Twins bullpen still short-staffed

Well, the Twins bullpen almost was back at full strength on Wednesday.

Righthander Jared Burton, who felt a twinge in his groin while throwing a pitch over the weekend, was available after taking Tuesday off. Burton felt something while pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Saturday and needed an extra day of rest on Tuesday. A big proponent of aquatherapy, he hit the pool this week and said he felt good. He threw about a dozen pitches before Wednesday's game and announced himself ready to go.

"I could tell as soon as I got on the mound that I was good to go," said Burton, the Twins' primary eighth-inning setup man.

Righthander P.J. Walters' 7⅓-inning outing Tuesday was huge in that Burton wasn't missed much. Brian Duensing followed Walters and gave up the tying run, but the Twins scored in the bottom of the eighth to win the game.

Righthander Ryan Pressly needed Tuesday off, too. His arm was ready to go on Wednesday — but the rest of him wasn't.

Pressly arrived at the park Wednesday feeling under the weather. He was checked out by a team doctor and was told to take himself and his germs and go home.

Manager Ron Gardenhire hoped that Pressly could be available Thursday for the series finale vs. Philadelphia.

"Arm-wise he feels good," Gardenhire said. "But his arm is not going to help us today. He came here, the doctors saw him and sent him right back to the house."

Pressly was a Rule 5 pick up during the offseason but has gone 2-0 with a 1.24 ERA.

Eddie Guardado has arrived in town in advance of his induction into the Twins Hall of Fame on Friday. The durable reliever spent pregame in the clubhouse and behind the batting cages, speaking with Twins and Phillies players.

When the game began, Everyday Eddie settled down inside the Twins clubhouse and watched the action.

"He makes me nervous," Gardenhire said. "He's always the practical joker, so we'll have to be careful will Eddie in the house. A very exciting weekend coming up for him and his family. And very well-deserved."

• Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez has been working out and getting his swings in as he works his way back from a concussion late last month in Detroit. His next step will be to go out on the field and take some fly balls. It will be awhile before Ramirez will be back with the club. He will have to be cleared to play and then head out on a rehabilitation assignment.

• Class AAA Rochester was off on Wednesday, so third baseman Trevor Plouffe was idle. He will continue his rehabilitation assignment (left calf strain) on Thursday, when he is scheduled to play all nine innings for the Red Wings.