Nathan returns to Twin Cities for tests

FORT MYERS, FLA. - Four weeks from Opening Day, the Twins aren't sure closer Joe Nathan will be ready to start the season. They will know more Monday, after he undergoes an MRI exam and CAT scan on his surgically repaired right elbow.

Nathan, 35, will be in the Twin Cities for those tests, two days after having a setback in his first spring training game.

"It's at a spot right now where I definitely wouldn't want to pick up a baseball," Nathan said Sunday morning. "It's very stiff, very sore. But it's a good thing we have a lot of time right now."

Four weeks should be plenty if the Twins get good news. They suspect Nathan's pain is being caused by the breaking up of scar tissue from his Oct. 20 surgery to remove bone spurs and loose particles from the elbow.

"There's no sense in worrying about it," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Let [the doctors] do their thing and see what happens. ... If there was major concern, someone would have told me that."

Still, if the Twins do get bad news -- finding more bone chips, etc. -- they could be scrambling. A four-time All-Star with 246 career saves and a 1.87 ERA in six years as the Twins closer, Nathan is one of their most irreplaceable parts. He hasn't been on the disabled list since 2000, when he had a shoulder injury for the Giants.

Asked about potential contingency plans, General Manager Bill Smith refused to go there, saying, "Let's get the test done and see what we find."

After Nathan, the Twins pitcher with the most career saves is Jon Rauch, who has 26, including 17 for Washington in 2008. Other candidates would be Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Jose Mijares and Pat Neshek.

"I'm just going to hope it's as minor as it can be, and ... hopefully it doesn't go into the regular season," Nathan said. "But there's really nothing we can say now because we don't know."

With elbows, the worst case is a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which usually requires Tommy John reconstructive surgery and at least a one-year recovery.

"Everything is looking good as far as it not being super serious, as far as tears or anything like that," Nathan said. "That's a positive. I'm going up there [to Minnesota] with positive thoughts.

"We want to make sure we have all the information we can gather to at least give us peace of mind to know that hopefully nothing's going on."

Smith said the Twins will compare Monday's images with the results of an MRI and CAT they ran on Nathan's elbow in mid-September.

"We want to fly him up there and have the exact same tests done by the same people, and then we'll have a much better idea," Smith said.

Nathan continued to pitch last fall, knowing something in the elbow wasn't right, but he has refused to blame his late-season struggles on the injury. His surgery, conducted by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., was described as minor.

"Every surgery's tough to come back from," Nathan said. "Like they always say, minor surgery is when it's not being done to you."

Until Saturday, Nathan was pleased with his rehab. Facing the Red Sox, he struck out his first batter, and was thrilled with his velocity, command and breaking pitches. Then he got sore and walked his final two batters.

"I still feel like I'm ahead of pace, even though this is something that's going to set me back a little bit," Nathan said. "If we could keep this to a minimum, as far as getting back on the field, I don't think I'll lose too much. ... But obviously if it does go longer, we'll have to play it by ear."