high.

Reyes appeared in four consecutive games before getting a rest Monday.

Tough to resist using Reyes, however, when he hadn't given up a run in 11 1/3 innings to start the season, stranding 13 inherited runners.

The only other relievers in the majors who hadn't allowed a run entering Monday were the Yankees' Mariano Rivera (15 innings) and the Royals' Joakim Soria (14 1/3 innings).

Baker update

Scott Baker won't be ready to come off the disabled list Monday, the first day he's eligible.

The Twins want him past the point where he can reaggravate his strained right groin injury. He's at the ballpark each day working out, but the team purposely hasn't given him a timetable, so he doesn't push himself too fast.

Etc.

• Pat Neshek was fitted with an immobilizer brace for his right arm, which he will wear day and night for three weeks, to help heal the torn ligament in his elbow.

• Brendan Harris returned to second base after missing two games because of a sore right hamstring. Matt Tolbert replaced Harris in the seventh inning, but Gardenhire said that was for defense.

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