Twins notes: Plouffe, Slowey, Nishi, Liriano, Young, Mauer, Morneau, Kepler

I couldn't resist.

Trevor Plouffe saw me in the clubhouse before Friday's games and said, ``La Velle, I better see you down there for that B-game!" Plouffe was in the lineup, batting third.

``I'll be down there," I replied, ``Because it might be the only time I'll see you hit in the three hole."

Rene Tosoni overheard the exchange and howled. Plouffe said, ``OUCH!'

So, of course, I go down there and watch Plouffe crank out RBI singles in his first two at-bats - both off Rays starter Jeff Niemann - before we headed back to the clubhouse to interview Francisco Liriano.

No one kept score of the B-game - no one that we knew of. So there's no boxscore we have no idea what the final score was. All I know was that the Twins were slapping Niemann with single after single and scoring runs when we left.

Saw Plouffe after the game. He held out his arms and struck that, ``what do you think of me now," pose. ``You held down the three hole," I said to him.

Liriano made his first appearance of spring and looked shaky. His pitches were up in the zone, as he struggled with his mechanics. But he said his shoulder was fine. This is what spring training is for. Let's see how he does in his next outing.

Liriano had to avoid disaster when Drew Butera threw low to second while trying to nab a base stealer. Liriano had to duck out of the way - and Butera still gunned down the runner.

Kevin Slowey looked sharp while holding the Rays to one hit over three innings. Much better than his first outing.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka committed a throwing error in the first inning - then apologized to Slowey in the dugout after the inning. Like everyone else, Slowey has been intrigued by Nishi.

``I was talking with Brian (Duensing) the other day about how neat it is to have a player of his caliber and his background in our clubhouse," Slowey said. ``It's something most guys don't get to experience."

Gardy said Jose Mijares is gaining confidence in his two-seam fastball and is learning that he can get hitters out without striking them out. Mijares will get his strikeouts, but the sinker gives him another tool.

Ran into a scout who has seen the Twins the past two days. He said Liriano hit 91-92 on his gun and touched 93 a couple of times. He said Jim Hoey was 93-97 on Thursday. Both pitchers, of course, struggled with command.

Not trying to bury the lead here, but there's a chance that Joe Mauer (left knee) might try catching in the bullpen on Sunday. Mauer is on his own program. Gardenhire said it's up to the trainers and Mauer to left him know when's ready for more activities.

Given how synthetic lubrication has helped knee joints in other players, I have no reason to think that Mauer won't be in the lineup Opening Day. To be honest, what's the big deal if he doesn't play until the final two weeks of spring training? His bat is the last thing to worry about.

Justin Morneau is another story. Concussions are on their own time frame. If Morneau is still getting foggy after a couple workouts, he has to wait until he's 100 percent. Will that happen by Apr.1? Suddenly, I'm not so sure.