BOSTON -- Tsuyoshi Nishioka is heading back to the majors, so when will Chris Parmelee get his next chance?
Parmelee extended his hitting streak to 15 games for Class AAA Rochester on Sunday. In the first 14 games of the streak, he batted .448 (26-for-58) with seven homers and 18 RBI.
The Twins currently need a lefthanded bat off the bench, but they don't want to limit Parmelee's playing time at age 24. The Twins tried him in right field earlier this season, but he's played exclusively first base for Rochester. The Twins are pretty set at both positions now, with Justin Morneau and Ben Revere.
"It would be nice to have that bat available on the bench, certainly," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "But with our guys healthy and playing regularly, you also don't want to have a guy sitting around."
Parmelee almost certainly will be back with the Twins once Rochester's season ends. The Red Wings final regular season game is scheduled for Sept. 3, but thanks in part to Parmelee, they've been the hottest team in the International League and entered Sunday just 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.
