The Fourth of July included a few fireworks in Joe Mauer's lower back. Or at least, that's what it felt like to the veteran.
Mauer, who walked in the first inning of Tuesday's victory over the Angels, wrenched his back while running the bases, producing pain in his back that kept him out of action a day later.
"I felt it yesterday" while running the bases, Mauer said after sitting out Wednesday's 2-1 loss. "I was able to get through it. But I'm paying for it now."
Mauer wasn't in the Twins' lineup Wednesday — coincidentally, as Brian Dozier returned to action after missing two games because of back pain of his own — and was too sore to take batting practice.
But it became clear that Mauer was unavailable when manager Paul Molitor couldn't call on him to pinch-hit in the ninth inning of a 2-1 game, with the bottom of the order coming up.
"I'll just say he's not 100 percent today," Molitor said. "He bounces back quickly, though. We'll see how he responds tomorrow."
