Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he considered starting Joe Mauer at first base tonight because Luke Hughes has a sore knee. But Hughes was able to play, so Gardenhire has Mauer at DH.
Still, it's a sign that Mauer could show up on the lineup card at first base any day.
"He's going to get out there [at first base] pretty soon," Gardenhire said. "I think he's pretty much ready to go out there, anytime we say let's go do it."
Mauer agreed that playing first base in a game will be the best way to learn the position's nuances. He's been taking ground balls and working on throws to second base, but when it comes to bunt plays and relay positioning, etc., he'll have to learn on the fly.
"Ideally, yeah, you'd like to maybe get into a couple spring training games and stuff like that, but that's not the situation we're in right now," Mauer said. "Really, the only reason I'm taking ground balls over there and things like that is we've had so many injuries, and if that's the way I can help out the team, that's what I'm going to do."
Just like in the Twins' last series against the Dodgers, Mauer is getting the chance to DH at night before catching the next afternoon. This will allow the Twins to have both Mauer and Jim Thome in the lineup Sunday against righthander Zack Greinke.
INJURY NEWS
Jason Kubel (sprained left foot) took batting practice and felt good running forward today in Fort Myers, Fla., but the foot bothers him when he makes cuts. He won't appear in a rehab game again until that pain goes away.
