The busy schedule is starting to take its toll on the Twins, and on Ron Gardenhire's lineup-making.
Josh Willingham has been playing with a sore wrist, but Gardenhire noticed it bothering him yesterday, and decided it's time to give it a break. Aaron Hicks came in today with a sore elbow, probably mildly hyperextended, the Twins think, during an at-bat yesterday. Glen Perkins is still sore on his left side, and won't be available in the bullpen tonight, so Monday's starter, Pedro Hernandez, will be.
It's left Gardenhire with an unusual lineup, and it could have been even more so had he decided to move Oswaldo Arcia up in the order. Gardenhire and his coaches considered the move, but decided that "he's doing fine just where he is," the manager said. Arcia batted third in the second game of a doubleheader against Miami two weeks ago, "and it didn't go too well," Gardenhire said of Arcia's 1-for-5 night.
So with all those changes to work around, here are tonight's lineups:
ORIOLES
McLouth LF
Machado 3B
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Davis 1B
Wieters C
Hardy SS
Flaherty 2B
Reimold C
Johnson RHP
TWINS
