DETROIT — Paul Molitor is pretty sure he hasn't caught anything toxic from the Red Sox. He's somehow been cured of managerial catcher anxiety, too.
The Twins asked the Tigers to disinfect the visitors clubhouse overnight, after the flu-ridden Red Sox left town following Monday's loss to the Tigers. At least a half-dozen players have been stricken by the flu, and the team is taking no chances.
Overcoming the standard managerial fear of being left without a catcher was probably a little more difficult, Molitor said, but he's giving it a try. Jason Castro will be behind the plate today, catching Hector Santiago, while backup catcher Chris Gimenez will play first base. With lefty Matt Boyd on the mound for Detroit, two righthanders pitching the next two days, and a string of 16 consecutive days with a game, Molitor chose to give Joe Mauer the day off.
It's something he hadn't envisioned a month ago. "I didn't think about it a lot initially. I thought there was a fairly high chance that either Park or Vargas was going to be here," Molitor said. "But as that situation unfolded, it became more obvious there was a chance [Gimenez] was going to get a little bit more time playing at other positions than just catching."
Still, the risk is on his mind. "There's always a chance both guys can get hurt. Worst case scenario, they run into each other," Molitor said. He joked that he might jump out of the dugout to separate them if they come too close to each other. But should the unthinkable happen, infielder Eduardo Escobar remains the Twins' no-other-choice option behind the plate.
Max Kepler is out of the lineup, too, with Danny Santana in right field, and Jorge Polanco moves up to third for the first time. Here are the lineups for the first of three games (12:10 p.m. on FSN) in Comerica Park:
TWINS
Dozier 2B
