Glen Perkins just met with the media, and all indications are that he will need more than the minimum 15 days to recover from his shoulder strain.
Tests revealed the strain, as well as some fraying of the labrum - which isn't surprising considering how long Perkins has been pitching. He's going to meet with Twins specialist Dr. John Steubs, and it's highly likely that Perkins will seek another opinion before moving forward with a rehabilitation program.
``Whatever the 15th day is, I ain't gonna be back then," Perkins said. ``I know that. Hopefully it is on the shorter end."
We'll get more details from Terry Ryan soon, but it looks like Perkins wont throw for at least a week, making it hard for him to get ready to pitch in games when his 15 days on the disabled list are up. One comparison is Casey Fien, who missed 29 days with a shoulder strain last season. But all shoulders are different.
Perkins is going to be careful with his rehabilitation to make sure he's ready for the rest of the season once he recovers. The timing couldn't be worse, with the Twins at 0-7.
He was quite disappointed, given that he spent several weeks in Fort Myers during the offseason to get in the best shape possible after breaking down during the second half of each of the previous three seasons. Now this.
``I put the work in and it hasn't worked out so far," he said. ``But I got some more time here to put in more work. Hopefully it will benefit me and the team as the season goes along,"Perkins, by the way, had his neck examined to make sure last year's problems weren't coming back. His neck is fine.
Kevin Jepsen likely will take over closing duties while Perkins recovers. Trevor May and Ryan Pressly likely will be used in eighth inning roles. (Correction: Molitor wants to be careful with Pressly, who's coming back from an injury last season). The guess here is that Taylor Rogers, called up to replace Perkins on the roster, will be used in long relief or no later than the 7th inning, if possible.
