DUNEDIN, FLA. - Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer played his first game of the spring Sunday, testing his injured left foot, and said he hopes to keep playing games every day to get ready for the April 1 season opener.
Cuddyer went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run and played three innings in right field during a minor league intrasquad game in Fort Myers, Fla. He's tentatively scheduled to play in another minor league game Monday.
"I wouldn't say it's behind me," said Cuddyer, who had a plantar wart surgically removed from his left foot March 1. "But it's definitely a brighter future than it was three days ago. I hope once Opening Day comes around, I won't be dealing with it then."
The toughest part for Cuddyer has been running the bases, so Sunday's big test came when he doubled down the third base line. Cuddyer lumbered around first and slid feet-first into second.
"I probably looked a little tentative because I was a little nervous how I was going to feel," Cuddyer said. "But I told myself, no matter where that ball was, I was going to go for it, just to test it out. It felt OK."
Cuddyer's home run was a blast that sailed over the left field wall and onto Plantation Road, narrowly missing a moving car.
"It felt good; I'm not going to lie to you," Cuddyer said. "Tomorrow I could go out there and be terrible. On my two groundouts, I was late [swinging at] both of them. It just felt good to be able to get back onto the field."
Stelmaszek update Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek has had problems with his right eye throughout the offseason. He's had cataract surgery and his retina has detached three times since November.
