Hughes goes five innings in minor league rehab outing; feels ready to join Twins

A couple of nuggets after the Twins' victory:

Twins righthander Phil Hughes gave up three runs over five innings on Thursday while pitching for Class A Fort Myers in a minor league rehabilitation stint. In those five innings, he gave up eight hits and one walk while striking out five.

Not sexy numbers, but he did throw 65 pitches as he was trying to get his pitch count up. When asked via text if he felt he was ready to go, Hughes replied, "Yessir."

Oblique strains can be pesky and linger. So the Twins have been cautious with Hughes.

"We'll see how it goes," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before the game Thursday. "He's on a DL rehabilitation outing. We can decide accordingly."

If all goes well, Hughes will start April 11 against the Astros.

Fort Myers, by the way, beat Charlotte 4-3 in the game.

The Twins arrived in town late Wednesday night, their first time home since spring training. For some Twins, like Jake Odorizzi, he headed to a home he had never seen.

Odorizzi was dealt from Tampa Bay to the Twins during camp, so he had to leave the search for housing up to his wife Carissa. Then he had to figure out where Lake Calhoun was.

"My wife and kid were sleeping, so I had to have someone let me in, and I had to be quiet," he said. "It was pretty much come in and crash. (Thursday) we did a little unpacking."