Slowey to test his wrist again

OAKLAND, CALIF. - Righthander Kevin Slowey's next step toward returning to the mound will take place this morning when he tests his strained right wrist again in the bullpen before the Twins face Oakland.

If everyone is satisfied with the results, Slowey will start Saturday in what could be the first of a couple of outings for Class AAA Rochester.

Slowey, who was placed on the disabled list on July 4, is pleased with his progress. But he already knows the wrist is only going to improve so much. He is prepared to pitch the rest of the season with some discomfort as he tries to rejoin the rotation for a postseason run.

"You get prepared for going out there and not feeling perfect," Slowey said, "but nobody in this clubhouse feels perfect."

Slowey, 10-3 with a 4.86 ERA, battled a sore wrist earlier in the season but it didn't interfere with his pitching until the last few starts before he landed on the disabled list.

"If he's throwing the ball good, then he's going to pitch," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "if we are at the point where it is not working like it was in the past, then we'll [rest him] again."

Gardenhire is comfortable with Slowey pitching as long as it doesn't lead to other problems.

"My only concern is, we can only go by what a person tells us," Gardenhire said. "What the pain in his wrist is. He's pitching with a little bit of discomfort in his hand. Will it hurt his shoulder or his elbow?

"Everyone tells me no. That's my only concern, that we hurt something else while trying to pitch through something."

Joe Mauer returned to the starting lineup Tuesday. He was held out of Monday's lineup until he hit a pinch-hit single in the eighth.

And, for the 24th time this season, Mauer batted in the No. 2 spot in the order. Justin Morneau batted third.

Gardenhire said Morneau's big night on Monday from that spot (a career-high seven RBI) was part of the reason. The other part was that no one else is getting it done in that spot.

Alexi Casilla is batting .162 as the No. 2 hitter. Brendan Harris is batting .230. Matt Tolbert hit .179 there before being demoted.

"It's just not going to happen this year," Gardenhire said, somewhat dejectedly.

Gardenhire hopes that Casilla and Nick Punto will relax at the bottom of the order and get on base with Mauer and Morneau at the top of the order.

The Twins' loss on Monday matched their largest blown lead ever, which was set on Sept. 28, 1984, when the Twins, still in contention for the AL West title, blew a 10-0 lead at Cleveland and lost 11-10. Joe Carter tied the game in the eighth with a bases-empty home run off of Ron Davis. Brett Butler drove in Pat Tabler with a walk-off single off Ed Hodge in the ninth.

• It just so happens that former Twins lefthander Craig Breslow, who was claimed off waivers by Oakland on May 20, got the victory in Monday's heartbreaker. The Twins hoped to slip Breslow through waivers and send him to the minors, a gamble they lost. Now Breslow has a 2.78 ERA in 30 games with Oakland and leads the American League with 47 appearances.

• The pitching rotation for the Twins' four-game series against the Angels has been set. Scott Baker will face Jered Weaver on Thursday, Francisco Liriano will face John Lackey on Friday, Nick Blackburn will face Sean O'Sullivan on Saturday and Anthony Swarzak will face Ervin Santana on Sunday.

• Joe Crede returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a sore right shoulder.

• Denard Span, 2-for-18 on the road trip, was given a break on Tuesday.