The long-anticipated return of Joe Mauer is finally here.
The hometown hero made his Spring Training debut this afternoon, his first start since undergoing offseason knee surgery in December. Of course, he nailed a single up the middle on the second pitch he saw from New York Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey in the first inning.
Man Muscles went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter, taking a base on an error and grounding out as well. Now all he has to do is pile on the catcher's gear and squat for a while between now and two weeks to be ready for the season opener, which he says should be no problem. In fact, he's expected to catch in a minor league game tomorrow, according to LaVelle.
The good old days: Today marks the first time since July 7 that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were in the same lineup. Together. On the same day. Morneau finished the day 0-for-3.
- The Dugout: Minnesota Twins Spring Training. [With Leather]
- Five ways of measuring Joe's greatness. [Twinkie Town]
- Utilities, options, t-shirts, blends, OBPs, and sausages. [Aaron Gleeman]
- Crushing on Luke Hughes. [Twins Territory Talk]
- Wally the Beer Man's Trial. [CBS Minnesota]
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