Nolasco returns to Twins, but Hughes' availability a question

Ricky Nolasco will start Saturday against the White Sox. Phil Hughes' next start is up in the air. Tommy Milone's next start is unknown, since he has been sent to the bullpen.

Nolasco will be activated from the 15-day disabled list Saturday after recovering from a sore elbow. Nolasco made only one rehabilitation start at Class A Cedar Rapids, throwing 66 pitches. Instead of stretching him out some more, the Twins are going to give him the ball Saturday and hope he has 80-85 good pitches in him.

"After much discussion, we feel he is ready to perform at this level," manager Paul Molitor said.

Nolasco started the second game of the season, lasting only three innings at Detroit, giving up six runs on six hits and four walks. He then reported soreness in the elbow, leading to an examination and DL stint. The Twins will make a corresponding roster move when Nolasco is activated.

Hughes left Wednesday's start against the Tigers after five innings because of a mild left hip flexor strain. He said Wednesday he should be able to make his next start, but that has not been determined yet.

The Twins will watch Hughes over the next couple days. If he is unable to throw in the bullpen between starts, he won't be able to start on Monday against Oakland and could become a candidate for the disabled list.

"I talked to him and he said he really wasn't sure until he went out there and tried a few things," Molitor said.

But he faltered in his past two starts and pitched just four innings Monday against Detroit.

"I want to be a starter, but I guess the best thing to do is go out there and do what I need to do and we'll see what happens after that," Milone said. "The main thing is to be here helping the team win."

The one thing the Twins wanted to see Michael Tonkin work on while in the minors is sharpening his slider and mixing it in more.

In eight games at Class AAA Rochester, he posted a 2.45 ERA over 7⅓ innings with five saves, and he feels he is using his offspeed pitches effectively. He was called up when Casey Fien landed on the disabled list because of a shoulder strain.

"I'm locating my fastball pretty well," Tonkin said. "Using my slider. Using my changeup more than in years past."

"It's big," he said. "I don't want to throw a whole bunch. I want to use them in counts when it mattered and make it effective."

Molitor said Tonkin will be the bridge to the late innings, while Aaron Thompson and Blaine Boyer pitch the eighth.

Fien will begin work with assistant trainer Lanning Tucker to strengthen the area of the shoulder that has bothered him this season. The Twins rested Fien for four days a couple weeks ago when he began having problems, then he re-aggravated it Wednesday.

Fien feels it the most when he tries to throw curveballs. He joked that he didn't even know he had a muscle there.