TwinsCentric: Nolasco's return creates a jam

The Twins face a tough decision with Ricky Nolasco set to return from the disabled list by next week. The right-hander, who's been sidelined with elbow inflammation, made a rehab start in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, tossing five scoreless frames with no issues.

He might make one more start in the minors, but Nolasco will be back soon. And that means the Twins will have to make room for him.

In theory, it shouldn't be all that difficult for a team with a 4.74 ERA from its starters (third-worst in the AL) to find room in its rotation, yet here we are.

Trevor May, who was called up to take Nolasco's spot and probably should have been on the team coming out of spring training, has a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio with only one homer allowed in 14 2/3 innings spanning three starts. Not only is May's continued development vital to the rotation's long-term outlook, the Twins also need him right now. He provides some things that are otherwise sorely lacking on this staff; namely, the ability to miss bats while limiting walks and long balls.

Tommy Milone could be a candidate for demotion coming off a rough outing on Monday, but he had a 3.37 ERA entering that start, and three of his four turns have come against the two best teams record-wise in the AL (Detroit and Kansas City).

Mike Pelfrey would have been the obvious choice a week ago at this time, but he has since rattled off two excellent starts, evidently turning a corner of sorts. Now that he's gotten the opportunity he wanted and made the absolute most of it, will the Twins take it away from him? Hard to envision.

The Twins face a tough decision with Ricky Nolasco set to return from the disabled list by next week. The right-hander, who's been sidelined with elbow inflammation, made a rehab start in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, tossing five scoreless frames with no issues.

When you look at all the names in the mix, the guy who seems to have the worst case for deserving a spot in the rotation is... Nolasco.

He was terrible last season and he gave up six runs over three innings in his first start this year before being shelved. It's beyond optimistic to think that a couple weeks off suddenly resolved all his issues.

The most just course of action would be to extend out his rehab, move him to a higher level and make him earn his way back in by proving over a string of several starts that he's healthy and effective. Rehab stints can last up to 30 days for pitchers, so the the Twins could conceivably delay a decision until it becomes clear that he's a better option than one of the five current occupants.

It seems apparent, however, that the Twins feel compelled to get Nolasco back in the rotation. That'll likely mean having a rather uncomfortable conversation with a starter who really hasn't done much to lose his job.