Twins face Rays as Perkins faces minor-leaguers

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Twins have an interesting middle of the order today, with Eddie Rosario batting third for the first time, followed by Kennys Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia. Some power hitters there, though they and leadoff hitter Danny Santana are the lone regulars who made the trip to Charlotte Sports Park.

Actually, the real news for the Twins today is more likely to come from their home complex back in Fort Myers, where Glen Perkins faces hitters for the first time since the exhibition game against the Gophers on March 4. There are less than three weeks left before the season starts, and manager Paul Molitor is understandably anxious to see his closer get some work.

Perkins will pitch in a minor-league game, with the expectation that, assuming his strained right oblique is now healed, he can go in a major-league game by the weekend.

Here are the lineups for today's big-league game:

TWINS

Santana SS

Schafer RF

Vargas 1B

Arcia LF

Martinez 3B

Herrmann C

Fryer DH

Nolasco RHP, followed by Meyer, Stauffer, Pressly, Tonkin.

RAYS

DeJesus LF

Rivera DH

Cabrera SS

Francisco 1B

Forsythe 2B

Souza CF

Casali C

Elmore RF