CHICAGO – Justin Morneau was playing catch in front of the Twins' dugout Wednesday, the better to facilitate greeting former teammates and friends he hadn't caught up with a day earlier. Out wandered manager Paul Molitor, who couldn't help but be thrown off by Morneau's black-and-white uniform.

"It was awkward even seeing him in a Colorado uniform for a few years," Molitor said. But the White Sox? Strange times, Molitor said, "but I have a lot of respect for him. Good to see him out there working. I'm glad he's giving it another shot."

It's a little strange for Morneau himself, come to think of it. But the longtime Twins star and 2006 AL MVP chose Chicago for a reason: At the time the White Sox approached him about a contract in late May, they were in first place in the AL Central, and appeared a reasonable bet to reach the postseason. No Central Division rivalry could top that.

"I've played on some teams the last few years that haven't won many games. In Pittsburgh [in 2013], I got a taste of the playoffs. That's really the only motivation to play right now," he said. "Hopefully, we'll play meaningful games in September."

He intends to be a part of them. Morneau had offseason surgery to repair a tendon in his left elbow, an injury that occurred during spring training in 2015 but that he played with all season. "I didn't feel right all year. I just didn't really have any top hand in my swing, and it sort of cut into the power," said Morneau, who hit only three homers in 49 games. "Some balls I hit, I thought should have been homers. So I didn't want to go through that again."

Morneau will accompany the White Sox to Houston this weekend, then report to Class AAA Charlotte to begin a rehab stint that he hopes has him back in the lineup after the All-Star break. And that's when the real weirdness would begin: Chicago visits Target Field on July 29-31 and Sept. 1-4. Except for the Home Run Derby in 2014, Morneau has not played in his old home since being traded away.

"I think I'll be nervous. It's going to be really odd, being in the other dugout, walking up to the plate, all that stuff," he said. "It will be exciting. Our kids will be there. I'm looking forward to it."

Sano update

Twins players delighted before Wednesday's game watching a video of Miguel Sano taking a pop-up off his head during Class AAA Rochester's loss to Pawtucket. They will have to wait at least another day before they get a chance to needle him in person.

Sano went 0-for-3, bringing his rehab-stint total to 3-for-19 (.158) with two home runs. Sano, recovering from a strained left hamstring he suffered May 31, will play in both halves of Rochester's doubleheader Thursday, one game at third base and one game as designated hitter.

It's not so much the numbers that have the Twins hesitating to call up their best slugger, it's how he's looked at the plate.

"He's hit a couple of homers. That's been about the extent of his offensive output, which isn't bad," Molitor said. "I just think you look for signs that … his at-bats are normal. It's not always results or a hot streak [you're looking for] — you can just tell if he's recognizing pitchers or doing what you're accustomed to him doing."

Trevor May, meanwhile, will pitch in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday before the Twins evaluate whether the righthander is ready to return from the disabled list, too. He has been out for three weeks because of back spasms.

Kirilloff debuts

Alex Kirilloff, the Twins' first-round pick in this month's amateur draft, singled in his first professional at-bat with rookie-level Elizabethton on Wednesday. He went 1-for-3 while serving as DH.